How Diabetes Impacts Your Mental Health

WRITTEN BY: Mark Heyman, PhD, CDE
How Diabetes Impacts Your Mental Health is part of our Mental Health series. Type 1 isn’t just about counting carbs, checking BGLs and administering insulin. The disease takes an emotional and psychological toll as well. Check out other clinical information and personal stories about Mental Health.
When I tell people I am a psychologist who specializes in diabetes, they usually look confused. Most people think of diabetes as a physical condition and have never really thought about the mental aspects with living with the condition. Even some people with diabetes are surprised that there are organizations like CDMH that focus on diabetes and mental health. They know that living with diabetes is hard for them, but often they are surprised to hear that their concerns are actually (and unfortunately) quite common. What is it about diabetes that is so hard?
I tend to think about diabetes and mental health issues very broadly. While some people with diabetes have a mental health condition (that may or may not be related to having diabetes), there are many others who struggle with issues that are very real, but which may not meet the (sometimes arbitrary) criteria for a mental health diagnosis.
Psychology is the study of how situations, emotions and relationships in our lives interact and impact our behavior. I think that this definition provides us with a framework we can use to talk about how diabetes impacts mental health.
Situation
Diabetes is a self-managed condition. This means that it is the person with diabetes, not their doctor, who is r Continue reading

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The top 20 foods for reversing type-2 diabetes

(NaturalNews) The CDC has estimated that by 2050, as much of thirty percent of the American population could suffer with diabetes. New studies show that diabetics, in addition to coping with the effects of their disease, also have nearly double the risk of cancer compared to the rest of the population.
Although much of the mainstream media continues to focus on the latest Big Pharma proposed "magic bullet" drug to cure diabetes (see, for example: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/25/news...), increasing evidence shows that the disease can be prevented, curbed, or even cured by choosing the right foods.
"Nature is the best chemist" states University of Rhode Island researcher Navindra Seeram whose team studied the health benefits of maple syrup. Their findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, showed that the substance derived from the sap of maple trees can protect against both diabetes and cancer.
This natural sweetener offers abundant anti-oxidants. It also contains a newly identified substance called Quebecol, formed when the sap is boiled. This study is particularly interesting since the old-fashioned medical advice to diabetics was to steer clear of anything sweet.
Ayurvedic healers have long used natural herbs and spices to treat a variety of conditions, including diabetes. Two spices familiar to those who consume Indian food offer some protection against diabetes. The yellowy-orange powder turmeric, made from the rhizomes of a plant native to South Asia.
Research in the past decade has shown that turmeric not only aids against diab Continue reading

New device for diabetes eliminates the need for painful finger pricking

Source:Supplied
AUSTRALIAN adults with diabetes now have the option of using a new glucose monitoring device, which eliminates the need for regular finger pricking.
The system, which has been available in Europe for several years, involves a small sensor the size of a 20 cent coin worn on the upper arm for 14 days.
Many diabetics have to draw blood and test their blood glucose levels up to 12 times a day. Instead of doing that, they can now scan the sensor and get a reading in less than a second.
The Abbotts FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System also displays an eight-hour history and a trend arrow showing the direction the glucose is heading.
The device will make life easier for people living with diabetes who use insulin, whether type 1 or type 2, said Diabetes Australia spokeswoman Renza Scibilia.
Source:Supplied
“Finger pricking is painful, inconvenient and intrusive, which is often why people don’t check their levels as often as they ideally should,” she told news.com.au. “It’s very different from just wearing a device on your arm and scanning it.”
The disposable, water-resistant sensor needs to be replaced every 14 days and costs $95, while the reader is the same price. The Freestyle Libre can be purchased online via the official website.
Ashley Ng, 26, from Melbourne, has been testing the device for two weeks and is a big fan.
“I didn’t realise how much a burden finger-pricking was until I stopped,” Ms Ng told news.com.au.
“Normally I’d prick myself 6-10 times a day. It’s something that I’ve always lived with and gotten used to, an Continue reading

4 Herbs for Diabetes Management

Over 26 million Americans have diabetes and more than one-hundred million have pre-diabetes or are at a heightened risk of developing the disease. The problem with how the majority of these people manage their disease is that they are strictly following the sole advice of their doctor or endocrinologist – always in reactionary mode, testing their blood sugar and taking the correct amount of corresponding insulin. There are numerous experts out there that say diabetes, and especially the preventable Type 2 diabetes, is not only naturally treatable but even reversible. There are many dietary and lifestyle changes that can be made, as well as many herbs for diabetes management.
Getting a handle on the disease involves far more than blood tests and insulin injections. Treating your diabetes (whether Type 1 or Type 2) almost requires a holistic approach. This means that what you eat, when you eat, and what you do to manage your blood sugar will need to change. Fortunately, there are herbs that can help.
1. Herbs for Diabetes – Cinnamon
Cinnamon is perhaps the most widely recognized herbal diabetes treatment. This common spice is believed to act as an insulin sensitizer. In one study, 60 adults with Type 2 diabetes who regularly took cinnamon found a drop of 18 to 29 percent in their average blood sugar levels. A quick survey of online message boards and blogs also reveals that many diabetics have experienced a similar drop simply by adding cinnamon to their daily regimen. Sprinkle it on an apple or add it into soup—there are many easy ways to use cinnamon for diabetes.
2. Continue reading

Natural Remedies for Diabetes: Plavinol, Glucopure

There is good news for diabetics; unfortunately, it is fake news based on “alternative facts.” I monitor my local newspaper, the Tacoma News Tribune, for health-related advertisements, and I have yet to find an advertised product or service that is supported by credible scientific evidence. Within the space of two weeks, they published half-page advertisements masquerading as news stories about two miraculous natural remedies for diabetes: Plavinol and Glucopure.
Plavinol
I have written about Plavinol before. Plavinol’s active ingredient is Morus alba (white mulberry). That ingredient is supported by mouse studies but not by human studies. A systematic review of clinical studies of Morus alba for diabetes found inconsistent results and concluded “Products derived from M. alba can effectively contribute [emphasis added] to the reduction in PPG [post-prandial glucose] levels, but large-scale RCTs would be informative.” Plavinol contains four additional “supporting nutrients” without any good rationale. The product itself has not been tested, so there is really no way to know whether it is safe and effective as marketed.
Glucopure
The new kid on the block is Glucopure. The headline reads “Diabetics in A Frenzy Over Newly-Released Blood Sugar Pill.”It offers the usual sales pitches: a shortage is expected, get free bottles if you call right away, free shipping if you subscribe, and a double-your-money money-back guarantee (with a few strings attached).
The claims are impressive:
Key ingredient reduces blood sugar 25%, cholesterol 23% and A1c 2.2% in University Continue reading