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.

A startling connection was made lately between the use of cinnamon and the ability to prevent some of the diabetes symptoms. Cinnamon, used for a long time as a spice that assists with energy, this is a cheap form of help for the control of diabetes. With the sourced funding from the Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation, Dr. Richard Anderson enable the study on the possible cinnamon effects on diabetes At the United States Department Of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center. He was able to isolate the sourced compound in cinnamon that is a responsible for a portion of the superb effects that this substance has on diabetes.

This compound partially composed of specific type A. polymers, was found to lower the blood sugar effectively in those that have diabetes. On top of that, it was found at these polymers decreased the diabetic patients total cholesterol by up to 26%. Lipoproteins with a lower density are known to be a bad type of cholesterol. These were lowered by 10 to 24% through the intake of these polymers, and triglycerides showed a decrease by 23 to 30%.

Major importance should be given to this research by those that have this diabetes condition. Also possibly of more importance regarding this find are the effects that this substance can have on practically millions of people who have been found to have prediabetes. This could possibly help delay the diabetes onset, and give those potential future diabetics time to learn about how to keep it from taking control over their health.

These cinnamon polymers have been found to assist diabetics and two important ways; firstly, the substance was seen to make the enzymes that may hold the responsibility for decreasing the effects of insulin resistance. This could be of paramount importance for those with this condition which frequently has been caused by insulin resistance problem. Secondly, when diabetics ingest this compound substance, they were found to have increased sensitivity to insulin within their body. This basely helped them more effectively distribute the insulin. Now, the polymers found as a result of the study have been extracted and clinically available to patients. The substance has been patented as a compound known as Cinnulin PF. The only approved version for use is a water-soluble extract of this compound.

The substance should not be hard to find sense there are many different supplements that contain this. Another thing to note would be that it is important that a person with diabetes absolutely should not ingest high levels of normal cinnamon to try to get these effects. When ingesting high levels of cinnamon, it has been found that it is toxic due to a fat soluble component it holds. If there is the chance that you are unable to purchase one of these supplements that contains the substance, you should only ingest a quarter to a full teaspoon of cinnamon in order to help your diabetes condition. It is also necessary to inform your doctor of this and any other supplements or medications that you take in order to help diabetes. It is helpful to know that the supplement to be added to various drinks including tea or milkshakes to make it more tolerable. Don't think that you might want to eat apple pie because it has cinnamon in it. Apple pie or foods like it probably should be avoided for the most part because of the fat and sugar content.

Being a diabetic increases your risk of having high cholesterol, a condition that can lead to heart disease and stroke. Heart disease alone is the number one killer for both men and women in the United States, so high cholesterol is a condition that should not be taken lightly. It is vital for you to know how high cholesterol affects your health and what you can do to prevent the serious complications associated with it. This article will give you basic information on high cholesterol, the effects that it has on the body and what you can do to stay healthy, keeping your diabetes and cholesterol under control.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that the body uses for many important functions, including to help digest fat and to produce Vitamin D. The body needs cholesterol, but when there is too much of it in the blood, it can build up inside the arteries, narrow them or even clog them. This serious condition, called atherosclerosis, can lead to heart attack or stroke.

There are different types of cholesterol in the body that have different functions. It is important to become familiar with each one of them and to learn what levels of each is healthy for your body.

LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) is also known as bad cholesterol. This is the cholesterol that builds up in the arteries and can cause atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. In order to decrease the risks associated with it, LDL levels must be lowered.

HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) is also known as good cholesterol. This type of cholesterol helps clean up you arteries and remove any build up. Opposed to LDL levels, good cholesterol levels need to be high in order to decrease the risks of heart attack and stroke.

If you are a diabetic, the American Diabetes Association recommends these targets for your cholesterol levels:

LDL Cholesterol: Below 100 mg/dl

HDL Cholesterol: Above 50 mg/dl

What is the Treatment for High Cholesterol?

When it comes to treating high cholesterol, the news is good. Lifestyle changes will help you get your cholesterol levels to the needed targets. Medications may also be needed. Discuss with your health care professional what medicine is right for you and what your treatment options are.

Here are some basic lifestyle changes that will help keep your cholesterol levels under control:

Eat Healthier – Start eating less fat, change your dairy products to low fat or fat free and stay away from foods high in cholesterol. Read food labels and try grilling your food instead of frying it. These basic steps will get you on your way to a healthier lifestyle without high cholesterol.

Exercise - Staying physically active is another major step to controlling your cholesterol. Try to get in a daily regimen where you exercise at least 30 minutes a day. If you are not used to exercising on a regular basis, start slowly and work your way up. Regular exercise will reward you with an overall healthier lifestyle.

Reduce Alcohol Intake – If you are going to drink alcohol, drink moderately. Limit your daily intake to two servings if you are a man and one serving if you are a woman.

Quit Smoking: Smoking is a very unhealthy habit that could

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.

The experts all agree; exercise can be an effective, self-regulating method for managing diabetes, especially type 2, the most common. Diabetes mellitus manifests as one of two types:Type 1 and Type 2. With Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin (insulin deficiency) to manage blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes, in which blood sugar is constantly high, is the result of the body's resistance to insulin at the cellular level, which is produced in sufficient amounts.

In a study, published by the American Diabetes Association, "The Effect of Qi-Gong Relaxation Exercise on the Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus" (Diabetes Care 25:241-242, 2002 American Diabetes Association, Inc.) , a significant finding of the study said: " Because obese patients benefited more and the significant decrease in C-peptide was demonstrated in this study, Qi-gong may improve insulin resistance. On the other hand, several studies described the effects of relaxation training for type 2 diabetes ..; thus, Qi-gong can improve glucose metabolism by the benefits of relaxation response. In conclusion, these findings suggest that Qi-gong relaxation exercise may be a beneficial adjunctive treatment for individuals with type 2 diabetes." I think this finding is important for a number of reasons; it suggests factors which are inter-related, and cause a downward spiral in general health. The spiral may start with one or more of the conditions: type 1 or 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Any of these conditions can cause a sedentary lifestyle, in which recreational or emotional eating is a part, and can lead to any one or both of the other conditions. As activity decreases, the conditions will probably worsen, as the conditions worsen, life will become more stressful.

Type 1 diabetes, an immune deficiency disorder, cannot be prevented, but can be managed with medication, diet, and exercise. Type 2 diabetes on the other hand, is thought to be preventable and manageable. How? Your doctor can help you detect pre-diabetic conditions: ask. If the pre-diabetic conditions are detected, you doctor will recommend lifestyle changes.The changes recommended will be profoundly simple, but agonizingly difficult in the beginning: Diet and Exercise. In the previous paragraph, reference was made to benefits found by obese patients, it is well known that obesity is a set-up for heart problems and type 2 diabetes. Diet of course, will consider both types and amounts of food consumed.

Exercise improves the uptake of glucose, helps to control blood sugar levels. Exercise will help produce muscle cells to replace the fat stored in your body: muscle uses more sugar. "Exercise helps you lose weight or maintain your weight by burning calories...If you have Type 2 diabetes, exercise helps to increase the sensitivity of your body cells to insulin. With this increased sensitivity, your own insulin works better and your blood sugar levels get better. When exercise is done at least every other day it is more likely to have this effect. Exercising regularly and following a meal plan may get your blood sugars in the target range without medication." University of Iowa Healthcare Hospitals & Clinics, "Diabetes and Exercise", http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/diabetes/diabetesandexercise

It is a little scary to realize that over five million people in the US have undiagnosed diabetes. Add that to the approximately seventeen million that have diabetes, and you have an epidemic of massive proportions.

But, it gets even worse. Another sixteen million have “pre-diabetes,” according to Tommy G. Thompson, Health and Human Services Secretary. He went on to recommend that screening start as soon as possible for overweight people.

Why? Well, it is estimated that this is costing the US economy $100 billion every year. Somebody is obviously making a good buck on this, but do you want to help line their pockets?

You can stop doing that by taking some pretty simple steps to avoid progressing to full-blown diabetes. Of course, it will take a radical change in how you look at yourself, and your lifestyle.

How do you find out?

First, though, how do you find out if your are pre-diabetic? It is pretty simple, really. The most reliable way is a fasting blood glucose test. Glucose is sugar in the blood, and it is the energy source for all the cells of the body. That level should not be too high or too low, or problems will result.

Anyone who is overweight (which means a body mass index of 25 or more) and over 43 should be screened. Even those with no symptoms should be tested. If things look good, the recommendations say the test should be repeated every three years. That would assume that there has been no weight loss or increase in exercise.

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!

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.

Further specialized checks would be necessary, depending upon the condition of your diabetes and as per the findings of your family doctor.

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!

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.

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.

Diabetes Mellitus is now considered as an epidemic disease in most of countries. This article is about risk causes management of 3 most common types of diabetes mellitus

what are types of Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes is classified into 3 types.
1-Type 1 Diabetes
2-Type 2 Diabetes
3-Gestational Diabetes

Here we will discuss one by one all three types of diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes is also called Juvenile Diabetes, Insulin dependent diabetes or Autoimmune Diabetes. Person with type 1 diabetes has immune response against his own beta cells of pancreas, so pancreas is unable to produce insulin at-all.That is why it is called as autoimmune diabetes. Juvenile diabetes usually occurs in children but can appear at any age. To live normal life patient has to take insulin and take regular exercise and has proper diet plan. The main cause of this type 1 diabetes are environmental factors like virus, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. In USA 10-15% diagnosed cases of diabetes mellitus comprises of type 1 diabetes. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes are increase urination, increase thirst, increase hunger and weight loss. Eyes may also be affected as blurred vision. The person with type 1 diabetes should be diagnosed earlier, otherwise it can lead to a medical emergency situation like diabetic Coma with kitoacidosis.

Type 2 Diabetes:
Type 2 Diabetes is also called as Non Insulin dependent diabetes Mellitus or Adult-onset diabetes.This is most common type of diabetes affecting nearly 80% of all cases of diabetes. It is usually seen in adults. There are two mechanisms of type 2 diabetes. Either there is deficiency of insulin, or there is increase resistance of insulin. Insulin resistance means that body is unable to use available insulin.The main cause of this type of diabetes is genetic however other factors like overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, overeating habits may also affect.About 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes in-contrast to type 1 develop very slowly. There may be fatigue, weight loss, increase urination, blurred vision or delay wound healing.This type of diabetes is treated with exercise, diet control, tablets. However later, you may need insulin injections as well.

Gestational Diabetes:
Some women who develop diabetes during later stages of pregnancy is called as Gestational diabetes. Though their glucose levels returns to normal but even then they have greater chances of developing diabetes mellitus within next 5 to 10 years. Women with gestational diabetes may have no symptoms at all. The cause of gestational diabetes is hormonal imbalance during pregnancy or insufficient Insulin. Child of women who develops gestational diabetes is also at high risk of developing diabetes in later life. Maintaining normal body weight and being physically active may help prevent development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a patient of gestational diabetes.

Diabetes Supply has often been an issue of where is the best place to get your supplies and what's the best place as far as cost. Obviously you have seen the television advertising for Liberty Medical Diabetes Supply.

When it comes to advertising for Diabetes Supply, no one comes close to Liberty Medical. There are other outlets where you can obtain your diabetic supplies and at reasonable rates. Not everyone qualifies for Liberty's Diabetes Supply. They basically work directly with Medicare, so based on your Medicare qualifications you could be turned down.

Diabetic Express com is an online diabetes supplier that may be a good alternative for your insulin, lancet, test strips, and pump supplies. They offer discount prices on over 1,000 items and accept Medicare and private insurance. They supply only the brands and products you want. They have pharmacists on staff to interact with you for fast accurate service. And they offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

Diabetic Supplies.com is another diabetes supply online that specializes primarily in lancets, test strips, and test meters.

After you complete the online diabetes supply enrollment form, or call, the online diabetes supply companies listed above can verify your diabetes supply benefits with your insurance and obtain an authorization from your doctor. Every three months, with your authorization, they will mail your diabetes supply order, including blood glucose meter strips, directly to your door, free of charge. They will explain your diabetes supply benefits prior to shipping your first order.

Diabetes supply is a necessary function that thousands of people need and require in order to live a healthy life. If you have diabetes and require diabetes supplies, be sure to check your blood count often and find a diabetes supply company that fits your needs for accuracy, timeliness, and price.

One third of Americans will become diabetic because they eat too much and exercise too little. A study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (July 2006) shows that lifting weights can help to prevent and to treat diabetes.

Extra fat prevents your body from responding normally to insulin. Before insulin can do its job of driving sugar from the bloodstream into cells, it must first attach to little hooks on cell membranes called insulin receptors. Having extra fat in cells turns these receptors inward, making it far more difficult for insulin to attach to the receptors. This prevents insulin from doing its job of lowering blood sugar levels, even though your body is making plenty of insulin. That's why anything that makes you fat increases your risk for diabetes. Doctors can measure how cells respond to insulin with a sugar tolerance test.

In this study, adolescent boys were given a program of lifting heavy weights twice a week. After only 16 weeks, their muscles were larger and they lost fat. Sugar tolerance tests showed that the ability of their bodies to clear a load of sugar from their blood streams improved dramatically. This means that a regular weight lifting program deceases insulin resistence and thus reduces risk for becoming diabetic.