The Truth About Diabetes
A page that provides accurate information about taking the best possible care of yourself as a diabe
What in Sam's tarnation?????????
I've noticed that when I eat items heavy in carbs, I tend to gain weight very quickly. These are things like potatoes, noodles or rice.
It's got me thinking about when I was a little baby. I wonder if my gaining weight so fast back then had anything to do with insulin resistance or my body not using the energy I ate from carbs properly. (Newborns triple their birth weight. Anything above that might indicate an inclination to develop type 2 diabetes later in life? )
When I was a child, there were a few things I had always had, so I never considered it unusual. Like dry (excessively so) feet, never being able to completely get rid of athlete's foot, gaining weight and being above what other kids my age were. I blamed the weight on having had tonsillitis as a young child and having to wait about 6 months or so before they were removed. The very dry, scaly feet on having my feet poked daily for blood work for the first 9 months of my life (my mother was Rh- while I was Rh+ so I had to have a blood transfusion after birth). Kinda blamed the athlete's foot on myself, for not continuing with the cream for the full 4 weeks' like supposed to according to instructions. Now, I wonder if these weren't indicators of insulin resistance at a very young age? What does everyone think?
My endocrinologist suggested that instead of ordering a medical ID bracelet which can be awfully expensive, get a dog tag through etsy.com or another site for pets! You can have whatever necessary engraved on it. And it's far more durable than the typical ID tag!
26/04/2019
Diabetes is a disease that causes a whole bunch of complications if it's not controlled well. Here is a list of other medical issues compiled by the ADA.
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/
Complications With the correct treatment and recommended lifestyle changes, many people with diabetes are able to prevent or delay the onset of complications.
31/03/2019
Information about fasting and blood glucose levels that is interesting!
https://www.dietdoctor.com/why-is-blood-glucose-elevated-when-fasting
Why is blood glucose elevated when fasting? — Diet Doctor Why is blood glucose elevated when fasting? Do you need keto macro guidelines when fasting? What is the optimal way of breaking a fast? And, can you talk about the psychological part of fasting?
29/03/2019
Unexpectable Diabetes Causes And Risk Factors You Probably Don’t Know The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. What is known is that your immune system — which normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses — attacks and destroys your insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
22/03/2019
https://alotabouthealth.com/diabetes/articles/deliciously-different-diabetic-diet-plan/
Deliciously Different Diabetic Diet Plan - A Lot About Health While it’s true that diabetes means you have to watch what you eat, your diabetes diet plan doesn’t have to be limited to boring, tasteless foods. It’s possible to be both a diabetic and a foodie! Breakfast Ideas Everyone has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and if y...
15/03/2019
Diabetes is not something to mess around with.... Insulin is necessary for us to live. Please visit a regular doctor for insulin or prescription medication to control blood glucose levels.
Diabetic teen dies after prescribed oils instead of insulin — the herbalist is going to prison A California herbalist charged in the death of a diabetic 13-year-old he treated with herbs instead of insulin is heading to prison for four months.
10/03/2019
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/g22560295/complex-carbs-list/
15 Complex Carbs You Should Def Incorporate Into Your Diet Not all carbs are bad, people!
19/02/2019
Eat More Papayas: It Kills Cancer Cells, Prevents Heart Attack, Strengthen Bones, Anti Diabetes and More See what happens to your body when you eat one slice of papaya
10/02/2019
11 Exercise Tips if You Have Type 2 Diabetes Exercise is key to lifetime management of type 2 diabetes. Learn more from WebMD about exercising the right way.
06/02/2019
As diabetics, we are prone to developing heart disease. Here are foods to eat to reduce the risk!
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol
11 foods that lower cholesterol - Harvard Health Certain foods, such as beans, oats and whole grains, fatty fish, and fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol.
If any of you have been in a similar situation where you haven't been able to take your diabetes medication regularly, then you won't be in shock with what I'm about to write.
My issues with not having my medication to take came from a few different factors: a husband who wanted me to see a particular doctor that we honestly couldn't afford me to see; being outside of the area where the pharmacy I'd been getting my meds filled happened to be; homeless; and, finally, lack of money to get them filled every month.
So, I finally have health insurance and am under the care of a nurse practitioner that I have decided I don't like. Why don't I like her? Because she is NOT listening to me! She doesn't understand, nor care, that for quite some time I was without ONE of my diabetes medications, and if she would have put me back on it, along with the "primary" med that I just found out causes a deficiency of Vitamin B12, my blood sugars would be under control. However, she decided to switch up my medications by taking me off the one medication, and putting me on an injectible insulin med instead. Yes, the two medications I was taking were oral pills. I'd also started taking a supplement called Berberine, which helped lower my blood glucose levels a lot. September 2017, my A1C was 11.7, and with the Glipizide, Metformin ER 500mg 1x/day, and Berberine, by Dec. 2017, it went to 7.9. That's a huge difference in just 3 months. I know I can get it there again, but she decided that Glipizide wasn't doing the trick, even though I had NOT taken it since February or March 2018!
Instead of giving the Glipizide a chance, and my advocating for Trulicity (which my current insurance covers), she is submitting a referral to an endocrinologist to manage my diabetes. What she doesn't know is that I am also looking for another P*P. Nurse practitioners aren't exactly P*P's, anyway.
18/12/2018
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317718.php?sr
Diabetes: Foods to avoid, carbohydrates, and tips Diabetes is a condition that can drastically affect the way glucose and energy are absorbed into the bloodstream and managed. Maintaining a healthful diet helps people with diabetes manage their symptoms and improve their energy levels. Learn which foods to avoid in this MNT Knowledge Center article...
18/12/2018
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321882.php?sr
Yes, you CAN eat fruits as a diabetic! Just make sure to monitor how different fruits affect your sugar levels by testing AFTER you eat!
Apples and diabetes: Benefits, risks, and other fruits A person with diabetes must monitor the carbohydrate and sugar in their diet. Although apples contain these compounds, they are a healthful choice for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In this article, find out the effects of apples on blood sugar and insulin levels, plus other fruits to....
18/12/2018
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318472.php?sr
Type 2 diabetes statistics: Facts and trends Type 2 diabetes is a major health concern in the United States and globally. Diabetes affects over 9 percent of the population in the U.S., and 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. It is also costly in terms of medical provision and lost productivity. Get some recent statistics on d...
23/10/2018
Low carb fruits and veggies to add to your meals!
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318601.php
13 low-carb fruits and vegetables While naturally low in calories, fresh fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of carbohydrates. Luckily, a person need not sacrifice taste or nutrition to stick to a low-carb diet. From avocados to watermelons, we look at produce that can provide color, flavor, and vital nutrients without tip...
19/10/2018
https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20815445,00.html
6 'Bad' Carbs That Are Actually Good For You Carbs get a bad rap, but here are some you should be eating--and why.
Keep in mind that as diabetics, we are more susceptible to infections than non-diabetics. This means that with flu season approaching, we are more likely to get the flu and be hit harder than others, except for young children and those with compromised immune systems. Please make sure that you practice good hand washing techniques, and when coughing or sneezing, to cover your nose and mouth.
28/09/2018
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a47381/diabetes-tips-patti-labelle/
5 Healthy Living Tips for People Who Have Diabetes R&B legend and cookbook guru Patti LaBelle shares her secrets for better living.
19/09/2018
https://type2diabetes.com/complications/infections/
I will be looking for the symptoms of a couple of the rare types of infections diabetics can get and share them.
Infections - Type2Diabetes.com Learn about type diabetes and the infections that can be associated with this condition.
17/08/2018
If you don't take care of your diabetes, kidney problems are sure to follow.
https://alotabouthealth.com/anemia/articles/diabetes-chronic-kidney-disease-andor-anemia-3-things-need-know/
Have Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease and/or Anemia: 3 Things You Need to Know - A Lot About Health There is a belief – at least in folklore – that good or bad things come in threes. If you like sports, especially hockey, then you are familiar with the term “Hat Trick,” used when a player scores three consecutive times in one game. Or, how many times have you heard that famous people die i...
17/05/2018
It does not look appealing at all, but yet if it's good for diabetics by not raising blood sugar levels, appeal shouldn't really matter, right? Just by doing a quick search on Google, I found it for sale on Amazon.com and through a couple of other health food sites. It does seem as if the powdered form would be best for long-term storage, however.
Monk Fruit: Benefits and Risks If you've seen monk fruit extract or sweetener at your grocery store, you might wonder if it's better for your health than sugar. Here are the benefits and risks.
17/05/2018
This article claims that Splenda has been linked to a higher rate of cancer, specifically leukemia, in male rats. Well, leukemia has been around for millenia, so I'm not really certain as to the science behind this. It could be that the chemicals used to create Splenda (fusing two different forms of sugar molecules together) does increase that risk. However, before jumping on the bandwagon, I would perform due diligence, completely research to the best of your ability, before deciding on whether or not to eliminate this.
The article did suggest replacing Splenda with either Stevia or Monkfruit (an extremely sweet fruit from China), so I'm wondering if the article was a pitch for these two products rather than a true scientific paper warning of the dangers of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or Splenda.
Splenda has officially been linked to cancer and you should start swapping it out immediately Artificial sweeteners such as Splenda raise your insulin levels, thus increasing your risk for cancer, specifically leukemia.
16/04/2018
A very educational piece about PCOS and diabetes!
PCOS & Diabetes in Women Coming again with some new information for all of my readers. Keep reading and spreading awareness for a healthy community. PCOS – Polycystic O***y Syndrome , Women who have polycystic o***y …
It's been a while since I've posted anything, and for that I do apologize. I wanted to tell everyone about the opposite of hypoglycemia, which is hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia means an abnormal increase in the amount of sugar found in the blood.
Generally, any sugar (glucose) reading of over 180 2 hours after a meal is considered high. These are some of the signs and symptoms:
Headaches
Blurred vision
Fatigue
Weight loss
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Difficulty concentrating
Dry mouth
Dry, itchy skin
Blood sugar over 180 mg/dl
If I remember correctly (and it most likely changed from when I started out as a Certified Nurse's Aide in 1985), a fruity smell to the diabetic's breath was also an indication of hyperglycemia (in researching this further, learned that fruity smelling breath is an indication of diabetic ketoacidosis-which means that ketones have built up in the urine and blood, due to hyperglycemia being left untreated). I'm a Type II Diabetic, and have noticed that if I don't take my oral medications like I'm supposed to, rather than losing weight I gain. So, these symptoms are not the same for all diabetics.
It's very important, as a diabetic, whether type 1 or type 2, or even type 3, that we manage our diabetes to prevent the complications it causes. There will be more to follow.....
23/03/2018
The Most Dangerous Sweeteners If You Have Diabetes | HealthCentral Sugar is the worst stuff that you eat or drink. It’s not good for anyone, but it’s especially dangerous for anyone who has diabetes.
23/03/2018
://www.healthcentral.com/slideshow/most-dangerous-sweeteners-if-you-have-diabetes?ap=105&pb=landmarkdigital-irishexaminer
Interesting breakdown of natural and artificial sweeteners!
The Most Dangerous Sweeteners If You Have Diabetes | HealthCentral Sugar is the worst stuff that you eat or drink. It’s not good for anyone, but it’s especially dangerous for anyone who has diabetes.
The last time I posted, I said I would discuss the opposite of hypoglycemia, which is hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is just as dangerous as hypoglycemia. It, too, can lead to death if not caught and treated quickly.
The main things to look for are excessive thirst and excessive urination. Some subtle signs include a fruity breath smell, headache, and blurry vision.
Hyperglycemia is not just caused by diabetes. Some medications or conditions can cause high blood sugar.
More information can be found here:
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