Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called juvenile onset diabetes. It is characterized by the body’s inability to create insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is sometimes called adult diabetes. It is characterized by the body’s inability to use insulin.
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Onset | Often as a child or adolescent. | Generally develops as an adult, but can be developed as a child. |
Increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss, fatigue | See Type 1 | |
Insulin (injections or oral) | Diet and exercise modification | |
Genetics, environment | Diet, obesity, genetics, environment |
As of 2006, the World Health Organization estimates there to be at least 171 million people suffering from diabetes worldwide. The American Diabetes Association estimates that there are 20.8 million adults and children with diabetes in the United States.
]]> According to the American Diabetes Association, 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die of heart disease and stroke.
Heart disease and stroke can be prevented in diabetes patients through not only monitoring blood glucose levels, but also monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol. You can check your overall blood glucose levels using an A-1-C machine. You should aim for an average glucose level less than 7. You should aim to keep your blood pressure below 130/80. Maintaining the proper level of cholesterol in your blood is also essential: talk to your doctor or health care professional to establish what levels your cholesterol should be at.
As a diabetes patient, you can manage your blood glucose level, your blood pressure, and your cholesterol through eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Your doctor might also prescribe medication to help control these variables.
Almost three-quarters of all adults diagnosed with diabetes use medication to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure).
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in the United States. Almost half of all newly-diagnosed kidney disease stems from diabetes.
Diabetes is among the leading causes of blindness in the nation.
Diabetes can lead to many complications during pregnancy.
Often people with diabetes will have a nervous system disorder. This could mean they have digest their food more slowly, or it might mean that they lose sensation in parts of their body (particularly their feet).
Diabetes causes an increase in gum disease.
More than half of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations are for people with diabetes.
Diabetics can be at risk for diabetic ketoacidosis and diabetic coma.
Diabetics diagnosed with other illnesses, such as the flu, might have longer recovery times or more difficult recoveries. An example of this is that people with diabetes are more likely to die from pneumonia than their non-diabetic counterparts.
]]>This 150 minutes of exercise is of moderate aerobic exercise, which is the equivalent of a brisk walk.
Diabetics should not only perform aerobic exercises, but also some resistance exercises (like light weights) 3 times a week.
If possible, try to be active for sixty minutes a day. This might sound like a lot, but if you break it up into ten minute periods, it’s not that much. It can be a fifteen minute walk with the dog, fifteen minutes of dusting or mowing or raking, a ten minute stretch-break, and a twenty minute walk after dinner. Just inserting a few extra active times into your day will help you meet the exercise requirements.
If you feel light-headed or any other symptoms while you exercise, stop and test. Be sure to have a snack and your insulin available in case you need to control your blood sugar. You should test before and after every vigorous exercise session.
]]>The exchange list is much like the food groups. It divides food into six categories: starches, meat and meat substitutes, milk products, vegetables, fruit, and fat. Each food is categorized so that it is worth a certain number of exchanges.
You then plan to eat a balanced meal based on the exchanges: you want to have many starch, fruit, and vegetable exchanges, and far fewer fat exchanges. You can also exchange any food for another food in its category. You simply need to know the serving portions for each food in order to make the proper exchange.
For more information on the diabetic exchange diet, visit your doctor or dietician.
]]>The key to planning great diabetic dinners is to balance your meals carefully between the food groups. Vary your menu from day to day and week to week because different nutrients will be good for your body, and variety is the spice of life!
1 lg. cabbage leaf
3 oz. browned ground beef
1 slice onion, minced
1 tsp. green pepper, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. ketchup
Brown beef, onion and green pepper. Stir in seasonings, mixing well. Place mixture in cabbage leaf. Roll until mixture is completely covered and pin with a toothpick. Place in dish and bake at 350 degrees until cabbage is well cooked.
1/3 c. Chablis dry white wine
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, sliced
1 tbsp. water
2 1/2 tsp. corn starch
Combine wine, soy sauce, pineapple and honey. Rinse chicken. Place in 11 x 7 x 2-inch glass dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover. Marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Top with chestnuts. Microwave on HIGH for 8 to 10 minutes. Rearrange chicken after 5 minutes. Remove chicken; keep warm. Combine water and corn starch. Add to marinade. Microwave 2 to 4 minutes until thickened.
Serve with 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving.
Serves 4.
3/4 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 c. cooked spaghetti; optional
1 qt. tomato juice
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 c. kidney beans
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown beef and onion; drain. Add the rest of ingredients and simmer 20-30 minutes. This is a diabetic recipe. If cheese is used, count as a meat exchange.
1/3 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. liquid sweetener or 1/3 c. Sprinkle Sweet
1 egg
1 1/3 c. flour
3 tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. skim milk
Combine butter, brown sugar, sweetener, and egg. Beat 2 minutes at high speed. Add remaining ingredients and blend 2 minutes at low speed. Pour into 8 inch square pan and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Frost with diabetic whip, if desired.
1 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 c. nuts
1 c. quick oats
1 c. raisins
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix dry ingredients and add remaining ingredients to moisten. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Dough will be thin. 2 cookies per serving.
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and egg until fluffy. Add flour and baking powder. Blend until well mixed. Chill dough for 2 hours or overnight. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, 1/8 inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool before storing.
9-inch baked pie shell
3/4 c. granulated fructose
1 1/2 c. water
4 eggs, separated (slightly beat yolks)
3 tbsp. butter
4 egg whites
1/4 c. granulated sugar replacement
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. cold water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. lemon peel (I use Sauer's dried)
Dash salt
Combine fructose, 1 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium size heavy saucepan. Heat to boiling. Combine cornstarch and the 1/4 cup cold water, stirring to blend. Add to boiling mixture, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is clear and thickened.
Remove from heat. Beat lemon juice and egg yolks together. Slowly stir into hot mixture. Return to heat and cook until mixture begins to boil. Stir in butter and lemon peel; cover and cool to room temperature.
Beat egg whites and dash salt to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar replacement (1/4 cup) and beat until peaks are stiff. Pour lemon mixture into pie shell. Top with meringue and seal to edges. Sprinkle extra lemon peel on top. Bake at 350 degrees until brown.
2 c. flour
1 c. 2% milk
1/4 c. soft butter
1 egg
3 tbsp. granulated sugar replacement
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1 1/2 c. rhubarb, cut fine
Combine flour, milk, butter, egg, sugar replacement, baking soda, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Stir to blend and then fold in rhubarb. Pour into well-greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.
Can also make with strawberries and rhubarb for a strawberry rhubarb cake.
When you plan your meal, mentally divide your plate into four sections. If you fill two of these sections with vegetables (try to have at least two kinds of vegetables at each meal), one with meat, and one with a grain, you will be on the path to healthier eating immediately. If you drink a glass of milk with dinner, you will have covered all four food groups. Eating a piece of fruit for dessert will nicely round out your meal.
It is important to eat a carbohydrate at each meal (the starch or grain part of dinner). These foods, such as potatoes, rice, noodles, or breads, are broken down into the energy that your body needs to function.
When you are choosing your protein, consider choosing a lean meat, fish, low-fat cheese, or vegetarian protein option to help keep your fat intake down.
One of the keys to diet is portion sizes. Learn the portion sizes, or try using a measuring cup for the first while you are getting used to monitoring your food intake. Remember, a serving of meat is only as big as a deck of cards (or the size of your palm and the thickness of your baby finger), whereas a serving of starch is the size of your fist. Limit fat intake to the size of the tip of your thumb, and measure your vegetable servings by how much you can hold in both hands.
Consult a dietician for specialized diet care instructions. Dieticians are trained to help individually tailor a diabetes diet for you.
If you drink alcohol, it will affect not only your diet, but also your blood sugar. Establish how much alcohol you can and should be drinking with a health professional. Alcohol might also cause you to gain weight, which can lead to diabetes complications.
]]>When you have diabetes, you need to maintain fairly even blood sugar levels. This means that you need to eat three meals a day, and include some healthy snacks into your schedule. Try not to space your meals more than six hours apart.
Drink lots of water. If you reach for a can of pop or juice every time you get thirsty, you will raise your blood sugar level.
Try to avoid sugars and sweets such as soda, desserts, candy, jam, and honey. These will raise your blood sugar levels. Instead, try to eat things with artificial sweetener in them. If you are concerned about eating too much aspartame, try using Splenda.
Be smart when it comes to high fat foods. Ask yourself if you really need the potato chips, pastries, or fried food. High fat foods will cause you to gain weight, which will negatively impact your diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight helps your blood glucose levels, and it is good for your heart.
Whole grain foods are good for your heart, and they may help you feel more full. This includes beans, whole grain breads and cereals and brown rice.
Fruits and vegetables are key to a healthy diet because they provide not only whole grains but also important vitamins to keep your body running healthily. Fruits and vegetables are not only high in nutrients, but they are also low in calories.
See our meal planning helper, dinner recipes, or dessert recipes for more information about maintaining a healthy diabetes diet.
Just like any diet, a diabetes diet is not complete unless you are also active. Exercise is another key ingredient in helping you stay healthy.
]]>Losing some weight is a major factor in diabetes prevention. This is not to say diet heavily: a 200 pound person should generally only lose 10 lbs. If you are already at a fit weight, then you are ahead of the game. If you are trying to lose weight, attempt to lose between a half pound and one pound a week: slow steady weight loss is the key to keeping the weight off.
Exercise is one of the major keys to preventing diabetes. Being moderately active for 150 minutes a week is enough exercise to help you lose weight and to prevent diabetes.
Eat healthily to prevent diabetes. This means choosing fruits and vegetables over processed sugars, and choosing whole grain items. Healthy food choices will help you feel best about your body.
It is especially important to try to prevent diabetes if you are in one of the high-risk groups. Family history doesn’t have to create your health problems: you can take charge of your life and prevent diabetes starting today.
Ask your doctor, dietician, or health care professional for further advice on diabetes prevention.
]]>If you want to prevent your pre-diabetes from becoming diabetes, you simply need to make some lifestyle changes, and you will probably be able to avert the onset of diabetes. Diabetes prevention is possible, even after the onset of pre-diabetes.
To find out if you are pre-diabetic, you would have to take the same diabetes symptoms tests as you would for diabetes. Here are the normally defined rates:
Test | Normal Range | Pre-Diabetes Range | Diabetes Range |
FPG: Fasting Plasma Glucose Test | Below 100 mg/dl | 100-125 mg/dl | Above 126 mg/dl |
OGTT: Oral Glucose Tolerance Test | Below 140 mg/dl | 140-199 mg/dl | Above 200 mg/dl |
Pre-diabetes is sometimes called impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Pre-diabetes can cause damage to the system before the onset of diabetes, so it is important to manage your pre-diabetes with exercise and proper diet.]]>
Here are some ways that you can lower your chance of diabetic complications:
Above all, as a diabetic you have to take care of your body. This means that you will need to monitor many aspects of your life. It is important to eat a balanced diet. You can consult a dietician who will be able to help you properly plan your meals. It is important to stay active. Doing physical exercise most days of the week will not only help with your diabetes, but it will also give you more energy. You will also want to exercise. Lowering your weight will help prevent some diabetes complications. Be careful when you diet as a diabetic, however: you will want to consult your doctor or dietician before undertaking any diet, because you need to carefully monitor your food intake.
]]>Pramlyntide (known by the brand name Symlin) is a synthetic form of the hormone amylin, which works in conjunction with insulin to maintain blood sugar levels. Pramlyntide is recommended for type 1 diabetics who score consistently high on their A1C tests, as well as for type 2 diabetics who are on insulin therapy and score high on their A1C tests. Pramlyntide does not cause hypoglycemia, and has been associated with moderate weight loss. The side effect is nausea, which passes over prolonged use and as the dosage is corrected. This drug is injected with meals. It has to be injected separately than the insulin.
Exenatide (brand name Byetta) is a synthetic hormone that increases insulin production. This is only effective if there are high levels of blood sugar present. It can cause hypoglycemia when used in conjunction with a sulfonylurea. It can cause moderate weight loss. It can cause nausea, which passes over time. This drug is injected at meals. It will only be used if other drugs and combinations have been explored.
]]>Be aware that diabetes medication may not mix well with alcohol. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about this before you drink.
Sulfonylureas are the oldest medications used to treat diabetes. There are many kinds of sulfonylureas on the market. They increase insulin production. They are often taken one or two times a day before meals. These can cause hypoglycemia. These drugs can often be taken in combination with other types of diabetes medications.
Meglitinides are another family of drugs that stimulate the beta cells to increase insulin production. Like sulfonylureas, meglitinides are taken before meals. They can similarly cause hypoglycemia.
Biguanides are drugs that decrease the liver’s glucose production. Metformin (brand name Glucophage) is one of the more common biguanides. Metformin also makes muscle tissue more sensitive to insulin so that it can properly be absorbed. A side effect is sometimes diarrhea, but this is reduced when taken with food.
Thiazolidinediones is a family of drugs made up of rosiglitazone, troglitazone, and pioglitazone. These drugs decrease the liver’s glucose production while increasing the body’s fat and muscle ability to absorb insulin. These drugs involve careful monitoring to make sure that the liver is not damaged.
Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors reduce glucose levels by blocking the body’s breakdown of carbohydrates in the intestines. They also block the absorption of some more complex sugars. These should be taken with the first bite of a meal. Side effects include gas or diarrhea.
Your doctor might prescribe combined therapy for you because all of these drugs have slightly different effects on your body. Your doctor will also prescribe specific dosages of these drugs to meets your needs. Speak to your doctor and pharmacist about the other drugs that you are also taking to ensure that you don’t have any drug conflicts.
]]>Insulin is used to treat type 1 diabetes, where the body does not produce insulin at all. This type of diabetes is irreversible and requires constant medication throughout life. Type 1 diabetes normally requires blood testing using needles, and insulin injections using needles as well.
Type 2 diabetes is normally treated initially with a modification of diet and exercise. If this is not enough to lower blood sugar levels, then oral medications will be explored. Sometimes oral medications don’t help lower the blood sugar, at which point a type 2 diabetic would begin insulin therapy like a type 1 diabetic. There are cases when a type 2 diabetic will begin with insulin immediately, particularly if they have had diabetes for a long time, or if their blood sugar is extremely high.
Sometimes doctors use “combination therapy,” where they prescribe both insulin and oral diabetes medications. This is so that the medications help the insulin work.
Occasionally diabetes medications stop working. The cause of this is unknown, but it doesn’t mean that your diabetes is getting worse. Often the solution is to try a different type of diabetes medication, or to attempt combination therapy.
You might find it helpful to look at a more in depth look at the types of diabetes medication to see what your doctor might prescribe you, or what new diabetes medication you might ask your doctor about.
]]>Different laboratories around the globe have been working on researching transplantation options for diabetics. Because it is the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas that include the beta cells which create the necessary insulin, scientists have been working on transplanting these beta cells into diabetics so that a diabetic can produce insulin.
So far the results have been lukewarm. In Australia, they have been successful with xenotransplantation, a cross-species transplantation of beta cells from pigs to humans.
In England in 2005, they successfully managed the first transplantation of beta cells from a live person into a diabetic. This is good news because there are not enough organs donated each year to provide for the number of diabetics.
Diabetes transplants have not been one hundred percent effective, however. It seems that currently, although a diabetic body will accept insulin producing beta cells, these cells will stop producing insulin after a period of time. This means that the patient would need another transplant, or to resume insulin injections. Science is still working on this problem.
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