Dealing With Diabetes To Live Normal Life

Life With Diabetes

To be diagnosed with diabetes can be startling and can take some time to adjust to. However, it’s not the end of the world. By adopting a few measures listed below, you can lead a normal life. They will help you lead a healthy, active and full life.

What To Do Immediately After Diabetes Diagnosis:

Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, you will be put on to a diabetes care team, who will explain how you should manage your condition. They will teach you how to monitor your glucose levels and to understand how these levels are affected by exercise and food. To stabilize your blood glucose levels, you would probably have been given medicines or insulin injections and taught how to self-inject.

Learning to manage your condition takes not just time, but effort and patience. Perhaps, it has made you short-tempered, confused or angry, but with a little time, you’ll be able to overcome these niggling problems.

Live A Healthy Life With Diabetes:

In order to live healthy, You need to reduce the risk Dealing With Diabetes, do the following:

Lifestyle Changes:

Take your insulin shots and medicines regularly.
If you are overweight, lose the extra weight so that your blood glucose level, cholesterol and blood pressure are under control.
Switch to eating a nutritious and balanced diet that’s low in sugar and fat.
Quit smoking as it increases your chances of heart disease and brain stroke.
Exercise or play a sport for about 30 minutes every day, five times a week. You can also do a spot of gardening, play with your kids or pets or go boating or cycling.
Examine your feet every day as any nerve damage affects the feet first.
Seek medical advice, no matter how small the problem may be.

Eat A Balanced And Nutritious Diet:

Find out from your doctor or dietician what you should eat. Typically, your diet should include the following:
Eat whole grains, starchy veggies, beans and noodles. Limit bread and cereals and avoid white flour.
Eat three servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Do not exceed two or three servings per day of meat, milk and yogurt.
Limit your intake of sweets, alcohol, fats and sodium.
Be prepared for changes in your diet as you hear from your doctor.
Avoid drinking sugary drinks.
Begin reading food labels.
Drink about seven glasses of liquids per day. This included coffee, tea, diet drinks, low calorie drinks, etc. Avoid drinking flavored milk and water, fruit juice, sweetened soda drinks, sports drinks, etc.

How Diabetes Affects Your Life & Medical Health Safeguards:

Maintain a food diary. The more information it contains, the better your doctor can advise you on managing diabetes.
Be watchful for diabetic complications. If you can catch them early, treating them is that much faster and better for you. Some complications that could arise after diabetes diagnosis are:
Heart Disease And Brain Stroke:

Once you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you should be careful about cardiac and brain stroke since diabetes comes with an increased risk for these disease and any complications relating to poor blood circulation.
Kidney Disease:

Diabetes can cause kidney damage and failure and lead them to lose the power of filtering out waste products.
Depression:

It’s normal to feel depressed sometimes, but often people live with their sadness for too long. They feel a hopelessness in life. If you too feel this way for more than two weeks, it is a sign of depression which needs treatment.
Eye Problems:

Also called Diabetic Retinopathy, diabetes can lead to eye problems and possible blindness. If you suffer from diabetes, you have a higher risk for blindness than non-diabetics. By detecting eye problems early and treating them, you can save your vision.
Oral Health:

It helps to visit your dentist periodically to avoid gum disease due to diabetes.
Diabetic Neuropathy And Nerve Damage:

Damage to the nerves of the body that connect the spinal cord with the skin, muscles, blood vessels and organs is called neuropathy. This is one of the commonest diabetic complications that can be avoided if you act in time.
Foot Problems:

If you suffer from diabetes, it’s highly likely that you will suffer from a variety of foot problems. These problems occur when your feet are nerve-damaged or when blood circulation is poor.
Skin Complications: About a third of diabetes patients have a skin disorder due to diabetes which can be treated or prevented if caught in time.
Gastroparesis And Diabetes:

Whether You Suffer From Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, You Will Be Affected By

Do you think it’s difficult to do any of the tips offered above? Certainly not. If you want to lead as normal a life as possible, try and follow as many of these tips as you can and you’ll find that life isn’t all that difficult to lead.

How Insulin Works In The Body

July 9, 2015

Today, we often hear about Diabetes and individuals taking Insulin for its treatment. So it has become very important for all to know what Insulin is and what it does for the body.

Insulin – What is it?

Insulin is a protein chain or a peptide hormone. It is produced in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. The name Insulin comes from the Latin word “insula” meaning “island” from the cells that produce this particular hormone in the pancreas. It helps the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the blood. The glucose is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen and stops the body from using fat as energy sources. Insulin works in two ways namely excitatory like stimulating glucose uptake and lipid synthesis and the second class is inhibitory such as inhibiting lipolysis, proteolysis, gluconeogenesis etc.

How Insulin is produced

Insulin is produced in the pancreas. Let us see how it takes place. The pancreas has two main functions. Firstly it produces pancreatic digestive juices and secondly it produces insulin and other digestive hormones. The endocrine pancreas is the part of the pancreas that produces insulin and other hormones. When protein is ingested insulin is released. Insulin is also released when glucose is present in the blood. After eating carbohydrates the level of glucose present in blood rises and when it crosses the limit, an individual is diagnosed with Diabetes.

How Insulin Works In The Body

Insulin has few broad actions that include:

It enables the cells in the liver, muscle and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood and convert it into glycogen that can be stored in the muscles and liver.
Insulin controls other body systems and regulates the amino acids absorption by the cells of the body.
Absence of Insulin in the body causes various problems like using fat as energy source. Insulin prevents the utilization of fat as energy source.
It has other anabolic effects throughout the body.

Hence the presence of insulin in the blood is necessary for maintaining health.

Do I Need To Find An Endocrinologist?

July 12, 2015

There are various divisions of medicine and Endocrinology is a science that deals with all problems related to the hormones. It helps to diagnose diseases concerned with metabolism, reproduction, respiration and also deals with endocrine glands and tissues that secrete hormones.

Endocrinology for Thyroid treatments

There is actually no direct answer to the question of seeing an endocrinologist always for it has been seen that all problems cannot be handled by an endocrinologist. But if you have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, it is best to consult him for there are special treatments for this disease which can be treated by an up-to-date specialist. In case of hypothyroidism however, you may not require much help from the endocrinologist.

However, if you are a diabetic you may need to see an endocrinologist when your diabetes problems cannot be handled by a regular physician. You need to see this specialty doctor in such cases to manage your diabetic issues and other related health problems.

When You Need To Find An Endocrinologist

There are other situations also when you need to see an endocrinologist. Often you feel uneasy and an uncomfortable feeling like tingling or numbness in the hands, fingers, feet and other places in the body and also feel excessively hungry and thirsty. These symptoms are all related to diabetes. You gradually lose strength of your limbs and feel weak and dizzy and lose your senses too. The nerves are gradually become inactive and weight begins to increase. All these problems involve your nerves and hormones and it is the duty of your endocrinologist to offer solutions and remedies to such serious issues.

An endocrinologist immediately prescribes certain tests that help him to diagnose the problems at the very start. When your nerves appear to be distorted and weak you will be checked and treated by this specialist. All problems and discomfort are related to the diabetic problem that lies at the root. So you should see a doctor first and then an experienced endocrinologist to relieve you of all pains and discomfort.

Take Care To Avoid Disasters

Since life has become so complicated and strenuous, diabetes is becoming a common problem throughout the world. This disease affects the normal working system of an individual as the nerves gradually become weaker and so the best way to fight out such issues is by visiting the endocrinologist at the very start of the symptoms. If you are treated at the earliest stage you can surely feel better and live a healthier life.

Walking is Good For Health & Benefits Are Endless by Kevin Angileri

August 28, 2015

Healthy Tips

Walking has so many health benefits and it is something we all do and have done from birth. We all believed running for health was the universal answer to weight loss. However, walking is a low-impact sport that will aid in shedding pounds and inches.

Walking is Good For Health & There Are So Many Benefits Of A Walking Regimen.

Breast Cancer In Women

Clinical studies have shown, that women who walk 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours per week, substantially lesson their chances of breast cancer by approx. 20%. Ideally, brisk walking (2MPH) for one hour. 2 to 3 times a week will show an improvement in a month or two. If you walk on a treadmill, you will want to set it at 1 inch incline. This will compensate difference of walking on lever ground.

Blood Pressure Reduction

People with high blood pressure where shown to significantly reduce their blood pressure by starting a walking program. In a study of healthy but sedentary people, walking 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week, showed lower blood pressure rates.

Reduced risk for Type 2 Diabetics

An Australian study showed that Type 2 diabetics, who started a walking program, had better insulin sensitivity than those who walked less.

Cholesterol Improvement

A clinical study showed an overall reduction in bad cholesterol and Raising your HDL(good cholesterol).

Increased energy and lost inches.

Walking increases energy and overall well being. Walking approx. 10 miles a week, will drop inches off your waist and hips. Remember: Walk, don’t run.

Equipment

You only need to get a good pair of walking shoes. Any good fitness shoe store should be able to fit you properly. You may have to spend a bit more, but, in the long run, you will be saving money and aches and pains.

Starting a walking program.

Before starting your walking, remember to warm up and stretch. This includes upper body stretching. Even though, you are primarily working your leg muscles, get your entire body limbered up. Shoulders, arm and hips. You want to avoid and excess strain on your body. Especially, if you have lead a sedentary life, you will want to be careful. Stretch before and after your walk. Your body will be more limber after, and stretches will be a lot easier.

Nothing happens overnight.

You are starting a program that will take time. Don’t overdue it, right away. Start off slowly. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes at a comfortable speed. See how your body feels. After a bit, you can increase speed and length of walk. The idea is to find out, what you feel comfortable. The old rule “no pain-no gain” does not apply here. Anyone, who has led a sedentary life will have a few minor aches and pains in the beginning. If the ache is bothersome, take the next day off. The day after, get back on your feet and get moving.

Keep a log of your time and speed, if you using a treadmill. After 2 weeks, you should see some good improvement in your overall health. You won’t feel 20 years younger, but you will renewed and more energetic. The 20 year younger program takes about 20 years to complete, but no worries, you have the rest of your life to make it.

Water is your friend.

With any type of exercise program, your body loses fluid. You will want to keep hydrated. Whether you are on the ground or treadmill, make sure to have a bottle of water with you. Before you begin your walk, Try to drink about a quart of water. That will get you hydrated and another 7 to 10 ounces while you are walking. Dehydration can be dangerous, so make sure you have your water with you.

If you are doing hard and long walks, you may need a sports drink. They contain minerals and electrolytes your body loses at intense work outs. Caution is key.

Make your workout program fun.

There are lots of fun things you can do while you walk. Walk different routes and see new neighborhoods. Grab a friend or family member, it will be a benefit to them. You can still have a conversation , while you are walking. Listen to your fav music and sing along. Check with your place of worship. Many have group walking sessions. One group, I know of, walks the large shopping mall near my home. Be careful there, it may cost you, if you see something you want to buy, so, keep on walking.

By Kevin Angileri

Compulsive Overeating, A Common Habit In Americans by Kevin Angileri

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