This website was developed with information that was found while I was researching diabetes for my father, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and was suddenly confronted with questions on what he needed to do to keep his newly found condition in-check. He was worried, (as was I) on the impact it would have on his life and the changes he would have to make in his diet and how that would effect his standard of living.
It’s now been a couple years and he has been an absolute rock star! he’s changed the very way he eats and is watchful of everything that he consumes except for the occasional pint of Guinness which he claims is good for you, although I haven’t researched that yet as it’s one of his few guilty pleasures and I wouldn’t want him to feel bad about enjoying a very occasional pint of the Black Ale.
I am very proud of him and I think that he is actually healthier now than he was 5, 10 or even 15 years ago!
Managing his diabetes in his 60′s and now 70′s has really focused him on what to eat and how to take care of himself as much as he does his car. (he’s always checking the oil and putting the best gas in it!) There’s a lesson in there somewhere isn’t there?
The point of this website is to offer relevant information to those who have the same questions I had about Diabetes and to come to understand, depending on the type of Diabetes, life does go on and can actually be even better than it was before the whole “diabetes thing” came into your life. It’s (mostly) just a matter of being educated, adapting and then improving your lifestyle.
Pre Diabetes – A Good Place To Start
You might not yet have diabetes! This is what I thought my father had, but it’s best to ask your doctor to know for certain.
Most people dont exhibit telltale symptoms since they tend to develop over time; however, this does not mean that they do not exist. Typical warning signs of the onset of diabetes or pre-diabtes, may include an unexplained metallic taste in the mouth, blurred vision, frequent urination, and unusual thirst and lethargy. Once diagnosed, what does one need to do? Let us continue with treatment possibilities.
Treatment Options for Pre Diabetics
Pre diabetes is not the end all. In fact, the Diabetes Prevention Program recently came out with a study indicating that those with pre diabetes were able to delay or prevent diabetes, reversing the clock through the implementation of a healthy food plan and exercise.[1] It is possible to return to normal blood sugar levels, thus, eradicating pre diabetes. We will further continue this subject matter with proper pre diabtes nourishment.
Diabetic Diet
Pre diabetics should begin a healthy food regimen as soon as possible, keeping in mind active carbohydrate monitoring and label reading. While the diabetic diet is not completely restrictive, robbing one from “normal” foods, moderation is key. It is often helpful for individuals to visit with a nutritionist who specializes in diabetes, alleviating the guesswork. Often, the nutritionist will develop a tailored dietary plan that will assist with the prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes.
Types of Diabetes
People who have Type 2 diabetes are not insulin-dependent. This type of diabetes is also called adult-onset diabetes, and this type of diabetes is most often found in people. If you have this type of diabetes, you have a too-high level of glucose in your blood. Because of this, the cells in your blood, muscle and fat don’t react well to insulin. Sugar is not able to be stored in your cells and later used for energy. Instead, the sugar is stored in the blood. People who are overweight are at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes, or insulin-dependent diabetes, can be found in people of any age. Why this type of diabetes occurs is still unknown, but it may be due to an autoimmune disorder that’s brought on by infection. If you have this type of diabetes, your pancreas is not producing enough insulin. If you have Type 1 diabetes, you may notice that you’re overly hungry or thirsty, extremely tired, have blurred vision, feel a tingling sensation in your lower extremities and are urinating much more often than normal. Warning signs of this type of diabetes include dry skin, dry mouth, vomiting, deep breathing, vomiting, stomach pain and breath that smells fruity.
Symptoms Of Diabetes
The first step in evaluating diabetes is recognizing the symptoms of diabetes. (Always consult a doctor if you think you have diabetes) It is important to note that there are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational. Type 1 diabetes is also referred to as juvenile diabetes. It occurs when cells cannot make insulin, which is the hormone that regulates blood sugar. This condition is typically diagnosed in early childhood. Some of the type 1 symptoms may include: increased thirst, fatigue, extreme hunger, frequent urination and weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common. This condition occurs when the body produces insulin, but the cells cannot use it. The type 2 Diabetes symptoms are nearly identical to the symptoms that type 1 diabetics experience.
Gestational diabetes is a condition that occurs in pregnancy. Doctors believe that this condition occurs because pregnancy changes the way that the body processes sugar. Any pregnant woman can develop gestational diabetes, but it is more common in overweight women who are over the age of 25.
Treatment depends on the type of diabetes that a person has. Type 1 diabetics will have to take insulin because their cells do not produce it. Type 2 diabetes can usually be controlled with diet, exercise and medication. However, some patients will still need to take insulin. Gestational diabetes can also be controlled with diet and exercise.
Diabetic Recipes
Having diabetes can make meals challenging, but with good diabetic recipes it doesn’t have to be that way. You can find the information you need to help create healthy meals by using this website. It doesn’t matter whether you have gestational diabetes or type 2 diabetes, you will be able to find the information that you need right here. Gestational diabetes can be difficult because you need to nurture your baby while watching what you eat. Using our website, you will be able to find healthy and nourishing gestational recipes to control your diabetes while nurturing your little one without a lot of stress or effort.
Many diabetics think that they need to give up sweets and desserts. However, you can still have your cake and eat it too even if you are diabetic. However, you will need to be smart about the type of ingredients you use in your diabetes recipes. Our website will teach you how to create healthy but delicious desserts that you will be proud to share at your office potluck.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it can be very difficult for diabetics who must limit their carbohydrate intake. We’ll show you how to make quick and tasty breakfast items that you can make and eat even if you are running a little bit late. Many items can conveniently be made the night before.
Our diabetic meal plan will help you to plan your menu by giving you options for snacks, lunches and dinners. Take the stress out of meal planning by using our recipes, meal suggestions and tips. You will be glad that you did!
Having diabetes doesn’t mean that you need to survive on bland meals, or that you need to spend hours researching recipes. Instead, you just need to use our website!
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a general term for several different disease that fall under the category of diabetes, more specifically type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, your body develops a resistance to insulin, or simply does not create enough insulin for your body to operate properly. Insulin is essential for sugar, or glucose, from your diet to be absorbed into the cells to make energy.When glucose is unable to leave the bloodstream, blood sugar levels get too high, causing potentially serious damage to the blood vessels that supply nutrients to areas like your eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.
This form of diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and occurs at any age, especially in those who are overweight and less active. Symptoms may include blurred vision, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, frequent thirst and urination, slow healing when your skin is cut or broken and dark patches of skin known as acanthosis nigricans.
Treatments include a change in diet, more specifically the types of carbohydrates that are consumed as part of your diet, an increase in exercise as well as a regular monitoring of blood sugar levels.In serious cases, you may need to take insulin to help balance your blood sugar levels and prevent side effects of the disease. In type 1 diabetes, your pancreas malfunctions, resulting in not enough insulin being formed to control blood sugar levels.
This type of diabetes is less common, and appears more in children and adolescents than in adults, although this form can still develop at any age. The symptoms are similar to the first form, but come on much faster and are typically more severe.Treatments include regular monitoring of blood sugar levels, even more so than other forms of diabetes. Regular insulin injections are also needed to replace what the pancreas is unable to provide, and to prevent the serious side effects of unbalanced blood glucose levels.
Diabetic Supplies
Taking care of diabetes can initially, be a pain in the “you-know-what”, but once you get sorted you’ll find it’s not so difficult, especially if you have some help. So, if you dont take care of your diabetes and ignore it that can lead to long-lasting poor health and result in loss of peripheral sensation and those lovely “non-healing” foot ulcers. (to name a few)
One of the biggest things you can do to control your blood sugar is to make sure you have enough test strips for your blood glucose monitor to make sure your blood sugar is under control. This is what most doctors will recommend for you to manage your blood sugar. Since test strips are used frequently and commonly, it is easy to stock up on testing strips for cheap. This was one of those little things my father had to get into doing, as not being able to test his blood sugar isn’t such a good idea, especially if your “other half” finds out you dont have any!
For some diabetics, there are more specific diabetic supplies to help with diabetic complications. For those with more advanced diabetes, special care will be needed and should be taken into consideration. Diabetes tends to affect peripheral sensation, and one of the consequences is decreased sensation in the feet.
This is bad for foot care because pressure ulcers may form without the person knowing about it, and the ulcers may turn into diabetic foot ulcers and require intensive antibiotics, or even surgery.
Diabetic socks and diabetic shoes are required for people with advanced diabetes for the best care of their feet. Diabetic socks protect the feet against friction and other external factors that may cause injury to the foot, such as rocks or sharp objects.
Diabetic shoes also help prevent the skin from breaking down at the soles and provides support that minimizes any sort of structural damage to the foot. Most of these shoes have to be somewhat customized with special support for the foot. Some of these diabetic supplies arnt needed for all cases and browsing this site for more information and/or asking you Doctor for more information is highly recommended.
