Discussed in this article:
1) The Quiet Crisis Within Diabetes.
2) A Hidden Danger of Diabetes.
3) Are Physicians Aware Of This Danger?
4) Does Depression Cause Diabetes?
5) The Formation of Depression Post-Hypnotic Suggestions.
6) Summary
5) Next Issue Highlights.

The Quiet Crisis Within Diabetes

Depression is a 'quiet crisis' facing diabetics, their families and their health care providers. Financially and emotionally this crisis is exacting a terrible cost.

The purpose of this and following articles is to share important information about depression and how a hypnotist can responsibly and effectively help a diabetic with depression. This assistance will help to improve a diabetic's life by (a) reducing the suffering from this painful state of mind and being and (b) thus enhance their diabetes management skills which will therefore result in a state of enhanced health.

Bear in mind the importance of your contribution as a hypnotist. You can make an incredible difference because even a small reduction in a diabetic's long term blood sugar levels can result in a marked decrease in the likelihood of diabetic complications.

A Hidden Danger of Diabetes

A largely unknown hence, hidden danger of diabetes is that diabetics have twice the risk of non-diabetics for becoming depressed. Dr. Richard Surwit of Duke University states that: "Diabetes more than doubles the odds of suffering from depression at some point. One third of people with diabetes have been diagnosed with significant depression and 11 percent with major depression--twice the rate in the non-diabetic population (1)."

What is obvious and yet, not really obvious about the preceding statement is that being diagnosed with a major disease is traumatic. This, in and of itself, can lead to depression--never mind all the other contributing factors that are related to diabetes and depression.

For example, a contributing factor to depression in a diabetic can be their physiological state. As noted by Dr. Surwit, there is research indicating that high blood sugars cause biochemical changes in the brain that can lead to depression. (2)

Are Physician's Aware Of This Danger?

Physicians by and large, are extremely busy and the demands on them are greater than most can imagine. It is no wonder that many of them are simply not aware that their diabetic clients are two times more likely to suffer from depression. If they knew this, they would probably be more likely to refer their diabetic clients with poor blood sugar control to someone who could help.

When appropriate, a hypnotist can help in key ways because a hypnotist is trained to be a motivational coach and stress management consultant. One way a trained hypnotist can help a depressed person with diabetes will be explained later in this article. But first, let's look at an important question.

Does Depression Cause Diabetes?

This is an important question for many reasons. Probably one of the more compelling reasons to deeply consider this idea is because, if true to some degree, then it begs this question: Wouldn't the validity of this concept make the majority of treatment efforts inappropriate and/or ineffective to some degree? Consider the plight of many frustrated nurses and doctors who will attest that no matter what they do for their patients, nothing seems to work.

This statement is not meant to denigrate in any way the efforts of so many. It is meant to highlight the importance of timely consideration of the depression-diabetes connection before the cost for all concerned becomes not only debilitating, but also tragically unnecessary.

You might have heard that the many advances occurring with some of the blood glucose meters allow you to perform blood test monitoring on different parts of your body, like the palm, forearm, upper arm, thigh, or even calf.

Because the skin of these other parts of your body contains fewer nerves, testing can feel much more comfortable. This is what is called Alternative Site Testing, or AST.

It's vital to know that while blood from your fingertip can be tested at anytime, there are times when testing from alternative sites isn't ideal. That's why you should get the information about alternative site testing and talk with your doctor prior to your decision of alternative testing.

Let's Go info further detail:

* In comparison with your fingertip, you might see differences in blood sugar results from the palm, forearm, upper arm, thigh, or even calf.

* Blood taken from the fingertip shows changes in blood sugar levels faster than blood taken from the other sites of the body.

* These differences in blood sugar occur because the fingertips have more blood vessels than the alternative sites.

So, alternative site testing is recommended when blood sugar is stable, such as:

* Immediately prior to a meal

* When fasting

* Near bedtime

Times when alternative site testing isn't recommended:

* 2 hours following a meal, when blood sugar values are rising quickly

* After exercise

* When you are ill; as blood sugar values can go quite high

* When you think your blood sugar is incredibly low or falling quickly (hypoglycemia)

* If you have a history of not noticing when you have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

* During the peak action time of the basal insulin

* Up to 2 hours after when injecting rapid-acting insulin

* If you check your blood sugar and the blood sugar test doesn't match the way you feel, then you should perform a fingertip to confirm your result. If the fingertip result however doesn't reflect the way you feel either, contact your doctor.

New studies concluded that man's waist size may predict much more about his risk of developing type 2 diabetes type than any other used measures. Currently doctors use body mass index (BMI) a measure of weight in relation to height to estimate a patient's risk of developing type 2 diabetes and advise him how to lower his risk, such as by losing weight and changing their diet.

Many opinions say that men should have a waist size of less than 40 inches to help prevent developing of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. But recent medical observations say the cutoff for a man's waist size may need to be lowered to 34 inches. As waist size climbed above this level, type 2 diabetes risk rose progressively, as follows:

• waist size of 34 to 36 doubled diabetes risk.
• waist size of 36 to 38 inches nearly tripled the risk.
• waist size of 38 to 40 inches was associated with five times the risk.
• waist size of 40 to 62 inches was associated with 12 times the risk.

Measuring your waist circumference is a simple way to help you identify the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. If you want to do it, note first that it is something different to belt size and follow this procedure:

1. take off your shirt and loosen your belt,
2. then place a tape measure around the waist at a point 1cm below your tummy button,
3. take care to measure the waist circumference with the abdomen relaxed, while breathing out.

This world is full of injustice. I paid the full air fare for flying from New Delhi to New York. My weight is 70 kgs. The gentleman sitting next to me, almost bursting out of the seat belt, must be weighing about 200 kgs. He has also paid the same amount. Is this not injustice? Why obese people are given this preferential treatment?
All said in good humor! The obese people are to be pitied rather than condemned. They know not what they are doing- how much they are eating. To say it in clear cut terms obesity is extending a direct invitation to diabetes. Not very long ago, diabetes caught hold of the elderly and the aged. Now even the children suffer from diabetes, not the rarest of the rare cases, but quite a good percentage. It is increasing at a rapid pace.
The reason is not far off to seek. The modern mothers think that the easiest way to handle the children is to fulfill their all demands. The chocolates, the pizzas, the salty chips, cold drinks, the processed foods and what not!
The concept of right diet is not known to the children, but even the mothers wish to pretend ignorance, even if they know. Their placement of love for the children is wrong. Soon the children look like balloons and one fine day, when the doctor tells you that your kid has diabetes, you are shocked...How that can be...?
Various studies reveal that over 20 % of the world population is obese. You suffer, and you pass on this heritage to your children. You spend the whole day sitting at the office, with mental labor, without any physical labor and once you enter the house, tired and exhausted, you refuse to go out of the drawing room. Changing the channels, by push of the remote button is only your physical exercise.
Why blame anybody when you are declared to be a diabetic patient? Your diabetes is your own creation.
"Doing nothing is not an option" they say. "In 1989 a study found that five per cent of children were classified as obese. By 1998, the figure had almost doubled. The incidence of obesity is also increasing with age; according to an English survey in 1996, approximately 17 per cent of 15 year olds are obese," says Dr Penny Gibson, Consultant Paediatrician and Adviser on childhood obesity for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
There is conclusive proof that obesity is one of the strongest causes of diabetes. Unless something tangible steps are taken all over the World, by premium Organizations like World Health Organization, the day is not far off, when we shall have diabetic families, from the child to the grandfather

We've all gotten used to the idea that certain maladies will be around for a while…like until the Second Coming. Maladies such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis…and many more are expected to be around, in epidemic proportions, longer than we think we will be alive…and anyone who tries to tell us otherwise is looked upon with real skepticism. In fact, when anyone tries to tell us "there's hope" for such maladies as, say, diabetes, we are more likely to believe that the person is trying to sell us something…and usually we are right.

But, what's even worse is the fact that the "hope" we do receive is usually something like the following:

Studies show people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do it by eating healthier and getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. In other words: you don't have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes. The key is: small steps that lead to big rewards. Learn more about your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the small steps you can take to delay or prevent the disease and live a long, healthy life.

Of course, this is good advice. No denying it. As a medical doctor, I had to dispense advice like this for years, for diabetes and other conditions. Funny, as good as it is, I NEVER saw anyone become ecstatic, do cartwheels or celebrate because they had just received such counsel. Why? BECAUSE WHAT WE REALLY WANT FROM THE MEDICAL WORLD IS A CURE!

And why not? It just doesn't seem fair that the only real answer to conditions like diabetes or obesity is the "hope" that we stop eating almost everything we enjoy, sweat till we drop, "pop" prescription pills 'till we're bloated, and think positive…forever.

A new future?

So, of course, I was skeptical too when I began to hear the claims associated with glyconutrition. As a long time medical professional and scientist, I know that "claims" are easily made… And who ever heard of "glyconutrition" anyway?

In 1999, the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to Dr. Gunter Blobel for his work in the science of Glycobiology (the biology of glyconutrition). Out of the last eight Nobel Prizes awarded in medicine, four Nobel Prizes have been awarded for discoveries made in this ONE field. Believe it or not, this field (glyconutrition) affects maladies such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease directly. Why? Because, eight sugars have been isolated for their support of the immune system and cell communication. Additionally, human life cannot be supported without them.

This information got my attention. When a single Nobel Prize is won in medicine, everyone is paying attention. When four of them are won in the SAME field, as in this case involving glyconutrition, the medical world is "on fire" with the news.

As that information made its way through the medical world, other issues made the news too. For decades the American Medical Association, the powerhouse of medical professionals, taught that nutritional supplements were not necessary for good health. But, in June 2002, the AMA admitted that nutritional supplementation was vital to good health and helpful in treating diseases.

Also, the prestigious MIT published its findings. It wrote that these "sugars" were one of ten technologies it believed would change the world in the next decade. Nutritional supplementation was again vital to the conventional medical world…and at the center of the storm was glyconutrition.

But, what really jolted me professionally was this: Until these discoveries, scientists had NO idea how the cells of your body could tell the antibodies of your body you had an infection and that they had to "get on over here" to deal with it. Until these discoveries, scientists had NO idea how the cells of your body told the rest of your body that they needed nutrition, oxygen, waste elimination, infections healed…and a thousand and one other necessary functions of every cell. Goodness! We in the scientific world hadn't known just exactly HOW even aspirin made its way to that nasty headache of yours. We just knew it worked. So, we prescribed it.

Sugar? Say it ain't so, doc!

But, my attention was riveted to the news that scientists like Dr. Gunter Blobel had discovered what it was that let the cells COMMUNICATE with the other systems of the body. And would you believe it? What he found was amazing. Sugar…SUGAR! (Glyco = Greek for "sugar") No…not table sugar (else diabetics wouldn't be so excited over this new-found help for their diabetes).
,br> There are over 200 sugars in nature but, eight of them are VITAL to our good health. In fact, eight of them are the glyconutrition "backbone" for helping the body prevent or heal:

New research out of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health shows that coffee may lower a person's risk for type 2 diabetes!

Coffee drinkers can now drink their coffee without worries. Of course, decaffeinated is still a better choice, as the research showed that postmenopausal women who daily consumed more than six cups of coffee had a 33 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women who did not drink coffee.

"Having a healthy diet, controlling your weight, and exercising are essential to preventing the onset of diabetes, but drinking coffee has the potential to further reduce risk of diabetes," said Mark Pereira, Ph.D., lead author and Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. "It may be necessary to rethink the idea that drinking coffee does more harm than good."

Why does coffee help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes? Well, it appears from the research that coffee contains minerals and antioxidants that aid in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity and possibly delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Did you know there are over 20 million Americans who have diabetes, with 6.2 million of these cases being undiagnosed?

It should also be noted that the research found that higher coffee intake was associated with lower body mass index and rates of hypertension.

Of course, you still need to control your weight and do your daily exercises, but isn't nice to know that you can actually have your coffee without guilt.

So, when you go to pour your next cup of coffee, remember it is actually good for you

Several rats must have cursed your lovely cat! It has feline diabetes. Like a human being, it has gone through pathological tests. And the tests have confirmed that the cat has diabetes. In the initial stage, you are not willing to believe this. But the test reports are before you! It is a serious disease!

Now, what is diabetes in a cat? How does it differ from the diabetes in human beings? Not much in principle, except that human beings can be advised to exercise control over the diet, but the cat won't stop eating rats!

Now you know what diabetes is. At the cost of repeating and for the benefit of the cat, I repeat it for you. Blood contains sugar. This sugar is known as glucose. The hormone insulin controls the blood sugar level. Insulin is produced by the pancreas. When this organ does not produce adequate insulin, it is the state of diabetes.

Cats pass more urine than the usual and wish to drink more and more water. It suffers weight loss, develops lethargy and poor coat condition and decreased appetite.

In the state explained above, your cat needs to be provided with immediate treatment. If you neglect its present stage, it will soon become inactive, stop urinating, will begin to vomit regularly and in the end fall into a coma. You need to give to your cat, appropriate food, at fixed intervals.

Your vet surgeon needs to be consulted immediately. It needs insulin shots. The surgeon will decide about the number of shots required per day.{mospagebreak}

Before taking the cat for the insulin shot, give it the proper food. Never take it for the insulin shot on an empty stomach. The reaction or side effect in such a case will be instant. If that is not done, a hypoglycemic shock may occur with the cat. Excess insulin may also do the ultimate damage.

Feline diabetes may affect cats of any breed, age or sex. The exact causes for diabetes in cats are not known. But the known causes read like the ones that contribute to diabetes in human beings. They are obesity, pancreatic disease, genetics and hormonal imbalances...and the usual cause, wrong medication!

If you are a genuine lover of animals, you need to give the same care to your pets, presently the cat. That you can do by taking it for periodical physical examination to your vet. By doing so, you may get a gift there. The precious gift of the life of your pet

This world is full of injustice. I paid the full air fare for flying from New Delhi to New York. My weight is 70 kgs. The gentleman sitting next to me, almost bursting out of the seat belt, must be weighing about 200 kgs. He has also paid the same amount. Is this not injustice? Why obese people are given this preferential treatment?

All said in good humor! The obese people are to be pitied rather than condemned. They know not what they are doing- how much they are eating. To say it in clear cut terms obesity is extending a direct invitation to diabetes. Not very long ago, diabetes caught hold of the elderly and the aged. Now even the children suffer from diabetes, not the rarest of the rare cases, but quite a good percentage. It is increasing at a rapid pace.

The reason is not far off to seek. The modern mothers think that the easiest way to handle the children is to fulfill their all demands. The chocolates, the pizzas, the salty chips, cold drinks, the processed foods and what not!

The concept of right diet is not known to the children, but even the mothers wish to pretend ignorance, even if they know. Their placement of love for the children is wrong. Soon the children look like balloons and one fine day, when the doctor tells you that your kid has diabetes, you are shocked...How that can be...?

Various studies reveal that over 20 % of the world population is obese. You suffer, and you pass on this heritage to your children. You spend the whole day sitting at the office, with mental labor, without any physical labor and once you enter the house, tired and exhausted, you refuse to go out of the drawing room. Changing the channels, by push of the remote button is only your physical exercise.

Why blame anybody when you are declared to be a diabetic patient? Your diabetes is your own creation.

“Doing nothing is not an option” they say. “In 1989 a study found that five per cent of children were classified as obese. By 1998, the figure had almost doubled. The incidence of obesity is also increasing with age; according to an English survey in 1996, approximately 17 per cent of 15 year olds are obese,” says Dr Penny Gibson, Consultant Paediatrician and Adviser on childhood obesity for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

There is conclusive proof that obesity is one of the strongest causes of diabetes. Unless something tangible steps are taken all over the World, by premium Organizations like World Health Organization, the day is not far off, when we shall have diabetic families, from the child to the grandfather

Fact: Two out of three diabetics suffer from high blood pressure. This is a condition that under no circumstances should be taken lightly, as the complications that it can bring are very serious. Along with your diabetes, you must keep your blood pressure levels under control. It is vital for your health. Let’s find out how you can do just that by understanding what high blood pressure is and how it affects you health.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is when the force that the blood exerts against the arteries is too high. Blood pressure is measured in two numbers:

Systolic Pressure: This is the pressure of the blood as the heart is beating. Your systolic pressure will always be a higher number than your diastolic pressure.

Diastolic Pressure: This is the pressure of the blood as the heart rests, in between beats. This will always be a lower number compared to your systolic pressure, as your heart is not beating.

What Are The Complications Related To High Blood Pressure?

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a serious matter, and the complications that result from it are also very serious and could potentially threaten your life. They include:

Heart Failure

Diabetic Retinopathy (Eye Disease)

Stroke

Nephropathy

What Are The Symptoms?

One scary fact is that high blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Some people find out as they experience heart, eye or kidney problems. Because diabetes can cause high blood pressure, it is especially important for you to have your blood pressure checked every time you visit your health care professional, or at least four times a year. There are also home blood pressure monitors available on the market, which you could purchase and keep track of your blood pressure levels at home, very similar to the way you keep track of your blood sugar levels. Always stay in contact with your doctor and let him/her know if you notice any dramatic changes in your blood pressure.

What Is The Treatment?

Once again and very much like blood sugar control, lifestyle changes play a huge role in maintaining your blood pressure levels at a healthy range. It is important to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly (at least thirty minutes a day) and loose weight if you need to. If you smoke, it is important to quit. If you drink alcohol, make sure you limit yourself to no more than one or two servings a day. Always discuss with your doctor the lifestyle changes that fit you best, and come up with a daily plan or routine that will help you achieve your needed goals.

If lifestyle changes are not enough to bring your blood pressure down to a healthy level, your doctor may also prescribe medication. Medications used to treat hypertension include diuretics, beta blockers, alpha blockers, vasodilators, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin antagonists and ACE inhibitors.

Conclusion

The relationship between high blood pressure and diabetes is a dangerous one that could bring along serious, life threatening complications, as we have learned. Always remember that your healthy decisions and lifestyle changes could literally mean the difference between a long healthy life or a short one. With that in mind, prepare yourself to control high blood pressure and diabetes, and prepare yourself to live happy and healthy for a very long time

iabetes is a very debilitating disease, and that alone is bad enough. Sadly, though, diabetes can lead to many other complications, many of which are chronic and even life threatening. One of the worst of the possible complications is diabetic neuropathy. This condition results in damage to the nerves, which means that messages from the body to the brain don't get through. It's easy to see how debilitating this condition can be, because the nervous system is central to the correct functioning of our bodies. It's possible that diabetic neuropathy can cause a loss of movement in the limbs or a loss of sensation. It can affect food digestion, the efficient functioning of the heart and potentially cause impotence in males.

Diabetes seriously limits the ability of the body to metabolize sugar. This leads to a buildup of glucose, which can reach potentially dangerous levels. One of the dangers is that the nerves can become damaged. Blood is used to transport sugar around the body, and blood also travels through the nerves. The high level of sugar traveling through the blood is what causes the nerve damage.

Unfortunately, neuropathy is more common in males. Neuropathy is also present in at least 10% of diabetics, and some research in the US has put that level as high as 65%, if you include early stage or mild cases. This is a huge problem, and urgent measures are required to prevent this complication from developing.

It's possible to spot the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy even in its very early stages. Sometimes you will experience a burning sensation in a leg, or it could even be as ordinary as constipation or diarrhea. For men, it may be an occasional inability to get an erection. For some people, they may suffer an occasional feeling of lightheadedness. Any of these symptoms can be caused by a myriad of issues, but if you already have diabetes, they shouldn't be dismissed as unimportant. There may still be something other than diabetic neuropathy causing the symptom, but it's always better to get it checked out, just to be sure.

Like many things, when it comes to diabetic neuropathy, prevention is better than cure. If you suffer from diabetes, you should always closely monitor the sugar levels in your body. This must be done on a regular basis. If you notice any unusual increases, this should be dealt with immediately. If you are taking medicines or supplements to help control your sugar levels, make sure you take them as recommended. It's also important to become familiar with the diabetic food pyramid and make sure you enjoy a healthy and varied diet utilizing the recommended foods. Exercise is also helpful, so ask your doctor to put together a program for you to follow

The Chinese term jen-shen means in the image of a man. The term ginseng is derived from this word. But American ginseng is different. It is derived from the Greek language, which means panacea- a herb that has the all-healing capacity or power. This herb has been hailed as the wonder of the world, because of its healing capacity.

As a medicinal plant, ginseng commands lots of respect and is held in high esteem. There is lots of confusion with regard to over the counter medications (Non-herbal), the side-effects reported are too many, so any plant that gives positive and unfailing assurances in the world of medicine, commands immediate attention and it is held in awe!

If the qualities attributed to ginseng are true, and indeed they are reported to be true, it looks as though the herb is the angel from the celestial world, incarnated on the Planet Earth, for the health benefits of humanity.

The qualities attributed to it are many and it is the cure-all herb. It can do everything for the humanity, except make the dead man alive!

It is said to play a positive role to improve vitality, reduce stress and boost the immune system. What more you want? The rigors of the modern materialistic world just want that!

Each and every cell of this plant have element of nectar ingrained in it. It can cure fatigue and aging. Yes, I repeat aging, inflammations, tumors, depression, diabetes, vomiting, nervousness, ulcers, stress and pulmonary problems. It increases the fertility of women and assists the childbirth. It is stimulant and demulcent. The old roots are the prize catch, and they have the power to pass on longevity from generation to generation.

With all the above qualities do you still wish to call it a herb? Better to rename it as a great human heritage!

Here is one of the rare agreements between the Russians and the Americans! Thank you ginseng for bringing the two contending powers to one of the rare agreements!

Russian scientists are in total agreement with their American counterparts and they give the added marks to ginseng that the herb increases your endurance, stamina and increases memory power

Here are some of the most recent predictions from major health organizations:

• “Projections of diabetes mortality trends into the year 2016 show an exponential increase in the number of diabetes deaths” – Public Health Agency of Canada

• IMS, a health watch organization, has recorded “a 75% increase [in diabetes] over six years.”

• “Diabetes is becoming more common in the United States” – Center for Disease Control

• “More than two million Canadians have diabetes. By the end of the decade, this number is expected to rise to three million.” – Canadian Diabetes Association

• “At least 171 million people worldwide have diabetes; this figure is likely to be more than double by 2030.” –World Health Organization

Although the statistics vary, they all say the same thing: diabetes rates are rising.

Reasons for the Increase

Diabetes is a chronic, long-term disease. As our population ages and our life expectancies get higher and higher, it is natural that the incidence of diabetes will increase, because diabetes is more prevalent in older adults.

Diabetes has been linked to heredity. If your parents or close family members have diabetes, you have a higher risk of diabetes. As our ability to manage diabetes improves, the fewer complications occur, and more people now are able to live (and live normal lives) with diabetes, so more children are born predisposed to this disease.

Technology has improved, and our ability to detect diabetes has improved. This accounts for a certain increase in the number of diabetes cases discovered. The American Diabetes Association still maintains that roughly one third of people with diabetes are unaware of their condition.

For certain groups, such as aboriginal peoples, there has been a major increase in diabetes. This might be due to a change in lifestyle. Communities which were previously nomadic have settled into life (sometimes on reservations), and are leading much less active lifestyles than before. Diet has also changed for many Native Americans and First Nations peoples, who are now eating higher fat content than before. Research at the University of Western Ontario in Canada has linked this to a higher incidence of diabetes.

Because many different groups of people are at risk for diabetes, immigration in certain countries, like Canada, affects the diabetes rates. Hispanic, African, and Asian immigrants all have a higher risk for diabetes. As the population changes in certain countries, the demographic changes as well, and this means that the diabetes rates change too.

Obesity rates are rising globally, and especially in North America. This increase in obesity, which is caused by the increasingly sedentary lifestyles we lead, leads to a higher incidence of diabetes.

Prevention

The good news is that type 2 diabetes (the one becoming most prevalent) is preventable. Find out how you can prevent diabetes at the site below. This includes taking such simple steps as eating a healthy diet and exercising, which will help you maintain a good weight. Quitting smoking and lowering stress levels also helps prevent diabetes.

Diabetes testing is as important as diabetes treatment. Certain precautions need to be taken while testing diabetes, as otherwise the very purpose of testing is defeated! It is just like taking the temperature, with a defective thermometer! Every care should be taken regarding needle disposal and take this as a very important aspect of your diabetes treatment.

There are many diabetes test accessories. Home test monitor is one of them. It is an easy test, requiring one drop of blood and you have the result within 8 to 10 minutes. It gives you correct results.

Another test is glycohemoglobin testing. Day-to-day diabetes management is glucose monitoring but long-term blood glucose control requires one more measurement- the average level of the blood glucose.

In good number of cases, diabetes is the stepping stone for serious kidney diseases. Kidney screen test and kidney dysfunction are closely interlinked. Measuring microalbumin levels in the urine tell you how strong your kidney is. Early notice on this point will enable you take proper remedial measures.

Whether it is doctor or you-the needle used is the same. Think of total safety in your needle handling. Needle handling and disposal, is a very important factor, as far as treating diabetes Type I is concerned. Insulin bottle caps allow loading of syringes with one hand. You need to take extra care about this operation, so that the expensive insulin should not be unnecessarily wasted.

Next is cardiac check diagnostic system. It is a hand-held medical diagnostics system to monitor important health indicators like cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and others

Diabetes comes from Greek word that means "to siphon" . Polyurea (Excessive urination) is most common symptom of diabetes. Excessive water comes out of the body of a person as if it were being siphoned from the mouth through the urinary system out of the body. Mellitus is a Latin word that means "sweet like honey". The urine of a person with diabetes contains sugar. So due to high level of sugar in urine we call it as Mellitus.

Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting people all over the world. People suffering from diabetes mellitus are increasing in number day by day, now a days diabetes mellitus is also considered as an epidemic.

Good news about diabetes mellitus is that it is a treatable condition.If you are recently diagnosed as a patient of diabetes, you should not get worry about this, with such a few changes in your life style and proper treatment can make you get rid of diabetes. Your doctor is not completely responsible for controlling your diabetes unless you take care of you yourself.

What is definition of Diabetes Mellitus? Diabetes Mellitus is a group of disorders produced due to complete lack of Insulin or insufficient Insulin production, resulting in high abnormal levels of blood glucose which leads to polyurea (Increase frequency of urine) increase thirst and weight loss.

It is estimated that 16 million people of America have diabetes, about one-third of them do not know they have it as it is also considered as a silent killer, having no symptoms at-all. 800,000 new cases of diabetes mellitus are diagnosed every year. About 6 percent of USA population is affected by this disease and it is projected that nearly nine percent of all Americans will have diabetes by the year 2025.

How does diabetes occur? Our body is composed of million of cells. Cells are like machines, which need fuel for proper functioning.This fuel or energy comes from glucose, fat and proteins. Glucose is main source of energy for cells. Excessive glucose is stored in liver and muscle cells in form of glycogen,between meals this glycogen will change into glucose and provide energy to cells.

Patients of diabetes mellitus are unable to use glucose as source of energy. Insulin is a hormone secreted by Pancreas. Insulin is responsible for entering glucose in to the cells which is used as a source of energy. In diabetes their are two possibilities, either pancreas totally stops producing insulin or there is insufficient insulin, in both cases level of glucose in blood increases as glucose remain out of cells

Chicago, Illinois September 23, 2006. The heart failure was produced strictly by feeding the monkey a high fat/high cholesterol diet. The diet was very much like what many Americans consume every day. They called it SuperMarket Food. It was about 42 percent fat and about a 50th of an ounce of cholesterol per day. After two years on the diet the monkey had developed the characteristic yellow outcroppings (called xanthomas) on his skin, which showed that its atherosclerosis was already well developed.

After two and a half years of feeding, the fatal heart attack happened. The attack was massive, involving about half of his left heart muscle. The heart and the coronary arteries looked just like a human heart looks after such an attack.”

The heart showed many areas of cell death, and the arteries were filled with plaques. It should be pointed out that rhesus monkeys do not have heart attacks under normal circumstances. On ordinary “monkey chow,” a rhesus monkey will never have a heart attack.

There are implications for pre- and early 2 Diabetics. Some have found help with these kinds of natural exercise and eating. Risk of Diabetes in the USA is greater than ever today, and complications from the killer degenerative diseases like, heart disease, atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease (stroke) and arterial hypertension are greater than ever also. We are relearning that “The bottom line to holding in check the degenerative diseases can be boiled down to five words: Stay lean and stay active”

It appears that there is hope for all including those with pre- and early type 2. While we humans do not eat “monkey chow” we should eat the Good Foods, the “Longevity Foods.” Talk with your nutritionist and discover these foods. There is a Treasury of easy to identify healthy, Longevity Foods just sitting in the Supermarket just saying “Pick me-Pick me

Explore a natural human activity that fills the need for exercise. Studies find no degenerative diseases, like diabetes existed when our ancestors enjoyed the painless “Rove” Exercise. Live Longer Now, The NY Times Best Seller, Free eBook available.

Chicago, Illinois September 22, 2006. We can Release the 8,000 Year Old Person in us and gain ENERGY Naturally.

Does anyone honestly think that people were designed to hang on a set of shinny aluminum tubes…connected with big blue rubber bands and exercise?? …or to punch and kick the air while watching a 108 pound blond chick bounce around on a video?? We have SURVIVED as a species by hunting and gathering. The KEY is an easy and Natural Exercise.

But, back to the horse race. Deep down humans are a “very superior animal” in their physical capacities. This seems to be particularly true for our ability to get around on foot…as these citations from Guinness amply illustrate.

Humans are better than the horse.

Just the Facts. Beginning with the Guinness Book of World Records (1973), mankind appears to hold all the truly impressive records for speedy long-distance travel on foot. Let’s start in 1836, Mensen Ernst of Norway, traveling an average of 94 miles per day, covered a distance of more than 5,500 miles on foot in less than two months. Other examples of men covering thousands of miles on foot at such high rates are also mentioned in Guinness, yet only one record of a horse. Accomplishing an equivalent feat is recorded, the horse having covered some 1,200 miles in Portugal at some apparently unknown date in history and at some unknown rate. Poor horse died.

This human body craves the easy and natural things. Accepting this basic need would find us having FUN exercising along with the 8,000 year old person in our Nature. Notice that there are no degenerative diseases like diabetes, stroke and the others in the more remote villages of the world, even today.

Think about our Human ancestor’s fossil records, these people didn’t sit on a table of rubber-bands and grunt to music. Their exercise was what we call the “Rove” Exercise.

RUNNING is NOT a natural exercise, but used for the occasional chase, the real deal is “Intentional Walking.” The walking "Rove" will beat both the horse and the bouncing blond chick every time (…see if their still bouncing to music in two years!!).

Yes, there are secrets to the “Rove,” here are a few:
q Distance is important, time is not;
q Only a few blocks if you have been ill;
q Never strain or compete against the clock or against people;
q A heart recovery test that gives a count of less than 65
q …and more secrets.

Glorious Benefits:
q Increases the Blood’s Oxygen-grabbing power;
q Enables quicker recovery from illness and accident;
q Take exercise of moderate intensity;
q Add a healthy diet and studies see a reduced diabetes incidence of 58%;
q Plus many, many more benefits.leesy

Diabetes is a life long disease, and how to control this life-long companion?

You can expect co-operation from this disease provided you show some positive signs of awareness about the damaging consequences of neglecting it.

To talk about the Type II diabetes, it is now fairly sure that 9 out of the ten cases can be controlled and cured, provided dietary precautions are taken, and you do regular exercises. Judge what is suitable for your health, by self-assessment and by consulting the doctor and stick to the schedule.

I presume you are a non-smoker and are taking effective steps to control your weight. The body has a foolproof and intricate mechanism to control the glucose levels in the bloodstream. It should not be too low or too high. What you eat is assimilated by the body priority-wise. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose and rapidly absorbed in to the bloodstream.

The reason for diabetes is the inability of the body to make enough insulin or utilize properly the insulin that it produces.

When the insulin-making cells are permanently disabled, the result is the incurable type I diabetes. In both the types of diabetes, nutrition plays a very important role. You may be able to maintain your body and check the advancement of the disease, by proper diet. The factors that contribute to diabetes type II, are the very same old factors that do the damage in most of the serious types of ailments that affect the human body. They are being overweight, having improper diet, doing no exercising, and indulging in smoking and alcohol!

Give adequate activity to your muscles. They are designed for hard work. Activities improve their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose. The insulin making cells get some intermission and function effectively. It is not that you require tough exercises. Light exercises done with discipline and regularity, will help you a lot.

Make whole grain and whole grain products, sprouted cereals a regular part of your diet. Carbohydrates that are not easily digested, will not help your cause.

All this apart, take care of yourself so that you do not suffer from any other diseases, small or big, because they may worsen your diabetes condition. All negative tendencies such as stress, anger and oversleeping need to be given up. Take it, this is part of the diabetes nutrition!

Do not develop a feeling of depression that diabetes can not be cured at all! Your strong will power supported by a disciplined life can give you great benefits

Diabetes is now considered to be a worldwide epidemic, which has serious after effects like blindness, kidney failure, impotence that in turn makes the illness out of control. A Hypnotist can definitely help a person with diabetes, as a Hypnotist is considered a stress management consultant and a motivational coach. However a Hypnotist can only be a part of your diabetes support group and medical approval is required before enlisting yourself for any hypnosis program.

A person with diabetes will be feeling stressful and it may be difficult for him or her to follow the doctor’s advice. They may want to reach out for something which will make them feel better instantly, for instance for a type of food which may not be a good and healthy choice of food. The hypnotist helps in reducing harmful stress. This stress can affect a person’s power to make choices, which are beneficial for their health. If a persons stress levels increase their blood sugar also increases. The body releases chemicals called ‘insulin-antagonists’ which block the insulin and release stored sugar in the liver and muscles.

Parents of children with diabetes create stress both for the parents and for the child. The parents are tense looking after a sick child and the child is stressed because they cannot deal with the overwhelming problem like any adult. For Child Diabetes Management it is essential that expert care should be provided.

As many as 95% of the persons with diabetes have Type-2 Diabetes and they are obese. Regular exercise and diet management for Type-2 Diabetic patients leads to complete system reduction. There is a need for exercise motivation and weight management. Generally exercise gives you a sense of well-being and positively in outlook. A Hypnotist can help a person with diabetes to reduce stress and help them commit to making better food choices.

Another personal problem that most diabetes patients face which they feel embarrassed to admit to is impotence. These people and their partners are feeling stressed. They may take medication for this problem, which may be inappropriate and actually may cause damage. As many as 60% of the males face this problem.

A Hypnotist can counsel and train the patients how to manage their diabetes and live a healthy life. Even a small reduction in a diabetic patients sugar level reduces their chances of having complications. There are millions of people who have undiagnosed diabetes. A Hypnotist can be an important part of a Diabetics health care system and help cure diabetes to a certain extent

For centuries people have used French Lilac (Galega officinalis) to treat the symptoms of diabetes mellitus. But it was only in the last century that the active ingredient was isolated and identified. This compound, a single guanidine ring, while itself being too toxic to be used in the long term management of diabetes, led to the development of one of the safest and most widely used of all the antidiabetic medications: metformin.

Metformin belongs to a group of drugs called the biguanides, which consist of two linked guanidine rings. Although it has been used to treat diabetes for at least thirty years, it is only now that we are beginning to get an idea of how it works, even though the exact mechanisms of action remain more or less a mystery.

What we do know, however, is that metformin has a number of different effects on glucose metabolism. These effects lead to improved insulin sensitivity in tissues such as muscle and liver as well as decreased gluconeogenesis ( the synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources ) by the liver. The net result of these and certain other actions is a decrease in glucose levels. However, because metformin is a euglycaemic agent, blood glucose levels do not fall below normal. Hypoglycaemic episodes do therefore not usually occur.

Metformin also has beneficial effects on lipid metabolism, and tends to result in a lowering of circulating fatty acids and VLDL, both of which are known to be involved in causing cardiovascular disease.

Conclusion? Metformin is an extremely effective treatment for type 2 diabetes, because it acts at the source of the problem: it combats insulin resistance. It has been shown to delay and even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in people with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. And it decreases the risk of diabetes-related death, as well as heart attacks and strokes, in people who already have diabetes. Metformin saves lives.

In addition to this, metformin is used with great effect in the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome, both improving the symptoms of the condition, and increasing by up to eight-fold the probability of ovulation (and so substantially increasing fertility). It also appears to be safe to use during pregnancy, and significantly decreases the risk of women with PCOS developing gestational diabetes.

Metformin clearly has great benefits for those with insulin resistance and related conditions (such as PCOS, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome). Unfortunately these benefits may come at a price – metformin causes some fairly uncomfortable side effects in some people. These include nausea, loss of appetite, a metallic taste, and diarrhoea, which may or may not be severe. These side effects tend to be present at the start of treatment and with higher doses of the drug. It is most likely that some of the side effects are caused by residual amounts of the drug (in other words, the quantity of metformin that is not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract) which remains in the bowel and causes irritation and subsequent diarrhoea.

Most of these adverse effects may therefore be controlled by starting treatment on very low doses and slowly increasing the amount of drug taken to achieve the desired results. The absorption of metformin is also increased by taking the medication with food, which leaves less of the drug remaining in the gastrointestinal tract to cause irritation and diarrhoea. Nausea may be improved by taking the medication in divided doses e.g. 500mg every eight hours instead of all at once. The newer sustained release formulations may also help with this problem. It is important to be aware that, in general, all the side effects associated with metformin improve with time.

Another more important, but much rarer risk, is that of lactic acidosis. This seldom occurs unless there are underlying problems such as kidney or liver disease, or heart failure, or if the daily dose of metformin used exceeds the current recommended maximum of 2550mg for adults (or 2000mg extended release formulations) and 2000mg for children. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness, muscle pain, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, dizziness and a slow heartbeat. This is a very dangerous condition, and needs to be treated immediately. Fortunately it is so rare that it is very seldom seen. Having said all this, metformin still has the ability to change peoples’ lives in ways seldom mentioned in medical texts. It relieves the chronic tiredness that people with insulin resistance experience, and decreases cravings for carbohydrates. It also makes weight loss that much easier for people who have always struggled to lose a few pounds, and keep them off.

In conclusion, it may be said that metformin is a relatively safe and effective drug, which has the ability to increase both the quantity and quality of life in those of us unlucky enough to have insulin resistance

There are many diabetes sufferers in America - around 10.9 million men and 9.7 million women. There are lots of possible complications, but one of the most feared is diabetic ketoacidosis. This complication causes severe damage of the cells, which can result in a variety of illnesses or even death. Some diabetic patients with ketoacidosis are in a permanent coma because one or more of their vital organs have degenerated so badly.

A large buildup of glucose in the body can lead to increased production of ketone bodies. These ketone bodies cause diabetic ketoacidosis. One of the main reasons this is a concern for diabetes sufferers is because diabetes reduces the ability of the body to break down sugar, which can lead to a buildup of glucose. If the body doesn’t break down the glucose, it compromises the production of insulin in the body, and insulin is the counteragent of ketone bodies.

Because lack of insulin contributes to the buildup of ketone bodies, diabetic ketoacidosis is often treated with insulin injections. The reasoning is simple - give the body what it can't produce for itself. If the body's ability to produce insulin has been compromised, then it makes sense it has to be introduced from outside sources.

The sooner diabetic ketoacidosis is treated, the less damage it can do. If you have a suspicion that you or someone you know is suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis, it's important for them to have a medical check immediately. There are certain danger signs to look out for, particularly if you're already aware that the person is suffering from diabetes. These include:

# fatigue
# nausea accompanied by vomiting
# stiff muscles accompanied by pain
# more frequent urination than is normal
# occasional loss of consciousness
# halitosis
# low blood pressure
# shortness of breath
# abdominal pain

Obviously if the diabetic patient is only suffering from one of these symptoms, it could be the result of many different issues. But if the patient is experiencing many of them, it should be taken as a warning sign, and the patient should be taken to a medical professional immediately to check for ketoacidosis.

You should never take the possible present of ketoacidosis lightly, as the cell degeneration it causes can potentially lead to serious complications such as kidney failure, a comatose state, heart attacks or even death. There are also many other illnesses that can result from ketoacidosis.

Like most things, it's always better to prevent a condition from developing than to try and cure it. If you're already suffering from diabetes, then that's a warning signal in itself. It's important to exercise diligence in knowing and recognizing the warning signs, to help minimize the possibility that this perilous complication can develop, or to get medical assistance as early as possible

When people are diagnosed with Diabetes, their reactions range from, 'So what, another pill,' to, 'My life is over.' We're going to examine the serious complications of the disease, the available treatments and, most importantly, how you can personally reduce the complications and medicines through diet and exercise to lose weight. Since Type 1 Diabetes occurs in childhood, with medicine and diet control required for survival, the focus in this article will be on the more common disease, Type 2 Diabetes.

What Is Type 2 Diabetes? This is a disease where the body has been overfed with carbohydrates (carbs) for so long, it develops a weird kind of reaction to them. Insulin is a chemical your body makes, to turn carbs into energy in your cells, but, when you've been overdosing on carbs for a long time, your cells become resistant to the insulin and can't absorb the energy. Your cells begin starving even though there's more than enough carbs for energy. The carbs stack up in your body as blood sugar (glucose) and eventually get added around your waist as fat, leading to obesity. The fat and starving cells make diabetics sluggish and tired, and almost continually hungry. It's easy for Diabetics to develop food addictions because of this hunger. As we load up to satisfy our hunger, we send our blood sugar into a roller-coaster, where we risk stroke at high-sugar times and Diabetic coma at low-sugar times.

What Are The Diabetic Health Risks? Stroke and coma are just the 2 immediate extremes of Diabetes. When you add in the fact that Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, a major cause of cardio-vascular diseases and a contributing factor in many cancers, pneumonia and other serious diseases, Diabetes could be the number one cause of death in the U.S. Short of death, Diabetes is nothing to ignore. It's a leading cause of blindness, nerve diseases, periodontal disease, vaginal yeast infections and amputations of fingers, arms, legs, ears, noses and other extremities. It slows healing from all diseases and infections. Diabetes needs to be treated seriously in order to extend your life and retain a high quality of life.

What Treatments Are Available? Diabetes treatment can be as simple as monitoring and diet/exercise control, to adding a pill to your daily medicines, to insulin supplements, to complex and painful surgery and living assistance for normal daily activities. There are new treatments being discovered all the time but you should have the attitude of 'less-is-more' when it comes to treatment. The less treatment you need, the longer and better your life will be. Even with minimum treatment, you'll need to monitor your blood glucose levels regularly to make sure everything is going right. Your doctor will recommend a home glucose monitor, other diabetic supplies and blood glucose lab tests about every 3 months. As your disease progresses, the monitoring and labs will be more extensive. Once you're taking medicine, you should test your blood glucose at least twice daily, when you get up and 1-2 hours after your biggest meal. If you're using insulin injections, you'll be testing more often than that. No matter what stage of Diabetes treatment you're in, diet and exercise can help.

How Do Weight Loss Diet And Exercise Help Manage Diabetes? Unfortunately, many people approach Diabetes like a headache...taking a pill is enough. With this disease, you have to look at diet and exercise as medicine. I reduced my average blood glucose by 50% (to normal) in 6 months just by changing my diet and exercise. Most medicines don't claim to do as much. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a great place to learn about the disease, treatment, diet, research, etc. Using the ADA diet as a guide, I ate smaller meals with 3 in-between meal snacks, keeping a balance of proteins, carbs and fats, I added high fiber fruits and vegetables, lots of water, and I watched my cholesterol. I should point out that I was less hungry on this diet than when I ate without control. I did aerobic walking and other exercises for 30 minutes, 5-6 days per week. As diabetics, if we reduce our weight by just 5 %, we can make improvements of up to 30% in our blood sugar. For a 200 pound person, that means losing 10 pounds...anybody can do that. You can find more information on diet and weight loss all over the internet. Just be careful to consult your doctor and not do any fasting type diets because they lower your blood glucose too much.

We who suffer from Diabetes need to recognize that this disease will progress, but we can control how fast it progresses. If we just take the meds the doctor gives us, the prognosis isn't good for the length of our lives or the quality. If we decide to fight the disease by controlling our diet and exercise, we may not need medicine for years, we'll add many years to our lives and have a far better quality of life during those years. What's your choice

Stress is any undue strain caused by a difficult situation. It can be physical, such as an illness or injury, or it can be mental, which is generally the kind of stress we hear about. Stress changes your hormone levels, and as diabetes management relies on hormone regulation (particularly insulin), stress affects diabetes management.

When the body is stressed, it enters a “fight or flight” state, where hormones are secreted that allow the body to access more energy from the body’s store. Two examples of stress hormones are adrenaline and glucocorticoid (steroid hormones). Some people with diabetes do not have a proper fight or flight response. Insulin does not allow the stress hormones access to the glucose, and so the elevated glucose circulates in the blood. Stress can increase blood glucose levels.

Stress not only increases blood glucose levels hormonally, it also leads to less healthy lifestyle choices. People might eat out more when they are stressed, or they might turn to comfort foods. These less healthy meal choices in turn lead to poor glucose control.

Stress can also affect how much a person exercises. If a person stops exercising, they will be unable to control their blood glucose, just as if they take less care of their diet. Lack of sleep and irregular sleeping patterns can also cause the body stress.

Stress hormones are designed to fight short-term situations. Some stressors in our lives, however, are long-term (such as illness, divorce, or other psychological situations). It is unhealthy to have stress hormones circulate in the body for a long time.

Sometimes it is an aspect of diabetes that can cause stress. If you find an element of your diabetes management is causing you stress, speak to your health care team. They can help support you in your blood glucose monitoring, diet, and with your medication, as well as with your other concerns.

There are many different ways to reduce stress. Although if you are feeling stressed, it might seem impossible to calm down, try to keep some of these relaxing ideas in mind. It might be helpful to write out some of these ideas, or to write yourself reminders of techniques you can use to cheer yourself up.

Try deep breathing. Simply taking four or five deep breaths will help your respiration and circulation enter a more relaxed mode.

Take some time for you. Choose something that is a treat for you: a massage, a crossword, a long walk, and make that extra time to do it. Even if you are stressed, take the time to take care of yourself. Healthy diet, exercise, and time for yourself will dramatically lower your stress levels.

Get your friends and family to support you. If they know that you are feeling stressed, they can help you find ways to cope. If you think you need to, then consult a professional.

Sometimes, reaching out to help a friend will be something that can help you relieve stress. Doing something nice for someone else makes you feel better about yourself, and so can help you feel less stressed. However, don’t take on other people’s problem. Simply do something small to make their day.

It is the small things that can help you manage your stress. Begin by smiling, which releases endorphins. Try laughing. Hug somebody. These small things which will make your day brighter will also make your diabetes management easier

The information in this piece, was taken from an article which appeared in the Albuquerque Journal (July, 2006), and was written by Lisa Roberts of the Orlando Sentinel. The article talks about the dangers of diabetes and what can be done to treat and prevent it. The newspaper article here has been quoted...I have paraphrased certain parts, and I have added my own two cents, etc.

* * * One of the questions I always ask my doctor, when I go in to see the results of a physical examination every year...is if there is anything seriously wrong with the physical like cancer; diabetes or another life-threatening disease! I can wait for all that other stuff in the medical report. When he says, "no, everything is fine," I'm relieved, to say the least!

In the past, I have known two people who have died from diabetes. My Aunt Molly and the man who lived next door to my parents. Both of them met a similar fate...as they both became blind; both had a leg amputated, and both were in their early 50's when they passed away. (much too young!)

Before I got laid off from one of my jobs, I worked side by side with a fellow for over six years. He was overweight, and apparently didn't take enough care of the problem. One day, he went to the doctor for a check-up and he got the bad news...he had diabetes! I noticed the change of attitude right away. He became withdrawn; reserved; distant and he told me depression was beginning to set in. Because I like to be around people with a good sense of humor, I noticed that his sense of humor had changed as well...for the worse! (I can't blame him for that)

* * *

* Article: "If you don't know someone with diabetes, there's a good chance you will someday. A recent study found the occurrence of Type 2 diabetes has doubled over the last 30 years. Another estimated that a third of U.S. adults...more than 73 million...suffer diabetes or may be developing it. Simply put, it's an epidemic, and it's driven by sedentary lifestyle and obesity, the up swing of which closely parallels the growth of the disease, says Dr. Kimberley Bourne, a Orlando Fla., endocrinologist who treats diabetics."

* My two cents: In my article, "How I Lost 40 Pounds," the thought of getting diabetes was one of my main concerns and motivators, as I, fear getting any life-threatening disease! And, because diabetes affects mostly people who are overweight. I knew when I stepped off that scale in the doctor's office, that I was going to lose the 40 pounds, which was my goal. And, I didn't care how long it took...6 months...a year or longer! THE WEIGHT WAS GOING TO COME OFF!

* Article: "Diabetes is a disease in which the body doesn't produce properly, or ignores insulin. The hormone regulates the metabolism of blood glucose...sugar...which fuels our cells. When diabetes takes hold, glucose can build up in the body and coat blood vessels and nerves. Left untreated, the disease can cause an array of devastating maladies, including blindness; cardiovascular disease; and kidney failure. When glucose interrupts impulses and blood flow to extremities, diabetics sometimes are unaware of things such as cuts, scrapes, and blisters, which may become infected. In severe cases, an amputation might be necessary."

* My Two Cents: The exercise for me consists of walking and jogging 10-15 miles a week in 1986, and in the year 2006, I still do my walking and jogging every week. I really didn't know very much about diabetes, until I read a few articles, and after I did, I knew I would stay with it for the rest of my life, as I hope I well be able to do so.

* Article: "Though the exact cause of diabetes hasn't been determined, research has repeatedly pointed the finger at OBESITY as perhaps the greatest risk of all. As weight increases, the pancreas pumps out more and more insulin to handle increased blood sugar," says Dr. Bourne.

* My Two Cents: For me, exercise is so easy, and can be done almost any time or any place. For example; There are times when I watch a football game on television, and I don't necessarily like to watch the half-time activities. So, it's easy for me to go outside and run a mile or so, and then walk back to cool off. That takes about twenty minutes, and when I get back, it's time for the second half of the ballgame to start. I get to watch the ballgame and get a little exercise at the same time.

In 2005, I was hospitalized for over three months, and I would walk up and down the hallways everyday to try to get some sort of exercise. I did it so much during the three months, that I can tell you just how many floor tiles are in Ward 5B and Ward 5C! (Isn't this exciting?) I pushed my little walker (beep-beep)...and, putt-putted my way around the hospital to get my exercise. But, I wasn't the only "crazy" person walking up and down the halls! Several of the other veterans would walk up and down the halls as well, etc. So, getting exercise is easy, and can be done almost anywhere.

* Article: "Prevention and early treatment of diabetes are paramount goals, says Mark Williams, CEO of Community Health Centers Inc., which operates a network of Central Florida clinics and offers diabetes screening. 'As a community, diabetes is one of those diseases that screams 'treat me early' so we can avoid complications, because complications are so very expensive.'"

* My Two Cents: The walking and jogging I do, takes care of the lower body, and I've been "pumping aluminum," to take care of the upper body. When I went to the sports section of a department store looking for the location of the dumb bells, I asked the clerk where the dumb bells were...and he just looked at ME!

* Article: "At the Florida Hospital Diabetes Center in Orlando, diabetics are proving that eating well and working out can help control the disease. Gym members test their blood before and after their workouts, and the difference they see in their blood sugar after exercising motivates them to keep on the move, says Paul Frickman, the center's exercise coordinator. It's not unusual to see blood sugar tumble from, say 140 to the norman range, which is between 70 and 100. The benefit of a workout lasts from 24 to 72 hours. Another bonus: 'When you exercise, sugar goes into your body without the assistance of insulin,' he says, so a diabetic's reliance on drugs may lessen."

*My Two Cents: I've never done exercise on a treadmill. I've always liked to go outdoors and "smell the roses," watch the sun rise and set on the horizon, and watch the leaves turn color, etc. We're becoming a country of concrete and asphalt , so I like to get a little dirt and grass under my feet once in a while.

* Article: "Talar Glover, a clinical nurse specialist at the center, says today's super sized meal portions and fat-and-sugar laden foods, as well as a variety of social conditions, are helping to fuel the disease. Through many believe diabetes is about eating excess sugar, 'it's not about sugars...it's about carbohydrates. They turn into sugar,' she says. That's why diets should be based on a balance of meat, fruits, vegetables, dairy produces and whole grains."

PRESCRIPTION FOR DIABETES: DIET AND EXERCISE.

For over twenty years, exercising has been a way of life for me, and my health has been my top priority. I have to get out and get my "fix" every week! "Sweat therapy," has help me to sleep better; reduce the stress in my life; be more creative; clear the cob webs from my head; get more ideas; and solve problems, etc.

And, I'll keep doing what I've been doing over the past twenty years...that is...walking, jogging, and "pumping aluminum." But, as I grow older, I have to make some changes. I will now have to start "pumping aluminum foil," instead

Diabetes is a chronic disease that will need to be managed over the course of a lifetime. Some patients get “diabetes fatigue” or “diabetes burnout” from the stress of having to manage their diabetes every day.

Type 1 diabetes can be managed with exercise, diet, and insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes can sometimes be managed simply with diet and exercise, though sometimes other medications are recommended. Regardless, it can be difficult to constantly measure and regulate what one eats and how one exercises.

It can be the most difficult to keep your diet under control when you are particularly busy. Then it can seem easier to buy processed and package foods that are less healthy but that can sometimes seem more comforting. Fitting in workout times in a busy schedule can also seem daunting. Other times that can also make it difficult to manage diet and exercise are the holidays, such as Christmas, when overindulging is encouraged.

Most diabetics will, at some point, experience diabetes fatigue, when they simply no longer want to manage their diabetes. There are some ways to get over this fatigue that will help you maintain your diabetes management program. Managing your blood sugar levels will also help prevent long-term complications. So, if you are feeling down at the prospects of managing your diabetes, consider these hints.

1. Mix it up!

Because exercise is an integral part of managing diabetes, you probably exercise five times a week. If you are tired of swimming lengths, take up cycling. Try doing a different exercise each day a week. If you have an exercise that you love (perhaps tennis? running?), you can do it as many times as you want. If you get bored of doing the same exercise, then try to switch it up to keep your interest.

Keeping a steady blood glucose level doesn’t mean that you have to keep a boring diet. If you try new foods, you will find new favourite dishes. Take a cooking class to learn how to make curry, or Thai food, or another kind of food that you don’t normally eat. Or perhaps treat yourself when you are at the grocery store and buy that exotic fruit that you wouldn’t get every time.

2. Use the Buddy System.

Find a friend that you can go and exercise with. This means that you will be getting your exercise in, but you will also have someone to help motivate you. You don’t have to have a buddy who is a diabetic, either. You just want someone who is sympathetic to your situation and who wants a good work out.

You might even consider getting a personal trainer to help you with your workouts. If you can’t get a trainer, at least you can find a friend who will advise you on how to exercise properly.

3. Pamper yourself.

Take some time to do something that you want to do, and that will make you feel relaxed and happy. Often having high stress levels creates higher blood glucose levels. So head to the spa or get a massage and take a few moments for yourself.

4. Plan your meals…or don’t.

You might find it easier to keep to your diet if you have a meal plan that can help you go to the grocery store and get all the ingredients that you need. But if it gets too busy to plan your meals, consider getting the healthy pre-packaged options at the store, such as pre-packaged salads, or pre-skewered kebabs from the deli section.

If you have a craving for desserts, find some desserts with fewer calories and less sugar that you can eat. Oftentimes you can satisfy a craving without having to ruin your diet.

5. Let People Know.

Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about your diabetes. Although they all probably know someone with diabetes, they might not understand how it functions and affects your life. If you help them understand the importance of keeping your blood sugar levels in range, they can help you by making healthier choices when they are with you too.

6. Talk it Through.

If you have chronic diabetes burnout, or if you simply feel that you can no longer handle managing your diabetes at all, call a professional. Getting a referral from your doctor can help this expense be covered through your insurance. A counselor can listen to your troubles and help you identify the problem spots that you can work on to get through the diabetes fatigue.

7. This too shall pass.

Although right this second it might be hard to deal with your diabetes and the idea of diabetes, most diabetics go through phases. Sometimes diabetes management seems like simple second nature. Other times it seems difficult and forced. Just recognize that feeling upset or depressed about your diabetes is natural, and something that you will be able to get through.

For more information on how to manage your diabetes, visit The Guide to Diabetes. This site has recipes for diabetics, the latest news about diabetes medications, and tips on how to live a productive and happy life with diabetes

In the early days, it is hard to treat diabetes to save the lives of the patients. In fact, the absence of proper treatment or medication resulted to the patient’s death one year following the diagnosis.

Today, however, evolution in the medical science has completely changed that. With the discovery of newer treatment and diabetic management methods, patients are no longer doomed to cut their lives sooner than needed. If they could be administered with these treatments properly and earlier, they could live longer years as they can.

The first conventional medical treatment

Insulin is, by far, the primary and the first medication applied to people with diabetes. Method is applied by subcutaneous injections. Since insulin may get destroyed from gastric stomach secretions, it should not be taken by mouth. It should be injected through the skin and is taken in a daily basis with one or more dosage.

Generally, insulin injection is a treatment to regulate and control blood sugar/glucose content. Initial dosage is established with the patient’s initial condition and severity of the disease. After which, succeeding dosage will be dependent upon the progress of the patient.

Food intake as well as daily activities should compromise with the injection. To monitor if there is no irregularity in terms of the relationship between your insulin injection and diet/daily activities, blood sugar testing activity should make it a frequent tour to the doctor.

Regular treatment for diabetes

Aside from the medical treatment, which is the insulin, patients should undergo diabetes management to lessen higher risks of diabetes complications. Specifically, these are:

· Diabetic diet – diets of diabetic patients may be the same with people without the illness. However, heavy concentration on the healthy food and beverages is the lone approach that diabetic patient should follow. Similarly, it is also necessary to check on the nutrition label to ensure that the patient does not exceed or limit on the intake of proper nutrition content. Diets are typically provided by the medical doctors to the patients so they only need to follow these in order for them to be effective.

· Regular physical exercise – regular workouts may lessen the dosage of insulin injection. It is, however, important to note that the patient should follow a regular routine of the workout in a daily basis.

· Diabetic medication – this is now the insulin injection. There are two types of injection that you can take and can be administered by you or with other people capable enough. Dosage is dependent upon the severity of your illness.

· Obtaining ideal weight – healthy weight may not only lessen the risks for diabetes complication but will affect your physical appearance. This aspect is, of course, dependent on your diet and exercise.

What is the medical cost attributing to diabetes treatment?

Cost for treating diabetic patients may be higher due to the frequency of visits to the doctor, physician, and hospital and, of course, the maintenance of daily insulin intake. In the USA alone, there was an estimation that American people who have undergone treatment has reached their health-care costs and was pooled to approximately $100 billion yearly.

With different forms of diabetes treatment, people with this disease will no longer have to worry whether they should live normally as possible as people with the ailment. By strictly following to the methods of diabetic diets, diabetic exercises, medication treatments, and maintaining body weight, there is no reason to worry over severe diabetes complication onset

Every food is a medicine. What you eat is very important from the point of view of your health. There are no cut and dry methods and medicines by which you can cure diabetes. In fact, perfect cure for diabetes is yet to be found, in any system of medicine. But, Ayurvedic medicines are far near to the point of curing diabetes. This disease can certainly be controlled by Ayurveduic medicines.

The prime concern in controlling diabetes is to see that the sugar level does not cross the recommended level. This means you need to avoid certain types of food and take regularly those food which are good for controlling diabetes.

In short, processed foods and junk food, must be totally given up. Avoid sweets, glucose, fruit sugar, cakes, ice cream, chocolates, soft drinks, cream and fried foods. White sugar and white flour also cause further damage to the health of diabetes patients. Anything that contains harmful preservatives and too much salt should be avoided. Smoking and alcohol are taboo as well. So, in conclusion, your food is your medicine.

Instead of the commercial tea, take green tea, parsley tea and blueberry leaf. Cook the kidney bean pods and drink that water—it is very good in the treatment of diabetes. Replace white sugar with palm sugar, dates and honey. Unpolished rice, sprouted grain should be taken in moderate quantity. Fats like olive. oil and peanut oil are good in diabetes. Drink abundant water, at least 8 to 10 glasses per day. If you can make the habit of it, raw vegetables need to be taken in large quantity. Cooked food raise the level of blood sugar fast. This apart, cooking destroys vitamins, enzymes and minerals in the vegetables and fruits.

The real treatment of diabetes is through the fruits that you take. Take grapes, Indian blackberry, fig, kiwi fruits and citrus fruits and pomegranate juice. Let these things be your morning breakfast. As for vegetables, onion, garlic, radish, cucumber, carrot, tomato, cabbage and cucumber are excellent in the treatment of diabetes. Moong sprouted and unripe banana cooked, are also recommended.

The next important part of the diet is to take those fruits and vegetables in which fiber content is very high. Such type of food lowers the need for insulin, the reason being it releases energy into the body cells slowly. High fiber diet means more chromium which is very helpful in the treatment of diabetes. Some herbs and vegetables are specifically prescribed for diabetes, like Bitter Gourd and bitter melon juice.

Soak 50 gms of fenugreek seeds in a glass of water at night and drink the water early in the morning, after grinding the seeds in it. Draw a schedule, depending upon the level of your diabetes

We eat a lot of sugar. The USDA reports that we consume an average of 152 pounds of sugars per year, (including corn syrup and other caloric sweeteners) which averages about 750 calories daily. To put that into perspective, visualize yourself stopping your cart at the baking aisle in the supermarket, and loading it with 31 five-pound bags of white sugar. That is what we consume.

Soda, candy, cakes and cookies -- these are obvious -- we all know they’re sugary. But, "hidden sugars" are far more insidious and omnipresent in the American diet. And unless you’re a label reader or conscientious consumer, you may not be aware that the products you’re eating contain excess sugar.

All Americans should reduce their sugar consumption. Research links excess sugar consumption to obesity. The February 17, 2001 issue of the journal Lancet published a study showing that soda and sweetened beverages impact children’s body weight. For each additional daily serving of sugary soda, obesity was doubled. A report published in the August 25, 2004, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association links increased weight gain and type 2 diabetes to consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

The reason Americans are almost forced to consume so much sugar is that it’s used in so many products, in different ways. It’s kind of like the "Where’s Waldo" game, which teaches children how to concentrate by finding the hidden character in a photograph crammed with dozens of images. Consumers are challenged to find hidden sugars, to decipher the listed ingredients and discover the "real" ingredients.

HERE'S SOME CLASSIFICATIONS THAT MAY HELP:

.Natural sugars: brown sugar, raw sugar, rice syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses

.Corn sweeteners: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup

.All the juices: fruit juice concentrate; apple juice, pear juice, pineapple juice

.All the "-ose" sugars: dextrose, sucrose, maltose, fructose

.Other: malt, carob, ALCOHOL SUGAR SUBSTITUTES such as mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH), normally used in diet food

Sugar is found in the obvious foods; ice cream, candy, cakes and cookies; cereals are coated with sugar, but are also full of fruit juice concentrate; ketchup is 33 percent fructose; hot dogs contain dextrose, canned beans maple syrup and fructose; kids' snacks are especially sweet -- fruit roll-ups contain fruit flavor -- no fruit. You can tell the difference when you read the label between a "real food" and one with lots of sugar. Be serious about finding sugar in it's many hiding places and have some fun reading labels.

The diet food industry is not always helpful. Many of the diet bars and shakes contain added sugars and too much sugar alcohols, and some contain trans fat, the worst kind of fat, known to raise "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower "good" HDL cholesterol. Some manufacturers' products contain no trans fats, no added sugar and no more than 10 grams of sugar alcohol (non-nutritive sweetener) per serving. Hopefully soon, we’ll be able to read the grams of trans fat in every product. But until then, avoid products containing "hydrogenated fat."

Whether you’re on a low-carb plan, or just trying to stay healthy, avoid products with added sugars, unless you’re choosing a product that’s supposed to be sweet, such as a cookie or sweetened dessert item. Natural sugars are recognized by the body in the same way as manufactured sugars. Whether it’s honey, fruit juice concentrate or maple syrup... or corn syrup, white sugar or fructose, in excess it’s quickly stored as fat.

Choose carbs with care. You need carbohydrates for energy, for vitamins and minerals, and for fiber. A good diet, supervised by your doctor, should gradually increase your intake of healthy carbs with fiber, including berries, unpeeled fruit, vegetables and whole grains. These have a smaller impact on blood sugar because they take longer to be metabolized and absorbed.

This information is not intended to be a substitute for a doctor's care, and should not be applied as such. For further information about diabetes, I suggest Joslin/Harvard Medical's website http://joslin.org/LearnAboutDiabetes_Index_home

I take my kidneys for granted. Most of us do. But these two small organs are unbelievably important. And once they’re damaged, it’s hard to imagine how your quality of life can decline.

For people with diabetes, the risk for kidney (renal) problems is even higher. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Diabetes Surveillance System, the number of people who began treatment for kidney failure attributable to diabetes increased 485 percent, from 7,000 in 1984 to 41,000 in 2001.

Researchers from the World Health Organization report that in 1995 there were 135 million people with diabetes; by 2025 at least 300 million will have it. Obesity is a contributing factor. With obesity comes increased risk for many diseases, most of all type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension and arthritis. And diabetes and hypertension increase risk for kidney disease.

In 2000, care for patients with kidney failure cost the United States nearly $20 billion. The U.S. Renal Data System researchers forecast that by 2010 the cost in just the United States for ongoing ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) programs will top $28.3 billion.

Researchers at the Center for Biomedical Engineering report that as of July, 2001, over 1.1 million patients worldwide were on dialysis treatment; they anticipate the number will double by 2010. In the U.S., the total annual cost per patient is about $66,000. The worldwide cost of treating ESRD will surpass $1 trillion for the first decade of the 21st century.

There is a pattern. Obesity is a significant part of that pattern. Proper diet and exercise under a doctor's supervision can help hold off the more serious aspects of diabetes and renal failure in most people. But, make no mistake about it ... obesity is a factor. According to the American Diabetes Associations’ statistics from 2001, there are more than 18.2 million Americans with diabetes, but nearly one-third are unaware that they have the disease. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse estimates that each year, nearly 100,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with kidney failure. More than 100,000 currently have ESRD due to diabetes.

According to the U.S. Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, an estimated 650,000 Americans will have kidney failure by 2010 and will require renal replacement therapy, either ongoing renal dialysis or a kidney transplant. Without one of these therapies, ESRD is fatal.

According to the ADA, diabetes is the leading cause of ESRD...which develops slowly, over years, and is often silent. The kidney’s tiny nephrons, which act as filters to remove wastes, chemicals, and excess water from the blood, become damaged by chronic high blood sugars.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, new evidence suggests that the incidence of irreversible kidney failure may be about the same for both type 1’s and type 2’s.

Approximately 43 percent of new cases of ESRD are attributed to diabetes, double in the past 20 years.

In 2000, 41,046 people with diabetes initiated treatment for end-stage renal disease, and 129,183 people with diabetes underwent dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Although diet, exercise, and medications help control blood glucose, diabetes often leads to nephropathy and kidney failure.

American minorities are more likely to suffer from diabetes and kidney failure. The incidence of reported ESRD in people with diabetes is more than four times as high in African Americans, four to six times as high in Mexican Americans, and six times as high in Native Americans than in the general population of diabetes patients.

About 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2's are either insulin resistant or produce insufficient insulin, and 80 percent or more are overweight. The American Obesity Association notes that obesity may be a direct or in-direct factor in the initiation or progression of renal disease.

Between 1993 and 1997, more than 100,000 people in the United States were treated for kidney failure caused by type 2 diabetes.

People with type 2 diabetes are not diagnosed, on average, for five to six years after getting the disease, and by that time damage has often occurred -- damage to the tiny capillaries in the eyes, the nerves in the foot, and the vulnerable nephrons in the kidneys. Having diabetes does not mean you’ll automatically have kidney failure, but your risk is greater. There are some things you can do:

1. Getting to a healthy weight is important. Depending upon your insurance coverage, consults with a registered dietitian for chronic kidney disease may be covered, or may be reimbursable.

2. If you feel you are high risk for kidney problems...due to diabetes or obesity or hypertension, for example...see a doctor. Doctor consults for renal disease are covered by Medicare, so speak with your physician for a referral.

Why are your kidneys so important? The National Organization for Renal Disease describes the kidneys as our “internal filters,” cleaning our system of wastes through urine produced in the million nephrons in each of our two kidneys. Kidneys are also responsible for hormone and electrolyte balance. As they filter out waste, they also regulate sodium and potassium, and release hormones necessary for red blood cell production, to maintain calcium levels and regulate blood pressure.

When kidneys lose their ability to filter out wastes, a person must have the blood mechanically filtered, or get a kidney transplant. The process of dialysis is time consuming and may be uncomfortable; also, the patient must follow a strict diet and medication regime. Transplant means permanent treatment with anti-rejection drugs.

There are other causes of kidney failure besides diabetes: trauma, genetics, and environmental toxicity such as poison could also damage the kidneys. But, diabetes is the number one cause of renal failure, so take charge to reduce your risk. Intensive blood glucose control slows the progression of kidney disease.

1. Work with your doctor to maintain normal blood glucose, by testing often and administering insulin based on diet and exercise.

2. Have your doctor measure your A1C level at least twice a year. The test provides a weighted average of your blood glucose level for the previous three months. The ADA says aim for A1C of 7 percent or less.

3. Have your urine albumin excretion (protein in urine, a sign of kidney damage) checked at least once yearly. This was the test that caused my doctor to first suspect diabetes in my case.

4. Check your blood pressure regularly. Hypertension is a double edged sword. It contributes to kidney disease, and it’s caused by kidney disease. The American Diabetes Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that people with diabetes and kidney disease keep their blood pressure below 130/80.

5. Obesity increases risk for hypertension and type 2 diabetes: losing weight helps lower blood pressure and increases insulin sensitivity.

6. Ask your doctor whether you might benefit from taking an ACE inhibitor or ARB. People with kidney disease should consume the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein, and avoid high- protein diets. It’s extremely important to reduce your dietary sodium and phosphorus if you have renal disease. A reduced protein diet with advanced kidney disease may help delay progression.

However, people on dialysis have different needs and requirements, and may need more protein. Dialyzed patients will work with a registered dietitian to achieve the optimal balance depending upon their type of treatment

Diabetic retinopathy is a possible complication of diabetes. Basically, diabetic retinopathy means that a blood clot develops in the eye's retina. This complication is caused by the abnormally high sugar levels within a diabetic's body. The major concern with diabetic retinopathy is that it can lead to a permanent loss of vision. So it's important to recognize that it's developing as early as possible.

What Are The Symptoms?

It's not always easy to recognize the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy in the early stages, but there are some warning signs that you should look out for. These include:

# Dots of blood floating in your line of vision
# Bleeding in your eyes from a hemorrhage. This often occurs after sleep
# Periodic or permanent swelling of the retina
# Vision impairment, which can include blurred vision after some of the other symptoms have disappeared
# Total vision loss

The frustrating part is that so many of these symptoms also occur in other eye conditions. They may also only occur periodically, so the diabetic patient may dismiss them as not being important or serious. However if you do experience any of these symptoms and you have diabetes, it's important to talk to a medical professional as quickly as possible.

How Is Diabetic Retinopathy Detected?

It's not enough to guess that you have diabetic retinopathy just because you have some of the symptoms. You could be wrong. You need to undergo a variety of tests to determine whether or not the symptoms you are experiencing are in fact caused by diabetic retinopathy, or some other issue. Some tests include:

# Vision check using an eye chart test. It's good to have this done regularly, to note any recent, substantial changes.
# A check of the pressure levels within the eye, known as a tonometry.
# Physical eye inspection, usually conducted after the insertion of eye drops that help to widen your eyes.

Can Diabetic Retinopathy Be Treated?

Recent developments in laser technology have made it possible for diabetic retinopathy to be treated with focal laser treatment. A highly focused beam of light is used to destroy the blood clots, and to correct the blood vessels in the patient's retina. Although effective, it only cures the retinopathy problem.

So although diabetic retinopathy is often treatable, diabetes is another issue and requires ongoing treatment and care. Watching what you eat is of utmost importance, to help prevent the buildup of sugar and glucose in your system

A balanced nutrition is more than ever important throughout your pregnancy if you have developed gestational diabetes. First off, how does diabetes develop? Diabetes develops when your body isn’t able to produce or use insulin, a hormone that allows cells to become sugar in your blood (glucose) into usable energy. When large amounts of glucose build up in your blood, this means that your cells aren't getting the energy they need. High blood sugar can be harmful for you and your baby, thus it's important to control it.

The best way to keep your blood sugar levels under control is to follow a specific meal plan. It is strongly recommend that you see your doctor so you make a diet especially suited for you. This diet is made based on your weight, height, physical activity, and the needs of your growing baby, as well as your level of glucose intolerance.

Your dietitian will begin by calculating how many calories you will have to intake each day. You should also be instructed on how to choose portion sizes and which meals will give you the right balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates. Also, your dietitian will need to know what your eating habits are and make sure you are getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

There are tons of great guidelines on the internet for gestational diabetes diet. Here I have brought together those tips all in one article. However, always consult with your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet.

Eat a variety of foods. Distribute calories and carbohydrates evenly during the day. Make sure all of your meals are balanced. The American Diabetes Association suggests that you eat three small to moderate sized meals and two to four snacks every day, including an after dinner snack.

Most importantly, do not skip meals. Your blood sugar will remain more stable if your food is distributed evenly throughout the day and consistently from day to day.

Milk is a healthy choice, but in moderation. Since milk is high in lactose, a simple sugar, drinking more than two or three glasses a day may do you more harm than good. Other sources of calcium are available. Try for example club soda with a squeeze of lemon or orange, or unsweetened decaffeinated iced tea.

Slowly increasing your activity level, exercise, is also a good way to keep your glucose levels normal. Always remember however to consult with your doctor to see how intense your exercise can be. Intense exercise can be harmful for gestational diabetes.

Keeping your gestational diabetes diet under control may seem difficult at first. But always remember to not look at it as a task but make it part of your lifestyle. Doing this will make it easier for you to follow your dietitians recommendations and furthermore taking care of your health and your babies