Daily Vlog 11/22/11: Smooth Diabetes
June 10, 2020 by HART 1-800-HART
Filed under DIABETES, VIDEO
Nick Jonas Has Been Battling Type 1 Diabetes for 4 Years!
June 10, 2020 by HART 1-800-HART
Filed under DIABETES, VIDEO
Living With Juvenile Diabetes
June 10, 2020 by ASheeley
Filed under DIABETES, HEALTHCARE
Scientists aren’t completely sure why, but instances of juvenile diabetes are on the rise worldwide. How can you tell if your child has juvenile diabetes? Common symptoms include increased hunger/thirst, dry mouth, nausea, abdominal pain, frequent urination which may include daytime accidents and bedwetting, unexplained weight loss, excessive tiredness, blurry vision, labored breathing and frequent infections including urinary tract infections.
Scary stuff. The good news is with today’s medical technology even if your child develops diabetes, they can still enjoy all the wonderful things in life their friends do. Still, living with diabetes comes with a unique set of challenges. Here are some tips on how to keep a diabetic child healthy.
1. 1. Exercise
Exercise is pretty important for any kid, but especially those with diabetes. A stronger body is better equipped to handle diseases like diabetes. Plus, exercise will help your child maintain a healthy weight, making diabetes much more manageable. If you’re worried that your child may be overweight, talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight would be for your child. Once he or she has achieved that weight, exercising for 30 minutes a day should be enough to maintain it.
2. Eat Healthy
Eating healthy will keep your child’s body in top shape and help them maintain that healthy weight. But perhaps even more importantly, it will balance their sugar levels. The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMCC) recommends that those with juvenile diabetes eat healthy snacks throughout the day in order to keep their blood sugar levels consistent. It is also recommended that they eat the same basic amount of fats, proteins and carbs every day. This will keep their blood sugar levels from jumping up and down.
3. Stress
Finding out you have diabetes is stressful news at any age. Kids especially may be worried about having to eat differently than their friends and needing regular shots. Reduced stress will help your child handle the problem both physically and mentally. Great ways for children to de-stress include deep breathing, playing games, and exercising. Starting a hobby can also be a great source of fun and relaxation. But don’t let your child’s schedule get too hectic or it will cause more stress.
Still, the most important way to keep your child from stressing out is to simply talk to them about how they feel. Kids will relax knowing you’re there and you care.
4. 4. Don’t Get Sick
I realize this is easier said than done, but getting sick when you have diabetes is bad for two reasons. A) A lot of illnesses raise blood sugar levels. B) A lot of medications raise blood sugar levels. Obviously, your child like any other child will get sick on occasion, but it can be limited. Make sure your child knows how important it is to wash his or her hands, especially before eating. Take your kid to get flu shots before they get sick. And make sure they get the vitamins they need to stay strong.
Austin Sheeley is a writer for www.bedwettingstore.com. He writes about children’s health issues such as enuresis (bedwetting) and its many causes, including diabetes, constipation, urinary tract infections and childhood stress.
TAGS: juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes, diabetes, bedwetting,
5 Tips for Managing Your Diabetes
April 14, 2012 by MyBlogGuest.com (Guest Author)
Filed under DIABETES
cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by DeathByBokeh
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes then you are probably hoping to find a good way to keep it under control. Luckily there is information out there that can help you keep it under control. You still might have to get medication from your doctor, in fact that is recommended so no permanent damage is done to you. You still can manage it in a way that you don’t have to worry so much about it. Here are five tips to managing diabetes in your everyday life.
What Type of Diabetes?
First of all you need to understand diabetes and which type you have. Diabetes is when your blood glucose is too high and your body cannot cope with it. There are two different types and they are called type 1 and type 2. The first type is when your body doesn’t make enough insulin. Since insulin is used to convert glucose to energy this causes a spike in glucose. Everyone with type one need to take insulin every day. Then there is type 2 who’s body doesn’t make or use insulin well. Most people are two 2 and require pills or insulin to manage it.
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by elgringospain
Educate Yourself
The second tip to managing your diabetes is to know the basics of staying healthy with diabetes. Most of your problems such as heart attack, stroke, and other diabetes related issues can be solved by managing three things about your body. The first is A1C, which is a test that shows your blood glucose over the past three months. Then there is blood pressure, having high blood pressure means heart attack or stroke. Then finally there is Cholesterol. If you can manage these three things most of the effects of diabetes will be negated.
Get Some Exercize
The third tip and probably the one most people skip is getting regular exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential to getting your blood glucose under control and even a 30-60 minute brisk walk every day will help you achieve this. If you want to get into even better shape then all power to you, your health will improve even more. Do not neglect the power of a good workout.
Quit Smoking
The fourth tip is to learn to cope with stress without cigarettes. Stress increases blood glucose and should be avoided as much as possible. If you have a stressful job then you need to learn to meditate and get rid of the stress right when you get off. Avoiding cigarettes is very important as well because it has been shown to compound the effects of diabetes on your body.
Visit Your Doctor
And finally the fifth tip is to get your regular check ups with your doctor. You want to go in at least twice a year, more if your doctor recommends it. You want to be able to show him any sores on your feet, get a weight check, and get the A1C test we talked about earlier.
If you take all the necessary precautions and use those tips along with any advice your doctor gives, you will find that living with diabetes isn’t really that tough. In fact once you get in the swing of things you probably will even forget that you have diabetes. The biggest problem is trying to make changes in your diet and getting exercise at first. Stick with it because you will be happy that you did.
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Episode 2 – Fighting Ropes – Wes and the Fat Guy
January 27, 2012 by HART 1-800-HART
Filed under DIABETES, VIDEO
Battling against diabetes
January 12, 2012 by HART 1-800-HART
Filed under DIABETES, VIDEO
Microvascular complications of diabetes: retinopathy
Diabetes comes with a lot of complications, both on the macrovascular and microvascular scale.
Macrovascular complications, as the term suggest, involve the large blood vessels and under this category falls cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and hypertension and stroke.
But what about micro vascular complications? This category includes
- Effect on the eye (aka diabetic retinopathy or diabetic eye disease)
- Effects on the kidney (aka diabetic nephropathy or chronic kidney disease)
- Effects on the peripheral nerve function
- Effect on sexual function (e.g. erectile dysfunction)
In the next couple of posts we will look at the most common microvascular complications of diabetes starting with diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss among adults in the US. It occurs when the retina is damaged through microvascular complications of diabetes.
The retina is the located at the back of the eye. It is the light-sensitive part of the eye. Diabetes can cause damage to the small blood vessels of the retina. Damage can occur in several ways. One way is the swelling and leaking of fluid from the blood vessels. Another way is the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) of the retina. Either way, the retina gets damaged leading to visual impairment and blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy occurs in 4 stages:
- Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy. At this earliest stage, microaneurysms occur. They are small areas of balloon-like swelling in the retina’s tiny blood vessels.
- Moderate Nonproliferative Retinopathy. As the disease progresses, some blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked.
- Severe Nonproliferative Retinopathy. Many more blood vessels are blocked, depriving several areas of the retina with their blood supply. These areas of the retina send signals to the body to grow new blood vessels for nourishment.
- Proliferative Retinopathy. At this advanced stage, the signals sent by the retina for nourishment trigger the growth of new blood vessels. This condition is called proliferative retinopathy. These new blood vessels are abnormal and fragile. They grow along the retina and along the surface of the clear, vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eye. By themselves, these blood vessels do not cause symptoms or vision loss. However, they have thin, fragile walls. If they leak blood, severe vision loss and even blindness can result.
In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy often does not present with any evident symptoms. Yet, about 40 to 45% of those diagnosed with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) eventually develop diabetic retinopathy. This is why people with diabetes are recommended to undergo a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once each year.
Prevention
With preventive measures and close monitoring, the risk for vision loss can be reduced by 95%. “The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) showed that better control of blood sugar levels slows the onset and progression of retinopathy.” Early detection also reduces the risk for disease progression. Currently, there are many treatment options available. IN addition, blood pressure and cholesterol levels should also be kept under control.
Laser surgery is used to shrink abnormal blood vessels. Types of laser surgery are scatter laser and focal later treatments.
Vitrectomy is a more invasive procedure.
Things that can exacerbate retinopathy
Pregnancy can exacerbate diabetic retinopathy in women with diabetes. In a recent study, alcohol consumption was linked to increased risk of deterioration of visual acuity.
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A tribute to Jack LaLanne: the man who lived healthy and lived well
January 27, 2011 by Raquel
Filed under DIABETES, HEALTHCARE, HEART AND STROKE
In the 40s, back when doctors voted Camels as the best smoke, Jack LaLanne was doing push ups and cutting down on
sugar.
However, Francois “Jack LaLanne” was way ahead of his time and preached a healthy lifestyle way back then. Not only did he preach it, he practiced it.
Let us pay tribute to Jack LaLanne, fitness guru and visionary. LaLanne passed away last weekend at the age of 96.
LaLanne was well-known for his long-running TV show The Jack LaLanne Show. He built the first modern health club in the US and designed gym equipment. In doing so, he pioneered fitness and work outs in the US and the rest of the world.
However, not only did LaLanne promote physical exercise, he also advocated a healthy diet of less sugar, fat and white flour and more fruit and vegetables. Plus – very important – a positive attitude towards life. In one episode of his show (see YouTube video still in black & white), LaLanne listed the following as the things that make us feel tired:
- Lack of exercise
- Empty calories
- Nervous tension
And this was done in the 60s!
In an interview with health author Connie Bennet (shared through the Huffington Post), LaLanne stated
“In my mind, nothing on this earth is more addictive than refined sugar.”
LaLanne’s healthy philosophy was based on health problems early in life which was attributed to being “sugar-holic”, according to a report by Reuters. He suffered from depression, mood swings, as well as headaches. Changing his diet made Lalanne feel better but he did not stop there. He went on to share his philosophy of a healthy lifestyle. He performed incredible fitness stunts to drive home his point.
Unfortunately, not many of his generation listened to what he had to say. Today, the American population is threatened by chronic health problems that include obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Even well into his 90s, LaLanne continued to be physical active. Reuters describe a typical Lalanne daily work out as:
However, not only did LaLanne live a healthy long life, he also lived “well”, loving and enjoying life to the fullest.
As Connie Bennet writes:
Why didn’t more people listen to LaLanne way back then? Is it too late to change our ways.
I think LaLanne will be the first to say that it’s never too late to start living healthy. To start going back to the natural way.
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Winter health superstar: cinnamon
January 20, 2011 by Raquel
Filed under DIABETES, HEART AND STROKE
There is nothing more mouth-watering than the aroma of baking apfel strudel in the oven on a cold, snowy day in January.
Mind you, I am no baking expert so I must confess that the apfel strudel is the frozen type from the supermarket.
Apfel strudel is the apple pie in the Alpine regions of Europe and its wonderful smell comes from the combination of apples and cinnamon. Such a healthy combination, I would say.
Cinnamon is an essential ingredient of many pastries and recipes, including apple pies, pumpkin pies, rice pudding and of course ginger bread. However, aside from being a yummy condiment, cinnamon has some medicinal benefits. Especially against diabetes.
Cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum. I had the pleasure of meeting a cinnamon tree in Brazil about 10 years. According to WedMD, there are 2 varieties of cinnamon, the Ceylon and the Cassia and the latter is the one that we commonly use in our kitchen.
Benefits
Several studies have shown cinnamon to be an effective antiglycemic agent, e.g. a compound for lowering blood sugar. And it does this in a very effective and sustainable way – by decreasing insulin resistance.
Diabetes is a chronic progressive disease. There are many drugs out there which are used to treat diabetes by controlling sugar levels. However, as the diseases progresses, these medications lose their efficacy because of increasing insulin resistance. This leads to use of add-on medications that will also eventually lose their efficacy. Cinnamon, on the other hand, control sugar levels by improving insulin resistance.
Aside from improving sugar levels, some studies also reported that cinnamon may have cardiovascular benefits by lowering cholesterol levels.
Cinnamon is available as a herbal supplements and can be purchased without prescription.
Caveats
However, before launching on a cinnamon supplementation therapy, patients should be aware that cinnamon is counterindicated in patients with liver problems. It can also interact with other herbal supplements such as:
- alpha lipoic acid
- bitter melon
- chromium
- devil’s claw
- fenugreek
- garlic
- horse chestnut
- Panax
- Siberian ginseng
- Psyllium
In addition, cinnamon may also interact with other medications. Interactions can cause toxicity that may be potentially life-threatening. Therefore, CHECK WITH YOUR DIABETES EXPERT BEFORE STARTING ON A SPECIAL THERAPY!!!
Nutritional info
The table below was taken from www.whfoods.com.
Nutritional info for ground cinnamon, 2 tsp = 4.52 grams = 11.84 calories
| Nutrient | Amount |
DV (%) |
Nutrient Density | WHF Rating |
| manganese | 0.76 mg |
38. |
57.8 | excellent |
| dietary fiber | 2.48 g |
9.9 |
15.1 | very good |
| iron | 1.72 mg |
9.6 |
14.5 | very good |
| calcium 5 | 5.68 mg | 5.6 | 8.5 | very good |
Updates from the diabetes front
Some news updates on diabetes
The bad news
France: Diabetes Drug May Be Linked to 500 Deaths
The diabetes and weight—loss drug benflourex (Mediator) has been linked to about 500 deaths in France. The drug which has been in use since 1976 may have caused heart valve problems. Patients who were taking the drug
are advised to get their valves checked. “The European Medicines Agency pulled [the drug] from the market in 2009‚ saying it had little effect on diabetes and could lead to a thickening of the heart valves.”
AHA: Gene Therapy Fails to Prevent Limb Loss
An international Phase III trial investigating an angiogenic therapy that could prevent limb loss in patients with limb ischemia failed to demonstrate its efficacy. This is a big disappointment to healthcare professionals and patients alike. Critical limb ischemia is a common complication of diabetes, and can lead to gangrene of the extremities that necessitate amputation. “In the last three decades in the U.S., amputation rates for patients with critical limb ischemia have not changed, signaling the need to develop novel strategies for these patients.”
The good news
Italy Carries Out First Hi-Tech Pancreas Transplant
Italian doctors performed the first robotically assisted transplant of the pancreas. The patient was a 43-year old type 1 diabetes woman who already had a kidney transplant. Conventional pancreatic transplant is very invasive. This revolutionary operation took 3 hours and was minimally invasive, performed through three small holes and a seven-centimeter incision. The operation was performed with the assistance of the Da Vinci SHDI robot. According to Dr. Ugo Boggi, head of the surgical team:
Smart Phone “APP” Helps Doctors Control Patients’ Diabetes
Doctors and other health professionals can have access to the new Johns Hopkins guide to diabetes on their iPhone, blackberry, and other smart phones. The POC-IT Diabetes Guide is easy to use and would help doctors especially during patient visits, to make clinical decisions. According to Dr. Rita Rastogi Kalyani, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the guide’s managing editor:
Upcoming diabetes events:
Annual International Conference on Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism-Research and Therapy
Dates: December 13-14, 2010 Venue: Santa Clara, California, USA
Diabetes and Obesity Drug Discovery & Therapy, 3rd International Conference on Drug Discovery and Therapy, February 7 – 10, 2011, Dubai, UAE.
Diabetes News, Nov 5: Lifestyle interventions for diabetes
In observance of the National Diabetes Month in the US, we bring you the latest diabetes updates.
Fruit and vegetable intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis
The majority of nutritional studies on diabetes focus on carbs and carb intake. Where fruit and vegetables come in? Does eating fruit and vegetables really help in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)? This is the question that British researchers wanted to answer. So they conducted a review of studies on the benefits of diet rich fruit and vegetables for people with diabetes. Their findings show that there was no marked benefit from increased fruit and veggie intake. However, looking at the different types of vegetables, green leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce are actually good diabetes fighter. The study concluded:
Increasing daily intake of green leafy vegetables could significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and should be investigated further.
The China Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome Study
What about diet plus exercise? Chinese researchers investigated how 3 types of lifestyle intervention perform in managing diabetes-associated microvascular complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. The interventions consisted of diet, exercise, and diet plus exercise and lasted for 6 years. The patients were followed up for up to 20 years. The study results showed:
“Lifestyle intervention for 6 years in IGT was associated with a 47% reduction in the incidence of severe, vision-threatening retinopathy over a 20 year interval, primarily due to the reduced incidence of diabetes in the intervention group.”
Long-term effects of a lifestyle intervention on weight and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus: four-year results of the Look AHEAD trial
The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) is a large, long-term study that investigated the long-term effects of lifestyle approaches on T2DM. The study compared the effect of 4 years of intensive lifestyle intervention (dietary change and physical exercise) vs. standard diabetes care. The results showed that those who underwent lifestyle change lost more weight, and had better improvements in blood glucose levels, blood pressure and lipids than those who had standard treatment. the authors concluded:
“Intensive lifestyle intervention can produce sustained weight loss and improvements in fitness, glycemic control, and CVD risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Whether these differences in risk factors translate to reduction in CVD events will ultimately be addressed by the Look AHEAD trial.”
Join Bret Michaels and ADA in observing American Diabetes Month
November is American Diabetes Month. In connection with this health observance, the US is also observing Diabetic Eye Disease Month and Foot Health Issues Related to Diabetes Awareness Month. During this month, we will be bringing updates on diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is in the frontline of this observance. ADA launched the Stop Diabetes movement last year and is now asking this year: How will you Stop Diabetes®? The future is in your hands.
The musical artist Bret Michaels is the current “Face of Diabetes” for ADA and for this month’s campaign. Why Bret? Because he personally is facing every day this monster disease, has had type 1 diabetes since age 6. No wonder that Bret is fully behind the STOP DIABETES campaign. He had chosen the ADA as his charity during the spring season of NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice.” He raised more than $300,000 for ADA and “has helped put a face to diabetes by raising critical awareness about the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of diabetes prevention and management.”
Says the singer and songwriter:
Current statistics on diabetes from ADA:
- Almost 24 million American children and adults have diabetes.
- An additional 57 million people in the US are at risk.
- Diabetes contributes to deaths more than 230,000 Americans each year.
- Health expenditure of diagnosed diabetes is more than $174 billion, but could exceed $218 billion when undiagnosed cases are included.
How will you Stop Diabetes®?
ADA gives us the following tips on stopping this disease in its track:
- Share* – “Share Your Vision to Stop Diabetes” by posting your video on stopdiabetes.com starting October 15, 2010.
- Act –Take action now by visiting stopdiabetes.com or calling 1-800-DIABETES or text JOIN to 69866.
- Learn – There’s a lot to learn and “Celebration Survival Guide” is just one of ADA’s important resource. Others include “Top Five Ways to Stop Diabetes and Get Healthy Right Now!” or “What Can I Eat?” which you can have for free by calling 1-800-DIABETES.
- Give – Donate your time, money and efforts to the cause.
ADA is also on social network. Check out and follow
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/AmDiabetesAssn
Photo credit: American Diabetes Association ad
Is there such a thing as the ideal diabetic diet?
Scientific evidence is piling up showing that lifestyle interventions, especially dietary interventions, may be more effective than drugs when it comes to the
management of certain chronic diseases. This is especially true in the case of diabetes. The only problem is, which diet?
Unfortunately, experts cannot agree as to which diet is best for those with diabetes. This is the day and age of food customized to individual dietary requirements. Let us take a look at what is out there:
The Atkins diet
So what is the Atkins diet i? It is basically a low-carbohydrate diet which supposedly makes you lose weight without making you hungry. WebMD describes how it works:
Although originally thought out for weight loss, Dr Eric C Westman of Duke University in Durham, NC advocates the Atkins diet for the management of diabetes based on his talk at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference last month. After all, “years before medications were available to treat diabetes, a low-carbohydrate diet was used as the primary treatment of diabetes mellitus.”
Westman is a co-author of the latest book on Atkins diet “New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great.”and is a consultant at Atkins Nutritionals.
Some of the experts’ comments on the Atkins diet are:
According to Dr Robert Eckel of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, also a spokesperson on nutritional issues for the American Heart Association (AHA):
Other experts, however, believe that the Atkins diet may be “too restrictive for people to stay on long term and potentially unsafe” for diabetics.
The South Beach diet
The South Beach diet is very similar to Atkins but is less restrictive because it allows “good carbs.” South Beach, too, doesn’t let you go hungry.
Again, we rely on WebMD experts to give us an overview on the South Beach diet.
“Fats. The South Beach Diet bans unhealthy fats but strongly promotes healthy ones.
Of course there are other diets out there but these two are currently in the limelight in connection with diabetes.
The American Diabetes Assocition (ADA) currently does not recommend the Atkins-type diet for diabetics. In fact, ADA spokesperson Stephanie A Dunbar, director of nutrition and medical affairs for the AD thinks it is at this point difficult to make dietary recommendations for people with diabetes because “there are no long-term data comparing the different diets in diabetes management… I don’t think there is one particular diet that is going to work for every person. Our real recommendation for people with diabetes is that they need to have an individualized approach to meal planning, whether they need to go to 35%, 40%, or 45% of calories from carbohydrates, that needs to be individualized.”
This is the day and age of food customized to individual dietary requirements. So when do we get the ideal diabetic diet?
The health benefits of hiking
October 19, 2010 by Raquel
Filed under AGING, ARTHRITIS, DEPRESSION, DIABETES, HEART AND STROKE, STRESS
If I tell you I did not do a single jogging run last week, you’d think I’m getting slack and lazy, right?
Well, not quite We (I and my family) just got back from a week of autumn holidays in the Swiss Alps where we did lots of walking and hiking. This time we did long (5 to 6 hours) and short hikes (2 to 3 hours), easy (100 to 200 m altitude difference on easy clear pathways) and tough ones (500 m or more altitude difference on difficult terrain). The family consists of middle-aged parents and two seven-year old twin boys. During the week, we did two of our toughest and longest hike yet and I learned a couple of things:
- For my kids, the tough hikes consisting of rock climbing and cliff hugging and crawling on your hands and knees are much more fun and interesting than the easy slopes and incline. We heard nary a complaint during the tough climbs except “Mom, why are you so slow?” During the easy walks however, there are the frequent “Are we there yet?” and “How many more minutes/kilometers?”
- My kids have overtaken me in skills when it comes to climbing mountains, at least when the going gets tough. You see, Mommy is so slow because her knees were trembling as she scrambles and crawls on the rocks. Mind you, I have no fear of heights nor do I suffer from vertigo. But as somebody who was born close to the seacoast of a tropical island, it took me more than 30 years to find my way to the Swiss Alps, much more hike around. But how I got here is another story. This post is about the health benefits of hiking.
According to the American Hiking Society:
- Hiking is an excellent way to lose excess pounds and improve health.
- Hiking can help prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol levels and control hypertension.
- Hiking helps against stress and depression.
- Physical activity such as hiking slows down the aging process.
- Hiking and walking help reverse the negative effects of osteoporosis by increasing the bone density and slowing the rate of calcium.
- Regular exercise, including hiking, can help prevent diabetes and can protect the body from the degenerative effects of diabetes.
- Walking helps strengthen muscles, especially in the legs and thus benefits people with arthritis.
- The disappearance of or enormous decrease in back pain has been identified as the most common, clearly perceived health benefit reported by walkers.
Now, I hope my description of our hikes did not turn you off and made you come to the conclusion that hiking is too challenging or difficult for you. The trick is to start slow and small. I did. My family did. I had to train my body for years, then my kids. The important thing is to start. Now.
Here’s what the American Hiking Society advises:
Here are some tips from Nomad Journal Trips:
Here is what I’ll tell you next: preparing for a mountain hike and taking safety precautions. Stay tuned for my next hiking post. Meanwhile, I am back in the lowlands and have to go for a jogging run.
Why you should know the glycemic index of the food you eat
October 13, 2010 by Raquel
Filed under DIABETES, HEART AND STROKE
In order to be healthy and stay healthy, we should know the meaning of certain terminologies that is related to the food we eat and how our body reacts to and interacts with this food.
Most of us know about calories, calorie intake and burning, carbs, sugar and blood sugar, and of course the fats – transfats, saturated and unsaturated fats.
Here is another term that you should know about: glycemic index.
Glycemic index or GI for short is “a numerical scale used to indicate how fast and how high a particular food can raise our blood glucose (blood sugar) level. A food with a low GI will typically prompt a moderate rise in blood glucose, while a food with a high GI may cause our blood glucose level to increase above the optimal level.” GI is also known as glycemic load.
Contrary to popular belief, GI is not something that only those with diabetes should know. Knowing the GI of the food we eat helps maintain a normal healthy weight, good cardiovascular health and favorable lipid profiles and thus lowers the risk for type 2 diabetes.
Here is why GI of our foods matter. Foods with high GI are rich in carbs that are eventually converted into glucose (simple sugar). The presence of glucose in the blood triggers the production of insulin that converts glucose into energy and excess glucose into stored fat. However, when the body is constantly forced to produce excess too much insulin, the results is not very healthy. Insulin resistance is a major adverse effect, followed by high levels of blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), increased weight and cardiovascular problems.
That is why paying attention to the GI of the food we eat is important to our health. GIs may be high, medium or low.
High GI is 70 and above. Glucose has GI ranging from 85 to 111. A can of coke has 77.
Medium GI is from 56 to 69. An example of foodstuffs with medium GI is the table sugar, with 58 to 65 (source: glycemic edge). A regular hamburger has 66 and 1 cup of cheerios has 74.
Low GI is from 0 to 54 and most of the fruit and vegetables and unsweetened dairy products fall under this category. Examples are
- Fresh apples – 28 to 44
- Fresh bananas – 30 to 52
- Fresh kidney beans – 13 to 46
- Fresh carrots – 16 to 92
Foods with high and medium GIs should be avoided, maybe eaten once in a while Below I give some links as to where to check the GIs of the food stuffs. But when looking through the Glycemic edge database, I found some surprisingly high GIs, as follows:
- French baguette – 95
- 1 cup of corn flakes – 84
- Graham crackers – 74
- Tofu frozen dessert, low fat, 1/2 cup – 115
- Gatorade – 78
Sources of GI values of the food you eat:
- Glycemic Index searchable database, certified by the Glycemic Index Foundation
- Glycemic Edge
- The GI diet guide
Hearing loss in American teens on the rise
October 6, 2010 by Raquel
Filed under DIABETES, HEARING, HEART AND STROKE
Hearing problems is on the rise and the increase is most evident among teens. A new research study by scientists at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in
Boston revealed that there is a 31% rise in the number of adolescents with some form of hearing loss. The auditory problems are sometimes mild and barely noticeable but they are there. And previous have shown that among the young, even minor hearing losses can affect communication and social skills, thus educational achievement.
The researchers examined data of over 4500 participants of the NHANES aged 12 to 19 years old and compared data from 1988 to 1984 vs. data from 2005 to 2006.
According to lead author Dr. Josef Shargorodsky:
The authors believe that noise is a major factor in this increase in hearing loss.
Indeed, exposure of adolescents to noise has increased in recent years, what with widespread use of portable music devices such as MP3 players and even mobile phones.
This is probably exacerbated in adulthood by increased risk for cardiovascular disease and unhealthy lifestyle.
In another study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, risk factors for hearing loss in American adults have been identified as environmental and lifestyle factors as well as concomitant diseases.
Environmental factors are mainly exposure to noise which results in high-frequency hearing loss.
What is interesting is the fact that the lifestyle factor smoking also results in hearing loss, both at high and low frequencies. In addition, hypertension and diabetes, too, can lead to high- and low-frequency hearing loss. The authors believe that the link between cardiovascular risk factors and hearing loss is due to damage to the cochlea as a consequence of microvascular insufficiency. Cochlea is the snail-shaped structure in the inner ear where sound waves are converted into nerve impulses. Damage to the cochlea results in impairment of transmission of those nerve impulses. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors in addition to exposure to high levels of noise can exacerbate problems of hearing loss.
Diet vs. drugs in diabetes management
When it comes to the management of type 2 diabetes, the appropriate diet may actually
“trump up” medications.
Researchers in New Zealand looked at 94 high-risk diabetes patients which were split into 2 groups. All patients received optimal medical care for diabetes but one group received regular one-to-one dietary advice from a dietician. The advice did not focus on a strict diabetic diet but was customized to the needs of each individual patient based on socio-economic and cultural circumstances.
The study lasted for 6 months and at the end of the study period, patients who received dietary advice showed significant improvements in terms of glycemic control. Some of the patients in this group were even able to reduce their doses of hypoglycemic drugs or insulin.
According to lead author Kirstin Coppell:
In addition, the group who had dietary advice also experienced reduction in body weight and abdominal fat, with an average weight loss of 2.1 kg and 3 cm waistline reduction.
Over the years, anti-diabetic drugs have been developed to help patients with diabetes maintain their blood sugar levels. But with time, the efficacy of these medications wanes as insulin resistance increases. No matter how intensive the drug therapy maybe, control of blood sugar levels eventually deteriorates.
The study, aptly called Lifestyle Over and Above Drugs in Diabetes (LOADD), shows that lifestyle changes in terms of modifying eating habits compliment the effect of medications and bring more benefits to the diabetes patient. However, making the step towards this change and sticking to it is not an easy task. It is thus necessary to have the guidance of health professionals such as a dietician as well as a strong support group to sustain this lifestyle.
Diabetic drug Avandia in trouble
September 23, 2010 by Raquel
Filed under DIABETES, HEART AND STROKE
The antidiabetic drug rosiglitazone is in big trouble as the decisions from major regulatory bodies were announced today.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced today that it is recommending the suspension of the marketing license of antidiabetic drugs that contain rosiglitazone. This includes the drugs marketed in Europe as Avandia, Avandamet, and Avaglin.
The EMA suspension will take effect within the next few months and “will remain in place unless the marketing authorisation holder can provide convincing data to identify a group of patients in whom the benefits of the medicines outweigh their risks.”
In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) decided that Avandia stays on the US market but under strong restrictions. According to an FDA statement today:
Rosiglitazone has been under scrutiny due to the side effects of fluid retention and increased risk of heart failure which came out during postmarketing studies. Avandia is a product of the UK drug marker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
What should patients in Europe who are taking rosiglitazone do?
The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) issued the following press statement earlier today:
In any case, this may be the end of rosiglitazone. Even if its stays in the US market, its cardiovascular safety is seriously suspect that no clinician will ever consider prescribing the drug to patients.
Photo source: www.healthcare-digital.com/news/avandia/avandia-recieves-mixed-reactions
Spice up your health!
August 18, 2010 by Raquel
Filed under CANCER, DIABETES, HEART AND STROKE
Most of us pay attention to the food that we eat. The big food stuffs, at least. What we usually take for granted are the little stuff: the condiments, the spices and 
the herbs.
The spices and herbs we use in our kitchen come from flowers, leaves, seed, fruit, roots and other parts of plant. They not only give flavour to our food, they are also beneficial to our health. With the trend of limiting salt in our food for the sake of heart health, herbs and spices are important taste boosters. But what is also important is that some of them have special properties that help fight a wide range of chronic diseases, from heart disease to cancer, from diabetes to arthritis.
Let us take a look at of the top performers in our kitchen spice rack:
Chili peppers
These peppers contain compounds that help in weight loss and control blood pressure, according to a report in WebMD. The compound dihydrocapsiate boosts fat-burning capacity and another one, capsaicin provides heat and lowers blood pressure in lab animals.
Cinnamon
Besides being the star of Christmas baking, cinnamon contains antioxidants that may prevent inflammation and help control blood glucose concentrations in people with diabetes.
Garlic
Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times wrote:
This hydrogen sulphide-boosting property makes garlic a powerful ally against cancer and heart disease.
Curcumin/Turmeric
This yellow pungent powder which gives your curry its color is practically a health superstar. The active ingredient is curcumin which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, stomach- heart- and liver-protective effects
WebMD recommends simples tips on how to incorporate these health stars in out diet.
Ground cinnamon:
- Add 1.25 teaspoons to prepared oatmeal; 1 cup Greek yogurt mixed with 2 teaspoons molasses or honey, or artificial sweetener; and French toast batter.
- Sprinkle half a teaspoon of cinnamon over ground coffee before brewing.
- Top a fat-free latte or hot cocoa with ground cinnamon.
Chili peppers:
- Add chopped peppers to chili, burgers, soups, stews, salsa, and egg dishes.
Turmeric:
- Sprinkle on egg salad.
- Mix half a teaspoon turmeric with 1 cup Greek yogurt and use as a dip or sandwich spread.
- Add to chicken or seafood casseroles, and to water when cooking rice.
Garlic:
- Add fresh chopped or minced garlic to pasta dishes, stir-fry dishes, pizza, fresh tomato sauce, and meat and poultry recipes.
Oregano:
- Add 1/8 teaspoon dried to scrambled eggs, salad dressings, and store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.
- Sprinkle some on top of pizza, and stir into black bean soup.
Basil:
- Make a sandwich with low-fat mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves; add fresh leaves to green salads.
Thyme:
- Sprinkle dried thyme onto cooked vegetables in place of butter or margarine.
- Add 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme to two scrambled eggs, and to salad dressings.
- Use it in a rub when cooking salmon.
- Add fresh thyme to chicken salad and chicken soup.
Rosemary:
- Add dried crushed rosemary to mashed potatoes and vegetable omelets.
Parsley:
- Add chopped flat leaf parsley to meatballs and meat loaf, and to bulgur salad.
Ginger:
- Grate fresh ginger into quick bread batters and vinaigrette.
- Add chopped ginger to stir-fries. Sprinkle ground ginger on cooked carrots.
Cloves:
- Sprinkle ground cloves on applesauce, add to quick bread batters, and add a pinch to hot
Diabetes treatments benefit animals, too
Diabetes used to be a death sentence. Until 1922 when insulin was discovered, extracted from
pancreas of dogs. With insulin, diabetes became manageable. Dogs and other animals have been and are still being used in biomedical research for developing and testing new drugs for humans. Animal rights activists are of course not happy with this state of affairs. A recent report from the University of Missouri (MU) however indicates that it is not only human beings who benefit from the fruit of biomedical research but man’s best friend and other animals as well.
MU researchers have tested a continuous glucose monitoring device commonly used in humans with diabetes in animals and found the device to be helpful in treating dogs and other animals. The device is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades of the animal.
According to Charles Wiedmeyer, assistant professor of clinical pathology in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine.
The device records blood glucose data every five minutes and provides a detailed blood glucose profile of an animal for several days. The data obtained with the device are invaluable in managing diabetes in pets especially in determining the proper dosage of insulin and in controlling sugar levels through proper diet.
These all sound very familiar to those who are suffering from diabetes because the disease manifestations in humans and in animals are very similar.
Dogs, however, are more like little children rather than adults with diabetes because they have little control over their insulin and diet. They need to rely on their owners/caregivers on glycemic control, thus making easy and convenient glucose monitoring invaluable.
The glucose monitoring device specially designed for animals is manufactured by Medtronics.
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