Anti-Aging, Health & Nutrition Facts

Diabetes is a disease that is affecting more and more lives all around the globe. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 200 million people are suffering from it. If you are suffering from diabetes it is important for you to know that. Your general practitioner will be able to help you.

If you are free of diabetes try to stay free by living healthy. Eat healthy food and do not over eat. Try a minimum of half an hour of exercise daily.

Diabetes can be a very disabling disease with a chronic nature. Generally speaking diabetes can be very hard on your body.

Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels either form inadequate secretion of the hormone insulin, an inadequate response from target cells to insulin or a combination of these factors. It’s a metabolic disease requiring medical diagnosis, treatment and a life long lifestyle change.

People who have an above average risk of getting diabetes are people over 45 years old. Also people with overweight are having an above average risk at developing diabetes.

Does that basically mean that if you are younger than 45 and have a normal weight you are out of the danger zone? Unfortunately this is not the case. Everybody can develop diabetes.

Some potential risk indicators for developing diabetes are:

1. You are above 45
2. Your belly size is over 102 cm (men) and 88 cm (women)
3. You do not exercise more than half an hour daily (walking, cycling, swimming, gardening.)
4. You are using medicine for high blood pressure
5. In the past you have been diagnosed at least once for a high blood sugar level; for instance during a pregnancy or illness.
6. Diabetes type 1 (”juvenile diabetes”) or type 2 (”adult onset diabetes”) occurs in your family

If you think you are at risk do not hesitate to consult your doctor.

And surely if you are healthy try to stay that way by doing exercises and keeping your weight at a healthy level by thinking carefully before you eat. Obviously it is not possible to elaborate more about the disease in this short article. However there are many useful sources you can easily find on the Internet or in your local library. But most important if you have any questions or any reasonable doubt about your own health situation or the health of your loved ones please consult a doctor. He or she will be ably informed about the diagnoses and treatment options.

Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: http://www.hgh-facts.com

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Diabetes is a killer disease. It can lead to kidney failure, heart disease, neuropathy, blindness, and much more. If you have diabetes, you must take control of it immediately.

Type 1 diabetes is the hardest type to control. It is also called juvenile diabetes, as it is common to get type 1 diabetes when you are a child.

In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, which is needed to take sugar (glucose) from the blood to the cells. This results in very high blood sugar counts and this is the major cause of many of the serious complications that may develop.

A person with Type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin shots to lower the blood sugar. Diabetics need to have an insulin called a background insulin, which works throughout the day. Then they need to take extra insulin after eating a meal.

An insulin pump gives the constant background insulin. It also allows the diabetic to easily give themselves extra insulin when they eat and cuts down on the need for insulin shots from a needle.

However, diabetics must test their blood sugar levels four or five times a day and make whatever adjustments need to be made. The normal testing times are before breakfast, lunch, dinner and bed. The amount of insulin to take with each meal will be determined by a combination of these readings plus the food eaten.

Sugar highs and lows wear down the body. The key is to try to control these up and down readings the best you can. The insulin pump helps tremendously but diet is very important.

Follow the glycemic index when eating. This index rates foods according to the way these foods react to your blood sugar. If the carbohydrates the food contains break down quickly, they tend to make your blood sugar levels jump quickly. These foods have a high GI (glycemic index) ranking.

For example, a potato has a high GI ranking. The carbohydrates break down very quickly and cause your blood sugar to rise quickly.

Beans have a low GI index, so the blood sugar effects are spread out over a longer period of time. You do not get the rapid sugar rise.

Diabetics, in particular, need to learn to balance these foods to avoid those highs and lows. If you are having potatoes, for example, try eating a sweet potato instead or combine some low GI ranked foods with the potatoes to balance this sugar rise.

It’s well worth it for diabetics to learn as much as they can about this glycemic index. The best diet for a diabetic to follow will be eating more of the foods with a low to medium glycemic index.

Other things the diabetic can do is snack on air popped popcorn rather than pretzels. Salt should be limited in the diet as the diabetic is at a greater risk for high blood pressure.

Eat broiled or grilled chicken rather than fried chicken. This also helps control blood pressure and cholesterol.

If you want to drink wine, drink it with a meal. There is less of an impact on blood sugar. However, do not over indulge. It can and will interfere with your medications.

Diabetes is a very dangerous disease and any diabetic definitely should be visiting a doctor on a regular basis. He or she will help manage your diabetes and will most likely advise a visit with a nutritionist.

Diabetes cannot be completely controlled but, with a change in diet and lifestyle, diabetics can help manage it and live a long life.

Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: http://www.hgh-facts.com

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Diabetes is sometimes a disease that has undiagnosed symptoms and many people are surprised at the physician’s diagnosis. While it may not have symptoms that cause pain, the disease working in the background can have very serious consequences if left undetected. Please consider the heredity you have been given and educate yourself on the control and offsetting of the situation to overcome any predisposition to diabetes.

Some of the symptoms of diabetes include, but are not limited to:

1. Frequent bathroom trips
2. Excessive thirst
3. Extreme hunger
4. Unusual weight loss
5. Increased fatigue
6. Irritability
7. Blurry vision

Many people in the United States (over 20.8 million) have diabetes. A good estimate is that over 1/3 of these people are not yet diagnosed with diabetes. It is very important that these pre-diagnosis tests are done regularly so that early detection may help prevent serious consequences of the disease.

You may wonder if it is possible to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. After all, it can come from heredity, many people have it, it has been studied for years and you may feel if you are going to get it, then so be it. But, the symptoms are so random and often not noticed so that many pre-diabetics do not seek help. The two main components of preventing diabetes are those that will give you a lot of other benefits as well: exercise or just increasing your level of physical activity and proper nutrition in the diet.

You want to increase your fiber, your vegetables and proteins, and decrease your high sugar, high carbohydrate foods, and high fat foods. Even though it may seem daunting at first, you can make the proper choices with a little effort and proper planning.

Even people already diagnosed with diabetes and taking medication can sometimes revert to proper blood sugar levels with the addition of more, or consistent, physical activity and proper diet in their lives. Some studies have shown, in fact, that these two situations of diet and exercise can work as well as medications. Of course, you should not go off any medications unless you check with your physician first and have the proper normal readings on tests associated with diabetes levels.

Another important item to consider is an eye exam. This should be done every year to allow your doctor to catch any upcoming or progressing diseases, including diabetes. Early detection is very important as mentioned above. You have more of a chance to offset the disease by specific measures if you know you can keep control of your situation by simple problem solving techniques.

Conclusions to this educational article then are:

1. Maintain good health by searching out good food items and preparing them in a nutritious manner. If you need help, consult the American Diabetes Association, your local hospital, or your doctor’s office.

2. Keep your weight at a normal level for your age and height. This is often hard to do, but even a 10% decrease in your weight brings great rewards.

3. Get tested regularly for diabetes, even if you show no symptoms, especially if the disease is inherent in your family tree.

4. Follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding the medications and take them regularly until you have the diet and exercise under control. Then, maybe, you will be able to reduce or eliminate the medications.

5. If you notice any of the diabetes symptoms listed above, please get a fasting diabetes test as soon as possible to prevent the onset of any serious medical conditions that can be elevated or heightened by diabetes such as stroke or joint problems.

Research the diabetes problem in the United States just a little bit and you will see why everyone should be aware of this dangerous and often misunderstood and often not diagnosed disease.

Brad Bahr is the editor of many health related websites and publications. He has been testing and reviewing nutritional supplements for over 20 years. After trying hundreds of products, he recommends one supplement above all others for renewing health and energy: http://www.hgh-facts.com

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by Mike Herman

We all see the “daily” news reports that obesity related illnesses that are a growing killer in the world today. The death totals for obesity related diseases have increased by more than thirty percent in the last decade. Obesity contributes to heart disease, strokes, and diabetes and don’t forget they contribute to a whole host of ailments including arthritis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) recently reported in a new study that self-reported diabetes has soared in the past six years. They also state that obesity is the main cause for this dramatic increase. Those groups more at risk are the older populations, poorly educated, and minorities. Minorities are predisposed than white Caucasians to develop diabetes. This first study was done on a regional basis; the new study involved the entire nation. The reports were alarming, and the CDC are concerned there will be even bigger problems in the future.

The Surgeon General states that the number of obese or overweight adults in this country is fifty percent more than it was just a decade ago. Children and young adults are increasingly being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which is mainly known as adult-onset diabetes, and even high blood pressure is a problem with 24 percent of the population in children.

Also studies show that one third of the children born in the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes and this also leads to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney problems, and undermines the brains to work correctly.

Researchers have found that obesity also disrupts the metabolism of insulin in the body. They found that excess weight at the waistlines lead to increased risk for developing diabetes and even cancer.

An interesting fact states that those adults who ate fast food at least twice a week and gained ten pounds were more likely to develop diabetes. Fast foods are not considered part of a healthy eating pattern, even though some fast-food franchises have been introducing fruits, salads, and bottled water for healthier choices.

We now know that adult only needs to lose from five to seven percent of their body fat to reduce the risk for diabetes and heart disease. That means that a 200-pound person would only need to lose a little as ten pounds to see benefits.

A moderate change in lifestyle will not only help reduce the risk of developing diabetes but also will benefit your health in many other ways. Exercise also benefits circulation problems, heart problems, osteoporosis, and many other health concerns. Moderate walking, and mild stretching routines are a good way to begin a healthy exercise program. It’s important to talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program. They will be able to guide you in starting out and give helpful ways to begin.

Studies have shown that increasing your exercise level, working up to 30 minutes a day, or having some form of moderate activity will bring good results. Even slowly walking, instead of the brisk walk recommended will give you many benefits.

Mild exercises for strength or yoga routines are good ways to begin an exercise program. Try parking your car farther out in the parking lot when you go shopping. This adds a few extra steps and if you do it consistently the steps will mount up.

You may want to try marching in place during television commercials.

Education is the key to preventing overweight and obese children and adults. Many of us do not understand the connection between calorie intakes, good and bad carbohydrates, and the ratio of proteins and fats in their diet. Simply understanding what happens to the food your body consumes will help us stay healthy. Seeing the results of obesity and obesity related diseases are a good way to help us decide to start living a healthier lifestyle. Regular exercise and healthy eating will go a long way towards lowering the risk of an obesity related disease such as diabetes.

As adults, we need to take the lead in our families towards controlling this epidemic of obesity related diseases. We have the ability to oversee what are children eat, look at labels before we buy a product at the store, and make healthy meals and snacks for our families.

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