The Differences & Similarities Between Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes

The Differences & Similarities Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

“Oh, you have diabetes? That’s where you can’t eat sugar and have to poke yourself with needles and stuff because you ate too much candy as a kid…right?”
*sigh*
Wrong.
Most people have no clue what diabetes is let alone that there is more than one type of diabetes. Type 1, type 2, LADA, MODY, and gestational are just some classification examples of diabetes. All have a range of differences and similarities but the two most common forms are type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
As type 1 and type 2 diabetics [should] know, there are a few major differences between the two conditions which, all too often, get confused and misconstrued by the public. Yet, there are also a few similarities that get overlooked even among people in the diabetic community.
Take a look at these two major forms of diabetes and make sure you can not only distinguish the differences but also share the similarities.
Similarities
Symptoms
The symptoms for both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are identical in most ways. Both conditions involve three distinct symptoms prior to diagnosis:
Polyuria – excessive urination often due to high blood sugar
Polydipsia – excessive thirst
Polyphagia – excessive hunger
In type 2 diabetes, symptoms tend to be more gradual than type 1 but they both still share these symptoms along with the other usual byproducts of diabetes like high and low blood sugar, increased agitation, shaky/sweaty blood sugar reactions, as well as the more severe hypoglycemic events that can lead to seizures, coma, and death.
Complications
People often ask “so, do you have the bad kin Continue reading

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Diet ‘reverses diabetes in just 10 weeks’, claims new study

The research, the first of its kind, could pave the way for an overhaul in the management of the condition which is linked to obesity and affects almost three million people in the UK.
Most diabetics are advised to eat a balanced diet, including carbohydrates.
However, scientists, who carried out the study on 238 patients, found that restricting carbohydrates and increasing fat led to dramatic improvements.
Half the patients saw their condition reversed after just 10 weeks and were able to reduce or stop taking diabetes drugs.
This is the first time we have seen such a drastic change in such a large group of people outside bariatric [weight loss] surgery
Eighty nine per cent of those in the study, who had been reliant on insulin due to the severity of their disease, were able to dramatically reduce or stop taking it.
Professor Sarah Hallberg, an expert in obesity medicine, who led the study at Indiana University, said: “This is the first time we have seen such a drastic change in such a large group of people outside bariatric [weight loss] surgery.
“It is something we would never previously have known was possible. I was so blown over by the results and we should now think about using this approach as a standard of care as it outperforms current treatment.”
Fri, August 19, 2016
Diabetes is a common life-long health condition. There are 3.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 500,000 who are living undiagnosed with the condition.
She added: “Diabetes is a state of carbohydrate toxicity. Insulin resistance is a state of carbohydrate intol Continue reading

Best snacks for people with type 2 diabetes

Diabetes can lead to a wide range of symptoms including high blood pressure, circulation issues, kidney damage, blindness, and skin problems. But the right diet can help manage these symptoms.
Healthful snacks for people with diabetes can keep blood sugar in check. They may also help reduce the severity of diabetes symptoms such as high blood pressure.
Eating right can feel daunting, particularly at first, but people with diabetes can continue enjoying a wide range of snacks.
Foods high in protein
High-protein foods include nuts, legumes, animal products such as eggs and cheese, and alternatives to meat such as tofu and mushrooms.
Healthful snacks for people with diabetes that are satisfying and rich in protein include:
roasted chickpeas
apples or celery with almond butter
almonds, walnuts, or pistachios
trail mix, particularly if it doesn't contain sweetened ingredients
hard-boiled eggs
plain yogurt, particularly Greek yogurt
low-sodium cottage cheese mixed with fresh fruit
diced avocado and cherry tomatoes
snap peas or other raw veggies with hummus
Several of these options can work well as both sweet and savory snacks. Honey-roasted chickpeas provide a good balance of sweet and savory. Nuts can be paired with slices of cheese or dried fruit. Adding nuts or fruit can also make yogurt sweeter or more savory.
For the turkey roll-ups, people can use thinly sliced turkey or lettuce to replace the pita. Adding hummus and vegetables makes for a hearty snack.
High-fiber snacks
Vegetables, legumes, and nuts are excellent sources of fiber. Whole grains, oats, and some fruits are as Continue reading

What I Ate When I Couldn't Eat Anything: Facing Gestational Diabetes as a Food Lover

Whether food is your comfort, your hobby, or your profession, gestational diabetes is tough. Here's what you can eat. [Photograph: Shutterstock]
In the first few months of my pregnancy, friends often asked me how I was dealing with life without wine, beer, and cocktails; without buttery pieces of toro at my beloved neighborhood sushi bar; without the various other foods most people avoid when they're carrying a baby. Early on, none of those things mattered much to me; I was too sick to crave much more than mac and cheese. Coffee and wine started to taste oddly bitter and flat to me, but it didn't seem that awful to wait 40 weeks to get back to enjoying them. My local bar always managed to serve me some creative alcohol-free concoction. (Pineapple juice and savory Cel-ray? Highly recommended.)
I took advantage of California's citrus season, buying pounds of floral Oro Blanco grapefruits and tangerines for making fresh juice. Fruit never tasted better: I sent my husband on wild goose chases for out-of-season mangoes, and celebrated the early arrival of local strawberries by eating a pint every day. And I had ice cream: pints of salted caramel at home, cones of Bi-Rite's insanely rich buffalo-milk soft serve during walks around the park. In challenging moments in those first few months, Max reminded me that "at least it's an excuse to eat all the ice cream you could desire." (I never did convince him to ship me some homemade pints of this crazy chocolate number from New York.)
But in mid-March I found myself undergoing a hazing ritual pretty much all pregnant women experience: Continue reading

Trial to 'prevent' diabetes starts

A major trial is set to start in Scotland aimed at preventing type-1 diabetes in children.
Researchers are preparing to contact all 6,400 families in the country affected by the condition.
Children who have a parent or sibling with type-1 diabetes will be invited for a blood test to see if they are at high risk of developing the disease.
Those at risk will be offered a drug called metformin to see if it can hold off diabetes.
Metformin is already used to treat diabetes, but it is not clear if it might prevent it from developing in the first place.
If successful, the study could challenge long-established thinking on what lies behind type-1 diabetes.
Scotland has the third highest rate of type-1 diabetes in the world, and a good system of record to identify affected families.
Alternative theory
Type-1 diabetes develops when the body does not produce insulin. This is the hormone needed to control blood sugar levels.
Despite extensive research, there is no way of preventing the disease.
Most experts believe it is caused by a problem with the immune system - mistaking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas - called beta cells - as harmful, and attacking them.
This study, called the autoimmune diabetes Accelerator Prevention Trial (Adapt), tests an alternative theory developed by Prof Terence Wilkin, from the University of Exeter Medical School.
Rather than focusing on halting the immune system, Prof Wilkin says it could be better to work on protecting the beta cells.
He argues the key cause of damage is stress on the beta cells as they struggle to cope with demand for insulin. Continue reading