Diabetic Neuropathy is a common complication of Diabetes Mellitus. It usually includes micro vascular injury to the small blood vessels leading to your nerves. Other side effects of Diabetic Neuropathy are not as uncommon.

One of the greatest complications of diabetic neuropathy concerns morbidity and mortality in the diabetic. This neuropathy has a rate of 20% in traumatic and 50-75% non-traumatic amputations. The greatest risk for diabetes mellitus patients is glycemic control. In most patients who controlled their glycogen levels, the risk of diabetes neuropathy was smaller. Those who did not control their insulin levels were at a higher risk. Other risk factors include: smoking, high blood pressure, age, and obesity.

Micro vascular disease is the term used to explain the constriction of blood vessels from diabetes mellitus. This causes the blood vessels to slow down the amount of blood passing through the veins. Basically, less blood flows to the nerves which cause problems with circulation leading to amputation of a limb.

Keeping glucose in its metabolized state is what helps keep diabetes neuropathy from occurring. When glucose levels are too high it will cause a chemical reaction in the body that uses up compounds that may be needed to inhibit diabetes neuropathy. Medications are available which may help this.

There are several reasons the eyes, kidneys, and nerves are damaged by diabetes neuropathy. When blood does not process glucose properly, it may turn into a form of glucose that is unusable to these organs. It actually stresses the organs and does not allow the energy producing glucose to pass the cell wall barrier. This is what causes nerve, eye or kidney damage among diabetics.

Some of the effects of diabetic neuropathy are: a loss of feeling in a part of the body, numbness or tingling, bowel upset, impotence, loss of bladder control, drooping facial parts, dizziness, vision changes, speech impairment, even trouble swallowing and or muscle contraction. These difficulties are all related to the nerve damage done by diabetes neuropathy.

The reasons for these afflictions in the diabetic neuropathy patient are poorly understood at this time. Treatment may be available for some of the associated difficulties of diabetes neuropathy but for the most part there is no cure and the disease is progressive. Often amputation of limbs or soft tissue that has received a loss of blood supply and can no longer heal or fight infection is necessary. Diabetes neuropathy is being studied on a continual basis so hope for relief is available.

First things first, what is nocturnal hypoglycemia? This is hypoglycemia that occurs when a person is sleeping. This is specifically anywhere between the injection in the evening and in the morning when getting up.

Hypoglycemia Symptoms

The symptoms of nocturnal hypoglycemia is restlessness, sweating profusely and nightmares. This is especially observed by the person’s partner or parent more than the patient suffering from nocturnal hypoglycemia himself.

Other mild symptoms are those that could be easily corrected. They include pangs of hunger, trembling, and rapid / fast heartbeat.

Be cautious though, as extremely low levels of blood glucose could help activate the following neurological symptoms: weakness, confusion, combativeness, disorientation. The worst case scenarios include the following symptoms: seizure, coma, death.

If the patient becomes helpless and there is no response available in fifteen minutes, oral sugar should be provided as well as a solution of glucose that is administered intravenously.

More on Hypoglycemia

Believe it or not, hypoglycemia affects twenty five percent of those people who are using insulin. Even one episode of hypoglycemia may actually make it difficult for anyone to detect a subsequent episode.

However, through monitoring with vigilance and by avoiding low levels of blood glucose, patients taking insulin have the ability to sense the onslaught of symptoms. In a study made back in 2001, it was discovered that by glucose-control let-up and through making it tight again, sufferers of diabetes could actually reset their own awareness of symptoms.

Measures to Help Prevent Hypoglycemia

Actually, nocturnal hypoglycemia is most commonly experienced by children just as those who are being treated with insulin therapy that is non-intensive.

Bedtime snacks are advisable to be given if in case the levels of blood glucose become lower than 180 mg/dL. Protein-containing snacks are the best choice.

Studies have also indicated that children who are thin have a greater risk of experiencing hypoglycemia since the insulin injection directly goes to the tissues of the muscles. It may help if the skin is pinched so fat is gathered instead of muscle tissues. Using short needles could actually help.

Taking insulin that is fast-acting – such as insulin lispro – prior to dinner could be helpful in the prevention of hypoglycemia.

Controlling and monitoring blood sugar as well as blood glucose levels as much as possible – particularly about more than 4X in a day, is important.

Adults should also monitor their levels of blood glucose prior to driving as hypoglycemia could be hazardous during this time.

Patients that are diabetics must always carry candy, packets of sugar as well as glucose substitutes that are commercially available.

High Risk Hypoglycemia Patients

Those that are considered high risk patients are those who are unaware when the symptoms of hypoglycemia occur. Children and the elderly are also high risk.

Hypoglycemia that is severe could also lead to bleeding in the retinas resulting in visual loss, shutdown in the renal area.

Those who are suffering from angina pectoris is also susceptible, as well as those with eating habits that are erratic. Patients whose work involve sudden activity that is sporadic as well as vigorous are also among those that are high risk.

All in all, hypoglycemia and nocturnal hypoglycemia is difficult yet preventable and controllable. All it takes is a few significant lifestyle and diet change as well as a regular treatment of insulin. More importantly, it helps a lot if one is aware of hypoglycemia and is actively acknowledging and taking responsibility for its treatment.

Diabetes is a dangerous disease. It’s a silent killer, as the symptoms are not visible for many years. However, an awareness of the symptoms can help a long way in giving a new life to the patient.

Symptoms of Diabetes
Diabetes comes packed with serious complications such as cataract, blindness, nephropathy, and thrombosis. The common symptoms are fatigue, nausea, and palpitations. The most serious complication is hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, which can lead a person to coma. In the long run, this gruesome disease can cause complications like blindness, infarction, amputation, and renal diseases.

Diabetics should be more particular about their feet, as they become fragile and vulnerable to complications. The wounds have a risk of developing abscesses and even gangrene. This leads to imputing the infected limb. In addition to this, diabetics are much sensitive to certain oral as well as gynecological infections, as the bacteria responsible for these infections are attracted towards “sugar”.

Chronic hyperglycemia attacks the tiny blood capillaries of the eyes as well as the kidney. And if the patient is lax in treatment, it may affect the nerves of the body. Over time, it may lead to blindness and renal failure.

Diabetes also leads to the blockage of blood vessels. Hence, the heart and lungs of the patient do not get sufficient supply of blood. It may lead to death.

The condition of hypoglycemia can also lead a person to coma. It happens when the patient is not regular in giving insulin shots to the body.

How To Recognize Whether The Patient Is Hyperglycemic Or Hypoglycemic?
It is difficult to say without conducting tests. However, one good way of recognizing is by smelling their breath. A hyperglycemic’s breath smells very sweet. This is because of the burning of ketones as fuel in the body.

What Is Acidic Ketosis?
Acidic ketosis is a condition when the body is unable to utilize glucose as fuel. The sugar cannot enter the cells of the body due to the absence of insulin. The cells get attacked and leads to their considerable degradation into ketones. For the body, these ketones are nothing but toxic waste. If this condition is not checked in time, it may lead to coma and death.

Treatment Is The Only Key
Before insulin was discovered, type 1 diabetes was fatal. Today, the scenario is different. There are treatments available and type 1 diabetics have a chance to lead normal lives provided they follow the treatment seriously and are careful with their lifestyle.

America has many cases of people going blind or suffering from renal complications due to lack of proper treatment of diabetes. This should not happen. Medical science has advanced so much that it can give the diabetics a normal healthy life to live. The only condition is that the patients should be determined to fight diabetes and not just resign to their fate.

Food is a very important subject for diabetics. But it is not always easy to know what is best for you. There is a lot of different advice about what is or is not good for diabetics. The best person for the diabetic to ask about diet is their doctor, but there are some simple and easy to follow guidelines that will give you a general idea as to what might be a good diet for a diabetic.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are good for most people and this is also true for diabetics. Eating a good variety of these will make a good basis for a healthy diet. Contrary to what some people think, diabetics can eat grains and carbs with whole grains and carbs are usually thought to be the best.

Lean proteins are a good choice for diabetics as these keep the amount of fat in the diet down. Weight gain can be a problem for some diabetics. Fish is also a good choice, two or three times a week is good for most people. Dairy products again are generally better if they are low fat, but there are some very tasty low fat dairy products around.

Another protein that can make a good addition to the diet are beans and lentils. Even if you are not familiar with them, they are easy to cook with and can be very tasty. Drinks are generally taken without extra sugar. Diet soda drinks are very useful, as they do not contain any added sugar.

When cooking with oil it is generally better to use oils rather than solid fats. These fats can contain trans fats that are not very good for the diabetic and most oils contain much lower levels of these. But if you are eating a good healthy diet based on fresh fruit and vegetables then you are not likely to be using so much fat in your cooking.

One of the main things that can ruin a good diet is eating too many snacks. A lot of snacks can be very bad and often contain a lot of sugar, salt and fat. Diabetics should always see a dietitian or their doctor to find out what is the right diet for them, as they will be able to give the best advice. Keeping to a good diet is not always easy but can be very good for you and tasty as well.

Diabetes is an epidemic disease that affects more and more people nowadays. No need to panic when diagnosed with diabetes. It's bad news. It could be devastating at first. Fortunately, diabetes is a manageable condition. By following some simple steps you can keep your diabetes under control and still live a healthy life you deserve. Here are some tips on how to manage your diabetes successfully:

* Learning more about your diabetes - Knowledge about this disease will help you do what's good and avoid what's bad for this disorder.

* Planning a healthy diet - A healthy and balanced meal plan plays an important role in controlling your diabetes. It makes you feel better and help to reduce the chances of developing serious complications. A balanced healthy diet including a variety of foods from each group of grain products, vegetables and fruit, milk products and meat and alternatives will keep your blood glucose at the normal level. Choose low fat foods and foods with a lower glycemic index. Avoid high fat foods and foods with a high glycemic index.

* Keeping your weight in a healthy range, shed off extra pounds if you're overweight, especially if you have type 2 diabetes - Keeping normal and healthy weight will help your body's ability use its insulin properly and maintain your blood glucose at normal level. Try to keep your Body Mass Index (BMI) at 18.5 - 24.9 You can calculate your BMI using the following formula:

English Formula

BMI= weight in pounds/ (height in inches x height in inches) x 703

Metric Formula

BMI= weight in kilograms/ (height in meters x height in meters)

* Trying to be physically active - 20-30 minutes of exercise on a daily basis will be very helpful. Exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and lose some extra pounds to keep you weight at a normal level. However, some diabetic complications will probably make some types of exercise program not suitable for you. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics may be a little risky for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible retinal detachment. Consult your doctor before you get started. Make an action plan. Start slow and gentle. Gradually work your way up.

* Taking medications and/or insulin (in applicable) as prescribed by your doctor - Depending on types of diabetes you may need medications and/or insulin to assist the body in making or using insulin more effectively.

* Monitoring how your diet and/or treatment (if applicable) affect your blood glucose levels - Using a glucose meter to monitor your blood levels to see if they are affected by your meal plan and/or treatment .Keeping diary of your blood glucose readings and reviewing them to see if there are any noticeable patterns

You think to yourself, “How did this happen to me?” You are in your 40’s. You are at the doctor’s office, and she is telling you that you suffer from Syndrome X. You’re not even sure you heard the doctor correctly. Syndrome X? It sounds like a superhero. She proceeds to tell you more about this Syndrome X. It’s definitely not a superhero – more like a super killer.

You are not alone. The incidence of Syndrome X, also known as Metabolic Syndrome or Insulin Resistance Syndrome, is increasing each year. According to the American Heart Association, 20-25 percent of adults in the United States have this syndrome.

Now you are thinking that there must have been some warning signs. There were. They came on slowly. You became paunchy around the middle, kind of like a potbelly. You figured you were just getting older. Some of the other warning signs were fatigue, feeling lousy, irritability, sleepiness after eating, blurry vision, and dizziness, all of which you just chalked up to a long day at work.

We need to look more closely at the symptoms of Syndrome X. Metabolic Syndrome is identified by the presence of three or more of the following components:

- Central obesity as measured by waist circumference (an indication of fat tissue in and around the abdomen)

Men — Greater than or equal to 40 inches

Women — Greater than or equal to 35 inches
- Fasting blood triglycerides (fat) greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL
- Blood HDL (high density lipoproteins – “good”) cholesterol:

Men — Less than 40 mg/dL

Women — Less than 50 mg/dL
- Blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/85 mm Hg
- Fasting glucose greater than or equal to 100 mg/dL
(insulin /glucose intolerance-diabetes)

Obesity/Triglycerides & Cholesterol Obesity is a growing issue in our society. According to the Mayo Clinic, about one in three American adults is considered to be obese, childhood obesity is at an all-time high, and more than 300,000 deaths annually are linked to obesity. You must change your lifestyle and begin to lose weight. Educating our children about nutrition and the proper way to eat is the best way to avoid obesity and the suffering from elevated cholesterol and triglycerides (fatty deposits in the blood vessels) and other complications of this disease and the greatest gift a parent can give a child.

Hypertension Elevated blood pressure, i.e. blood pressure measuring greater than 140/90 mm Hg (millimeters per mercury), is known as hypertension. It can lead to heart attack, stroke and/or kidney disease. The best way to prevent hypertension is to begin monitoring your blood pressure in your early 20’s. Visiting your doctor or purchasing and using a home blood pressure kit can easily provide you a baseline measurement of your blood pressure. Reducing sodium (salt) intake is often an effective way to reduce blood pressure.

Diabetes Diabetes is a disease in which the body either does not produce or does not properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is necessary for the body to be able to convert sugar into energy. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce insulin; type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or else the cells ignore the insulin that is produced. Many people know about diabetes through the marketing efforts of pharmaceutical companies. Yet the incidence of this disease continues to grow each year. In 2005, 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed in people aged 20 or older in the United States. There were a total of 20.8 million adults and children, or 7.0% of the population, with diabetes in that same year.

Only a few of the commercials on television or radio ever really talk about the pain associated with this disease. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), heart disease death rates and the risk of stroke are two to four times higher than in those without diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy, caused by the effect of diabetes on the blood vessels in the eyes, causes 12,000-24,000 new cases of blindness each year and is the leading cause of new cases in adults aged 20-74. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, resulting in the need for kidney transplant or dialysis. About 73% of adults with diabetes suffer from hypertension. About 60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage. The results of this damage include impaired sensation or pain in the feet or hands, digestive problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, increased sweating, dizziness, and other nerve problems. Diabetic nerve disease is a major contributing cause of lower-extremity amputations, which occur ten times more often in people with diabetes than in those without the disease. Men with diabetes are twice as likely to experience sexual dysfunction as men without diabetes. Clearly, there are many consequences of diabetes that are much more painful and severe than not being able to eat cake or cookies. (Reference from www.diabetes.org).

The question is, NOW WHAT? If you want to live a life with less pain, if you want to live longer, life as you know it must change immediately. Not tomorrow, not next month, not after Christmas, but NOW. Although there is a genetic predisposition toward this syndrome, it is also undermined by poor nutritional/lifestyle habits.

Syndrome X is actually our kryptonite. Just as kryptonite can kill Superman, Syndrome X can kill us.

To thwart this enemy you should do the following:

Educate yourself as quickly as possible and as thoroughly as possible about hypertension (high blood pressure), triglycerides, good cholesterol (HDL), bad cholesterol (LDL), and diabetes (insulin resistance).

See your doctor immediately. Have a complete physical examination, including fasting blood work. He/she might recommend a complete cardiac (heart) evaluation with a cardiologist. You should also know whether your family history includes stroke, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, etc. Remember that the more you can share with your doctor, the better he/she can make a proper diagnosis and recommendations. Depending upon the results of your blood work, your doctor might recommend medication. Do not use the medication as an excuse not to change poor eating and exercising habits. Medications are not a substitute for good habits, but a treatment to manage and reduce the symptoms of this syndrome.

DON’T start a diet. DO start a permanent lifestyle change. It will not be fun, but it is better than suffering pain and/or experiencing an early death. Your lifestyle change is NOT about looking good. It IS about staying alive. If you change your nutrition lifestyle to manage this condition, you will surely lose weight. The best way to control your insulin or glucose levels is to eat foods that rate low on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels.

Start an exercise program. If you have not exercised in the last ten years, you will need some guidance. The science of exercise has changed, and you will need assistance to begin properly. Unless your local gym/health club has personal trainers with exercise physiology degrees, I would not recommend that you start there. Many hospitals incorporate cardiac rehab. The supervision/monitoring and the ability to learn proper exercise techniques that they provide make them an excellent choice for beginning your program. Once you become comfortable around the equipment, you can join your local gym/health club.

Life is not a merry-go-round. We only get a chance to go around once. Yes, we all arrive at the same destination, but it matters how we get there. A good lifestyle will hopefully allow us to arrive later rather than sooner. Become a superhero and harness the power within to change your life and live longer.

Cinnamon has a widespread reputation as a healthy spice. It has been very much appreciated for ages due to its aromatic properties, which are readily evident, but also because of ancient claims about healing powers. We don’t know for sure how much of this is true, but scientists have been trying to find out.

Numerous studies using “in vitro” (experiments carried out using test tubes and biochemical approaches) and “in vivo” (using laboratory animals) have suggested that certain components of cinnamon powder have the ability to stimulate sensitivity to insulin among other promising properties. Finally, a study on human subjects was made in 2003 with encouraging results: The researchers concluded that cinnamon supplementation of 1 gram a day resulted in a 30% reduction of fasting blood glucose concentration. As a bonus, they also reported a remarkable improvement in blood profiles of triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol. This study was promptly followed by biochemical investigations that sought to identify and characterize the molecules responsible for the observed insulin-potentiating effects with the hope of producing candidates with pharmacological applications against type 2 diabetes.

Very soon, the diabetic community experienced considerable excitement around this issue and innumerable articles, reports and opinion columns flooded the web and health magazines spreading the good news. Although doctors, pharmacists and researchers advised caution before definitive claims about beneficial effects of cinnamon were made, cinnamon extracts and cooking recipes were presented as the new panacea for diabetics.

New studies, new questions

In 2006, two new studies intended to evaluate the effect of cinnamon extracts on fasting glucose and lipid profiles were published. In the first one, published in the April issue of the Journal of Nutrition the researchers administered a dose equivalent to 1.5 grams of cinnamon to 25 post-menopausal type 2 diabetics during 6 weeks. In contrast with the previous study, no effects on insulin sensitivity or oral glucose tolerance were found. Likewise, the blood lipid profile of fasting patients did not change after cinnamon administration.

The second study, appeared in the May issue of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation involved 79 type 2 diabetes patients during 4 months and in this case, the daily dose of cinnamon water-soluble extracts was equivalent to 3 grams of powder. The levels of HbA1c and blood lipids did not improve, but there was a slight reduction in fasting glucose levels: 10.3% compared to 3.4% in the placebo group.

What is the conclusion?

Establishing whether cinnamon has components with insulin-like activity is a complex task, and a few studies are just the beginning. So far, there is evidence for a positive effect, at least in certain people and in certain conditions, but the second and third studies suggest that this cannot be generalized. The exact nature of a potential relationship between cinnamon and diabetes still needs to be addressed.

As always, cinnamon can still be used as a spice in reasonable quantities, but if you want to use large amounts of it, better go for water-soluble extracts. Pure cinnamon may contain fat-soluble compounds that, if ingested in excess, may result toxic. Of course, you need to talk with your doctor in any case.

What does it mean to be Diabetic?

Diabetic is not a condition rather Diabetic refers to a person suffering from Diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where excess of glucose is found in the blood and the person suffering from diabetes is called Diabetic. The body requires special type of sugar called glucose to energize itself and this glucose comes from foods containing carbohydrates such as vegetables as well as from milk & fruits. The glucose formed in the body has to move in the body tissues that work for the body. This glucose is then stored in the liver where the insulin enters and allows glucose to enter the body cells to produce energy. The whole process is referred as Glucose Metabolism.

When the pancreas is unable to make enough insulin, the glucose does not enter into the body tissues and remains in the blood due to which the glucose level rises in the blood leading to problems associated with diabetes.

Diabetic Diet

A good diet is extremely vital in diabetes. Below I have categorized different diets for Type-1 and Type-2 diabetics.

Type-1 diabetics must consume 35 calories/kg of body weight each day i.e. 16 calories/pound of body weight each day, whereas Type-2 diabetics should consume 1500-1800 calorie/day in order to increase the body weight and then maintaining an ideal body weight. However, the intake of calories should be varied according to the age and sex of the diabetic. The diabetic diet should also include more starch like bread, vegetables, and cereals with non-fat milk. Your diet should contain fruits, vegetables, sugar, and sweets in moderate level.

In diabetic diet, it is very essential to control carbohydrates level, because sugar is not the only source of carbohydrate but there are other foods also that contributes to carbohydrate. The body converts carbohydrates to glucose and increase in carbohydrates level will lead to increase in sugar level causing problems related to diabetes. Therefore, your meal plan should be designed to contain consistent carbohydrates level each day.

Summary: Diabetic is not a condition rather Diabetic refers to a person suffering from Diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where excess of glucose is found in the blood and the person suffering from diabetes is called Diabetic. In diabetic diet, it is very essential to control carbohydrates level, because sugar is not the only source of carbohydrate but there are other foods also that contributes to carbohydrate.

A recent estimate proclaimed that 25-35 percent of Westernized populations could suffer from a degree of insulin resistance or from some of health consequences associated with this disease of lifestyle in the future. After further reading of websites and research papers, the following tips were found that were suggested to reduce the risk of acquiring diabetes.

The information is not meant to cure the disease, but because it is more a disease of lifestyle than anything else, scientifically validated information is available to help you reduce your risk. This is mostly information that you have heard all before, good nutrition, good health, and exercise, but judging by the incidence of disease from the numbers presented above, people still have not been told enough.

The ideal diet for modifying insulin resistance should reduce body weight, decrease fat while sparing muscle tissue, and improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity refers to the increased uptake of blood sugar by muscle cells, which is particularly important because high levels of blood sugar (blood glucose = same thing) are associated with disease. While it is relatively simple to find agreement within the literature on these general points, it is difficult to find an agreement among experts regarding the ideal diet that will best help to accomplish these goals.

Briefly:

High fiber diets are recommended, as is decreasing the amount of saturated fat in the diet. However, processed carbohydrates (high-glycemic carbohydrates) often take the place of fats, but excess carbohydrates can be very deleterious because they lead to very high levels of blood sugar. North American diets are high in processed food, for example, 8 spoons of sugar in a 355ml soft drink, and the excess sugar-diet is likely one of the largest contributors to the great prevalence of diabetes (aside from a sedentary lifestyle).

White bread, sugary cereals, pretzels, sports drinks, and flavored-beverages, etc. are all packed with high-glycemic carbohydrates ready to skyrocket your blood sugar levels. They are calorie-dense but severely lacking in nutrients. Sure pop tarts and frosted flakes are truly low-fat foods, but with chronic consumption are these better breakfast foods than eggs and whole-wheat toast? I honestly can’t say for sure.

While high-glycemic carbohydrates may not need to be fully eradicated from the diet, they should not be the staple foods of your meal plans. In fact, reduce your consumption of high-glycemic simple carbohydrates to immediately post-workout. Plan around vegetables and lean meats and fruits, and include processed foods as a low priority.

Many people have used all types of diets successfully and unsuccessfully. NOTE: everyone is on a “diet”, this simply refers to the food that you eat…for example, a University student may be on a diet of Pasta, Pizza, Burgers, and Beer, and even though this student may get fat, he/she is still on a “diet” per se.

But anyway, some skinny people can eat a lot, and some skinny people can eat a lot of high-glycemic carbohydrate, while overweight individuals can eat relatively healthy, and average individuals can eat a wide-variety of food and all end up with no change in their body compositions. After seeing all this, who is to say what the best “diet” and macro-nutrient composition is for everyone, or for you?

Just like training, nutrition is sometimes best learned by trial and error, but reading literature on healthy eating helps as well, even though you are guaranteed to find two experts with completely opposing views on the best way to lose body fat, etc. Most importantly, if you can’t stick to your food schedule due to a complete hatred of the foods you are eating, than that food plan is likely to be unsuccessful, regardless of how well thought out that it is.

Again, just like training, nutrition is best tweaked to individual considerations, what works for a young man to get “lean for the beach” may not necessarily be the healthiest diet for a middle-aged, overweight, pre-diabetic. Educate yourself. Learn what foods are healthy, and pick the ones from that list that you enjoy. Eating can be enjoyable and healthy.

Often bodybuilders and athletes get caught up over-emphasizing the macro-nutrient profile of their meals (i.e. how much protein and fat is in a meal of chicken and rice). However, they will fail to consider the amount of micro-nutrients that are lacking in this bland meal (i.e. very little vitamin C, and other healthful antioxidants, etc.). The recommendations are for self-education and consultation with a true expert if necessary. Oops, getting a little sidetracked, so let’s return to looking at some other risks for diabetes:

Cigarette smoking – From heart disease to cancer, from emphysema to diabetes. Cigarettes cause too much disease. Please avoid them.

Stress – Very difficult to prove that stress causes illness, but many experts believe that decreasing the amount of stress and hassle in life goes a long way towards increasing overall health. So, get rid of your stress. Sometimes you need to remember that there is nothing that you can do about certain things in life, so accept that. But if you can change things, do so for the better.

Physical activity is important for disease prevention. Exercise may be the single most important lifestyle factor for both preventing and reversing insulin resistance, but don’t let it be an excuse for a poor diet! Everyone should attempt to maintain low (yet healthy) levels of body fat and moderate amounts of muscle mass. The recommendations are quite simple, but regular exercise is huge step in the right direction, away from diabetes. Pick some activities and do them consistently.

The importance of resistance training in overall health is no longer just my opinion, but is gaining great scientific support. If you jog 5 times a week for nothing more than health reasons, you could reduce that to 3, even 2 sessions, and replace the other days with resistance training for a greater overall health benefit. Why? Resistance training increases muscle mass.

Muscle serves 3 important functions: One, it is a very metabolically active tissue, helping to take up and use more blood glucose, and thus it may help improve the blood sugar profiles of diabetics. In fact, after young healthy men did weight training for several weeks, they needed to release less insulin to deal with a large amount of carbohydrate, thus indicating that insulin sensitivity increased with an increase in muscle mass (Yarasheski, 1992).

Second, muscle provides strength for daily function and should help to prevent injuries (for example, more muscle should reduce the injury risk associated with “pounding the pavement” (jogging) 5 times a week). And three, plain and simple, everyone looks a little better with some “pipes” rather than “pipe-cleaners” in their sleeves.

As people age, they lose muscle, which in my opinion is due mostly to lack of activity, rather than aging factors. Again, in my opinion, it is a matter of “what came first?”, the loss of muscle and then decreased activity, or no activity leading to a decrease in muscle? According to *Hasten and colleagues, sedentary older men and women (age 78+) have lower rates of protein synthesis than younger sedentary counterparts.

However, within just 2 weeks of resistance training the older individuals were able to increase their rates of protein synthesis as much as the younger men and women. Therefore, it shows that older individuals maintain the ability to increase muscle growth in response to short-term resistance exercise. My conclusion: It is never too late to get out and train for muscle mass and health. But…

IMPORTANT: A key point to remember if you are sedentary, don’t jump back into things too quickly! Any activity you do today is more than you did yesterday, so slowly but surely, build exercise and strength capacity. As always, consult an expert if your knowledge is limited in this field.

Will we ever be free of disease? No, unfortunately that is not likely to happen. But there are many simple steps that can help improve health. If you improve your health, fitness and performance improvements are likely to follow. In the future, research will guide us along the path to better lifestyle choices, and fortunately will provide us with some help to correct our mistakes. However, since lifestyle factors play such a prominent role in insulin resistance, we can modify the bad habits right now, so that insulin resistance can be avoided in the future.

Diabetes is a killer disease. It can lead to kidney failure, heart disease, neuropathy, blindness, and much more. If you have diabetes, you must take control of it immediately. If you are unsure or concerned, get yourself checked out by a physician.

The signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus are visible if you care to look. The American Diabetes Association claims there are over 20 million people that have diabetes in the United States. It is estimated that there are close to 6.2 million people that have the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus and do not even know it. The World Health Organization states estimates that there are over 200 million people world wide that have the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus. Many do not know they have the disease.

Insulin, a hormone released from the pancreas, controls the extent of sugar in the blood. Once one has eaten, food is broken down into materials, including sugar that the body needs to function. Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to make insulin. This allows sugar to dissolve from the blood into the cells. Once inside the cells, sugar is converted to energy, which is either used immediately or stored until it is needed.

If the body does not produce enough insulin to influence the sugar into the cells, the resulting important levels of sugar in the blood and the patchy amount of sugar in the cells together produce the sign and symptoms of diabetes mellitus.

Here are some signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus: How many do you have?

1. You're at least 45 years old.

2. Your waist is over 40 inches if you are man and over 34.5 inches if you are a women.

3. You do not exercise more than half an hour daily (walking, cycling, swimming, gardening.)

4. You are using medicine for high blood pressure. Mixing medicines can cause problems.

5. In the past you have been diagnosed at least once for a high blood sugar level; for instance during a pregnancy or illness.

6. Some family member has or had diabetes.

Most important if you have any questions or any reasonable doubt about your own health situation or the health of your loved ones please consults a doctor. Their expertise when looking at your signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus will help you determine which area of treatment best fits your needs.

In pregnancies today, having a screening for gestational diabetes has become very common. The test is given between the 24th-28th week of pregnancy when this form of diabetes will show up at its height.

While women with gestational diabetes can still deliver normal healthy babies, if left untreated, high blood sugar levels can cause problems for both you and your baby. Why is it necessary to be tested for gestational diabetes? Let's take a closer look.

Gestational Diabetes Screening

Until recently, testing for gestational diabetes was not included as routine prenatal care for most women, unless you had diabetes prior to becoming pregnant. In 2005, researchers reported results from a study that tracked women who were pregnant and had gestational diabetes. The women who received proper medical treatment for diabetes all had healthier babies and fewer complications than those who had no treatment. Hence, the importance of being screened.

Your doctor will most likely have you take what is called the glucose challenge test. What happens is that you'll be given a special glucose solution to drink when you come in for your appointment. It is simply an extra sweet solution that sort of tastes like a soft drink.

Next, you'll wait for an hour and the doctor will draw a blood sample from your arm. The results will be known within a day or two.

The reason for the hour delay is to give the glucose drink time to work through your system and see how your body's insulin reacts. Does your pancreas produce enough insulin to offset the glucose? Or, does your body succumb to the increase and maintain a high blood sugar level? This is what the test will answer.

A normal and healthy blood sugar level following the test is below 140 mg/dL. If you're below that number you're fine, and no further testing needs to be done.

If you're blood glucose level is above 140 mg/dL, don't panic. You'll then be given a second test to confirm any diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

Follow Up Gestational Diabetes Test

For the follow up glucose test, you will need to fast overnight before the test for at least 8 hours. You'll be asked to have nothing but water during that time.

You'll then be given another glucose solution to drink, but this time your blood sugar levels are checked every hour for 3 straight hours. If your blood sugar is high for two of those three hours, you will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

If in fact it is confirmed that you have gestational diabetes, your doctor will most likely put you on a special diet and exercise program for the duration of your pregnancy. In some cases daily insulin medication may also be needed.

Are you a woman that’s getting fatter than ever before? Do some of your family members have backgrounds of diabetes? Honestly, are you over 40 in age? If you answered these questions with a not-so-proud yes, therefore, you are not immune to having the risk of diabetes. But, it’s not yet the end. So, calm down and walk down the path of knowing some seldom known facts about diabetes.

In most cases, it is difficult to tract the symptoms of the causes of diabetes such as above-average blood sugar from foods and insulin from pancreas. That is the reason why diabetes just unfolds when the symptoms become malignant. Well, that is one basis of having early preventive measures to diabetes.

In the case of people with pre-diabetes problem such as insulin resistance, much awareness is required so as to disclose the unseen dangers of diabetes. Pre-diabetes is the stage before Type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes is the above normal supply of glucose but not yet high enough to be called as “diabetes”. In actual fact, half of the obese Americans have the problems regarding insulin.

On the other side, some women with diabetes background are not yet aware when to take nutritious foods and when to perform regular exercises where in fact, by eating nutritious foods and executing regular exercises, these women are going the distance away from these life threatening diseases.

It is also quoted by Audrey Sheppard, the chief executive of the National Women’s Health Resource Center, that women still pay little attention to the threats and the preventive measures of diabetes.

It is scientifically proven that women develop extra fats over the waistline when they reach the menopause stage. A warning must be personally recognized when a woman’s waistline exceeds 34 inches as based on the experts’ study. As added information, men are advised to maintain 40 inches around their waistline.

Further studies, such as those of Dr. David Katz, also state that when vital organs, such as the liver, was covered with fat, the insulin cannot function properly, thus, exposing these organs to insulin resistance. Dr. Katz is one of the pioneers of the Yale Prevention Research Center.

When the immune system is not working properly, the blood pressure, sugar, and fat are getting higher. As a consequence, their cells are becoming insulin-resistant. And when it happens, diabetes will damaged your health. Now, are you going to let it happen?

Dr. Katz also stated that lots of American oldies and children are becoming vulnerable to obesity as a symptom of diabetes.

Furthermore, women who were once pregnant or gave birth to a 9-pound baby or heavier and at the same time infected with diabetes, are in danger of insulin resistance.

Some people say that if you are always experiencing fatigue and you are seeking for more food, then that makes you prone to insulin resistance. But that is not what has been said by one of the epidemiology experts of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named Dr. Henry Kahn. He said that those might be the possible symptoms of another causes.

In spite and despite of the risks of diabetes, it is still curable and can be avoided. However, ladies’ spare tire sometimes hides the risks of potential diabetes. To find clarification and solution on this matter, a healthy lifestyle is strongly recommended. How? It isn’t a burden on your part but beneficial to take a healthy and balanced diet. How difficult is it to eat nutritious food? How much is having a sound exercise by jogging every day? It is not that difficult to eat nutritious food nor is it costly to have exercise. You will be the one to be benefited. So what are the reasons of not doing so? If you don’t love the spare tires around your waist, then do these suggestions. They really work.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that the body needs in order to convert sugar, starch, and other foods into energy. Although the cause of diabetes is not clear, genetics and lifestyle factors such as obesity and lack of physical activity appear to have an influence.

Insulin is a hormone that allows blood glucose to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. In diabetes too much glucose stays in the blood. Elevated levels of blood glucose, called hyperglycemia, cause glucose spillage into the urine. The result is cells that are starved for energy. Eventually, those starved cells can cause permanent nerve damage.

There are two types of diabetes:

*Type 1 diabetes results from the body’s inability to produce insulin. This type of diabetes requires daily insulin injections to survive.

*Type 2 diabetes results from the body’s inability to properly use insulin. Changes in lifestyle can control type 2 diabetes, but sometimes oral drugs are required.

Most people with diabetes have type 2. As many as half of all people with type 2 diabetes are not aware they have this life-threatening disease because they have no symptoms.

DIABETES SYMPTOMS

You should inform your doctor if you have experienced any of the symptoms listed below:

*Excessive thirst

*Excessive urination

*Blurred vision

*Persistent nausea or vomiting

*Numbness or tingling in your feet

*Hand, feet, face, or leg swelling

*Cramping or pain in the legs

*Shortness of breath

*Extreme fatigue

*Unusual weight gain or weight loss.

*Sweet smelling breath

DIABETES TREATMENT OPTIONS

There is no cure for diabetes. However, there are ways to control it. To control diabetes, you must maintain your blood glucose levels and your weight. Following a healthy diet, a daily exercise regimen, and having regular check-ups with your doctor can help solve both of these problems.

DIET In general, the best type of diet to follow is a low-fat diet. The eating plan for diabetes should be a balanced healthy diet, the same kind that is recommended for the rest of the population.

*Limit consumption of salted foods, refined sugar, and fatty foods, particularly those of animal origin. Choose small amounts of vegetable or olive oil instead.

*Eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables every day. Your goal should be 5 servings per day.

*Make complex high-fiber carbohydrates a major part of your diet.

EXERCISE Follow a regular exercise plan. Exercise is particularly important for diabetics as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. If you do not participate in regular exercise, even something as simple as a leisurely walk, consult your doctor for advice about exactly how much exercise you need and what works for you. Any movement is better than none!

Consider the benefits of exercise:

*It reduces demands on the pancreas (The pancreas secretes insulin.)

*It improves circulation.

*It lowers blood sugar.

*It helps promote weight loss.

*It reduces stress.

Managing diabetes requires daily discipline. For the sake of your long-term health, you must not delegate the planning of your diet and lifestyle to someone else. It is your life and your responsibility. You must take an active role. The only way to accomplish this is to learn as much as you can about following a nutritious diet and make some lifestyle changes.

As a diabetic, you are at a constant risk of developing complications. What are these complications? What are their symptoms? Which body part is most affected? Let’s have the answers to these questions.

Blood Vessels

Diabetes could harm your small blood vessels. The small vessels include those in your eyes, kidneys, and nerves. The larger ones include those in your heart and lower legs.

Kidney

Kidney damage is very common in diabetes. The disease varies with each patient and the rate of its progress. Diabetic nephropathy occurs when your small blood vessels present in your kidneys get damaged. This leads to a leak of protein into your urine. As a result, your kidneys lose their ability to filter your blood. At times, dialysis may be required to flush out the toxins from your blood. In extreme cases, you may require a kidney transplant.

Nerves

Nerve damage can lead to a complete loss of sensation in your feet. Sometimes, the reverse happens. You feel constant pain in your feet. It becomes difficult to wear shoes or sandals. Even a small wound can develop into a serious infection, rotting ulcers, gangrene, and even amputation of the affected part.

In men, nerve damage may lead to impotence. Diabetic neuropathy affects the nerves connecting to the penis, thus, not letting the penis get an erection. If the penis does not get the required amount of blood flow, it may lead to erectile dysfunction.

Eyes

Your eyes are other organs to get affected. It is called diabetic retinopathy and it usually occurs in patients suffering from diabetes for as long as five years. The damage of blood vessels located at the back of your eye leads to a leakage of protein as well as blood into the retina. It also causes small aneurysms. The new blood vessels develop but are brittle. There might be bleeding from the newly developed blood vessels, which may lead to scarring, and your retina may get detached resulting in a damaged eyesight.