Friday 22 September 2017

Less Common Symptoms of Diabetes

The following symptoms are not experienced by everyone with diabetes, but they can signal the disease, and are worth looking out for.

• Weight loss

• Erectile dysfunction

• Dry, itchy skin

• Frequent infections, such as yeast infections in women

• Irritability

• Dry mouth

How is Diabetes Diagnosed



The same tests used to screen and diagnose diabetes are used to detect individuals with pre-diabetes. There are a few ways you can be diagnosed. 

Your doctor can carry out a number of blood tests, depending on whether or not you have any symptoms.

Whether you are at a high or low risk for diabetes, your physician will use the same tests:


• Random glucose test (if you’re symptomatic)

• Fasting glucose test (a test done when you haven’t eaten for 8 hours)

• Two-hour glucose tolerance test

• Hemoglobin a1c test (a three-month average of your blood sugar)

Sometimes people don’t experience symptoms of diabetes and the diagnosis is made not because the doctor suspects the disease, but as a result of a routine check-up.

For someone who does not have any symptoms to be considered to have type 2 diabetes, they must:

• Have a fasting blood sugar (no food eaten for 8 hours) greater than or equal to 126 mg/dL

• Have a blood sugar of 200mg/dL after 2 hours during a glucose tolerance test using 75g glucose solution.

• Have a hemoglobin A1c of 6.5% or higher.

If You’ve Recently Been Diagnosed with Diabetes
If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s normal to feel a bit scared, confused, and overwhelmed. 

There are so many myths floating about regarding diabetes, which can make it more difficult to cope with. Try not to listen to things that other people have to say, such as, you can never eat carbohydrates again. 

Instead, educate yourself.




Talk with your doctor about connecting with certified diabetes educators and receiving diabetes self—management education. 

Learning all about what to eat, what your medication does, and how to test your blood sugar levels are just some of the things these resources can help you with. Educators can also dispel myths, create meal plans for you, coordinate other doctor appointments for you, and listen to all your needs. They have been trained to teach using a patient-centered approach.

Monday 18 September 2017

Common Symptoms of Diabetes

If you’re experiencing any of the below, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Excessive Urination (Polyuria)



Polyuria is an increase in the frequency of urination. When you have abnormally high levels of sugar in your blood, your kidneys draw in water from your tissues in order to dilute the sugar, so your body can expel it in the urine. The cells are also pumping water into the bloodstream to flush out the sugar, and the kidneys are not able to reabsorb this fluid during filtering, resulting in excessive urination.

To meet the clinical definition of polyuria, an adult’s urine output must be more than 2.5 liters per day (normal urine output is 1.5 liters).

As it’s near enough impossible for you to measure this yourself, if you notice that you’re visiting the bathroom more times than usual, consult your doctor.

Excessive Thirst (Polydipsia)



This usually goes hand-in-hand with excessive urination. As your body pulls water from tissues to dilute your blood and to dispose of the sugar through urination, the urge to drink increases. 

Many people describe this thirst as an unquenchable one. To stay hydrated, you drink excessive amounts of fluids – if these fluids contain simple sugars, your blood sugar levels will increase dramatically.

Extreme Fatigue



Your body is like a vehicle – it needs fuel to run. Its main source of fuel is glucose (sugar), which is gained from foods that contain carbohydrates that can be broken down. Insulin, a hormone created by the pancreas, takes sugar from your blood to your cells to use for energy. 

However, if you have diabetes, either your pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or the insulin that your body is making isn’t being used properly, typically because the cells have become resistant to it. This ultimately results in your cells being deprived of sugar, or fuel. The result will be tiredness and extreme fatigue.

Cuts and Bruises That are Slow to Heal



When the blood is full of sugar, nerves and circulation can be affected. Adequate circulation is needed to heal as poor circulation makes it hard for blood to reach affected areas, slowing down the healing process. If you notice that you have a cut or bruise that is slow to disappear, this could be a sign of high blood sugars.

Excessive Hunger (Polyphasia)

This goes hand-in-hand with cell starvation and fatigue. As the cells are resistant to the body’s insulin, glucose remains in the blood. The cells are then unable to gain access to glucose, which will trigger hunger hormones to tell the brain that you’re hungry. Excessive eating can complicate things by causing blood sugars to increase.

Neuropathy


Numbness and tingling in the extremities is known as neuropathy. This is usually a symptom that occurs gradually over time as excess sugar damages the nerves. Keeping blood sugars within normal range can help prevent further damage and reduce the symptoms.

Blurry Vision



Blurred vision can be a result of elevated blood sugar levels. Similarly, fluid that is pulled from the cells into the bloodstream to dilute the sugar can also be pulled from the lenses of your eyes. When the lens becomes dry, the eye cannot focus, resulting in blurry vision. Therefore, it’s important that all people diagnosed with type 3 diabetes have a dilated eye exam shortly after diagnosis.

Friday 15 September 2017

Type 2 Diabetes -

There are 21 million people in the world who have been diagnosed with diabetes, but there are still around 8.1 million people who have the disease and don’t know about it (27.8% of people with diabetes are undiagnosed). Symptoms of this disease vary from person to person, but, like with most diseases, the earlier you catch it, the better off you will be.






Therefore, it is definitely worth getting to know, and keeping an eye out, for the symptoms of diabetes.

• You are above the age of 45

• You have already been diagnosed with pre-diabetes

• You are overweight or inactive


• You are African American, a native of Alaska, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander American, and are experiencing atypical symptoms. 

Monday 11 September 2017

Eating a Healthy Breakfast for Diabetes

Knowing what not to eat for breakfast is only part of the battle when you have diabetes. Understanding what makes for a healthy breakfast food is just as important. O'Connor offers these balanced-breakfast solutions:

For meals on the go, choose a piece of fruit with low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. 

Or try a breakfast burrito with scrambled egg whites on a whole-wheat tortilla.

To get more fiber in your breakfast, try oatmeal with fresh fruit and low-fat or fat-free yogurt, whole-grain cereal, toasted whole-wheat bread or English muffins, or breakfast wraps or burritos made with whole-grain tortillas.



For healthy and lean protein sources, try a handful of almonds, natural peanut butter, or a slice of low-fat cheese.

 An occasional egg is also fine. (You can eat egg whites or egg substitutes more often since they don’t have cholesterol.) 



Low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are also good sources of breakfast protein.

If you want to juice your breakfast, keep the portion to a maximum of 8 ounces. O’Connor recommends substituting vegetables for some of the fruits to create a better blend and a lower-carb beverage. You can add some protein powder, too.



It's also important to check your blood sugar two hours after eating breakfast. "If it’s above the target your doctor has set, you’re consuming too many carbs and need to cut back,” says O’Connor.

As long as you make healthy food choices, breakfast for diabetes can be a chance to get better control of your blood sugar and your weight. 

But if you're struggling with the right breakfast for diabetes — or any other meal in your diabetes diet — ask your doctor or diabetes educator for some help.

Source:

treatment-diet-exercise/diabetes-breakfast-mistakes/?http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/type-2-diabetes-pos=1&xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20160629

Friday 8 September 2017

Avoiding Breakfast Mistakes



Breakfast blunders can happen during the week when you wake up late and try eating breakfast while running out the door, or on the weekend when you go out for a big breakfast.

However, the biggest mistake to avoid is skipping breakfast altogether. When you go too long without eating, your body goes into starvation mode. 

And when you finally give in to hunger later in the day (and probably overeat), your body will grab all the fat from your meal and store it. That's bad for anyone, especially for someone with type 2 diabetes.

Here are some other breakfast mistakes to avoid:

Don’t fly on a sugar high. If you don't have a lot of time in the morning for healthy breakfast foods, you may be tempted to wolf down a doughnut and coffee for the extra sugar and caffeine, but this is a mistake. 




“Breakfast should be a meal that provides your body fuel for the next couple of hours," O'Connor says. "It should be a valuable source of energy, not just quick energy.

" From a doughnut and coffee with sugar, she says, "you’ll get a temporary sugar high, but you won’t have done your body any favors, and it’ll wear off quickly, likely resulting in a blood-sugar crash."

Don’t forget fiber.  




Breakfast is also a great opportunity to get some fiber, which is good for diabetes because fiber fills you up without raising your blood sugar. 

That can mean better blood-sugar control and fewer calories. Try to get 7 to 10 grams of fiber every morning as part of a healthy breakfast for diabetes.

Add protein for a balanced breakfast. 




“Breakfast should combine healthy sources of carbohydrates, around 15 to 30 grams, with a small amount of lean protein," O'Connor says. 

"Think of the carbohydrates as the energy your body needs and the protein as what gives it staying power.” Protein also helps you feel fuller.

Include fruit and vegetables for fiber plus nutrition. Colorful fruits and vegetables are a low-calorie source of carbohydrates. 




Include them in your breakfast for vitamins, minerals, and fiber. If your diabetes diet incorporates 2,000 to 2,400 calories, you should get four servings each of fruits and vegetables daily — and breakfast is a good time to get started.

Don’t drink your breakfast. 




Although some people like breakfast drinks, "better nutrition comes from whole foods," O'Connor says. "Juicing is a popular trend, but keep in mind that one large serving of juiced fruits contains significant carbs and calories.” That means you can experience a rise in blood sugar and weight gain from juicing too frequently.


Avoid processed meats and other bad breakfast choices. 




Bacon, sausage, and ham don’t add carbs to your diet, but they’re not healthy protein choices either. 

“Bad breakfast choices provide excessive calories with little or no nutrition,” O’Connor says. “Stay away from breakfast bars, large coffee drinks with whipped cream and caramel, sweetened cereals, and breakfast pastries.”

Monday 4 September 2017

Diabetes Breakfast Mistakes to Avoid



If you have diabetes, eating a bad breakfast is a big mistake. Get tips from an expert on healthy breakfast foods for diabetes.  Chris Iliades, MD.

 Mom is still right: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when you have type 2 diabetes. Your diabetes diet needs to give you a healthy supply of energy to jump start your body in the morning.

"Remember that first thing in the morning, you’ve gone many hours without eating and your body needs fuel," says Kelly O'Connor, RD, director of diabetes education at the endocrinology center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.

"If you’re not giving it any, it will create its own in the form of stored blood sugar that gets released into your bloodstream — which often results in blood sugar that’s too high."



Healthy breakfast food is also a must when it comes to diabetes control and weight management. 

“Remember that when your body is fasting, you’re not giving it any energy, so it slows down to conserve what it has left, which is counterproductive," O'Connor says. The trick is to keep your metabolism going all day long at a steady rate. 

"The simple solution to both of these issues is to eat a good breakfast," she says. Ankylosing Spondylitis.


Friday 1 September 2017

8 Diabetic Diet Myths Dispelled


Diabetes is fast becoming one of the most common illnesses in the world. As such, there is a treasure trove of rumors and misinformation regarding this disease. It's extremely important to separate fact from fiction, and that is why we've brought you 8 of the most common myths about this disease that we are going to bust right now. 


Myth 1: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.


It is widely thought that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. What does cause diabetes is an insulin malfunction . This means your body struggles to turn the food you eat into energy. Usually food gets broken down into glucose, a sugar that powers cells. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone which helps cells use glucose for energy.


There are 3 common forms of diabetes and none of them are caused by sugar intake.


Type 1 diabetes usually starts in childhood or young adulthood and is when the pancreas can’t produce insulin. These people need to take insulin to help move the sugar into the cells and prevent it from amassing in the blood.


Type 2 diabetes can affect any person, of any age and is when the pancreas doesn’t produce sufficient insulin or the insulin stops working, and sometimes both scenarios. Being overweight can make this form of diabetes more ly.


Another common type is Gestational diabetes, a temporary form of diabetes that occurs in pregnancy due to hormone changes that cause insulin not to work properly.


Myth 2: You won’t be able to eat your favorite foods anymore.



The idea that you are limited to uninteresting food when you are diabetic is widespread and misleading. You don’t have to give up foods you love; you just might need to think of how you eat them differently. You will need to change the way you prepare these foods, and might need to change the foods that you eat alongside them, and possibly reducing the portions.


Myth 3: You’ll have to prepare separate diabetic meals.





You might be thinking that you won’t be able to eat what the rest of the family is eating, and extra preparation would be required. This isn’t necessarily true. A diabetic diet is a healthy diet, nutritious for the whole family and doesn’t require separate preparation. The person with diabetes just needs to pay more attention to the amount of calories she or he eats and monitor the types of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in their diet.


Alternative sugars
Stevia





This is a plant extract that tastes much sweeter than sugar and has no calories. It has the added benefit of lowering blood sugar and blood pressure. Stevia has a distinct taste and it can take a while to adjust.
Erythritol





This sugar alcohol is low in calories and doesn’t affect your blood sugar levels. It is safe to eat however eating too much can cause digestion issues.


Xylitol.





Another sugar alcohol that doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin levels. Similar to Erythritol, Xylitol causes digestive issues if eaten in large quantities. This sugar alcohol is also been shown to have dental benefits and improve bone density. It’s highly toxic to dogs.


Myth 4: Carbohydrates are bad for diabetics.

Carbohydrates, commonly shortened to carbs, are the foundation of any healthy diet and are not bad for diabetes. Why they are important to monitor is because they have the greatest effect on blood sugar levels. It’s best to discuss which ones you eat with a dietitian so that you select nutrient rich ones.


Myth 5: You can replace carbohydrates with protein.





Carbohydrates ability to affect blood sugar levels quickly might tempt people with diabetes to lower their intake of carbs and compensate with more protein. This is fine in principle, but in practice many proteins, such as meat, are dense in saturated fats. Consuming too much fat can increase the risk for heart disease.


Myth 6: You can take medicine and eat what you.



It would be great if taking a pill would allow you to go about eating what you usually do but adjusting your medication makes it less effective as medicine works best taken consistently, as instructed by your physician. For those who take insulin, it’s often the case that you learn to adjust the amount of insulin to match the amount of food you eat, but this doesn’t give you permission to eat as much as you want. You still have to stick to a diabetic diet to stabilize your blood sugar levels.


Myth 7: You have to eat diet foods.





A lot of ‘diet’ foods are smart marketing. They are often more expensive and no healthier than regular foods. It’s important to read the ingredients and consider the number of calories before deciding if it’s suitable for your diabetic diet. As always when in doubt about what food is beneficial its best to consult with a nutritionist or dietitian.
Myth 8: No more dessert.





Similar to myth #2 you need to rethink how you look at desserts. There are plenty sweet options available for eating at the end of a meal. You can use artificial sweeteners, alternative sugars or try expanding your food horizons to include fruit, and yogurts. You can even make your recipes more nutritious by including whole grains, and vegetable oil when preparing desserts. For many recipes you can skip or reduce the sugar without changing the consistency or sacrificing the taste. Another option is to practice portion control. Consider splitting dessert or opting for a single ice cream scoop.









Manek Chowk <pothinudehlu@gmail.com>