Posts Tagged ‘Type II Diabetes’

Effective Ways To Manage Type 2 Diabetes

July 2nd, 2009 Admin

When you have been diagnosed with having extreme levels of blood sugar in the body, you are challenged daily with having to manage Type 2 Diabetes carefully.

Type II Diabetes, a disease in which your pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or your body is not able to use the insulin secreted by the pancreas efficiently, is the most common form of diabetes affecting 85% to 90% of all people with diabetes.

Without proper care, it may lead to other bodily ailments and major health risks such as strokes, heart diseases, eye damages, kidney failures and foot problems that can lead to amputations.

To help lower the risk of dangerous side effects and major health complications that can result from Type Two Diabetes, the levels of sugar contained in the blood have to be kept at controllable levels.

There is prescribed medication in the form of shots or tablets. The use would be determined by your condition.

There are essential steps to take to manage Type 2 Diabetes. A daily practice that you as a diabetic should become accustomed to is monitoring the levels of blood sugar. This is done with a glucose monitoring kit that is used in the comforts of your home for frequent, accurate readings.

The next focus is to establish healthy eating habits that provide the proper nutrients from the correct food groups. Steamed vegetables, whole grain foods, and a variety of fruits will help control Type 2 Diabetes and reduce problems.

Symptoms that may be an indicator that diabetes is progressing to an advanced stage should be recognized. An alarming condition could result in difficulty in seeing, and an eye doctor would need to be consulted.

Swelling, redness, bruises, cuts, or sores on your feet should be watched for. Continue with routine physical exams to ensure that preventative measures are working.

It takes time to change your daily habits and incorporate different management techniques into your lifestyle that will help control the Type 2 Diabetes, but with dedication and keeping your health care provider informed, you will be greatly reducing your risk of advanced stages.

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Bike Riding Exercise Helps Keep Type 2 Diabetes Under Control

June 13th, 2009 Admin

Are you a Type 2 diabetic who is looking for a more inspiring form of exercise to help keep your blood sugar levels under control?

Exercise is terrific when it comes to fighting diabetes. This is because of the fact that exercise makes muscles use insulin better.

Take note that exercise is terrific, but also a bit tricky. Physical activity can cause low blood sugar in people with Type II Diabetes, which is dangerous.

However, the good news is that you can consider bike riding to help lower the blood sugar levels.

Have you heard about the Red Riders, people with Type Two Diabetes who ride in Tour de Cure wearing distinctive red jerseys?

One of the Red Riders, a man diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, turned to bike riding when his weight reached 340 pounds! Due to his dedication to biking and to the Tour de Cure, he managed to lose close to 150 pounds.

Having lost 150 pounds also means his diabetes is able to be kept firmly under control.

His success inspired a thirty something Type 2 diabetic woman to start bike riding. In the middle of March, she made up her mind to join the Tour de Cure.

By committing to ride and telling other people about it, this thirty something Type 2 Diabetes woman felt compelled, by peer pressure and by guilt, to do the exercise that she had been avoiding.

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Cinnamon Helps Control Blood Sugar Levels In Type 2 Diabetics

June 9th, 2009 Admin

Cinnamon For Type 2 DiabetesDerived from the dried brown bark of the cinnamon tree, there are more than 100 varieties of it. Not just a great topping on buns, cinnamon has a plethora of health benefits including the power to control blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics.

According to a study conducted by researcher Alam Khan, PhD, with the NWFP Agricultural University in Peshawar, Pakistan, cinnamon and a few other spices such as cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric work to dampen blood sugar swings that can contribute to the development of Type II Diabetes.

As little as a half teaspoon a day – sprinkled on cereal, yogurt, or fruit – has been shown to help keep blood sugar levels healthy.

You can produce the same effect of combating Type Two Diabetes by soaking a cinnamon stick in you tea or coffee.

Cinnamon is also one of the spies with the most anti-aging, disease-fighting anti-oxidants. Its oil is also known to soothe overall bodily and muscle function whilst containing anti-microbial and stimulant properties.

Some research has even showed the spice may have brain-boosting function. Not bad for a humble kitchen spice.

If you are a Type 2 Diabetes patient and haven been trying natural remedies with herbs and spices, perhaps you can give cinnamon a try.

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Type 2 Diabetes Complications

June 2nd, 2009 Admin

If you have been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, a disease in which the body cannot produce or properly use insulin, the hormone the body needs to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy, it’s important for you to keep your blood glucose at reasonable levels with a healthy diet for Type 2 Diabetes, regular exercise or medication to avoid the risk of health complications.

Maintaining good blood sugar levels over time reduces the risk of serious complications such as strokes, heart diseases, eye damages, kidney failures and foot problems that can lead to amputations.

Strokes. Type 2 diabetics are 2 to 4 times more likely to suffer from strokes.

Heart Diseases. 3 out of 4 diabetes-related deaths are caused by heart and blood vessel or cardiovascular diseases.

Eye Damages. Every year, as many as 24,000 people go blind due to the Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetics are also 40% more likely to suffer from glaucoma than people without diabetes.

Foot Problems. More than 60% of leg and foot amputations result in people with diabetes.

Kidney Failures. According to year 2000′s statistic, approximately 41,046 diabetics started treatment for kidney failure.

According to a diabetes prevention study, a healthy Type 2 Diabetes diet combined with a 30-minute daily exercise and a 5% to 10% weight loss can lower the risk of serious complications that lead to death.

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Sarah’s Type 2 Diabetes Diet & Regular Exercise – Part 3

May 30th, 2009 Admin

Part 3 today is the continuance of Sarah, A Type 2 Diabetic – Part 1 and Sarah’s Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms – Part 2.

On hindsight, Sarah muses that she shouldn’t have been too surprised that she contracted diabetes. Her mother and brother are both diabetics. A maternal aunt was also recently hospitalized as a result of eye problems brought on by diabetes.

Women are especially vulnerable to the disease due to naturally higher body fat levels and sedentary lifestyles.

The global rates of diabetic women who succumbed to heart disease and other diabetes-related conditions have been consistently higher than for men.

Type II Diabetes complicates fertility rates and poses extra problems during pregnancy as well as increases the risk of a diabetic offspring.

Barely in her forties now, the dedicated mother who became a diabetic in her thirties said diabetes has been a wake up call to lead a healthier lifestyle.

She makes better food choices now and she is more active. Her Type 2 Diabetes is under control and she feels more energetic. She sleeps better and she goes to yoga classes to reduce her stress. Her whole family lifestyle has changed for the better.

Unlike Sarah, many people out there don’t know they have the condition and many don’t find out until they contract serious complications such as genital infections, blurred version, heart attacks and kidney failure.

Just as many other chronic diseases, Type Two Diabetes can be prevented and managed through a healthy Type 2 Diabetes diet, regular physical exercise and avoidance of tobacco products.

Make the choice to reduce alcohol, fat and sodium intake, limit the amount of food you eat and choose fruits and vegetables over meats, desserts and refined carbohydrates.

Adding 30 minutes of daily moderate exercise, combined with just a 5 to 10 percent weight loss can reduce your chances of getting the disease by up to 58%!

It’s also important to go for regular health check-ups that include measurements of bloods glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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Prevent The Onset Of Type 2 Diabetes With A Healthy Diet – Part 1

May 28th, 2009 Admin

You are NOT diagnosed with the Type 2 Diabetes, but you are worried that it might catch up to you in future if you are not careful. You can prevent the onset of Type II Diabetes by eating a healthy, balanced diet from now on.

A balanced diet should consist of a “rainbow” of colors to ensure you get a full spectrum of vital nutrients.

Here are the 7 colors to have in your diet and how they can give your health a much needed boost.

Potent Purples. The rich pigments that impart the purple color to food like blueberries, black grapes and beetroot are known as anthocyanins, which have been known to demonstrate extremely powerful antioxidant properties – at least in the test tube.

beetroot2There is evidence that anthocyanins offer protection against cancerous colon polyps as they pass through the digestive system; and there have been some tentative results showing that they may have a protective effect against heart disease.

According to research conducted at the Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand, anthocyanins and related compounds in blackcurrants have strong antioxidant properties that combat oxidative damage in brain cells and might prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Mellow Yellows. Lutein is a yellow antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables, such as bananas and sweet corns.

Studies have linked to it – and an antioxidant called zeaxanthin – with protection against age-related macular degeneration of the eye. Zeaxanthin-rich food include egg yolk, citrus fruit and corn.

Sweet CornCurcumin, the powerful yellow antioxidant found in mustard and turmeric, has been linked to the prevention or treatment of everything from arthritis to Alzheimer’s disease, cataracts and wound healing.

So don’t skip the mustard the next time you grab a take-out sandwich, and remember to sprinkle some flavor-enhancing turmeric powder into your stir-fry or soup.

Grapefruit juice is rich in vitamin C, and one study suggests that a glass a day may help prevent eye cataracts too.

Researchers at Scripps Clinic in San Diego in the US have also found that grapefruit may help weight loss in the obese by lowering insulin levels.

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5 Common Type 2 Diabetes Myths & Facts

May 15th, 2009 Admin

Type 2 Diabetes MythsBefore you rush into starting any Type 2 Diabetes diet and exercise, it’s always wise to know what it is and the causes and symptoms of it to avoid believing in myths.

The list of myths associated with Type 2 Diabetes goes on and on, but the 5 listed below are possibly the most commonly heard.

Myth #1 – Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

Fact – Many people think that eating a lot of sugar is the root cause of Type 2 Diabetes. The fact is that you can’t get diabetes by eating too much sugar.

It is either a deficiency of insulin or the body’s inability to convert sugar into energy that causes you suffer from diabetes.

However, a sweet tooth combined with a poor diet and insufficient exercise can make you prone to diabetes.

Myth #2 – I feel too good to be a diabetic.

Fact – Up to a third of diabetes sufferers don’t know they have it. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause serious damage to your organs without any side effects or symptoms for many years.

If you know you have Type 2 Diabetes but you feel fine, you should still take steps to manage your diabetes with a proper diet, exercise or medication to prevent irrevocable damage to your body.

Myth #3 – I won’t get Type II Diabetes because no one in my family has it.

Fact – Although a family history puts you at a higher risk of diabetes, many people still get the disease even when no one else in the family has it. Everyone should take good care of their weight and lifestyle to prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes.

Myth #4 – Having diabetes dooms me to a lifetime of pills and injections and bland food.

Fact – The most natural remedy for Type Two Diabetes is eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise.

Getting your weight into a healthy range can greatly reduce your dependency on diabetic medication, although it would still be necessary to have regular blood tests.

A healthy Type 2 Diabetes diet of the correct portions of carbohydrates, proteins,fresh fruits and vegetables, with fats and sweets in moderation, is the best meal plan for diabetics and on-diabetics alike.

Myth # 5 – I feel too tired to exercise due to my disease.

Fact – The fact is that you have to exercise regularly. Doing exercise increases your body’s immunity, controls and keeps the blood glucose at desirable levels.

It’s always advisable to consult your physician before signing up for an exercise program.

Being able to differentiate between myths and facts for Type 2 Diabetes is important  for you to take precaution against diabetes.

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Change To A Healthy Diet For Type 2 Diabetes

May 10th, 2009 Admin

Have you been experiencing excessive thirst, increased urination, overwhelming fatigue and weight loss? If so, you should get yourself checked if you suffer from the Type 2 Diabetes and need a healthier diet.

Many people are unaware that they have been affected by Type 2 Diabetes symptoms until they are already experiencing more severe health problems including severely blurred vision, chest pains, numbness or pain with your hands or feet.

If it’s confirmed that you suffer from Type II Diabetes and you don’t want to live with this condition the rest of your life, you have to change your eating habits.

The foods you eat directly affect the level of your your blood sugar. By taking control of your diet, you are able to maintain the blood sugar at appropriate levels.

So, how do you change your eating habits?

Eat Small Meals. Instead of eating 3 large meals, eat six small meals throughout the day so that your body doesn’t have a chance to produce the craving. However, if you find it impossible, you can replace the sugary treats like having a yogurt cup or some fruit as a healthier choice.

Eat High Fibre Foods. Eat more high fibre foods such as whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, whole grain cereals and healthy oils such as extra-virgin olive oil.

Stop Drinking Soft Drinks. Do you know that a 12 oz can of soda contains over 46 grams of carbohydrates? That is more than some people eat for one meal!

You should get rid of soft drinks from your diet and replace them with healthier drinks like water or unsweetened tea. Water works like a “miracle cure.” By drinking sufficient water, it will improve your health tremendously.

If you really must drink soda, you can switch to drinking soda which contains only artificial sweeteners.

A healthy Type 2 Diabetes diet combined with modest weight loss and increased exercise or more extensive treatments such as medications and insulin injections not only helps manage your Type 2 Diabetes but also its complications.

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