Sunday, December 9, 2012

Fact file for Diabetes

Basic facts

Diabetes is among those diseases which work as a slow poison and very gradually taken over a person's life. It is one of the most wide spread diseases in the world. And it will be very shocking to know that one in four people in USA suffer from diabetes. Whether young or old, diabetes can entrap anybody. When your body is unable to utilize or break sugar and starch into energy it means that you are suffering from diabetes. The level of glucose in this disease goes high and then causes the sugar levels to rise in an individual's body. Diabetes is of three common pre-diabetes, type- type I, type II and gestational diabetes. It is spread among all the age group across the globe.

The next thing that one needs to understand is what work does the glucose do for our body? As we all know that all the food that we consume contains sugar, and the food is broken into a sugar known as glucose. This glucose helps us to produce energy for our daily activities. The glucose circulates in the body and is absorbed by blood cells which work as a fuel to develop energy. Insulin is a hormone that is secreted fro the pancreas in our body which pushes this glucose into body cells. And if there is a breakage in this natural process, then the sugar levels in our body starts rising.

Diabetes starts affecting the body slowly and gradually. Increased urination, weight loss, constant hunger, increased thirst and fatigue are some of the crucial symptoms of diabetes. If these symptoms are diagnosed well in time, then, one might be saved from its ill-effects. But if the disease is not diagnosed properly in the early stage, then, it can take a very bad shape. The initial stage of diabetes is pre-diabetes. During the pre-diabetic stage, there is either a shortage or excess of insulin in the body. People who show the symptoms of diabetes early can be treated well in time and can keep out of this lethal disease throughout their lives. But diagnosing diabetes in the early stages is not that easy. Many people show its symptoms very late. People who get diagnosed of pre-diabetes are very vulnerable, and need immediate changes in their lifestyles and eating habits to control this disease. A pre-diabetic individual can control this disorder by exercising regularly and taking a balanced and nutritious diet.

The basic forms of diabetes are type I and type II diabetes. In the type I diabetes, an individual's body does not produces enough insulin that is needed by the body. This form of diabetes can happen anytime in life but usually happens in the early stages of life. In type II diabetes, an individual's body becomes resistant to insulin. This type of diabetes usually happens in the mid-years of one's life and is the most common type among people around the world. Unhealthy diet, which is high in carbohydrates, lack of exercise, obesity and hereditary are the basic reasons of this type of diabetes.

So, this information will surely help you to keep a check on your lifestyle and stay away from this disease forever.

Fact file for Diabetes by Joslin Diabetes
Striiv Smart Pedometer

Monday, December 3, 2012

The Dangers of Dieting with Diabetes?

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and are overweight, losing 5-10 of your current weight will help improve your blood sugar levels. However, losing weight often requires you to assume a healthier life style and behavior change, not simply putting yourself on a diabetic diet. Many of the diets advertised today may be harmful and do not promote a holistic diabetes life style change.

So what are some of the Problems with dieting?

• Reduced intake of fiber, vitamins and minerals and take diabetes vitamins and supplements
• Reduced calories (units of energy that help the body function)
• Depending on medications, increased risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Too difficult to follow long term which often results in regaining weight

Low in fiber, vitamins and minerals: Many fad diets eliminate certain food groups all together. Over time, these types of diets may cause vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies that can have a long-term harmful effect on the body. Diets that eliminate carbohydrates are often also very low in fiber. However, fiber is important for a healthy body, especially when managing Diabetes. Fiber makes you feel satiated so that you are less likely to overeat. Fiber also helps to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of certain types of cancers.

Too few calories: Most diets have too few calories. Believe it or not, you have to eat to lose weight! Following a very low calorie diet will eventually cause your metabolism to slow down. This will cause weight gain in the long run, not weight loss. Many people who follow low calorie diets and diabetic diet foods end up with 'yo-yo' weight loss and gain.

Increased Risk for Hypoglycemia: Depending on your diabetes medicine, following a diet may increase your risk for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in this situation always check your blood sugar level through diabetic glucose meter. Skipping meals or eating too little at a meal could result in your blood sugar going too low. This can be especially dangerous if it happens at night or while operating heavy machinery such as a car or truck, as hypoglycemia often leads to fainting and light-headedness. Always prefer to take diabetes meal plans for Hypoglycemia.

Too Difficult to Follow Long-Term: Many diets are too restrictive or too difficult for anyone to follow for a long time. The result is usually weight gain, often more than you lost. Many people end up on a cycle of weight gain, loss, and gain. This is hard on the body and not good for the metabolism.

What Should You Do to Lose Weight?
If you wish to lose weight, you should choose a variety of foods for diabetics that provide your body with the nutrients it needs. Cut back on your portions, eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limit saturated fats (fats from animal products and hydrogenated oils). Don't deprive yourself of the foods you love, but remember it is important to eat everything in moderation and always use to check you fat by using body fat monitor and scale constantly. Remember, if a diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Exercise with Diabetic Footwear: Many people dealing with poorly controlled diabetes may suffer from damage to their nervous system.  In particular, the diabetes nerve damage can occur in the feet. A common result of this would be residual numbness which is extremely problematic. When your feet become numb, you may not notice minor injuries and diabetes foot pain. This, in turn, means you do not get quick, proper treatment for the problems. Such a scenario may lead to the problem becoming far, far worse. Diabetic footwear, plus inspecting your feet daily can certainly reverse a number of dangerous problems or prevent such issues from occurring in the first place.

The design of diabetes footwear, aids in reversing a host of potential problems. On the most basic levels, the footwear can provide support for the heels, arches, and overall structure of the foot. These shoes offer extra toe room to begin with.  These shoes also offer removable insoles that can be removed to create more space for swollen feet or more space to insert orthotics like arch support.  This can definitely aid in improving comfort levels and alleviating pain. Additionally, such diabetes shoes can improve circulation which can also reduce potential problems and physical ailments.

Some may be concerned that diabetes footwear it is not exactly fashionable. They may assume they may look, for lack of a better word, ‘geeky' wearing such footwear. While there are definitely some items out there that are kind of dull in their appearance, some footwear are actually quite fashionable. So, you need not assume that footwear specifically designed for medical purposes lacks any fashion sense. Some folks out there put a lot of effort into the development of quality footwear. Do not dismiss their sense of style out of hand. You may really like some of the items in their inventory. Walk A Few Miles in These womens and mens diabetic shoes. And Some Lose Weight!

The Dangers of Dieting with Diabetes? Type Free Diabetes

Have Diabetes? Don't Ignore Your Foot Problems

Peripheral Neuropathy is one of the common side effects of diabetes, which can cause insensitivity, or a loss of sensation in the extremities to feel pain, heat, and cold in a diabetic person. It is very important for a diabetic person to take care of foot related injuries and wear specially designed shoes for diabetic.

Diabetic foot problems have become common throughout the world today. People with diabetes are quite at risk of developing many different foot problems. Even the ordinary foot problem can become painful and can lead to serious complications. Minor injuries can easily become major infections among diabetics so it is always advised not to avoid your foot problems.

Diabetes and foot pain are very closely related, and foot pain can be taken as the warning sign of diabetes.  Diabetes can limit blood supply to your feet and cause a loss of feeling. Proper foot care with wearing diabetics shoes is very essential for a diabetic person, as wounds to the feet may take much longer to heal.  Therefore, it is very important to prevent them in the first place. So a diabetic person is always advised to do a routine self-inspection of each foot.

As the connection between diabetes and foot problems is clear, there are hundreds of diabetic footwear options available in the market. These diabetic shoes for men are designed in such a way so as to provide complete support to the feet while also helping in improving the circulation and blood flow.  Choosing and wearing proper fit diabetic shoe, complete with custom insoles, can prevent the feet from injuries and further irritation. By wearing diabetic shoes on a regular basis, you can make sure that your feet won't have complications in the future.  Diabetic footwear plays an important role in helping your feet, even if you are taking good care of your health getting your sugar levels checked regularly.

A healthy diet along with regular exercises with men's & women's diabetic shoes is vital for all the diabetic people in order to improve one's cardiovascular health, improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Always remember that making some small changes in your life if you have diabetes can surely help you to reduce your blood sugar levels for a longer run.

You should consume diabetes specific food available in the market that can help you in reducing the impact of diabetes by helping to regulate your blood sugar.  You are also advised to have a carbohydrates free diet to prevent diabetes in the future.  A healthy eating plan, exercise and medication on the regular basis can help a diabetic person live a healthy, happy and fit lifestyle.

Have Diabetes? Don't Ignore Your Foot Problems by Type Free Diabetes