You might be thinking “What’s the connection between diabetes and the menopause?”

Well, for ladies reaching that certain age, it can be very traumatic – especially when some of the effects experienced can easily be mistaken for those we have to be aware of when managing our diabetes…

You might be thinking “What’s the connection between diabetes and the menopause?”

Well, for ladies reaching that certain age, it can be very traumatic – especially when some of the effects experienced can easily be mistaken for those we have to be aware of when managing our diabetes…

For a diabetic taking medication, keeping blood sugars at the right level is a balancing act. If sugar levels drop too low, because of not eating enough or at the right times, you suffer a hypoglycemia episode (sometimes called ‘hypo’ for short). For me, this usually manifests itself as shaking; irritability; sweating and a faint-headed feeling.

If you are diabetic and have ever had low-blood sugar you may recognize some of these symptoms, amongst others. A quick ‘glucose fix’ usually settles it within 5-10 minutes.

Now, compare that to some of the symptoms of starting the menopause; hot flushes [I call them ‘power-surges’ ;)] – similar to the sweats of a hypo; mood swings – akin to the irritability you might experience during a hypo. It’s very easy to confuse the symptoms you are feeling.

When I first started the menopause, I frequently confused waking at 2 a.m. in the morning in a cold sweat as a hypo and took a quick sugar boost to settle myself. That pushed my blood sugar levels up when I didn’t need it. Not a good idea!

It was only after visiting my Doctor to talk about these frequent, unexpected hypos I discovered I was starting the menopause (I was in my late 40s, so it was rather unexpected, normally it doesn’t occur until early-to-mid 50s).

If you are a lady, with diabetes controlled by medication, and you are in your early 50s and you start having frequent, unexplained hypos – check your sugar levels before ‘treating the condition’. And get your Doctor to check your symptoms. You may be confusing symptoms of diabetes and the menopause.

And guys; if your lady normally has great control of her diabetes and suddenly seems to be showing the same symptoms when she was getting her diabetes into balance (if you knew her then) please be supportive and understanding, she’s going through one hell of an experience, but I promise, she will come through and be her normal, loving and charming self once again.

Like most diseases, there is plenty of fact and fiction and often the two become intertwined and diabetes is no exception. Most people think that eating too much sugar cause diabetes, this is not true.

Diabetes is not caused by eating sugar. Diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, eating a diet high in fat and sugar can cause you to become overweight.

It is being overweight that radically increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, so if you have a history of diabetes in your family, I would recommend a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Actually, I remember a story about an ex-patient of mine, let’s call her ‘Patricia’.

We spoke at length about all her risk factors, but she stopped me when I asked her if she had any relatives with diabetes. I couldn’t hold back the laughter, when she informed me that she wasn’t too worried as she didn’t like her relatives and had no contact with them!

Yo can catch diabetes from someone else – Fact or fiction?

This brings me nicely to another common myth about diabetes, that it can be passed from person to person by everyday contact (SOURCE: Diabetes UK). Although we don’t know exactly why some people get diabetes, we know that it is not contagious – it can’t be caught like a cold or flu. There seems to be some genetic link involved particularly Type 2 diabetes. But environmental factors also play a part.

That’s enough Diabetes Fiction now for some fact

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterised by abnormally high blood sugar levels due either to lower production of insulin or abnormal resistance to insulin’s effects.

The major symptoms are excessive thirst, frequent urination, muscle cramps, poor healing of wounds, impaired vision and itching.

Heart disease and stroke – caused by diseased coronary arteries supplying blood to brain- are also common complications associated with diabetes.

As people age, insulin production may diminish and/or insulin resistance may increase. If the consumption of food, especially food that causes rapid surges in blood sugar levels, remains high, blood sugar levels may become and remain abnormally high, which is the condition known as diabetes.

The serious consequences of this are collapse, a diabetic fit followed by diabetic coma and if not treated quickly, death can occur.

So diabetes is a killer disease!

Conventional and Complimentary treatments.

One problem with conventional treatments is that they are sometimes cumbersome and, on their own, not always effective. They sometimes have unwanted side-effects and very occasionally serious side-effects have been reported.

This is not to say that oral medication should not be used. On the contrary, they may be life-enhancing and life-saving and they should certainly never be stopped or their dose changed without a doctor’s advice.

But the need for them – and indeed the need eventually for insulin injections – will be greatly reduced with a few simple changes to lifestyle. One of the best things you could do is follow the methods of Doctor Patrick Quillin in his International bestselling book The Diabetes Improvement Program.

I’ve reviewed this book before and it stirred up quite a lot of interest, so I think it’s well worth another mention.

The author, Doctor Patrick Quillin, is renowned in this field and I’ve been impressed with his theses in the past. He uses food and supplements to slow and even reverse all aspects and symptoms of diabetes.

The programme helps to eliminate ketones and provides an abundance of energy. It normalises blood sugar levels, and improves both eyesight and balance. Scratches and scrapes heal much quicker. It will also renew feeling and sensation in numb limbs.

It reverses neuropathy and helps to heal ulcers. All these fantastic benefits have great knock-on effects as well. They help with blood pressure, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reducing your risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney damage.

And for those of you that are quite handy around the kitchen, there is a second great book associated with the programme called the Diabetics Cookbook, that lists hundreds of great recipes from all around the world.

Due to the success of the Diabetes Improvement Program last time I mentioned it the publishers have agreed to supply my readers with both the Diabetes Improvement Program and the Diabetic Cookbook at a specially discounted rate. Basically, if you buy both books, you get the Cookbook for just a fiver! That’s half price and not a bad deal if you ask me. To read more about the Diabetes Improvement Program visit my website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1847477

In the past, diabetes was never such a big epidemic like it is today. People often thought of diabetes as simply a body condition where one must reduce one’s sugar and fat intake. Little did people know that diabetes could end up causing blindness!

Now that diabetes is reaching epidemic levels in most of the western world, this problem is becoming more and more serious. Vision is one of our most critical senses and in this “need for speed” information era, over 70% of our …

In the past, diabetes was never such a big epidemic like it is today. People often thought of diabetes as simply a body condition where one must reduce one’s sugar and fat intake. Little did people know that diabetes could end up causing blindness!

Now that diabetes is reaching epidemic levels in most of the western world, this problem is becoming more and more serious. Vision is one of our most critical senses and in this “need for speed” information era, over 70% of our sensory information comes through our eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, diabetics are 25 times more likely to lose vision than those who are not diabetic.

With diabetes already being the number one cause of blindness in the United States, it’s no wonder eye care professionals are predicting a devastating increase in vision loss as the diabetic epidemic grows alarmingly.

People newly diagnosed with diabetes often have nothing more than minor vision fluctuations which settle when blood sugar levels improve with treatment. Early on it’s easy to believe everything is fine. After some years though, continuing high blood sugar can gradually damage the blood vessels at the back of the eye in the retina. This causes a problem called diabetic retinopathy and the longer you have diabetes the more likely you are to have retinopathy. The risk increases further when there is poor control of blood sugar levels. More than 70% of diabetics develop some changes in their eyes within 15 years of diagnosis.

Now, what exactly is retinopathy? There are 2 types of retinopathy. Retinopathy is graded as Non-proliferative or Proliferative. Non-proliferative retinopathy is the common milder form, where small retinal blood vessels break and leak. There may be some mild retinal swelling but it rarely requires treatment unless it causes hazy central vision or straight lines appear bent.

On the other hand, proliferative retinopathy is the less common, but more serious form where new blood vessels grow abnormally within the retina. If these vessel scar or bleed they can lead to potentially serious vision loss including blindness. Early laser treatment can seal leaking vessels and slow the progress of diabetic retinopathy, but can’t reverse existing vision loss.

Although there is no real cure or method to eliminate the risk of diabetic eye damage, you can do two important things to help prevent the more serious complications. The critical first step is making sure you stabilize and control your blood sugar with a healthy diet and regular exercise. The second step is to make sure you have a yearly diabetic eye examination.

Diabetes is a disease that mostly affects blood vessels and in it’s extreme forms can lead to serious heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. Clearly these life threatening diabetic vascular diseases deserve priority attention, but high on the critical list for diabetics is the risk of serious eye disease and loss of vision. Make sure you check up with a qualified doctor to prevent diabetes-related eye problems! An experienced eye care professional can pick up subtle diabetic eye changes long before you notice any vision change, and more importantly, early enough to do some good.

If you suspect that you or a close one has diabetes – or if diabetes is already present – now is the time to seek a doctor for a detailed eye check up before it’s too late! Don’t let diabetes claim another person’s vision!

Gestational diabetes affects about four percent of all pregnant women although it is usually goes away after childbirth. Untreated gestational diabetes can lead to problems for both the mother and the child.

This type of diabetes is a temporary form of insulin resistance that usually occurs halfway through a pregnancy. It results from excessive hormone production in the body, or the inability of the pancreas make the additional insulin that is needed during pregnancy in women with no previous history of diabetes. Without enough insulin, sugar builds up in the blood to high levels. This is called hyperglycemia.

Gestational diabetes affects about four percent of all pregnant women although it is usually goes away after childbirth. Untreated gestational diabetes can lead to problems for both the mother and the child. Although insulin does not cross through the placenta to the baby, sugar and other nutrients do.

Extra blood sugar goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood sugar level. This causes the baby’s pancreas to produce extra insulin to get rid of the blood sugar, which can lead to microsomatia or a fat baby syndrome. Microsomatia develops because extra blood sugar and insulin cause the baby’s body to produce extra fat.

Babies with microsomatia are prone to other health problems including damage to their shoulders during birth. Because of the extra insulin newborns may have very low blood sugar levels at birth and may also have a higher risk of breathing problems.

The treatment of gestational diabetes should start quickly to prevent adverse effects to the mother and the baby. It should aim to keeping blood sugar level equal to those of pregnant women who do not have gestational diabetes. Treatment includes special meal plans and scheduled physical activity as well as daily blood sugar testing, so as to keep it under control.

Diabetes has many complications, some leading to other serious health conditions. Heart health is one more reason to take control of your diabetes.

Diabetes is one condition that must be treated as soon as it is diagnosed, even though in its early stages it doesn’t hurt, or cause inconvenience, or create any worrisome symptoms. But ignoring it is a mistake, because the blood sugar imbalance we diabetics live with can cause a variety of complications, even leading to other serious health conditions.

One major cause for concern is adverse effects on our hearts. Our unstable blood sugar levels can cause poor circulation—a big step on the road to heart problems. Here are some things to watch for.

Hypertension

Diabetes often goes hand-in-hand with high blood pressure, or hypertension. In fact, your doctor will tell you that diabetics must work to get their blood pressure down even lower than other people. While a systolic pressure (the top number) of 140 might be acceptable for the general population, we diabetics should aim for 130 or lower. It’s all part of the battle against possible heart disease.

Blood fats

Cholesterol and tryglycerides, or blood fats, also need to be kept lower in diabetics. Lots of fruits and vegetables, fewer packaged or fried foods are your best bets for dietary blood fat control. Throw out that frying pan!

Blood sugar

Blood sugar levels need monitoring too, as consistently high levels damage blood vessels and can lead to cardiovascular difficulties.

Weight level

And of course you know it’s important to maintain a healthy weight. Why is that particularly important for us diabetics? First, if you are overweight your heart muscle needs to work harder to pump blood through your system. This weakens your blood vessels, which are then more susceptible to damage from fluctuating blood sugar levels. It’s a vicious cycle you don’t want to create.

Your heart is the main engine of your whole body, so you need to do everything possible to keep it in good shape. For the sake of a healthy heart, take control of your diabetes.

I did not become familiar with gestational diabetes until recently when my sister-in-law and my best friend were both diagnosed with it within a week. Many women I know, myself included, have made it through pregnancies without having any serious problems like gestational diabetes.

Basically, gestational diabetes is a disease that can come on during pregnancy but that usually disappears once the baby has been born. In some women, pregnancy results in their blood sugar leve…

I did not become familiar with gestational diabetes until recently when my sister-in-law and my best friend were both diagnosed with it within a week. Many women I know, myself included, have made it through pregnancies without having any serious problems like gestational diabetes.

Basically, gestational diabetes is a disease that can come on during pregnancy but that usually disappears once the baby has been born. In some women, pregnancy results in their blood sugar levels getting out of balance. A pregnant woman might realize that she is having blood sugar problems on her own or it might take a doctor to determine that her levels are not normal. Regardless of how it is discovered, gestational diabetes is a serious issue that needs to be handled with caution and care throughout a woman’s pregnancy and after.

When my sister-in-law and my closest friend were struggling with feeling abnormally up and down during their pregnancies, their doctor took blood tests and determined that their blood sugar levels were being affected by their pregnancies and their food choices. They were both diagnosed simply by having this blood work done. At first they were hesitant and scared because gestational diabetes sounded huge and they didn’t know how relatively simple the treatment process could be.

Gestational diabetes, because it is primarily an imbalance of blood sugar, can often be regulated by changes in diet and levels of exercise. The amount of changes that are necessary are dependant upon how poor of habits the women have to begin with. My sister-in-law and my friend had to make different levels of changes to their diets, but neither had to make such significant changes that their lifestyle was radically altered. Mostly their changes consisted of going on a low-sugar and low-carb eating plan. Gestational diabetes brings a risk of the baby getting to large during its gestational period and needing to be delivered early or by c-section. The more the pregnant mother cuts down on sugar intake, the less likely it is that the baby will get too large to be delivered vaginally.

If you are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant in the near future, take some time and learn about ways to prevent gestational diabetes. It is the best for you and your baby. Prevention is always a better option than having to find a solution to high blood sugar levels. Be wise with your food and exercise choices from the start and you should be able to avoid dealing with gestational diabetes in your pregnancies. Talk with your doctor and take every possible precaution.

Exercise is a critical part of diabetic management and treatment. Exercise helps blood sugar control when the muscles use more glucose and the body become more sensitive to insulin. Exercise also helps to prevent and minimize common diabetic complications including heart problems, high blood pressure and circulatory deficiencies. All diabetics should include a regular exercise program as part of their overall management plan.

The two most common forms of diabetes are referred to as Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes, also known as adolescent diabetes, differs from Type 2 in that the body stops producing insulin altogether. Type 2 diabetes is generally diagnosed in older adults and occurs as the body stops producing enough insulin or the individual becomes resistent to their own insulin.

With either form of diabetes, we lose our ability to adequately untilize sugar. Blood sugar levels increase due to the body’s difficulty in transporting sugar into the cells and out of the blood stream. There are various ways to lower blood sugar levels including exercise, diet, and medications.

Exercise is a very important part of diabetic management for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. For the Type 1 diabetic, regular exercise helps to maintain insulin sensitivity, helps prevent accumulation of excess weight, and increases the use of glucose by muscles, thereby lower blood sugar levels. While there is currently no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes, it may be possible to prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Things to consider when attempting to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes are regular exercise, supplementation with vitamins and herbs that help prevent insulin resistance, and proper weight control.

Exercise not only helps directly in diabetic management by lowering blood sugar levels and maintaining insulin sensitivity, but also helps minimize many of the complications that can arise in a diabetic individual. Studies have shown that walking for 30 minutes per day can substantially diminish the possibility of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetics tend to develop circulatory problems and exercise can certainly help lower blood pressure and improve circulation throughout the body. Since individuals with diabetes tend to have poor blood flow to their lower extremities and feet, better circulation is of great benefit.

There are some risks associated with exercise, but the potential benefits greatly outweigh the risks. Since exercise does lower blood sugar levels, people with diabetes should measure their blood sugar both before and after exercising. Since your body uses more sugar while exercising and makes you more sensitive to insulin, there is a risk of blood sugar becoming too low and causing hypoglycemia.

When exercising it is important to let others know that you are diabetic. They should be informed what to do in case of hypoglycemia. You should always carry candy or fruit juice to treat low blood sugar levels should they occur. During and after exercise sessions, you should pay close attention to how you feel since rapid heart beat, increased sweating, feeling shaky, or hunger can signal that your blood sugar levels are becoming too low.

Exercise is a critical part of diabetic management and treatment. Exercise helps blood sugar control when the muscles use more glucose and the body become more sensitive to insulin. Exercise also helps to prevent and minimize common diabetic complications including heart problems, high blood pressure and circulatory deficiencies. All diabetics should include a regular exercise program as part of their overall management plan.

I was told in rapid succession that I was suffering from intermittent claudication (that’s blocked arteries in the legs), high blood pressure, Diabetes Type 2. and that I was overweight.

Not a lot of pleasure there! The intermittent claudication made it increasingly difficult to do much, so that in effect I had become a prisoner to my house and garden. Exercise was out of the question, my legs simply couldn’t cope, but it was hoped that angioplasty to each leg would cure t…

I was told in rapid succession that I was suffering from intermittent claudication (that’s blocked arteries in the legs), high blood pressure, Diabetes Type 2. and that I was overweight.

Not a lot of pleasure there! The intermittent claudication made it increasingly difficult to do much, so that in effect I had become a prisoner to my house and garden. Exercise was out of the question, my legs simply couldn’t cope, but it was hoped that angioplasty to each leg would cure the problem. It didn’t.

My high blood pressure, I was assured, could be treated by a cocktail of drugs and by weight loss. The cocktail of four different drugs worked, but I could not seem to lose weight.

So I was given a choice: the blood sugar levels could be controlled either by drugs or by diet. Since I was already taking four different drugs for blood pressure, I thought it best to try diet control. I was also hopeful that this might help me to lose weight. But where to start? My diabetic nurse provided me with a blood sugar monitor and said I should aim to stay under 9 as my reading. My Doctor said to stay under 7. Now she has reduced this to under 5. My current long-term reading is 5.3. A big drop from the high readings I used to produce.

So what did I do? At first I was taking blood samples three times a day and was truly astonished at how my blood sugar jumped about. Plain porridge and water, which I absolutely loved, would produce a reading of 16 and yet, being a slow release multigrain, I had always assumed it would be good for my health. A single apple, showed a reading of 12! Tea with milk but no sugar, 10. Obviously there was more to this than met the eye.

The first learning point was that the body needs water and lots of it. Out went sugared fizzy drinks and in came plain boiled water. The Swedes call it Silver Tea, I’m told, and it is very refreshing. Now a cup starts every day and two or three more follow. Low calorie tonic water is also useful (the quinine helps prevent cramps), mineral water (I especially like carbonated forms), low calorie Ginger Beer and cold filtered tap water.

The next, crucial, learning point: control your carbohydrate intake, in my case to under 40gms a day. Eliminate bread, cakes, sweets, pasta, rice, cereals, biscuits, sugars, fruit juice, potatoes, honey, jam, marmalade, baked beans. Reading the food labels is a real eye opener!

Instead, increase your intake of vegetables and low carbohydrate foods & fruits. All of the following are particularly good: Broccoli, cabbage, spinach, runner beans, brussels sprouts cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, swede, squashes, celeriac, green salads. Fruit can be very high in sugars, so use in moderation. Choose rhubarb, grapefruit, raspberries, loganberries, strawberries, blueberries, all of which are O.K. Do not add sugar, of course, so sweeten with cinnamon instead. Avocadoes are low in carbohydrates, but high in fat, so eat no more than half a fruit a day. Add nuts and seeds to your diet, again in small amounts.

As far as alcohol is concerned, all beers are out. One or two glasses of red wine a day are acceptable.

Avoid processed foods as much as possible and certainly do NOT eat hydrogenated fats of any kind. They are to my mind a food industry con. and of no use to any one other than manufacturers of processed food.

Buy only genuine, non-reconstituted lean meat, poultry, game and fish. Reduce your saturated fat intake by cooking on a griddle and cutting off any excess fat. Cook with olive and nut oils, as these unsaturated fats are good for you. Never use lard. Add game to your repertoire of ingredients, along with plenty of oily and white fish such as salmon, haddock, tuna, swordfish, mackerel & kipper.

I have never once felt hungry with this change in my eating habits to simple whole foods. I still find I miss eating plain yoghurt, vanilla ice cream and various cheeses. But then I occasionally do give myself a small treat – provided I stay within my allowance.

The results are good for my health:

My good cholesterol is high
My bad cholesterol is low
My type II diabetes blood sugar is well controlled by diet alone
I have lost 10 lbs in weight.

My next task is to lose another 30 lbs. I know now that this is achievable. The more weight I lose, the more able I am to increase my activity levels – and the more incentive I have to control my calorie intake. At last I feel that I am taking back control of my body and discovering that you really are what you eat!