The Diabetes Author Presents - Diabetes Tips and Info - Articles - Zimbio

Double Trouble!!!

Tue, 23 Jul 2008 04:25:32 GMT

posted by HeathersFeathers

Exercise is most important for people with diabetes and especially important for people with arthritis, but neither group is getting the exercise needed to prevent both diseases from getting worse. And research shows more than half of people with diabetes also have arthritis. It’s not just a problem for older people. Diabetes patients ages 18 to 44 have a 27.5 % chance of having arthritis-2.5 times the 11% rate for the general population. A nationwide telephone survey conducted in 2005 and 2007 shows arthritis strikes 51.8% of people ages 45 to 64 with diabetes and 36.4% of the general population. Arthritis afflicts 62.4% of diabetes patients 65 and older vs. 56.2% of those without diabetes. More than 20% of people with diabetes are inactive. But 30% of people with both diabetes and arthritis are inactive. By: Heather

What I need to know about Eating and Diabetes

Fri, 21 Jun 2008 02:58:00 GMT

posted by reeldanger
Eating and Diabetes

You can take good care of yourself and your diabetes by learning

what to eat
how much to eat
when to eat

Making wise food choices can help you

feel good every day
lose weight if you need to
lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other problems caused by diabetes

Healthful eating helps keep your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, in your target range. Physical activity and, if needed, diabetes medicines also help. The diabetes target range is the blood glucose level suggested by diabetes experts for good health. You can help prevent health problems by keeping your blood glucose levels on target.

Blood Glucose Levels

What should my blood glucose levels be?

Target Blood Glucose Levels for People with Diabetes
Before meals	70 to 130
1 to 2 hours after the start of a meal	less than 180

Talk with your health care provider about your blood glucose target levels and write them here:

My Target Blood Glucose Levels
Before meals	______ to ______
1 to 2 hours after the start of a meal	less than ______

Ask your doctor how often you should check your blood glucose on your own. Also ask your doctor for an A1C test at least twice a year. Your A1C number gives your average blood glucose for the past 3 months. The results from your blood glucose checks and your A1C test will tell you whether your diabetes care plan is working.

How can I keep my blood glucose levels on target?

You can keep your blood glucose levels on target by

making wise food choices
being physically active
taking medicines if needed

For people taking certain diabetes medicines, following a schedule for meals, snacks, and physical activity is best. However, some diabetes medicines allow for more flexibility. You’ll work with your health care team to create a diabetes plan that’s best for you.

Diabetic Recipes

Thu, 18 Jul 2008 06:22:00 GMT

posted by notemaking

If you've recently done an online search for diabetic recipes in hopes of finding healthy and nutritious meals that you can quickly and easily prepare at home, you may be pleasantly surprised at the plethora of results you were awarded with. There are numerous websites that offer recipes suitable for people with or without diabetes, a great testament to how the disease is being viewed today and the fact that those with the condition aren't limited to eating bland, tasteless foods. It is possible for those with diabetes to enjoy recipes that include healthy choices such as meats, fish, potatoes, and an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables.

While most diabetic recipes are not easily distinguishable from all of the other "regular" recipes in abundance, there is one section they will all have in common, the specific breakdown of the food's dietary content. This extremely necessary information will include how many carbohydrates, fats, proteins, sodium, and vitamins and minerals the prepared meal will contain. Many diabetic recipes will also include details regarding serving exchange rates, which is a system many people with the disease use to keep their eating habits and their blood sugar in check.

Besides the sheer variety of food choices available, many websites that feature diabetic recipes will also include a host of useful information about coping with the disease in general, such as where to learn more, and understanding how the foods we eat have a direct affect on conditions like diabetes. Beneficial advice about how it's simple to convert your own favorite recipes into diabetic-friendly ones and using food exchanges to treat yourself with a healthy dessert or two are yet even more of what you'll find on sites with diabetic recipes.

Luckily, there are many sources of accurate information for people with diabetes to look to for help with dealing with the condition, including countless recipes that are simple to make and include a wide selection of foods, and can also be easily adapted for cooking for one, or for the entire family. Whether it's desserts, side dishes, soups, or complete entrees, using diabetic recipes ensures you're not only protecting your health, but also getting the right balance of healthy nutrients the body needs to perform to its maximum capacity.

Janes Gates writes about aging and baby boomer generation and how to not only cope with the changes, but live a very healthy and active life. More information is available http://www.diabeticcontrol.blogspot.com/

Sugar Substitutes

Mon, 25 Mar 2008 14:07:01 GMT

posted by dsarmstrong

People with diabetes weigh their options carefully when it comes to what they eat. Sugar and sweeteners are no exception to that rule.

Some people may prefer the taste of table sugar (sucrose) to other sweeteners. But, they also know the harmful effects that sugar can have. When people with diabetes eat too many sugary foods, blood glucose levels can skyrocket dangerously. Over time, elevated sugar levels can lead to permanent damage of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and other organs. For this reason, many people choose to substitute artificial sweeteners for some or all of the sugar in their diets.

What benefits do artificial sweeteners have? First and foremost, many have no calories and do not raise blood glucose levels. Second, many foods made with low-calorie sweeteners have fewer calories due to the reduced amount of sugar. Always be sure to read nutrition labels carefully; “reduced sugar” or “sugar free” doesn’t necessary mean “reduced calorie” or “low fat.”

Artificial sweeteners on the market today in the United States have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, a decision backed up by the American Diabetes Association. Some of the most common artificial sweeteners are these:

Saccharin is found in products such as Sweet N Low, Sweet Twin, and Necta Sweet. Saccharin may be used in both hot and cold food and drinks.

Sucralose is sold as Splenda. It retains its sweetness during baking and cooking, making it appropriate for cold and hot food and drinks.

Aspartame is the sweetener contained in NutraSweet and Equal, and can lose some sweetness if subjected to high temperatures.

Acesulfame-K (potassium) is found in products like Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, and Sunett. It may be used in baking and cooking.

Stevia is an herb that has been used as a sweetener for many centuries in South America amongst various indigenous tribes. Many people prefer to use it because it is all-natural. Stevia can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, and has a long-lasting sweetening effect.

Another type of sweetener is in a category of its own: sugar alcohols. Despite the name, sugar alcohols contain no alcohol. Sugar alcohols have about half the calories of sugar. Some sugar alcohols are sorbitol, xylitol, isomalt, and manitol.

If you’d like more information about the use of sugar and other sweeteners, speak to your health care provider.

Source: American Diabetes Wholesale Newsletter

Constant High Blood Sugar Disables Insulin 'Off' Switch

Thu, 7 Mar 2008 04:28:00 GMT

posted by KeithConnects

Constant High Blood Sugar Disables Insulin 'Off' Switch
Researchers say mouse study reversing that pattern offers hope of new diabetes treatments

THURSDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- Chronically high blood glucose levels disable the molecular switch that normally turns off sugar production in the liver in response to increasing insulin levels, a California study finds.

This finding suggests that inhibiting the enzymatic pathway that disables the "sugar-off" switch (CRTC2) may help lower glucose levels in people with diabetes and reduce long-term complications associated with the disease, the researchers said.

The study, by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, in La Jolla, Calif., is published in the March 7 issue of Science.

In healthy people, the CRTC2 switch turns on glucose production in the liver when blood glucose levels decline during the night. After a meal, insulin shuts down CRTC2, thus ensuring that blood sugar levels don't rise too high.

But in many people with type 2 diabetes, CRTC2 no longer responds to increasing insulin levels. As a result, the liver keeps on pumping out glucose, even if blood glucose levels are already elevated.

In research with mice, the Salk team focused on the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. Activation of this pathway promotes the addition of sugar molecules to proteins, a process called O-glycosylation.

"It had been known that increases in the concentration of circulating glucose activate the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. But we had no idea that the resulting O-glycosylation would lock CRTC2 in the 'on' position," study first author Renaud Dentin said in a prepared statement.

Dentin's team decreased the activity of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway in insulin-resistant diabetic mice and in mice fed a high-fat diet (both groups had high blood sugar levels) and found a marked improvement in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

More information

The American Diabetes Association has more about hyperglycemia.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Salk Institute for Biological Studies, news release, March 6, 2008

Last Updated: March 06, 2008