Entries for the ‘Diabetes Advice’ Category

Ketone Testing Saves Lives

Survey discoveries published today by Abbott and ‘Children with Diabetes’, CWD, prove that higher than 33% of parents of children with type-1 diabetes don’t know about an at home blood ketone test which may help to prevent the onset or indicence of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), often referred to as diabetic coma. DKA is a sometimes fatal complaint and is the leading reason for death of youngsters with diabetes mellitus.

Ketones are substances created in the blood when fat is converted for energy because insulin levels are too low. Significant insulin drops and elevated blood ketone levels can lead to DKA. Regular testing for ketones during times of sickness, when the chance of ketones is usually higher, is required to recognise and stop DKA in children with type one diabetes, who generate not enough, or no insulin.

Statistics from the report, carried out by the non-profit group Children with Diabetes (CWD) working alongside Abbott Diabetes Care, established that greater than 30% of guardians test the ketone levels of their children less than three times a month The majority of mothers and fathers stated that they test for ketones more often when the child is sick, but 30 percent are in ignorance of the fact that testing blood ketones may be done quite simply in their own home using a meter. Additional results illustrated that 75% of mothers and fathers of children with diabetes mellitus are still using the older urine ketone test procedure with a slower outcome. In addition, 40% of participants surveyed said that their youngsters had taken many days of school as a result of diabetes-related sickness.

Exercise Can Reduce Risks Of Diabetes

The 2 types of diabetes are type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels, then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a positive effect on diabetes type II while improving insulin sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise program. Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have type II.

Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program. When training with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes.

Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.

Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to strenuous activity.

As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar levels if the individual becomes low.

About the Author

This article provided courtesy of http://www.cholesterol-answers.com

Recent Advice from the St Johns Ambulance Brigade on how to recognise and deal with diabetes problems:

Eating provides your body with fuel to give enough energy to derive pleasure from an active life. Normal folk produce insulin to convert blood sugar into energy. For diabetics, the body does not put out sufficient insulin, and glucose increases instead of turning into energy.

People with diabetes need to be meticulous with diet and exercise and may have to take insulin at regular intervals to master their disorder.

Sometimes a sufferer from diabetes can get into a medical crisis due to the presence of too much insulin. This dangerous event occurs when the blood sugar level has fallen to dangerous low levels. This condition can be life threatening and is often the result of by injecting too much insulin, not eating regularly or or excessive exercise..

How to spot insulin shock

* The heart rate and breathing are shallow and rapid.
* The patient’s skin is sweaty, colorless and the temperature is low.
* The person is perturbed, irritable or confrontational.
* The patient might seem drunk, shudder or experience difficulty speaking.

Emergency first aid for insulin shock
The right medical procedures in a insulin shock crisis just might save lives.

* Settle the sufferer and call the emergency services.
* Place an unconscious patient into the recovery position and keep a constant check on pulse and breathing.
* If the patient is fully conscious, and is able to tell you what they want, assist them to locate and administer their medication.
* If the person is too dazed to comprehend what is required, try to get them to injest something sweet, e.g. a soft drink high in sugar may help.

St. john ambulance has medical courses to assist you to to have the skills to save someone’s life. To discover more, see the office near to your area or browse the web page at www.sja.org.uk

Pomegranate juice drink Reduces the risks in diabetes

Fresh pomegranate juice may be helpful for people with diabetes to decrease their risk of coronary disease.

An interesting new study shows that diabetes sufferers who drank pomegranate juice for a duration of three months had a reduced chance of atherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries). Also, the pomegranate juice appeared to slow up the absorption of unhealthy ldl cholesterol by the suferrer’s immune cellls.

Folk with diabetes have increasing probability of atherosclerosis, which contributes to heart disease, strokes and other cardiovascular difficulties.

These studies illustrate that the antioxidants in pomegranite juice might be extremely effective in decreasing the risk of coronary complications associated with diabetes.

“In most juices, sugars are present in free, and harmful, forms,” says medical expert Michael Aviram, of the Technion Faculty of Medicine in Haifa, Israel, in a news release. “In pomegranate juice, however, the sugars are attached to unique antioxidants, which actually make these sugars protective against atherosclerosis.”

Folk with diabetes aren’t able to reaact to sugar normally and are usually advised to monitor their intake of food and beverages high in natural or processed sugars, which includes fruit juices.

In the research, discussed in the journal Atherosclerosis, experts analyzed the effects of drinking a specially poduced strong pomegranite juice that is the equivalent to a normal sized glass of fresh pomegranate juice, each day for 3 months in 10 healthy adults and 10 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Pomegranate juice drinks did not affect overall levels of cholesterol, however specialists discovered it diminished the uptake of oxidized “bad” LDL cholesterol by immune cells, which is a major contributing factor to atherosclerosis.

Although pomegranate juice contains a similar level of sugars as other fruit juices, Aviram suggests they were pleasantly surprised to find that the sugars in pomegranate juice did not worsen diabetes mellitus indicators, such as blood glucose levels, in the participants suffering with diabetes.

Healthy Eating for Diabetes Patients

When faced with the diagnoses of Diabetes, there is much that the healthcare provider can do to help patients today. However, eating right is something the patient can-and must-do for themselves. Food and blood glucose levels walk hand in hand for Diabetes sufferers, making mealtime an effective method to keep the disease at bay. The subsequent article discusses how eating right can lead to better health and solid management of a complicated disease.

For many, the do-it-yourself method of food regulation is difficult. Changing eating habits is hard to do. There are new diet trends offered seasonally each year for people continually searching for a way to eat right. One important fact for the diabetic to keep in mind is that healthy eating for them is very nearly on par for healthy eating for everyone else-it’s just that healthy eating is a must rather than an option. Healthy eating is comprised of a wide variety of foods with balanced meals that range with carbohydrates, proteins and fat. All calories must be accounted for, so keeping a food diary is a good way to start your journey into a healthy eating lifestyle.

For the diabetes sufferer, meals must be planned to keep blood glucose levels safely under control. Intake must be carefully weighed against insulin doses, medication and exercise to avoid extreme fluctuation of blood glucose levels. Meal planning may seem like a novelty at first, but after a week or two, you can recycle your plans and accomplish your healthy eating lifestyle more rapidly than you may have thought possible. Most healthcare providers will refer diabetes patients to a dietician or nutritionist to discuss a healthy eating plan. Talk about what you like to eat and find out if it can be worked into an eating plan.

A dietician will also be able to inform you about calorie counting, counting fat grams, counting carbohydrate grams, counting sodium grams, counting food exchanges, and any of your own individual goals for keeping healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle. Dieticians that have experience working with diabetic patients will provide you with a new way to look at food and eating so that the diabetes can be managed successfully.

While preparing your healthy eating plan you should also discuss your activities, your target range for blood glucose levels and how you may be able to prevent other diseases simply by eating healthy. Whether you have gestational, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you will want to include as wide a variety of foods as possible. Use the standard food pyramid as a good rule of thumb when planning your daily intakes. To keep your body nutritionally happy, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals in proper proportion are necessary.

Sources of carbohydrates include bread, grains, pasta, fruit, vegetables, legumes, and dairy products. Excellent protein sources are poultry, meats, dairy products, eggs and fish. For fat, look to meat, dairy products, nuts and oils. Most patients, however, need to keep weight under control, so focusing on good carbohydrates and protein becomes increasingly more important fat intake. Your caloric intake must be spent wisely and it’s best to avoid fats from bacon, bacon grease, butter, lard, cream cheese and coconut oil. If you crave sweets, consider using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar to keep your blood glucose levels in check.

While a dietician will be able to individualize your healthy eating plan, there are some general tips that all diabetes patients can keep in mind when it comes to eating healthy:

*Use a nonstick vegetable spray for cooking instead of oils.
*To flavor foods without adding additional calories, season your meals with herbs.
*When eating poultry, remember that breast meat is leanest.
*Avoid pastas that contain eggs or fat; select converted, brown or wild types of rice.
*Choose "choice" or "select" cuts of meat which are lower in fat.
*Try to eat fresh or frozen vegetables. If eating canned vegetables, be sure to rinse them to reduce the amount of sodium.
*When it comes to oils, choose olive, canola, soybean, corn, sesame or safflower.

While eating healthy and learning the ins and outs of nutrition may seem daunting at first, it will ultimately prove both rewarding and empowering.

Controlling your disease by eating right is key to this and may other diseases.

Jacob Mabille writes for Free Health Articles (www.freearticlesarchive.com) where you can find more health tips and related articles.

Weight Loss and Diabetes Study Shows Positive Results

Weight Loss and Diabetes Study

Losing weight is the main factor in reducing the risk of diabetes for raised-risk, obese patients, a recent study suggests.

In brief, Weight Loss helps lower the risks of becoming a sufferer of Diabetes

Those taking part in the intensive lifestyle intervention part of the Diabetes mellitus Prevention Program, which involved cutting fat with the target of decreasing body weight by 7%, also decreased their chance of developing diabetes by 58 percent a period of 3 years, according to Dr. Richard F. Hamman at the scheme’s coordinating center at George Washington University in Rockville, Maryland, USA..

On the preliminary stages of the study all the people involved were heavier than doctors recommend and had a lowered ability to adequately metabolize glucose, giving them a high chance of becoming a sufferer of diabetes mellitus.

A further target of the intervention was to get those participating to do a small amount of exercise for at least two and a half hours weekly, the medical researchers add in their report published in the September 2006 issue of Diabetes Care Publication.

Doctor Hamman and his research team were trying to locate factors that were the most effective in lowering the probablility of developing diabetes, shedding weight, doing more physical exercise or reduced fat intake. Those participating cut their fat intake to less than 25% of their calories injested, and also reduced the total calorie consumption if their weight loss was not enough by just minimising the fat.

Weight loss was the most helpful factor in stopping development of diabetes, whilst reducing the fat and increasing exercise helped those involved reduce weight, and exercise helped them keep the weight off, the doctors stated.