| |
| |
|
Diabetes Information |
|
Living Healthy with Diabetes
Diabetes affects around 16 million Americans and about 800,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Diabetes attacks men, women, children and the elderly. It spares no race. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness in Adults and amputations. It is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and birth defects and it shortens life expectancy by up to 15 years. So you can see what I am up against. It is up to me to make sure that none of these things ever happen to my daughter. My daughter Ashley has Diabetes Type 1. She will be 10 years old March 15th. Ashley has been a diabetic for 5 years. Five years ago I was totally overwhelmed by all that information. I felt helpless and depressed. I was sure this was a death sentence for my daughter. This was because of my total ignorance of Diabetes. A person can live a full life with Diabetes. It just takes some extra care. A good diet plays an important part in a Diabetics life. They need to put together a meal plan with their doctor & dietitian. My daughter has several meals a day. She has breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, dinner & another snack. She has these meals at the same time every day. This is important. It helps keep her body on a schedule and her blood sugar regulated. Skipping meals and snacks may lead to large swings in blood sugar readings. To keep blood sugar levels near normal a Diabetic must balance the food they eat with the insulin the body gets from injections and with physical activities. Blood sugar monitoring gives you the information you need to help with this balancing. Near normal blood sugar readings will help you feel better. Normal is between 70 and 120. They will also reduce your chances of complications. Lets talk about how a Diabetic needs to eat. Everyone needs to eat nutritious foods. Our good health depends on eating a variety of foods that contain the right amount of Carbohydrate, Protein, Fat, Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber and Water. Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat are found in the food that you eat. They supply your body with energy. Your body needs insulin to use this energy. Insulin is made in the pancreas. If you have Diabetes, either your pancreas is no longer producing insulin or your body can't use the insulin it is making. So your blood sugar levels are not normal. Starch and Sugar in foods are Carbohydrates. You can find starch in breads, pasta, cereal, potatoes, beans, peas and lentils. Natural sugars are in fruits, milk and vegetables. There are added sugars in desserts, candy, jam and syrup. All of these Carbohydrates can affect your blood sugar. When you eat Carbohydrates they turn into glucose and travel in your bloodstream. Insulin helps the glucose enter the beta cells in your pancreas where it can be turned into energy and stored. Eating the same amount of Carbohydrate daily at meals and snacks can help you control your blood sugar levels. Protein is in meats, poultry, fish, milk and other dairy products, eggs, beans, peas and lentils. Starches and vegetables have small amounts of protein. The body uses protein for growth, maintenance and energy. Your body needs insulin to use the protein you eat. Fat is in margarine, butter, oils, salad dressings, nuts, seeds, milk, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, snack food, ice-cream and desserts. There are three different types of fat. Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated. Everyone should eat less saturated fats found in meats, dairy products, coconut, palm or palm kernel oil, and hardened shortening. Saturated fats can raise your blood levels of cholesterol. The fats that are best are the monounsaturated fats found in canola oil, olive oil, nuts, and avocado. The polyunsaturated fats found in corn oil, soybean oil, or sunflower oil are good too. After you eat fat it travels through your bloodstream. You need insulin to store fat in the cells of your body. Fats are used for energy. So you can see what a big role insulin plays in your body. Good diet is very important for a Diabetic. Excersize is also very important. A Diabetic can live a healthy full life if they do three things. Eat healthy, Excersize, and inject the right amount of insulin. It takes dedication and hard work. But in the end it is totally worth it because it is your life. Devoting her last 8 years to Diabetes Education, Kimberly maintains her website ElviraDarkNight.com and publishes the Living Life as a Diabetic Newsletter as well as dispatches donated Diabetic supplies to needie individuals without Health Insurance. Kim would like to personally invite you to become informed on issues of Health, Nutrition & Diabetes.
MORE RESOURCES:
A Diagnosis of Pre-Diabetes Isn't Enough to Motivate Many Patients - Diabetes Health (press release)
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Exercising for Diabetes Sufferers Exercise is often recommended in treating type 1 (insulin- dependent) and type 2 (noninsulin- dependent) diabetes ~ both as a stand-alone activity and in combination with diet and drug therapy. For people who are heavily dependent on medicines, exercise cannot replace drugs but it does contribute to normalizing the glucose metabolism. Diabetes is Manageable It is estimated that over 18 million people over the age of 20 in this country have diabetes. Persons over the age of 45 and those considered obese according to the Bio Mass Index are in elevated risk categories for this potentially fatal disease. Diabetic Complications - Can Benfotiamine Help Prevent Them? Diabetic complications contribute too many life threatening diseases globally. The root cause of diabetic complications is elevated glucose levels which contribute to blood vessel damage. Pancreas Transplants - A Solution For Type 1 Diabetes Sufferers? Type 1 diabetes was formerly known as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Type 1 diabetes matures quickly and symptoms are very visible. Diabetes Has Become A Risk in Mens Life This is true that men with diabetes have an increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction compared with men without diabetes. Erectile dysfunction in diabetes has many potential causes, including the specific diabetes complications of neuropathy and vascular disease, as well as conditions commonly associated with diabetes, such as hypertension, use of various medications or psychogenic factors. Double Diabetes -- Placing Your Kids at Even More Risk In some medical circles it's called Type 3 Diabetes. Teenagers and young adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, if overweight or obese, can develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Diabetes and Exercise - Just Move it! While exercise and eating guidelines are based on good scientific principles, they do not necessarily agree with human nature or common sense. Recent history tells us that we are better off encouraging the mediocre people who are willing to include exercise in their daily lives, rather than cramming guidelines down the majority of those who want to fight the inevitable. Treating Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy The toes burn and tingle and sharp pains shoot into your legs. The bed sheets feel uncomfortable on the feet as you toss and turn, trying to get some rest. Fanning the Flames of the Diabetes Epidemic INTRODUCTIONIt is my pleasure to introduce to you, a new Diabetes Prevention Education, Public Relations Campaign established under the name Fannie Estelle Hill Grant, started by me, Lyndia Grant-Briggs, after the loss of my mother who succumbed to Type 2 Diabetes on Christmas Day, December 25, 2000. I noticed a fire burning in the Diabetes health arena, and it is still burning out of control. Discover the Positive Effects of Exercise for Diabetes Sufferers There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. Diabetes... Sweet Story of Healing In a time not too long ago, there lived a little girl named Lindsey. (Real story. Becoming a Diabetes Expert I am a diabetes expert. No I'm not a doctor or a nurse. Raising Happy Diabetic Kids This is the first in a series of articles I am about to embark upon concerning this subject. As my family gets older and matures with this disease I think back to the early days and wonder why aren't we all on medication for depression? Why don't we have standing twice a week appointments with a psychiatrist? How did we end up so normal?(whatever that is) As I look back this didn't happen by accident, nor am I Super Dad, and I didn't plan it out step by step. Pre-Diabetes - The Calm Before the Storm Remember when the medical world identified pre-hypertension to better monitor your blood pressure? The new buzz: Pre-Diabetes concerns a similar condition pinpointing people who are at severe risk for getting diabetes. Because diabetes silently invades your body, early detection and corrective action are critically important. Diabetic Foot Care Tips: Cant Afford to Ignore It! Most of the time, we focus on health or skin care completely ignoring the importance of our feet. Foot care is equally important especially for diabetic people to avoid foot complications. Avandia Side Effect Lawyer: Diabetes Drug Damages Liver Avandia, a compound of rosiglitazone maleate, is an oral antidiabetic agent. Avandia pills increase insulin sensitivity for patients with type 2 diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Get Rid of Your Diabetes People at risk of getting the disease drop by a staggering 60 percent if they manage to lose just 10 pounds by following a healthy diet and engage in regular exercise such as walking, according to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (May 3, 2001). Hyperglycemia, Diabetes, and Managing Blood Sugar So, after a miserable 10 hours of blood tests it's confirmed you have hyperglycemia. Well now isn't the time to sit back and get depressed. If You Have Diabetes, You May Be Entitled To No Cost Diabetic Supplies This article is intended to inform people with diabetes in regards to their diabetic supplies. When I found out that my sister was diagnosed with the disease I started to research more and came across some useful information that might be helpful to others. What Is Diabetes? Your doctor may have recently advised you have diabetes. Or you are overweight and you have discovered you may be at risk of diabetes.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
