Diabetes in Children

  A Guide for Families

Has your child been diagnosed with diabetes, and you're worried? Or maybe he or she has had diabetes for a while but you feel like you're floundering. Sometimes, parents and families need to understand how diabetes affects the family dynamic, and how they can be supportive. Whether your child is an infant, teen, or in grade school, families often need some guidance on how they can help their children live a normal life. 

Here is a brief guide for families living with children who have diabetes. 

Be Ready for Misconceptions

Parents and diabetic children will have to deal with various misconceptions and myths about diabetes. It's good to look over some of the more prevalent myths and questions, and have a ready answer for them. You may want to coach your child in answering these misconceptions as well.

* "Will I catch diabetes from you/your child?" Of course not - diabetes is not communicable.

* "I can't invite you/your child to my birthday party!" Children with diabetes may not be invited to birthday parties because many hosts/parents do not want the responsibility of a diabetic child, especially one surrounded by sugary birthday treats. Hopefully, you can work with the parents of kids who are having birthday parties and let your child participate in whatever capacity you're comfortable with.

* "Will you die if you eat sugar?" Some people think that diabetics will be "poisoned" if they eat sugar.

* "You must have eaten too much sugar as a baby/child; that's why you have diabetes." Many people think that eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

Research

To help make the disease seem less scary, research the terminology and realities of the disease. That way, when your doctor talks to you about the disease, you will not feel intimidated by the terms and will know what he or she is talking about. Knowledge can help you feel empowered. You can also use your research to help formulate a plan, which makes a lot of families feel more secure. 

Include Other Family Members

When you can, include the family in the scheduled meal times and even snacks. Some families make a nightly together time of the snack before bed that most diabetics need. Everyone in the family should know how to recognize signs of a problem - high or low blood sugar especially. 

Get Involved

Involve yourself in the diabetes community in your area and/or online. There are diabetes camps, online forms, and various support groups that can help your family live with diabetes. These groups can also help your child learn how to cope with diabetes now and in the future. 

Diabetes - How to Recognize and Prevent Complications


Learning to recognize the complications of diabetes in yourself and others can save a life. Sometimes diabetes goes unnoticed, and until there's a complication, the person doesn't know he or she has diabetes. If a shrewd friend can see some symptoms before the complications hit, it may give the diabetic an edge on treatment. It's also a good idea to learn some of the signs and symptoms of complications and how to stave them off in yourself.

Here are some tips to help you prevent and recognize diabetes complications.


Prevention

There are some specific actions you can take to help avoid complications and keep them from developing.

1. Don't smoke

Smoking is one of the worst things a diabetic can do. First of all, smoking constricts blood vessels, further complicating the compromised circulation that comes with diabetes anyway. Secondly, smoking increases diabetics' risk of cardiovascular disease and even vision problems. So a good step toward staving off these complications is to stop smoking (or don't start!).

2. Take your medication regularly

To help your body stay on an even keel, it's a good idea to take your prescribed medication as directed. Don't self-medicate. If you want to change medications or try something different, make sure you do so under the care of a professional.

3. Regular check-ups

Getting regular physicals is important, but so are check-ups specifically for your diabetes. Your vision in particular should be monitored to prevent vision complications such as glaucoma later on.

4. Maintain a healthy weight

Eating a healthy, diabetic-specific diet and getting enough regular exercise is key to maintaining a healthy weight. You don't want to crash-diet, but getting on track with the right foods and activity level is a good place to start.


Recognition

Recognizing complications early can help, whether it's an urgent, short-term complication or a long-term one. Here are some tips.

Sources say that the body parts most affected by diabetes are:

* Eyes
* Kidneys
* Nerves
* Heart and blood vessels
* Gums
* Feet

Watching for abnormalities in these areas of the body is the first step toward recognizing any complications in that area.

1. Neuropathy

Burning, tingling sensations in the hands and feet, sharp night-time pain, and difficulty walking are signs of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). Swollen, red feet are also a sign of serious nerve complications.

2. Vision problems

If you have blurry vision, sudden losses of vision, what seems like flashing light or grey, drifting films across your eyes, it could be a sign of diabetic vision complications. Pain and pressure in the eye are also symptoms.

3. Kidney complications

Diabetics are prone to kidney problems. Signs of kidney complications include fatigue, poor concentration, painful urination, and/or edema (puffy swelling) in the abdomen, around the eyes, or in the ankles and feet.

4. High and low blood sugar

Symptoms of very low blood sugar may include nausea, extreme fatigue, confusion, emotional imbalance, and ravenous hunger. High blood sugar may cause excessive thirst, headache, and increased, frequent urination. High and low blood sugar need to be addressed immediately.

Managing Diabetes with Diet and Exercise - Top Tips


Generally speaking, Type II diabetes is the version of this disease that can be managed with diet and exercise. However, for those with Type I, these healthy lifestyle tips may help relieve symptoms and enhance management of the condition. Here are some tips for managing diabetes with diet and exercise.

The Right Carbs

Carbs, or carbohydrates, have been on the "bad" list lately. But not unlike fat, there are good and bad carbs, especially when it comes to diabetes management. Generally speaking, carbs to avoid might include the following:

* White sugar
* White flour
* White rice
* Fruit juices
* De-germed cornmeal

Carbs to emphasize might include these foods:

* Whole fruits
* Whole grains
* Brown rice
* Whole cornmeal

Proteins and Carbs

Combining proteins and carbs at meals and snacks can help prevent blood sugar spikes. Examples include:

* Whole grain bread with unsweetened nut butter
* Whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese
* Lean turkey breast in a whole wheat pita
* Brown rice and beans
* "Party mix" made from whole grain cereal, peanuts, and pretzels
* Apple slices with peanut butter
* Brown rice and broiled salmon
* Whole wheat macaroni and cheese (made with low-fat cheese and skim milk)

Fats

While keeping your weight at a healthy level is important for managing your diabetes, eating the right kind of fat has its place. In moderation, these healthy fats can help lower cholesterol and provide other health benefits. Healthy fats can be found in:

* Fish (especially salmon and Arctic char)
* Avocados
* Almonds
* Olive, safflower, and canola oils

It's a good idea to avoid saturated fats and trans fats (hydrogenated fats). Saturated fats are fats like butter and shortening that are solid at room temperature. Hydrogenated fats were once liquid fats (sometimes healthy ones) that were artificially solidified using hydrogen. Trans or hydrogenated fats are found in some types of peanut butter and in margarine, and in the ingredient lists of countless packaged foods. 

Exercise

To manage your diabetes, exercise is considered by experts to be essential. Interestingly, strength training has been shown to be especially beneficial to diabetics, producing results that, in some instances, rival medication. Aerobic exercise is also helpful; it gets the heart rate up and burns calories.

The important thing is to exercise at least 30 minutes a day for a minimum of five days a week. This helps keep your weight in check (vital for diabetics and pre-diabetics) and may even reduce stress. Stress has been implicated in the development of diabetes symptoms.

The Major Benefits

Nutrient-Dense And Contain Fat: 

Smoothies are natural, nutrient-dense and all-natural ingredients that contain oils and vitamins necessary for complete nutrition. Fat is needed for biological functions as it is burned for energy. A healthy smoothie has dietary fats for the body to utilize in incorporating the vitamins.

Keeps You Hydrated: 

Smoothies for breakfast keep you hydrated for the day. This function is something that coffee or soda won't do. Given that your body will pull water from the foods to stay hydrated, you no longer need to drink water when you are sipping on a smoothie. Yogurt and milk are water, therefore, if your smoothie has high dairy content, you'll surely quench your thirst. 

Dairy-Based Type Provide Calcium: 

Smoothies made with a high content of dairy product provide calcium necessary for bone strength. You may try kefir or yogurt, as these cultured products are the best sources of live cultures and probiotics.

Simple to Make: 

When you own a good blender, getting a quality ingredient, and making delicious smoothies is just a snap of a finger. Start with ten oz. of almond milk, fresh, yogurt, or frozen fruits. These fruits are high in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Other excellent ingredients are extra virgin coconut oil, raw Omega-3 egg yolks, pure vanilla extract, and shredded coconut.

Make a Healthy Breakfast: 

For morning breakfast, a homemade smoothie is an excellent choice. You can make it in just five minutes before leaving the house. Drinking a smoothie keeps you from consuming empty carbohydrates. If you have difficulty taking cod liver oil, you may a few drops of your smoothie. With a smoothie, you will never see the differences in taste. You’ll add a great cups of essential fatty acids and vitamins to your nutritious meal.

Better Than Multi-Vitamins: 

Despite what most people think, the "multi-vitamins" taken daily are not demonstrably proven to have considerable health benefits. The most effective way to obtain nutrition is through foods, and consuming a smoothie daily gives you the best nutrients.

To sum it up, a smoothie is made up of frozen or fresh fruits or vegetables that have numerous benefits that far outweigh any cons.

The Major Benefits of Smoothies

Over the past few years, smoothies have been a growing phenomenon in the health and wellness industry. If you live in a major city, you will have probably noticed the increasing smoothie bars springing up all over the place and people carrying a plastic glass filled with brightly colored liquids, making you wonder what on earth are smoothies?

What Are Smoothies?

A smoothie is a blended, cold, thick, and non- alcoholic liquid drink that is made up of fresh vegetables, fruit, its juice or pulp. 

In most cases, it includes milk or ice cream. Almost all kinds of fruits and vegetables work well with smoothies, but the famous ones are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pineapples, mangoes, bananas, and peaches. 

To be creamier, frozen fruits are used. The vegetables that work well with the fruits are usually the leafy greens. Do not be fooled by the false claims that smoothies are made from unhealthy mixes with altered ingredients. These products are entirely a marketing ploy and bogus. Smoothies are a healthy alternative. 

All About Smoothies

Smoothies are full of energy and nutrients. It works the same thing as the whole meal because you are not only getting the liquid of its form. Smoothies work best for busy people because hectic schedules make it impossible for them to take breakfast regularly. 

Weight problems are not a small problem. There are two kinds of diet regimen the smoothies can give. It can either help you maintain or lose weight. Unlike the pills and supplements, vitamins that are ingested from food are much more beneficial and healthier. Smoothies will help you to be hydrated.

Whether you choose juice or a smoothie, you are still giving your body the essential nutrients. Both of these methods make use of healthy fruits and vegetables. But knowing their differences would help you decide what type of drink will suit for you at the moment.

All About Juicing

Juicing is the best way to get healthy nutrients into your body as quick as possible. It is quick in sense that it does not require a long preparation, yet you are still getting the essential nutrients needed in your body. 

Juicing has several health benefits, including weight loss, body hydration, boosting your immune system, and remove serious diseases. They say water is everything - true. The water in juice is a natural source of water that will help to hydrate you as well as give you essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates. In addition to this, the fresh juice will also provide you with enzymes that are vital to your metabolic process and are critical elements in giving your body the best energy. 

Fresh juice delivers the raw goodness of fruits and vegetables to your system, almost like an intravenous injection. To be able to enjoy the benefits, the juicing must be from fresh fruits and vegetables, and not a powered or ready-made juices you can find in the supermarket.

The Difference Between Juicing and Smoothies

Smoothies and juices are both loaded with nutrients and taste fabulous. While they do have the same properties as the fruits or vegetables in their raw form, their being in liquid form has different textures and appearances. These difference lie in the procedure, methods, and machines used to make each drink.

The Major Differences

When you blend, you end up consuming the food in its entirety although some were already pulverized. So, if you blend an apple, your body will digest the full fruit. When you do juice, the fibrous portion is removed. So, what is left are the micronutrients in a liquid form. As for the process, you have two procedures in juicing. You may use the juice to squeeze the water instantly, or you may do it manually. 

The juice extractor is necessary for harder fruits and vegetables. As for the smoothies, it requires either a high-performance or traditional blender. When the liquid (broth, milk, or fresh juice) is processed in a puree in a blender, the drink is smooth and thick. Smoothies are thicker and filling than juices since they have the fibrous cellulose and pulp, which have been removed from the juice.

Power Foods For Detox

 All-About-the-Berries Smoothie: 

When it comes to detoxing, berries are your good friend because they all have the fiber and antioxidants. To purge toxins, and replenish your body, detox berries through a smoothie is just the thing your body needs. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries have a lot of vitamins.

Ginger Spice Smoothie: 

If you are trying to detox your body, the Ginger root is a great way to keep you around. As far as flavor is concerned, ginger wakes up the taste buds and offers a power that is refreshing. Mixing it with cinnamon makes the detox smoothie a generous drink that gives anti-inflammatory benefits. It also kicks up the spiciness of the drink.

Green and Clean Smoothie: 

Smoothies of this kind is straightforward. The word green means the drink is incorporated with green fruits and some vegetable. Open your fridge and use anything that is green.

Extreme Detox Smoothie: 

Extreme is an intense word to use in a smoothie. This smoothie is labeled as a “kitchen sink” as it adds you in whatever you in your hand. Some of the foods that are presumed to work best in detox do not work well in a smoothie since most of them contain minerals and vitamins that support a healthy lifestyle.

Smoothie Detox has the power to cleanse the body of dietary and environmental toxins accumulated to lose weight or improve health. A detox diet minimizes the necessary intake of chemicals and emphasizes the foods that are high in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Additionally, smoothie detox emphasizes the foods that promote the elimination of toxins via excretion such as water and high fiber food. 

Making Detox Smoothies

Detox smoothies are the nutritious and delicious way of detoxing your body. Among all the detox drinks, they are one of the most preferred as they contain vitamins and minerals to function at its best.

 When you have the right ingredients, smoothies are easy to make. In this present times, it Is not only easy to discover the recipes that are required for good health, but also reasonable. The best thing about these ingredients can be found in powder form. These powders are easy to work with since they have all of the nutrients in the product and are not difficult to combine for the drink that tastes so good.