Diabetes - Let's Review Some Facts About Diabetes

You have probably heard of diabetes, but were unsure of what it really is. Basically, the body of a person with diabetes cannot properly absorb sugar. A common feature of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is the elevated levels of blood sugar, commonly known as glucose, that arise from inadequate amount of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas.

Across the world, cases of diabetes are expected to exceed 250 million people by 2025, which will result in 35 million heart attacks, 13 million strokes, 6 million episodes of renal failure, 8 million instances of blindness or eye surgery, 2 million amputations, and 62 million deaths.

There are 21 million people with diabetes in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association; in addition, some 54 million others have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, which greatly increases their risk of developing Type II diabetes. This equates to 75 million Americans having diabetes, or being at high risk.

The majority of doctors feel that diabetes cannot be cured. That's the "conventional wisdom." They were told that you have to 'manage' the diabetes with insulin or medication and that would be the 'best' you could hope for.

And they are correct... Most doctors' advise to merely suppress your diabetes symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs, but doing so will make diabetes incurable. Prescriptive medications have the ability to "artificially control" your blood sugar, yet they do nothing fight the core of the disease.

As we are all aware, prescription drugs (hypoglycemics) only disguise symptoms. Not only don't they cure but they worsen the problem since they debilitate your immune system What is designed to help you sometimes only makes the issue worse.

Diabetic drugs may increase the risk of heart disease: diabetics using medication are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease than diabetics who are following a special diet instead of using medication. There are some side effects of medication. The side effects consist of liver problems (jaundice), anemia, skin rashes and sometimes, and can possibly be fatal.

Insulin, as well as oral drugs for diabetes, is not the best options as far as the overall health and wellness of the person are concerned. They speed up the aging process, cause harm to your heart, liver and other organs, and may result in other problems.

The situation is not hopeless, however; Diabetes can be cured. However, treating symptoms with drugs that only exacerbate the condition will not cure it. It is important to understand that prescription drugs are a major fraud. The key is to tackle the root cause of diabetes by motivating your body to repair your pancreas and help it to naturally create more insulin, without the problems or side-effects of drugs and medications.

Why the American Diabetes Association doesn't publicize this information? Maybe because if people reversed there diabetic conditions, pharmaceutical companies would lose out.

Hector Milla at http://www.MyDiabetesSupply.com shows you how to get free diabetes testing supplies and gives you advises on how to lower naturally your blood sugar levels; website associated with http://www.thehighbloodsugar.org

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Diabetes and Amputations

If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, you've probably heard many horror stories about diabetics having their limbs amputated. Unfortunately, they're probably all true. Foot problems are particularly severe among many diabetics. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help prevent amputations from being done to save your life.

Many people want to blame their doctors when it is time for an amputation. But the truth is that we are all responsible for taking care of our own selves because we are the only ones who control how we live our lives. Your doctor can do checkups on you and provide treatment plans, but he can't be your nanny. What you do is up to you.

Taking Responsibility for Your Own Health May Prevent an Amputation

You have to be diligent in examining your extremities, particularly your feet. You should check them weekly, if not daily. If at any point you notice a loss of sense in an area on your feet, you need to take responsibility to prevent the complications from becoming dangerous. The following is a list of steps you should take at this point:

1. Be aware that if you are losing your sense of touch in your feet, it doesn't make sense to use your feet to test temperatures. Obviously, you shouldn't check the temperature of the bath water with your feet if the nerves aren't functioning too well. You must be very careful not to burn your feet.

2. You must begin wearing shoes or other protection on your feet at all times. You do not want to risk stepping on something sharp and cutting yourself, particularly since you may not notice it for a while. By that time, you may already have a severe infection and limited healthy blood flow to the area to help your immune system fight off the infection.

3. At this point you should be examining your feet several times per day. You can't afford to miss seeing any cuts or other wounds. These must be cleaned and treated immediately. Then you should go to your doctor.

4. Be aware that dryness can be a medical condition too, when it is at an extremity. If your foot cracks and bleeds it could become infected. If you notice the skin on your foot is dry, get medical advice on how to properly condition your skin. Remember that your sense of touch may be damaged and that you can't trust your foot to warn you about how bad it is. It is not a bad idea to soak your feet in warm water or warm saline water, under the guidance of your physician.

Do you want to find out more about Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms ? Perhaps you have a loved one who has Diabetes?

Find out more about Diabetes Care at http://www.diabetescaretips.com

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How to Lower Blood Sugar

Diabetics are often given contrary information on what is the correct diet or even what types of food are best for the diabetic condition. Here is an article that clearly shows the reason and need for a low carbohydrate diet:

"All carbohydrates are basically sugar. Various sugar molecules - primarily glucose - hooked together chemically ["bonded"] compose the entire family of carbohydrates. Your body has digestive enzymes that break these chemical bonds and release the sugar molecules into the blood, where they stimulate insulin."

"This means that if you follow a 2,200-calorie diet that is 60 percent carbohydrates - the very one most nutritionists recommend - your body will end up having to contend with almost 2 cups of pure sugar per day." excerpted from Protein Power by Doctors Michael and Mary Eades

Based on this astounding information, the question is not whether or not a diabetic should be on a low carbohydrate diet, but just what are the foods for a low carbohydrate diet?
Without attempting to list every kind and type of food, and for simplicity, I have grouped foods into three general categories below; those that are high carbohydrate content which should be avoided, medium carbohydrate content which can be eaten only in modest or extremely small portions, and low carbohydrate content that can be eaten as much as one likes:

High Carbohydrate Content:

All kinds of potato and potato products (including yams and sweet potatoes). Any products made from grain such as wheat, rye, oats, rice and corn. This includes any type of bread, pasta, chips or cereals. Any type of hard beans such as navy beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans, soy beans, lima beans, red beans, black beans, etc., as well as peas and peanuts. Most fruits and any fruit juices.

Medium Carbohydrate Content:

All root vegetables such as beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas. Summer and zucchini squashes. Most kinds of nuts, avocado, onions, apricots, strawberries, peaches, plums, tangerines (not oranges), and honeydew or casaba melons.

Low Carbohydrate Content:

Any kind of meat including beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken, any kind of fish, seafood or shellfish, eggs, or cheese. Vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, asparagus, any kind of greens such as spinach, beet greens, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens and turnip greens. Salad materials such as any kind of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc., and any kind of oil such as corn, olive, peanut, etc., and butter.

Follow the above guidelines, get in a low carbohydrate diet and add the vital supplements needed for a Diabetic.

By learning more about the diabetic condition, what causes it and how it can be changed, you can make informed decisions and take actions on your own, which will improve your diabetic condition.
You can use this information to decrease or eliminate your dependency on drugs, medications and insulin, while at the same time reducing your blood sugar levels.

The most important actions you can take to improve your diabetic condition are correct diet combined with effective nutritional supplements and exercise.

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Healthy Food Habits For Diabetics

Diabetes is a very serious illness and proper care is essential in remaining healthy. People with diabetes have to beware of what they eat and when they eat it. This particular illness is very sensitive and any little mistake can cause the blood sugar levels to go up tremendously. Very often, people who suffer from this disease are also stricken with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or obesity. Taking all of these things into consideration, a healthy diet for a diabetic is a must.

One healthy food habit for diabetics is to monitor their intake of carbohydrates. The proper carb intake is as important as the proper sugar intake. Carbs are simply a different type of sugar and they can impact the blood levels just the same as sugar in a cake or in candy. Some foods that should be served in controlled portions include pastas, potatoes, and breads. These foods along with other carb rich products raise blood sugar levels. A good diet for someone suffering from this illness should be low in sugar, fat, and carbohydrates.

Another thing to consider when you are a diabetic is to be consistent with meal times. Try not to let your blood sugars become too low by not eating or too high by eating too often. Also, when making a meal, be sure to understand what is written on the food label. Be aware of the ingredients, serving sizes, and any additives that a product may contain. Certain products may contain ingredients that will unknowingly add to your daily sugar intake. Therefore, it is important to be aware of what you are consuming. And for those people who are overweight and suffer from diabetes, it may be beneficial to consult with a doctor regarding any all natural supplements which aid in weight loss and blood sugar control. Natural supplements, along with all of the other tips presented earlier in this article, may aid in reducing the unpleasant side effects of diabetes.

Lauren S. Johnson writes health articles about fitness and nutrition.
Some of her favorite passions include studying the medicinal benefits of herbal remedies, diet pills, and hoodia gordonii.

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The Causes of Diabetes

There is still much research being done into diabetes, what its causes are and how it can be detected. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems is people not realizing they have diabetes. They don't do anything until they see other severe symptoms and by then it's often too late.

Only approximately 10% of diabetes sufferers have type 1 diabetes. This is usually diagnosed in childhood; hence the name juvenile onset diabetes. However, it can technically occur into adulthood. Type 1 diabetes is largely still a mystery. The body, for some reason, destroys its own insulin producing cells. This leaves the person with no insulin. The sufferer is then completely reliant on being treated with insulin. There are genetic factors at play with the onset of type 1 diabetes. There can other factors as well, such as certain viruses or other environmental causes.

Type 2 diabetes is the far more common version of the disease. Up to 90% or more of all diabetes sufferers have this version of the disease. The body develops a complex resistance to insulin. Insulin in the body is used to control blood sugar. When the body produces insulin, the blood sugar in the body is lowered. In this way, insulin regulates the energy you receive from blood sugar (glucose) as well as monitoring the level naturally.

With an insulin resistance, the body does not regulate itself as well. Blood sugar levels become higher than normal due to this. Type 2 diabetes can be passed from generation to generation and is often found in overweight people or those with very bad diets. However, there are skinny and healthy people who suffer from this version of diabetes as well.

What you eat can play a big factor with type 2 diabetes. If you catch it before it's too late, you can even reverse the trend in your body. Taking out carbohydrates, which are broken down into sugar, is one step. Another step you can take is eating smaller meals more frequently, as opposed to larger meals just two or three times a day.

The most important step you can take however is to be informed. You need to get your blood sugar tested and evaluated. This is particularly true if you have a family history or if you notice other symptoms. Symptoms are wide ranging and could include lethargy, or in men, erectile dysfunction. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled effectively in most cases without the need for insulin shots.

Staying informed and living a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise is the best thing you can do to prevent the onset of diabetes, and to battle it once you are diagnosed.

Please consider participating in our free Diabetes Community. A lot of people put a lot of hard work into this site. You can meet new friends and talk about your experiences at our Diabetes Day Forum or you can learn more about what causes diabetes.

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Got Diabetes? Alkaline Water Helps a Lot of People!

What exactly is Diabetes anyway?

Well first there are two types of diabetes and they have different characteristics even though the symptoms may feel the same.

Type 1 Diabetes, also called Insulin-Dependent Diabetes usually occurs in young people. You just don't produce enough insulin and daily injections are needed to metabolize your blood sugar.

A person can be born with Diabetes 1 or it is developed by those who cannot or will not control Diabetes Type 2 with proper medication, diet and exercise.

Type 2 diabetes, also called Adult-Onset Diabetes, occurs almost exclusively in adults. Usually high GI diets are the culprit and the sufferers are overweight.

Diabetes 2 is one of the diseases, which results when the pancreas starts to feel the strain of excessive insulin stimulus from long term blood sugar spikes and the muscles become insensitive to insulin. If we keep the food we eat in balance (low and high carbohydrates), the spiking of blood sugar levels can be avoided, and a more harmonious functioning of our organs will ensure future health and longevity.

But Type 2 Diabetes is not the only physical health issue related to obesity. People who are overweight and/or obese are at major risk for contacting severe chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension.

Type 2 Diabetes is a terrible thing to get. It is a progressive disorder and should be avoided at all costs. Early corrective action is critical. It can usually be controlled with diet, exercise and oral medication some times combined with insulin.

This is a very serious issue. If you are a diabetic then your very life is at risk!

But don't think that prescription medications are the only solution to this crippling illness. There are many natural treatments that show significant success.

You can start by losing some weight and alkalizing your body!

Many people experience significant relief from diabetic symptoms by consuming 6 to 8 pints of ionized alkaline water daily. You will reduce the acidity of your body and create an environment where it is difficult for disease to thrive.

Ordinary tap water can be run through a water ionizer and will produce pure ionized water that is both highly alkaline and rich in negative ions which act as a powerful anti-oxidant to neutralize the hordes of free radicals in our bodies.

Would you like to learn about the miracle of Ionized Alkaline Water?

Read other peoples amazing recovery stories.

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