Diabetes Health Talk

Treadmill

The findings published in the journal BioMed Central Endocrine Disorders suggest that people unable to meet government guidelines calling for moderate to vigorous exercise several hours per week can still benefit from exercise.

“This is such a brief amount of exercise you can do it without breaking a sweat,” said James Timmons, an exercise biologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who led the study.

“You can make just as big as an effect doing this as you can by doing hours and hours of endurance training each week.”

Type 2 diabetes, which affects an estimated 246 million adults worldwide and accounts for 6 percent of all global deaths, is a condition in which the body gradually loses the ability to use insulin properly to convert food to energy.

Very strict diet and vigorous, regular and sustained exercise can reverse type 2 diabetes, but this can be difficult for many people. The condition is closely linked to inactivity.

Timmons and his team showed that just seven minutes of exercise each week helped a group of 16 men in their early twenties control their insulin.

The volunteers, who were relatively out of shape but otherwise healthy, rode an exercise bike four times daily in 30 second spurts two days a week.

After two weeks, the young men had a 23 percent improvement in how effectively their body used insulin to clear glucose, or blood sugar, from the blood stream, Timmons said.

The effect appears to last up to 10 days after the last round of exercise, he added in a telephone interview.

Corn

We all know that an expanding waistline leads to diabetes and heart disease. A smalll, but significant study is looking at types of sugar.

In the study, the sweet stuff dramatically enhanced lipogenesis — the process by which the body converts sugar into fat.

Double or Nothing?
In fact, people in the study who consumed a fructose-laced breakfast drink produced double the body fat in a subsequent 4-hour period, compared with the people who had a glucose-only breakfast beverage. Is this really a surprise? Fat and sugar account for many fast food breakfasts and cereals these days. No wonder there is an obesity epidemic in the United States.

Where You Get It
Fructose is found in fruit and fruit juice. But you probably get most of yours from processed foods, because hundreds of them have it in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) — from soups and salad dressings to breads, cereals, crackers, and sweetened beverages. HFCS is a major source of excess calories, according to the American Dietetic Association. The Dr’s from ‘Real Age’ and I recommend cutting all high-fructose corn syrup from your diet. HFCS raises blood sugar!

You will be surprised at how many products have HFCS in them. This will be a great learning opportunity for everyone. Since I’ve cut out processed foods, i’ve lost weight and feel much healthier than I ever have in my life. You will too.

Downtown Seattle

Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan said air pollution not only affects your lungs, it also causes problems in other organs. His research team exposed mice to the same dirty air that many of us breathe every day.

“Every mouse that we exposed to high-fat diet, along with exposure to inhaled particulates, had marked worsening of diabetes,” Rajagopalan said.

Rajagopalan also noted that diabetes rates are highest in urban areas, which often have the worst air.

The study is very telling, that most diabetics live in cities and suburbs. More study needs to be done to verify the claim, but it is interesting to note.

I”ve lived in both smaller towns and bigger cities and haven’t noticed a rise in diabetes, but then again, I wasn’t keeping track. I only developed diabetes after receiving my transplant.

If you live in a dense urban or suburban area, its all the more reason to take care of yourself. Take your blood sugar, adjust your insulin or take your medication, eat low-carb, low-sodium and low-sugar foods and exercise. Some of my favorite vegetables are zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, beets, carrots and the like. Farmers markets are great. You know where they come from and they’re not covered with pesticides.

My food plan is low-carb, high fiber vegetables, beef, chicken and tuna. I walk every day (or compensate in my apt).

Healthy Mediterranean foods

Whether or not you have diabetes, there are nutrition guidelines that everyone should strive to follow. Healthy living includes many things, including diet, exercise, mental and emotional health. Life throws monkey wrenches in our path that is out of our control. What is in our control is how we adapt to and learn from these intrusions. By following the guidlines that Cooking Light shares, we’ll be better able to lead a healthier lifestyle.

1. Eat smart, be fit, and live longer–Eat a predominately plant-based diet that offers a balance of healthful fats; a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; and quality sources of protein that are low in saturated fat, which is linked to elevated rates of cardiovascular disease.

2. Select carbs that satisfy– Whole grains, in particular, are a superior carbohydrate choice. Women who average two to three daily servings of whole grains have a 30 percent reduced risk for heart attack and type 2 diabetes compared to women who consume less than one serving per week, according to the Nurses’ Health Study.

3. Boost your nutrient power–Dietitians increasingly recommend and have a term for foods inherently rich in vitamins, minerals, and beneficial nutrients without additional calories: “nutrient dense” or “nutrient rich.” The idea is to choose foods that offer the most nutritional bang for the caloric buck.

4. Save room for treats–The key is to make even your discretionary calories nutritionally sound. Enjoy nuts (which offer satisfying protein, fiber, and beneficial fats) as a snack, or make hot chocolate with unsweetened cocoa, a touch of sugar, and fat-free milk for added protein, calcium, and vitamin D.

5. Be savvy about salt–focus on fresh, whole foods. “Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and meats may naturally contain minimal amounts of sodium, but that’s hardly the sodium found in many processed foods,” Bauer says. When you do use processed foods, look for no- or reduced-sodium versions to help avoid adding extra sodium to your dish.

6. Eat foods that are good for you — and the planet–Place as much emphasis on produce-based side dishes as on meat entrées.

7. Beware of portion distortion–Portion control is easy to practice in your own kitchen. hen cooking with ingredients that aren’t already portioned or plating finished dishes, pay close attention to measurements. Use tools like measuring cups or kitchen scales to help you identify the correct amount.

By following these healthy living tips, you’ll look and feel better. Plus, you’ll be fit enough to dodge all those monkey wrenches.

Accu-chek Meter with skins

Got mine, ordered the Sports Skins. This is a great opportunity for diabetics and those watching their blood sugar.

Microscope

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body mistakenly attacks insulin-producing cells, and it usually starts in childhood; type 2 diabetes is a metabolic derangement, often tied to obesity later in life.

Few studies have looked at how a family history of type 2 diabetes impacts the offspring with type 1 disease, according to a report in the medical journal Diabetes Care.

To investigate, Dr. Per-Henrik Groop, from Helsinki University Hospital, and colleagues analyzed data from 1860 patients with type 1 diabetes. About a third of the subjects had parents with type 2 diabetes.

On average, the onset of type 1 diabetes occurred at 17.2 years of age in the group with a family history compared with 16.1 years in the group without parental diabetes.

There’s no clear-cut answer to why this occurs, though, scientists say.

As with both types of diabetes, watch what you eat, exercise and take your medications as prescribed by your doctor or health care provider.

By eating low carb, low starch, low sugar foods, you deprive the body of the ability to raise your blood sugar, and you’re feeding your body healthy, nutritious foods it needs anyway. You’ll feel better, not only because your blood sugars will lower, but also because you’ll start losing weight. I know I do, since I’ve been eating more fiber-rich vegetables, like Eggplant, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Carrots, Bell Peppers and the like. You can make so much with just a few ingredients.

There haven’t been any more studies about Delayed Type 1 diabetics who have parents with Type 2 Diabetes.

Atkins Diet

Here’s the study, in a nutshell: low carb diets reduce blood sugar. Here’s the long explantion.

Dr. Eric C. Westman, of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues compared the effectiveness of the two diets in 84 obese patients with type 2 diabetes. They were assigned to a low carbohydrate (less than 20 grams per day) ketogenic diet or to low-glycemic reduced-calorie diet for 24-weeks. Those on the low-carb ketogenic diet had no restrictions on their daily calorie intake.

The participants on the low-carb ketogenic diet had greater improvements in A1C, a measure of long-term blood glucose control, than those in the low-glycemic reduced-calorie diet group.

Those in the low-carb ketogenic diet group also lost more weight and had an increase in “good” HDL cholesterol compared with those in the other diet group.

It was possible for 95.2 percent of those in the low-carb ketogenic diet group and 62.1 percent on the low-glycemic reduced-calorie diet to eliminate or reduce their diabetes medications.

“Lifestyle modification using low carbohydrate interventions is effective for improving and reversing type 2 diabetes,” the researchers conclude.

The most popular low-carb ketogenic diet is Atkins. David Draper has the best advice and I would submit this for those who are wanting to lose weight, lower their blood sugars. His number one rule for proper nutrition.

RULE # 1- Stay away from fats, excessive salt and simple sugars. This eliminates 99% of the fast foods, munchies and soft drinks. Who needs them? In a few short weeks, you won’t want them, wonder why you ate them and feel sick if you do!

Hemoglobin A1c

Research shows that even those without Diabetes risk of dying during the next 4 years — from a number of different causes — increased by 16 percent for every 1 percent increase over an established reference value.

Background: What is A1C?

Hemoglobin A1C, which measures how much sugar is attached to individual red blood cells. The hemoglobin A1C, however, is primarily used to monitor treatment once a person is known to have diabetes, and not to make the initial diagnosis. Normal hemoglobin A1C levels are less than 6.1 percent. If a patient has two fasting blood glucose measurements greater than 125 mg/dl and an elevated hemoglobin A1C, that is widely accepted as confirming the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (even without an OGTT).

A normal hemoglobin A1C, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that blood sugar levels are normal or that you don’t have diabetes. Therefore, the hemoglobin A1C cannot be used by itself as a diagnostic test, and an elevated fasting blood sugar level will still need medical attention even if the A1C is normal.

So, in essence, it’s not just Diabetics that must watch what they eat, exercise and live a healthier lifestyle. Having a low A1C (6.1 or below) should be everyone’s goal. It’s by no means the only health number to strive for (good blood pressure is another at or below 120/80), but it means you’ll be healthier. My A1C was 6.5 (not bad for a diabetic!) last month and my doctor was just speechless. Felt good after months of getting berated. My weight was 40 pounds less than when he previously saw me.

It all stems from eating healthier, cutting out saturated fat and carbs, and walking. Remember, start small and make achievable goals.

Insulin Crystals

More and more teenagers with diabetes type-1 or type-2 are skipping insulin shots or pills, fasting, using diet aids, vomiting or using laxatives in order to shed a few pounds. While they may be successful in shedding weight, many may not know the danger they are putting their health in.

They may be causing themselves heart, kidney, liver or eye problems or failure. Their heart and other organs must work harder to compensate by not taking care of themselves. Closely monitor their medications, if you must, to ensure they are taking the proper dosages at the proper times.

If they are concerned about weight loss, sit down and calmly discuss proper nutrition, exercise. Try not to turn it to a lecture, because that’s the surest way to lose their attention. What most people respond to is some listening to them and gently showing them proper eating and exercise habits. Will it happen overnight? No. But, it will happen, over time, by showing proper eating habits, fixing fresh foods with herbs and spices.

Find an activitiy that appeals to them: walking is the best activity known to humankind. There are many health benefits, and weight loss is among them. In 2007, I lost 41 pounds by cutting out fried, fatty, high colesterol foods and walking from 30-60 minutes every day. It’s just one pound a week (the FDA’s recommended weightloss).

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels may be important not just for people with diabetes. New research suggests that good blood sugar levels are correlated with good brain health as we age. Lapses in memory as we age (sometimes referred to as “senior moments”) are a normal part of aging. The latest study suggests that as blood sugar (medically referred to as glucose) levels rise when we age, it may lead to more memory lapses, compared to people who maintain healthy blood glucose levels.

The study suggests that exercising to improve blood sugar levels could be a way for some people to stave off the normal cognitive decline that comes with age.

“This is news even for people without diabetes since blood glucose levels tend to rise as we grow older. Whether through physical exercise, diet or drugs, our research suggests that improving glucose metabolism could help some of us avert the cognitive slide that occurs in many of us as we age,” reported lead researcher Scott A. Small, M.D., associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center.

Although it is widely known that the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease cause damage to the hippocampus, the area of the brain essential for memory and learning, studies have suggested that it is also vulnerable to normal aging. Until now, the underlying causes of age-related hippocampal dysfunction have remained largely unknown.

Previously, using high-resolution brain imaging, Dr. Small and his colleagues discovered that decreasing brain function in one area of the hippocampus, called the dentate gyrus, is a main contributor of normal decline in memory as we age.

In this new study, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the American Diabetes Association and the McKnight Brain Research Foundation, the researchers mapped out the specific areas of the hippocampus impacted by late-life diseases like diabetes and stroke.

This new study looked at measures that typically change during aging, like rising blood sugar, body mass index, cholesterol and insulin levels. The research found that decreasing activity in the dentate gyrus only correlated with levels of blood glucose.

Exercise can keep your brain fit and reduce memory loss by reducing the amount of sugar in the body as we age, claim scientists.

Lapses in memory could be blamed, at least in part, on rising blood glucose levels as we grow old, claims the research.

The findings suggest that exercising to improve blood sugar levels could be a way for some people to stave off the normal decline in mental ability, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in the journal Annals of Neurology.

“This is news even for people without diabetes since blood glucose levels tend to rise as we grow older,” said lead investigator Dr Scott Small.

“Whether through physical exercise, diet or drugs, our research suggests that improving glucose metabolism could help some of us avert the cognitive slide that occurs in many of us as we age.”

Although it is widely known that the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease cause damage to the hippocampus, the area of the brain essential for memory and learning, studies have suggested that it is also vulnerable to normal ageing.

Until now, the underlying causes of age-related hippocampal dysfunction have remained largely unknown.

Previously using high-resolution brain imaging, Dr. Small and his colleagues discovered that decreasing brain function in one area of the hippocampus, called the dentate gyrus, is a main contributor of normal decline in memory as we age.

In the new study, the researchers mapped out the specific areas of the hippocampus impacted by late-life diseases like diabetes and stroke. They found that blood sugar level was a major cause.

“By improving glucose metabolism, physical exercise also reduces blood glucose,” said Dr Small. The findings open the way for a range of treatments targeting memory loss including drugs, dietary changes or an increase in exercise, he added.

All those holiday leftovers and New Year’s party plates can do a real number on your blood sugar. But here’s a drink that may help fix that: chamomile tea.

There just might be something in chamomile that not only helps keep blood sugar stable but also guards against the damage high blood sugar can do.

A Floral Phenomenon
The flower-infused brew is already credited with a catchall of remedy powers — easing anxiety, menstrual cramps, insomnia, and skin problems. The newest potential benefit of chamomile was uncovered during animal research. Extracts of chamomile helped steady blood sugar and also guarded against enzymes involved in diabetes complications. More studies are needed to see if chamomile tea does the same for blood sugar in humans. But we already know that drinking tea is one of the best health habits around — so it won’t hurt if you’re drinking chamomile ahead of the curve.

Blood Sugar Basics
When you’re looking for proven blood sugar control techniques, start with a balanced, portion-controlled diet that’s rich in fiber, veggies, and fruit and low in processed foods and sugars.

Chamomile

What are other names for this remedy?
Type of medicine: natural remedy

Scientific and common names: Matricaria chamomilla (German, Hungarian, wild, or genuine chamomile), Anthemis nobilis (English, Roman, garden, sweet, true chamomile)

What is chamomile?
There are two types of chamomile plants. One is an annual and the other is a slow-growing perennial. The fragrant flowering heads of both plants are collected and dried for use in teas and extracts.

What is it used for?
Chamomile has been used for:

ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder)
bronchitis
common cold
cough
hay fever
gum disease (gingivitis)
inflammation of the mouth, throat, or nose
loss of appetite
menstrual cramps
motion sickness
rectal and genital inflammation
sleeplessness
skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema, psoriasis, and acne
stomach and intestinal problems
wounds and burns.