Caring For Your Body With Type 2 Diabetes

Caring for Your Body With Type 2 Diabetes

Moisturizer, toothpaste, a water bottle, and sunglasses: These might sound like things to pack for a weekend getaway, but they're actually an essential part of a diabetes hygiene plan that covers you from head to toe and keeps you healthy.
That’s because, when you have diabetes, your blood vessels help transport glucose and insulin throughout the body. But when you have unmanaged high blood sugar, these blood vessels can also become damaged, which can in turn cause damage to various parts your body. So if you have diabetes, caring for your entire body is essential to help protect your overall health.
Here's how to give yourself some serious TLC to help avoid many possible diabetes complications related to:
Your skin. Getting enough water is important to good skin care with diabetes. That's because skin dries more easily with poorly controlled blood sugar, says Dianne Brown, CDE, a certified diabetes educator with the Adult Diabetes & Endocrinology Clinic, part of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. Dry skin is a concern because it can develop cracks. "This can allow bacteria to enter and cause a skin infection,” Brown says. Keep you skin hydrated and healthy by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, eating a diet that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, avoiding bathing in very hot baths and showers, using mild soaps, moisturizing immediately after bathing. If you do notice any skin problems, be sure to tell your doctor.
Your eyes. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of adult blindness, according to the U.S. Centers Continue reading

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5 Ways to Control Diabetes Naturally

In 2007, the National Center for Biotechnology Information published an article suggesting that diabetes could very well be the largest epidemic of the 21st century. That prediction couldn’t have proven to be more accurate, especially with the latest data collected by the American Diabetes Association showing that as of 2015 there were 30.3 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes and another 84.1 million adults diagnosed with prediabetes, a condition in which their blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is not just an epidemic, it also has a significant impact on the country’s economy. The condition accounted for $245 billion in total medical costs and lost work and wages in 2012 alone. By comparison, diabetes accounted for $174 billion in costs in 2007. All of this for a condition that can be controlled or even prevented.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes or you have a family history of diabetes, there are some things you can start doing now that will help you improve your health and lower your risk of diabetes. Here are five ways to control (or prevent) diabetes naturally.
#1: Reduce the Amount of Starches in Your Diet
A diet that is high in starch will increase your risk of developing diabetes because starch is a highly concentrated form of carbohydrates and after eating it, your blood glucose levels rise. This applies to almost all starchy foods, including breads, pasta, rice, and corn.
That said, some starches can be incorporated into a healthy diet if you don’t desire to esche Continue reading

7 Easy Breakfast Ideas for Type 2 Diabetes

Cooking with less fat by using nonstick pans and cooking sprays and avoiding fat- and sugar-laden coffee drinks will help ensure that you're eating a healthy breakfast.
For many people, breakfast is the most neglected meal of the day. But if you have type 2 diabetes, breakfast is a must, and it can have real benefits. “The body really needs the nutrients that breakfast provides to literally ‘break the fast’ that results during sleeping hours,” says Kelly Kennedy, MS, RD, an Everyday Health dietitian. “Having a source of healthy carbohydrates along with protein and fiber is the perfect way to start the morning.”
Eating foods at breakfast that have a low glycemic index may help prevent a spike in blood sugar all morning long — and even after lunch. Eating peanut butter or almond butter at breakfast, for example, will keep you feeling full, thanks to the combination of protein and fat, according to the American Diabetes Association. And a good breakfast helps kick-start your morning metabolism and keeps your energy up throughout the day.
Pressed for time? You don't have to create an elaborate spread. Here are seven diabetes-friendly breakfast ideas to help you stay healthy and get on with your day.
1. Breakfast Shake
For a meal in a minute, blend one cup of fat-free milk or plain nonfat yogurt with one-half cup of fruit, such as strawberries, bananas, or blueberries. Add one teaspoon of wheat germ, a teaspoon of nuts, and ice and blend for a tasty, filling, and healthy breakfast. Time saver: Measure everything out the night before.
2. Muffin Parfait
Halve a whole Continue reading

Weight Loss Really Can Reverse Diabetes, New Study Finds

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Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects 422 million people worldwide. For decades, doctors have treated it with medications designed to keep blood sugar levels down.
But in a paper published in the Lancet, researchers in the UK describe a landmark study in which people with diabetes went into remission—just by losing weight.
Nearly half of people in the study who were given a six-month diet plan and lost an average of 30 pounds went into remission and no longer had diabetes. None took any medications during that time to control their disease and relied on weight loss alone.
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Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s in ability to break down sugars from the diet. Normally, cells in the pancreas work to release insulin, a hormone that can process sugar and either send it to cells that need it for energy or store it as fat for future energy needs. Cells in the liver are responsible for clearing insulin from the circulation. But excess fat in the pancreas and liver can start to shut down these insulin-producing cells, leading to spikes in blood sugar levels. Diabetes medications can bring sugar levels down but do not address the compromised insulin machinery.
In the study, Dr. Roy Taylor, professor of medicine and metabolism at Newcastle University, and his colleagues randomly assigned nearly 300 people to either a weight management program or their usual treatments, including diabetes medications. Continue reading

A wealthier India sees alarming rise in adolescent diabetes

New Delhi: Rohin Sarin is midway through his 9th grade geography class when he starts feeling light-headed and dizzy, a sign that his blood sugar levels are dipping. He quietly removes his insulin pen from his school bag, gives himself one of four daily jabs and takes a bite of an energy bar.
The 15-year-old’s classmates in New Delhi have seen the ritual so often they are no longer curious. Rohin is one of a growing number of Indians with diabetes, the disease increasingly afflicting children and adolescents in the fast-growing South Asian country.
More than two decades of rapid economic growth has changed Indians’ lifestyles. People eat out more often, and prefer Western-style junk food such as burgers and pizza over traditional lentil and vegetable meals. They are also more sedentary, using cars and public transportation instead of walking or riding bicycles, and entertaining themselves with television.
The changes have brought a sharp rise in obesity, along with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, even as India still has some of the world’s worst levels of malnourishment and stunted childhood growth due to a paucity of food.
“Over the last 20 years, we are seeing a huge explosion ... mainly because of increasing childhood obesity,” said Dr Monica Arora, a specialist with the Public Health Foundation of India.
Nearly 30% of India’s teenagers are obese, nearly twice the number in 2010, according to health ministry statistics.
to spotty pubIndia has 70 million diabetics, though it has no data on how many are children and likely has millions more cases that have Continue reading