Drugs That Can Worsen Diabetes Control

One of the main goals of any diabetes control regimen is keeping blood glucose levels in the near-normal range. The cornerstones of most plans to achieve that goal include following a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and taking insulin or other medicines as necessary.
However, it’s not uncommon for people with diabetes to have other medical conditions that also require taking medicines, and sometimes these drugs can interfere with efforts to control blood glucose. A few medicines, including some commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure and heart disease, have even been implicated as the cause of some cases of diabetes.
This article lists some of the medicines that can worsen blood glucose control, the reasons they have that effect, the usual magnitude of the blood glucose changes, as well as the pros and cons of using these drugs in people who have diabetes.
Where the problems occur
To understand how various medicines can worsen blood glucose control, it helps to understand how insulin, the hormone responsible for lowering blood glucose, works in the body.
Insulin is released from the beta cells of the pancreas in response to rising levels of glucose in the bloodstream, rising levels of a hormone called GLP-1 (which is released from the intestines in response to glucose), and signals from the nerve connections to the pancreas. The secretion of insulin occurs in two phases: a rapid first phase and a delayed second phase. Both of these phases are dependent on levels of potassium and calcium in the pancreas.
Insulin acts on three major organs: the liver, the m Continue reading

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Prediabetes: Symptoms, causes, and risk factors

When someone has prediabetes, their blood glucose levels are high but not yet high enough to be a sign of type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes is very common, affecting 1 in 3 American adults.
Getting enough exercise, eating a wholesome diet, and maintaining a healthy weight can reverse symptoms of prediabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.
What is prediabetes?
Insulin is a hormone responsible for transporting sugar from the bloodstream to the cells to use for energy.
When a person has prediabetes, their body cannot use insulin effectively.
Sometimes this results in the cells not getting enough sugar, which leaves too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream.
High blood sugar levels can cause serious health complications, especially damage to the blood vessels, heart, and kidney.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around 86 million Americans have prediabetes, but many do not know they have the condition.
Most people who have prediabetes don't experience any symptoms. By the time they do, it's usually a sign that the condition has progressed to type 2 diabetes.
Diagnosis
The American Diabetes Association suggests that people should consider blood-screening tests when they are about 45 years old.
However, glucose testing should begin earlier for those with risk factors for diabetes, such as being overweight or having a family history of diabetes.
Several blood sugar tests can confirm a prediabetes diagnosis. Doctors will repeat tests two or three times before making an official diagnosis.
Here are the most common diagnostic tests.
Glycated hemoglobin ( Continue reading

Can low carb help with gestational diabetes in pregnancy?

When Natalie Thompson Cooper was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in her first pregnancy, at age 28, she was very concerned. The condition, which affects at least one in seven pregnancies to as many as one in five, causes blood sugars to rise abnormally high, called hyperglycemia.
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Natalie knew hyperglycemia bathed her unborn daughter in glucose, putting the fetus at risk for a wide range of potential complications, including miscarriage, birth defects, macrosomia (very large size), high blood pressure, birth trauma, and higher rates of C-section and even stillbirth.
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Moreover, gestational diabetes (GD) — also called ‘carbohydrate intolerance of pregnancy’ — greatly increases the risk that the mother and her offspring will both face future health problems, such as much higher rates of eventual type 2 diabetes, metabolic conditions, and cardiovascular disease.
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GD is one of the most common and significant complications of pregnancy. Prenatal guidelines the world over recommend the routine screening of all pregnant women and then, if positive, strict management, starting with dietary therapy, then if that does not work, insulin injections.
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However, to this day, what constitutes the best “dietary therapy” is hotly debated, with some researchers proposing a diet high in complex carbohydrates (60% carbs) and others lower carbohydrates (40% carbs).
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However, the recommended “lower carb” GD diet is still far higher than the under 20 g per day of the strict low-carb high-fat or ketogenic diet. In fact, many guidelines for GD recommend women, on an ostensibl Continue reading

10 Savvy Snacks for the Gestational Diabetes Diet

If you’ve got gestational diabetes, you can still get the nutrients you and Baby need and keep your blood glucose levels under control. Enjoy these 10 healthy, diabetic-friendly snacks during pregnancy.
1. Nachos
Who says diabetic snacks mean zero taste? These zesty nachos are tantalizing to the taste buds, provide approximately 29 grams of carbohydrates, and are a good way to work in a little calcium and a serving of vegetables into your prenatal diet.
Here’s how to make them: Layer 10 corn tortilla chips—just over 1 ounce in weight—on a baking sheet and top with 1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of chopped green pepper (or use hot peppers, if preferred). Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and transfer to plate. Top with 1/4 cup of tomato salsa and a tablespoon dollop of low-fat Greek-style yogurt.
Health Tip: Because flavored tortilla chips tend to contain lots of sodium and, even worse for moms with gestational diabetes, added sugar, stick to plain corn tortilla chips.
2. Cheese and Crackers
Perfect for a healthy, carb-controlled snack break at home or work—and easy enough to pack up for eating on the go—change up your choice of fruit and cheese to keep this snack classic fresh and exciting. These options are paired with a cup of low-fat milk for added calcium and just enough carbohydrates to reach 30 grams:
10 whole grain baked “thin snack crackers” (approx. 8 g of carbs); 1 ounce of cheddar cheese, sliced; 1/2 medium apple, sliced (10 g) and 1 cup of low-fat milk (12 g)
4 piec Continue reading

The 7 Cleanse and Detox Strategies to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally

Author Sidebar: When I was diabetic, there were times when I struggled with getting my blood glucose to come down. At other times, I struggled with unstable blood glucose levels, where my blood glucose would spike for no reason.
This was very frustrating, especially when I thought that I was doing everything correctly in terms of eating right and exercising.
During my research, I discovered that after some people with diabetes have started to eat properly and exercise on a consistent basis, they reach a “wall” where they are unable to lower their blood glucose level below a certain point or their blood glucose spikes for no apparent reason.
In addition, they find it almost impossible either to gain or lose any more weight. Why does this happen? How can this be fixed?
In most cases, this is due to the body’s toxic load preventing metabolism and energy production. In addition, as a self-protective mechanism, fat cells hold on to the toxins to prevent them from being released into your bloodstream. As a result, your body cannot metabolize and burn fat, making it almost impossible to lose weight, especially the fat in the belly area.
In addition, these fat cells trigger inflammation markers that cause an immune response that, in turn, may lead to spikes in cortisol, adrenaline and blood glucose. And, in the meantime, the liver is under a tremendous strain because it's processing the food and the medications while dealing with the problems associated with diabetes.
And, depending on the person's specific pathology, other organs such as the colon, kidneys, lymphatic system Continue reading