Diabetes diet: This is what you should eat every week to lower blood sugar

From express.co.uk

DIABETES symptoms include feeling very thirsty, passing more urine than usual, and feeling fatigued. But, these are the foods you should eat every week to reduce signs of the condition.

Diabetes symptoms include fatigue, feeling very thirsty, and urinating more often than normal

Eating the right foods could make diabetes management easier

Eat at least one portion of starchy food and protein everyday

Try to limit fatty and sugary foods

Diabetes management could be improved by eating the right foods, according to charity Diabetes UK.

The amount you should eat depends on your age, gender, and how much you exercise.
No single food contains all of the nutrients you need, so finding the right balance between different types of food is crucial, the charity said.
This is what you should eat every week to get all of your essential nutrients, and to lower your blood sugar.

Starchy foods

You should eat some starchy foods every day, the charity said.
Starchy foods are used to provide cells with energy, while also regulating the digestive system.
“Better options of starchy foods – such as wholegrain bread, wholewheat pasta and basmati, brown or wild rice – contain more fibre, which helps to keep your digestive system working well,” said Diabetes UK.
“They are generally more slowly absorbed (that is, they have a lower glycaemic index), keeping you feeling fuller for longer.”

Protein

Protein helps to build and replace muscles, while also protecting the heart.
Diabetes patients should aim to have some protein everyday, with at least one to two portions of oily fish a week.
A small handful of raw nuts and seeds is an ideal snack, while using beans and pulses in a casserole could be used to replace some of the meat.

Dairy

“Milk, cheese and yogurt contain calcium, which is vital for growing children as it keeps their bones and teeth strong,” said Diabetes UK.
“Some dairy foods are high in fat, particularly saturated fat, so choose lower-fat alternatives (check for added sugar, though).”
Aim to have some dairy everyday, but you shouldn’t have too much.
Patients could try drinking milk straight from the glass, or added to porridge.
Cottage cheese scooped on carrot sticks also provides the perfect snack for diabetics.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are naturally low in fat, and are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre.
The perfect array of fresh produce should include a rainbow of colours.
Adding just one extra handful of vegetables to your dinner could help to protect against heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes.

Fatty and sugary foods

“You can enjoy food from this group as an occasional treat in a balanced diet, but remember that sugary foods and drinks will add extra calories – and sugary drinks will raise blood glucose – so opt for diet/light or low-calorie alternatives,” said Diabetes UK.
“Fat is high in calories, so try to reduce the amount of oil or butter you use in cooking.
“Remember to use unsaturated oils, such as sunflower, rapeseed or olive oil, as these types are better for your heart.”
Patients should eat as little fatty and sugary foods as possible, the charity said.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/911426/diabetes-type-2-symptoms-diet-plan-food-blood-sugar

PSA From A Diabetes Mom: If You’re Sick, Stay Home

From asweetlife.org

It was “Parents Watch Day” at my daughter’s dance school, the week before the holiday break, and as a treat the teachers let the parents in to see just what the kids had learned. My daughter was excited. So were all the other kids.
As we settled into our seats and the kids lined up to perform, the mom next to me got a bit, well, restless. I heard her mutter “uh-oh,” under her breath. And then she said out loud, “she’s gonna blow.” She yelled, “Suzy (or whatever her name was), run for the trash can!” A heartbeat later, Suzy had vomited all over the dance room floor.
The mom was embarrassed, and cleaned up the mess herself. She looked around the room at the other parents and said “I’m so sorry. She was throwing up all morning. But I couldn’t have her miss Parents Watch Day!”
That woman knew her child was sick. Probably contagious sick. And she still sent her to dance class.
 I was livid because for my daughter, who has Type 1 diabetes, vomiting can be an emergency situation. And not surprisingly, a few days later, she was in the ER and then held overnight at the hospital as we struggled to stabilize her blood sugar.
I am reminded of this now because the flu season is at its peak, and it’s especially severe this year. Emergency rooms are overcrowded, and people are dying from the flu. Time reports, “Flu activity has increased throughout the United States as of the second week of January, the CDC said Friday. Ten influenza-related deaths in children were reported through the week ending on Jan. 13, bringing the total flu-related pediatric deaths to 30.”
For those of us living with diabetes or caring for someone with diabetes, this is terrifying. What might be a hard flu, or messy stomach bug for most people, can be an expensive, frightening, challenging vigil that usually involves hourly blood glucose checks and ketone checks, constant calls to the doctor, a scary rush to the emergency room, an overnight (or more) in the hospital, an expensive co-pay, exhaustion, and the deep fear of losing control. Or worse.
 This is why it absolutely infuriates me when parents allow their children to go to school, or the store, or anywhere at all (other than the doctor’s office) when they are sick. And if there is one thing I ask – make that beg – the rest of the world during this extra sick time, it’s this: make a sacrifice for the sake of others and keep your children (or yourselves) home if you (or they) are sick in any way that might be contagious.
I understand this is a terrible hardship. Parents work full-time (and adults run low on sick days or have huge projects due at work that must get attention). Juggling a sudden sick day can be stressful and even somewhat costly. But when you take that sickness out into the world and send it to school or to the store or to work or even just for a quick ride to the dry cleaner, you may be putting lives in danger.
You might think I’m exaggerating or overprotective, but I’m not. It’s enough to make your head spin. And for a parent – or an adult with diabetes – who might not be a pro with all this or might not have the kind of medical support my family is blessed enough to have, sickness can quite literally put the life of a person with diabetes in danger.
I had to recently had to make the sacrifice myself. My family and I were on a holiday trip to Mexico. It had been a life-long dream of mine to be able to jet my kids and husband off to some exotic spot and wake up on Christmas Day, toss on a bathing suit and lounge at the beach or pool with a tropical drink in my hand. The year we’d finally been able to do it, I started to cough three days into the trip. And then I spiked a fever. So Christmas Day, much as I wanted to live my dream, I stayed in my room, alone, waiting for the antibiotics to kick in while the rest of my family lived the dream for me. I was sad, but later, my daughter with diabetes said to me, “Thanks, Mom.”
I did the right thing.  I missed out, but my daughter with diabetes — and the rest of the world — was safe from my germs.
So consider this a public service announcement. If you or your children are sick or even close to sick, step back and keep yourself sequestered. If you need a medication, ask a friend to pick it up for you. Get a note from your doctor for work or school. Stay home. I know this might mean hardship. You might get docked a day’s pay. Your child might miss the class musical performance. Your boss might get mad. But on the flip side, you might save a person from a true crisis. You might even save a life.

https://asweetlife.org/psa-from-a-diabetes-mom-if-youre-sick-stay-home/?utm_source=ASweetLife.org+List&utm_campaign=04f2a95c4e-ASweetLife+Weekly+Update++-+Nov.+14%2C+2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5125b14cf8-04f2a95c4e-413392997

Study Shows Long-Term Effects Of Diabetes And Prediabetes On The Brain

From forbes.com

One of the largest studies on the connection between blood sugar and brain function has found that people with prediabetes and diabetes experience worse long-term cognitive decline than people with normal blood sugar levels. The results underscore just how dangerous impaired blood sugar is for overall health, from heart to brain – but the study also suggests that there’s a possible good news side to this story.
Previous studies have linked diabetes with decreased brain function, but this is the largest to find a direct relationship between A1c blood levels and risk of long-term cognitive decline. The A1c test (referred to as the HbA1c test in this study) reflects average blood sugar for the previous two to three months. Diabetes is generally defined by an A1c level of 6.5% or above, the equivalent of 126 mg of blood sugar per deciliter. A result of between 5.7 and 6.4% is considered prediabetic, which indicates high risk for developing diabetes.
The study involved about 5,000 people in the UK, average age 66 (participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing), including people with normal blood sugar levels and those with levels falling in the prediabetic to diabetic range. Cognitive function was evaluated at the beginning of the study and reassessed every two years over an eight year span to track changes in memory, executive brain function (such as decision-making speed), and overall cognitive function.

The results showed that those with prediabetes or diabetes had significantly decreased cognitive scores over the study period, including memory and processing speed – all signs of more rapid cognitive decline. The results held true even after accounting for factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, cholesterol levels, depression, high blood pressure, and demographics like age, sex and marital status.
The researchers noted that all of the participants experienced some level of cognitive decline (natural result of getting older), but prediabetes and diabetes made the onset of decline come faster and the effects steeper than for people with normal blood sugar.

The really chilling part of these results is less about the effects of diabetes (which are already well evidenced), and more about the effects of being even in the vicinity of diabetes. The study suggests that someone doesn’t have to be diagnosed as officially diabetic to experience worse cognitive decline – falling in the prediabetic range is close enough.
"Our study provides evidence to support the association of diabetes with subsequent cognitive decline. Moreover, our findings show a linear correlation between circulating HbA1c levels and cognitive decline, regardless of diabetic status,” the research team said in the study’s conclusion.
The good news is that getting ahead of blood sugar irregularities earlier could potentially slow the rate of cognitive decline.
“Our findings suggest that interventions that delay diabetes onset, as well as management strategies for blood sugar control, might help alleviate the progression of subsequent cognitive decline over the long-term,” added the researchers.
These results strengthen the argument that we’d do well to take blood sugar seriously and implement changes to manage it, ideally before getting close to the diabetic range -- but even with a diagnosis of diabetes, lifestyle changes can go a long way toward managing it.  Dietary changes, exercise, and losing weight have all been shown to influence blood sugar levels. It's doable, and it's one of the few serious risk factors affecting brain function that we can do something about.
The study was published in the journal Diabetologia.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2018/01/28/study-shows-how-diabetes-and-prediabetes-impact-your-brain-over-time/#6be8a44a1c43

Diabetes Health Type 2: Agree to Disagree on Your Diabetes

From diabeteshealth.com

We all like to think that doctors know best when it comes to diabetes. However, I’ve learned that doctors don’t always agree when it comes to self management. For instance, when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor told me that an acceptable fasting glucose reading is between 90 and 110. Later, another doctor told me that an acceptable reading was between 90 and 120. This is only a ten point difference but it was interesting to hear that they disagreed on what was acceptable.
More than once, the possibility of me having to go on insulin has been held over my head whenever my A1C would rise above the 7.0 threshold. After one doctor saw that my A1C had crept up to 8.5 he hinted that I might have to go on insulin to control my diabetes. A few months later, another doctor brushed off the idea that I would need insulin and stated that I was a long way from needing insulin. It is interesting that opinions can vary from doctor to doctor.
I guess it really comes down to experience and personal beliefs surrounding diabetes. One thing that all doctors will agree on though is that if left unchecked, diabetes will kill you.

https://www.diabeteshealth.com/type-2-diabetes-agree-disagree-diabetes/

New wheat variety can help fight diabetes

From thehindu.com

A new variety of fibre-rich wheat that has the potential to help fight Type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer has been developed by a team led by an Indian scientist working for the Australian national research agency. The discovery is considerably significant for India, which is often labelled the ‘diabetic capital of the world’, with over 50 million people suffering from the disease.
Regina Ahmed, principal research scientist, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), told The Hindu in an email interview that the new wheat variety was rich in amylose. The amount of resistant starch, a type of dietary fibre, in products made from high-amylose wheat was 10 times more than those made from regular wheat. Resistant starch is known to improve digestive health, protect against the genetic damage that precedes bowel cancer, and help combat Type 2 diabetes. Normally, food is digested in the small intestine. This starch reaches the large intestine and disintegrates there, which reduces the speed with which glucose reaches the blood, said Dr. Ahmed, a native of Changanassery in Kerala's Kottayam district.

Type 2 diabetes rife

“There is a rapid spread of lifestyle diseases across the world. Type 2 diabetes is now a global health challenge with mounting incidence in most nations, including developing countries like India,” she said. Increased prevalence of the disease takes a toll on life and healthcare costs, too. Imparting nutritional benefits to staple foods like wheat would have a meaningful impact on public health, without the need for making major dietary changes, Dr. Regina said.
She added, “India is one of the leading producers of wheat and almost all the wheat that India produces is consumed domestically. This means that wheat with enhanced nutritional quality can serve as an excellent vehicle for delivery of health benefits to consumers.”

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/new-wheat-variety-can-help-fight-diabetes/article22537444.ece

Can we reverse Type 2 diabetes? Yes, we can

From irishtimes.com

The incidence of Type 2 has more than doubled between 1998 and 2015, so eradicating the disease has enormous appeal

Cure can be an elusive goal in medicine. Many diseases are chronic so that realistic goals are about managing illness and preventing any future complications that could arise. Silver bullets are rare.

So to hear doctors and nurses debate the question: is it possible to eradicate diabetes was quite a surprise. The first reference to the possibility I came across was a recent keynote talk at the annual conference of the National Institute of Preventive Cardiology in Galway titled, Diabetes Eradication – Myth or Reality?

Delivered by Prof Patricia Kearney, of the department of epidemiology at the new School of Public Health in UCC, it created quite a stir. First an important point – she was referring to Type 2 diabetes mellitus, the form of the disease that is linked to obesity and the one that occurs when the body becomes less sensitive to the sugar-regulating hormone, insulin.

But with obesity levels in Irish people over the age of 50 running at 34 per cent and with the prevalence of diabetes having more than doubled between 1998 and 2015, even the vaguest possibility of eradicating the disease has enormous appeal.

In setting out her stall, Prof Kearney looked at different levels of prevention. Primary prevention, the process whereby Type 2 diabetes would be completely prevented, is not a pipe dream.

Researchers in UCC are currently working on one such primary prevention programme – Choosing Healthy Eating for Infant Health (CHErIsH). The Health Research Board funded study is using vaccination visits to interact with mothers, advising them of infant feeding habits aimed at reducing the likelihood of childhood obesity.

Sugar tax

However, the largest primary intervention of all is the introduction of a sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) tax. Due to be implemented in Ireland later this year, a sugar tax is designed to combat the 18 per cent increase in diabetes associated with a high SSB intake. Kearney and her colleagues have worked out the impact of the sugar tax here and have concluded the public health measure has the potential to prevent over 2,300 cases of Type 2 diabetes over a 10-year period.

Screening for unrecognised diabetes is an example of the secondary prevention of the disease. Over 80 per cent of blindness in diabetes is caused by damage to the retina at the back of the eye. This complication is completely preventable and a national retina screening programme aims to identify undiagnosed cases of diabetes as well as reducing retinal disease.

Obesity surgery is a form of tertiary prevention, whereby you intervene to improve the quality of diabetes care. There is now evidence that metabolic surgery is more clinically effective in the treatment of severe obesity than any non-surgical intervention. UK research suggests a staggering 65 per cent diabetes remission rate for those with severe obesity who undergo some form of gastric bypass surgery.

And last week, some interesting research emerged from NUIGalway, showing that changes which influence the dietary environment – such as easy access to healthy meals – are about 56 per cent more effective than interventions which sought to persuade people to eat less unhealthily.  As co-author, consultant endocrinologist Prof Francis Finucane notes, “this is consistent with our understanding now that obesity and diabetes are complex neurobehavioral disorders which are strongly genetically determined and are highly susceptible to environmental factors”.

Diabetes remission

What about the holy grail of diabetes reversal? There is growing evidence to show that Type 2 diabetes can be put into long-term remission, without drugs.

British researchers have shown that  diabetes remission could be sustained for up to 10 years through weight loss. Others say patients should be officially reclassified as “non-diabetic” when they achieve remission (defined as a return to normal blood sugar levels for one year without drugs).

Did I ever think I’d see a time when people previously diagnosed with diabetes were in sustained remission?

No.

Can we reverse Type 2 diabetes?

Yes we can. 

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/can-we-reverse-type-2-diabetes-yes-we-can-1.3356277

Muffins for breakfast?

From diabetes.ca

You have probably heard this message before: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But it is important to understand why, especially if you live with diabetes. “Starting your day off with breakfast fuels your body and helps you meet your nutritional requirements for the whole day,” says Stephanie Boutette, a registered dietitian and education coordinator with the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA).
“Skipping breakfast can cause you to overeat at lunchtime, or lead you to eat those less healthy food cravings mid-morning. For people with diabetes, it’s really important to have consistent meals to help regulate blood sugar.”
Reviews of observational studies found that adults who skip breakfast are more likely to have a higher BMI or to be overweight or obese than adults who eat breakfast. Consuming breakfast is also associated with a lower degree of weight gain over time.
The Canadian Diabetes Association 2013 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada (CDA Guidelines): recommend that breakfast (or any meal) should include foods from any three out of the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide—vegetables and fruit, cereals and grains, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives. “The body needs an adequate amount of carbohydrates, fibre, healthy fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals,” says Boutette. “You can get that by making sure to incorporate a variety of foods.”
“For a balanced breakfast that includes a muffin, have it with an apple and some cheese, or some nut butter and a glass of milk.” – Stephanie Boutette, registered dietitian and education coordinator, Canadian Diabetes Association

               How do you make muffins part of a nutritious breakfast? Start with a good mix of foods

Make it whole grain When it comes to easy, healthful, and tasty options, how do muffins—with their crunchy baked tops and sweet, fluffy interiors—measure up? On their own, they do not provide a balanced breakfast, but they can play an important role. “Your muffin would be considered your grain or your starch. You can complete it with a source of protein and a fruit or dairy product,” Boutette says. She adds that muffins made with ingredients such as whole-grain flour can provide a good amount of fibre, which helps you feel full and regulates blood glucose (sugar). Most Canadians do not get enough fibre daily, which is an important part of a healthful diet.
“If you’re looking at an ingredients list, ensure that whole-grain whole wheat is the first ingredient,” Boutette says. “Try to avoid muffins made with refined flour. If the list includes ‘enriched flours,’ that means some of the vitamins and minerals lost during processing were added back, but they’re still missing some of the nutrients and fibre you find in whole grains.”
“Breakfast can help keep you satisfied and on track for the day.” – Stephanie Boutette, registered dietitian and education coordinator, Canadian Diabetes Association

Comparison shopping

When you are comparing muffins, compare their Nutrition Facts tables and choose one with at least two grams of fibre, though options with four to six grams are a better choice.
Fibre is not the only thing you should consider. “If you’re looking at a chocolate chip muffin with white flour and high amounts of sugar and fat, there’s not a whole lot of difference between it and a cupcake. It’s essentially just a cupcake without icing,” Boutette says.
“In the case of many commercially produced foods, saturated fats and sodium may be present in higher levels than in foods you make at home,” adds Boutette. “If possible, look for options with less than five per cent of the daily value for these two nutrients on the Nutrition Facts table.” She also suggests keeping the portion size in mind. Many store-bought products are a lot larger than they used to be, and larger portions mean more calories.
The problem is that depending on where you buy your muffins, nutrition information may be limited. “When you buy muffins in a package at the grocery store, the Nutrition Facts table will be on the label. That can help you decide whether one muffin is a better choice than another,” says Boutette. “If you go to a bakery or a coffee shop, you can’t always make that decision, although some places may provide the nutritional information online or in a pamphlet. Look at that information in advance or while you’re waiting in line. You can then make a more informed choice. It may not always be easy, especially if you’re buying a muffin on a whim or if the information is not readily available. Ask questions if you cannot find the information on your own.”
The bottom line? “Read labels and ask questions,” Boutette says. “And if you can, make your muffins at home so you can control the portions and ingredients. There’s a lot of variety in muffins and some are better than others. Information can help you decide whether a particular muffin is a good option for you.”

In the mix
Muffins can help you meet your target for daily fibre consumption. To do that effectively,

• Choose muffins made with whole grains and ingredients such as vegetables.
• Choose muffins with at least two grams of fibre.

How much fibre is enough?

The Canadian Diabetes Association recommends people with diabetes have more fibre than the general population because of the beneficial effects. It recommends that adults get between 25 and 50 grams of fibre every day.

https://www.diabetes.ca/publications-newsletters/diabetes-dialogue/autumn-2015/on-the-shelf/muffins-for-breakfast

Type 2 Diabetes and Healthy Living - Building Consistency in a Healthy Diet and Exercise

By Beverleigh H Piepers

There are likely two areas in your life you would like to improve: nutrition and fitness. The diet and fitness industry are not tremendous in scope without reason. It is a result of incredible demand for high-quality advice and guidance in these areas. Whether some of us realize it or not, it is important to eat healthily and take care of our body.
Fortunately, many people learn this at some point. Maturity and aging bring many revelations. The most prominent may be we often take our time for granted but also our health and well-being. Regrettably, however, many people learn this through particular circumstances, and usually these include health problems like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. For many adults, it is when illness strikes they begin to realize the importance of eating healthily and being active.

No matter what stage of life you are in, one thing is for sure; you will likely benefit from developing more consistency in your diet and physical activity habits. You know it pays to eat well and to exercise. Hopefully, you realized this without paying the price. Nevertheless, it always pays to make improvements to your lifestyle.
How can you build consistency into your diet and exercise routine? You have to commit, but you may struggle. After all, there are limits to willpower. You need to start slow. Make changes at a pace comfortable to you. It should not feel like you are disrupting your lifestyle, but rather refining it.
Make gradual changes to your eating plan. Incremental changes are the most crucial in building consistency in your nutrition habits. If you try to make radical changes, the only thing that will move you forward will be your willpower. It should not feel like you are forcing yourself to make progress.

For one week, you can make an active commitment to eating more vegetables. The next, you can replace the sweets in your diet with fruits. Then, introduce complex carbohydrate alternatives like sweet potatoes and brown rice to replace your regular staples. And so on.
Regarding exercise, the same principle applies. If you were previously sedentary, you could start with two days of activity a week. Experiment with different types of training so you can determine what you enjoy the most that also enables you to make progress. Once you are regularly active, you can increase the frequency to three or four times a week to significantly boost your ability to make progress.

What is crucial is not to get ahead of yourself. Gradual changes work best for the majority of people. If you are patient, you will achieve the goals you set. More importantly, you will keep the nutrition and activity habits you developed along the way, which will help you maintain good health as you age.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Type-2-Diabetes-and-Healthy-Living---Building-Consistency-in-a-Healthy-Diet-and-Exercise&id=9867475

Is breastfeeding longer associated with lower risk for later diabetes among mothers?

From eurekalert.org

Bottom Line: Longer duration of breastfeeding was associated with lower risk of diabetes among mothers later in life.
Why The Research Is Interesting: Previous research identifying an association between lactation to breastfeed and protection against later diabetes was conducted in older women using self-reported diabetes. Women in the current study were younger, followed for 30 years, and screened for diabetes using laboratory testing.
Who and When: 1,238 women from a study of young black and white women ages 18 to 30 without diabetes at the start of the study (1985-1986) who had one or more live births, reported their lactation duration, and were screened for diabetes up to seven times during 30 years of follow-up (1986-2016)
What: Length of time of lactation was divided into 0 to 6 months, more than 6 month to 12 months, more than 12 months (exposures); diabetes (outcome)
How (Study Design): This is an observational study. Researchers are not intervening for purposes of the study and they cannot control for all the natural differences that could explain the study findings.
Authors: Erica P. Gunderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S., of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, and co-authors
Results: Longer durations of lactation to breastfeed were associated with greater reductions in later-life diabetes risk for the mother.
Study Limitations: The study cannot explain the reasons behind the association.
Study Conclusions: This study provides evidence to support the hypothesis that lactation may lower risk of diabetes in women; these findings open new avenues into mechanisms leading to glucose intolerance.

https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/jn-ibl011118.php

A Mediterranean diet for diabetes

From timesofmalta.com

A diet of fibre-rich foods, such as the Mediterranean diet which includes fruit and vegetables, reduces the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, diabetes expert and president elect of the International Diabetes Federation, Prof. Andrew Boulton, told The Sunday Times.
“In addition, recent research suggests that a high-fibre diet is beneficial for the bacterial content of the bowel, nourishing the millions of gut bacteria we all carry. This is important because it helps reduce chronic inflammation, stimulates our immune system, promotes health and helps in the treatment of disease such as inflammatory bowel disease.”
Yesterday morning at San Anton Palace Prof. Boulton was keynote speaker at a seminar on diabetes awareness. He spoke about type 2 diabetes across the world as the 21st century epidemic.
The seminar was organised by MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, who co-chairs the EU Diabetes Working Group within the European Parliament, in collaboration with the Malta Diabetes Association and under the auspices of President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

                                                           Prof. Andrew Boulton

Diabetes mellitus (or diabetes) is a chronic, lifelong condition that affects the body’s ability to use the energy found in food. There are three major types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.
There is currently a global epidemic of type 2 diabetes and Malta has one of the highest prevalence of diabetes in Europe, Prof. Boulton said.
“Malta has one of the highest prevalence of diabetes in Europe, by far the commonest type being diabetes type 2. Hence there is a need to screen high-risk individuals for diabetes –this would include people with significant obesity, those with a family history of diabetes, women with a history of gestational diabetes and others.”
The danger of diabetes, he said, is that the symptoms early on may be mild or even absent – so screening of high-risk groups can be helpful.
Diabetes, he says, is a complex condition and there are 2 main types: type 1 which accounts for eight to 10 per cent of those people with diabetes in Europe; and type 2, which is the most common, accounting for up to 92 per cent of all people with diabetes.
Speaking about the causes of diabetes, Prof. Boulton said there is a strong genetic influence, although the exact genetic mode of transfer is still unclear. A family history of diabetes in a first degree relative makes an individual much more prone to develop type 2 diabetes in later life.
“Those with a history of gestational diabetes and with extreme obesity are at greater risk, especially if one has a genetic risk of developing diabetes and is obese.”
Other causes of diabetes, he added, would be pancreatic disease such as chronic pancreatitis, and if someone has had a pancreas resection, because the insulin is produced in the endocrine part of the pancreas.
“Rare causes include rare familial forms of diabetes, treatment with medications such as steroids and others and, it is also more common in people with other endocrine conditions such as thyroid disease, adrenal disease and so on.”
According to the IDF, diabetes currently affects 425 million adults worldwide and is set to affect close to 700 million people by 2045. The disease associated with numerous debilitating complications affecting the eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves and feet is also one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
The International Diabetes Federation states that diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths per year and, while there are currently over 199 million women living with diabetes, this total is projected to increase to 313 million by 2040.
Renowned for his work in the field, Prof. Boulton is Professor of Medicine at the University of Manchester in the UK, Consultant Physician at the Manchester Royal Infirmary and Voluntary Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami, Diabetes Research Institute in the US.
A leading endocrinologist, he has authored more than 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, mainly on diabetic lower limb and renal complications and also received numerous international awards.

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20180114/health-fitness/a-mediterranean-diet-for-diabetes.667956

Increased stress at work linked to higher risk of diabetes

From whtc.com

(Reuters Health) - - Workers who experience an increase in stress on the job over time may be more likely to develop diabetes than their coworkers who don’t, a recent study suggests.
Researchers examined data on 3,730 petroleum industry workers in China. At the start of the study, none of the workers had diabetes.
After 12 years of follow-up, workers who experienced increasing stressful tasks on the job were 57 percent more likely to develop diabetes, the study team reports in Diabetes Care.
At the same time, workers who experienced a decline in coping resources like social support from friends and family or time for recreational activities were 68 percent more likely to develop diabetes.
“Major changes in work may affect our risk of developing diabetes,” said Mika Kivimaki, a researcher at University College London in the UK who wasn’t involved in the study.
“It is therefore important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight, even during turbulent periods at work,” Kivimaki said by email.
In the study, Yulong Lian of Xinjiang Medical University and colleagues didn’t report exactly how many workers developed diabetes. Lian didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Worldwide, nearly one in 10 adults had diabetes in 2014, and the disease will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030, according to the World Health Organization.
Most of these people have type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and aging and happens when the body can’t properly use or make enough of the hormone insulin to convert blood sugar into energy. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to nerve damage, amputations, blindness, heart disease and strokes.
Physicians have long recommended exercise, weight loss and a healthy diet to control blood pressure and minimize complications of the disease. Stress reduction is also advised because, whether it’s caused on the job or not, stress may also make diabetes worse by directly contributing to a spike in blood sugar or by leading to unhealthy lifestyle habits that can cause complications.
The study looked at several forms of job-related stress and found that what researchers described as “task stressors” - such as feeling overloaded with work or unclear about expectations or responsibilities of the job, and the strains of physical labour - were the biggest contributors to the risk of developing diabetes.
So-called organizational stressors like interruptions, closures or poor communication didn’t appear to influence the odds of diabetes. Job control, or how much ability workers had to influence their day-to-day work activities, also didn’t appear to impact diabetes risk.
Among coping resources that influenced the risk of diabetes, declines in self-care and decreases in rational coping skills appeared to make the most difference, the study also found.
The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how changes in work stress or coping resources might influence the odds of developing diabetes.
Other limitations include its focus workers in a single, predominantly male industry and its reliance on stress and diabetes assessments at just two points in time.
Still, the findings add to evidence that stress can play a role in the development of diabetes and suggest that it’s worth paying closer attention to the specific role played by stress on the job, said Dr. Pouran Faghri, director of the Center for Environmental Health and Health Promotion at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.
“Stress has been associated with behavioural problems such as comfort or binge eating, consumption of high fat, energy-dense foods, poor dietary choices, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour,” Faghri, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email.
“There is also an association with reduced sleep quality and negative psychological health such as depression, anxiety, insecurity, powerlessness and low self-esteem,” Faghri added. “These behavioural changes will lead to obesity and the development of type 2 diabetes.”

http://whtc.com/news/articles/2018/jan/11/increased-stress-at-work-linked-to-higher-risk-of-diabetes/

Diabetes, A Disease of Regret and Guilt

From asweetlife.org

If you live with diabetes, you probably have a very intimate relationship with regret. Because every meal and every bolus can be an opportunity to make a decision you won’t be happy with later.
I’ve realized that for me, diabetes regret is almost always immediately followed by guilt.  I regret a poor food choice I’ve made and then feel guilty about the resulting blood sugar chaos.  I regret ignoring my CGM alarms, and then feel guilty when my husband has to finish cooking dinner while I treat a low.  I regret not getting a workout in, and then feel guilty when my finger-sticks reveal high numbers.
In my almost 38 years with diabetes, my largest amounts of regret and guilt are around my college years.  I regret how little care I put into my diabetes management.  I regret that I didn’t check my blood sugar.  I regret that I ate and drank whatever I wanted.  I regret that I didn’t schedule any appointments with my healthcare team.  I regret that the only diabetes thing I did in college was take insulin.
However, the heaviest guilt isn’t around the things I didn’t do.  It’s around the consequences that haven’t happen to me.  It’s something along the lines of complication’s guilt.  I am here, alive and well, even after those years of neglect.

I remember the scare tactics used on me when I was young.  The promises that if I didn’t take care of myself, if I let my blood sugar run high, if I snuck those cookies and chocolate bars, the consequences would be severe.  I’d go blind, I’d lose limbs, my kidneys would fail, I’d die.  Sure, those threats scared me.  In fact, I saw all of that happening to my aunt who had diabetes.  She was always sick and weak, and although she handled it all with grace, it was clear that she suffered.  We lost her to those complications when I was a senior in high school.  I witnessed it all first-hand, but I never believed that if I worked hard at managing my diabetes I could avoid this fate.  Instead, I believed that this was my future, and nothing I did would change that.  So, I didn’t even try.
Yet, here I am about to turn 50 years old in May.  The complications that I was sure would hit by the time I turned 25 haven’t knocked on my door yet.  No retinopathy, no neuropathy, no kidney failure.  So far I’ve only dealt with a bit of frozen shoulder.  And of course, I’m thankful for that.  But also?  I feel incredibly guilty.
I have friends and acquaintances who’ve racked up fewer years with diabetes and have worked much harder than me.  And yet they are battling all of the complications I have managed to avoid.  As often is the case with diabetes, it just doesn’t make sense.  It really isn’t fair.  It makes me regret those years that I neglected myself, and it makes me feel so guilty that I’m not paying the consequences.
The thing about guilt and regret is that they really aren’t very productive.  I can’t change what happened in the past, I can only change how I live my future.  So, while I do remember the things I regret and use them to motivate me to do better, I try not to dwell on them too much.  Yes, I’ve made many mistakes in the past, and I’m sure I’ll make plenty more in the future.  The best thing I can do is learn from those mistakes and move on.

https://asweetlife.org/diabetes-a-disease-of-regret-and-guilt/

Recipe: Vegan stack burger

From diabetes.org.uk

Spicy bean burger topped with colourful, chargrilled veggies, loaded with salad, and drenched with a tangy sesame sauce.

Serves 4

Prep 25 minutes

Cook 30 minutes + 20 minutes to chill

Ingredients

For the burgers:

400g can mixed beans, drained and mashed

1 sweet potato, peeled, boiled and mashed

1 onion, finely grated

1 tsp curry paste

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 tsp rapeseed oil, for frying

Chargrilled veggies:

half aubergine, sliced into 4 x 4cm slices

4 Portobello mushrooms, stalks removed

1 courgette, cut into long slices

1 red pepper, quartered

1 yellow pepper, quartered

Salad:

8 little gem lettuce leaves

1 very large tomato, sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

4 wholemeal baps, split and lightly toasted

Sauce: 

4 tsp tahini, mixed with juice 1 lemon and 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Mix the burger ingredients together (apart from the oil), form into 4 patties and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chargrill or grill the aubergine, mushrooms, courgette &amp
3. peppers and keep warm.
4. While the vegetables are grilling, prepare your salad garnish and tahini sauce.
5. Add the oil to a non-stick pan over a low-to-medium heat and cook the burgers for 4-6 minutes each side until golden brown and warm all the way through.
6. Toast the buns then add the salad, burger and chargrilled vegetables, drizzle with tahini and secure with a skewer.

Chefs tips

• Most beans or chickpeas work for these burgers so use any you have to hand.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/recipes/vegan-stack-burger?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Trying+vegan+this+January?+Give+our+spicy+bean+burger+topped+with+chargrilled+veggies+and+loaded+with+salad+a+go.&utm_content=Trying+vegan+this+January?+Give+our+spicy+bean+burger+topped+with+chargrilled+veggies+and+loaded+with+salad+a+go.&utm_campaign=Enewsletter+January+2018

Traveling abroad with diabetes: Part 3

From msu.edu

After experiencing an extraordinary trip to the rainforest and scuba diving in the ocean on the Caribbean country of Dominica, Tyler, 17 years old, shared his reflections on the trip and how it helped him to be more confident and take ownership of his diabetes self-care. This trip provided the perfect opportunity for him to be more mature and responsible for his diabetes management and overall wellbeing.
Just a year ago, Tyler took a job as a camp counsellor at the local YMCA. This position required him to be at camp all week and every week for the summer with two days off each week where he could leave the camp. Tyler wears a diabetes glucose monitor that sends his glucose levels to his phone and his mom’s phone. Many times during the summer, Tyler would have challenges with his glucose levels prompting his mom to make a quick trip to the camp with the necessary supplies to stabilize his glucose. When Tyler began planning for the trip to Dominica, his endocrinologist was concerned about Tyler being able to effectively control his type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Planning for this trip began a year before the actual trip and Tyler’s mom began to notice that with each visit to the endocrinologist, Tyler began asking more questions, thinking through scenarios with the doctor, and discussing the best options for controlling his blood glucose level. They talked about what to expect from days of walking through the rainforest and scuba diving. Tyler also took the initiative to make sure that the students knew what to do if he was unable to care for himself during the trip.
Due to the initiative showed by Tyler combined with being able to talk with the organization that planned the trip, Tyler’s parents felt very comfortable allowing Tyler to attend. Tyler’s mother was actually very happy to see him leave knowing that he was in good hands and had thoroughly planned for every possibility. The only contact that Tyler had with his family was one phone call during the middle of the trip to say he was doing well.
During the trip, Tyler realized that constant walking lowered his blood glucose levels. He even found that just sweating lead to dehydration which lowered his glucose. Food was scarce the first week of the trip and Tyler relied mostly on fruit snacks to keep from becoming severely hypoglycemic. Tyler’s mom was thankful for his continuous glucose monitor; a sensor Tyler wore to warn him of when his glucose levels were low or high. She didn’t think that he would check his glucose enough otherwise. They both found this device to be an important tool in preventing unnecessary diabetic situations.
After Tyler returned, his mom noticed that he continued to take control of his diabetes and she did not have to monitor his glucose constantly and worry. The endocrinologist was pleased with Tyler’s A1c levels. Tyler confirms from what he learned from being at YMCA camp and then going on the trip to Dominica is that “There is no one way to prepare. It is always a different battle. Don’t be afraid.”
Tyler and his family have never hidden his T1D. They have always approached any possible obstacle with the attitude of “we can do this.” Whatever Tyler has wanted to do, whether it be soccer, golf or swimming, they figured out a plan of how to allow Tyler to be like everyone else. There is no difference between Tyler and any other classmate who wants to pursue something new. Tyler just puts a little extra planning into his adventure and is not afraid to ask for help. And by asking for help, Tyler found that he learns more about his diabetes self-care.
Tyler feels like this experience has helped to prepare him for college coming next year. He feels that he has more confidence and knowledge in managing his diabetes and doesn’t need to rely on his mom as much for managing his disease. Tyler’s mother shared, “As a parent, you have to allow them those opportunities to grow, as scary and uncomfortable as it is. Otherwise, how else are they going to learn?” She suggests starting with small overnight opportunities and work up to more complex activities.
This trip was not only a yearlong preparation for Tyler, but for his parents as well. Confidence and a sense of accomplishment exuded from Tyler and his mom as they shared their stories.

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/traveling_abroad_with_diabetes_part_3

Traveling abroad with diabetes: Part 2

From msu.edu

Through the eyes of Tyler and his family, planning to attend a two-week long trip to Dominica, a country located in the Caribbean, began early. The trip included two-weeks in Dominica with the science club. The school group made the trip to gather samples of items from the rainforest as well as the ocean.
The first week was set in the rainforest where the weather was warm and humid and the group slept in tents and portable cabins. Tyler dealt with food that was sparse during their stay in the rainforest with an abundance of walking most of every day. The second week of the trip was near the ocean. The group stayed in more of what could be considered a hotel. They scuba-dived for 40 minutes at a time and listened to lectures for most of each day. The food was more plentiful and there were restaurants and small stores available.

7 steps for a well planned trip include:

1. Start planning as soon as possible. Planning for Tyler’s trip began a year in advance.
2. Do not hide the fact that you or a family member has diabetes. Make sure everyone knows what to do if there is a crisis where the student cannot attend to their diabetes self-care. This will include all physicians, teachers, students and the company organizing the trip.
3. Talk to the endocrinologist. Tyler took the initiative to talk to the endocrinologist. This is where scenarios are discussed, what equipment would be needed to manage his diabetes, as well as learning how to handle every possible situation correctly. Tyler used the basal/bolus regime to manage his insulin and found that an insulin pen worked best to bolus (which are figured by a combination of counting the grams of carbohydrate of a meal or snack, and a current blood glucose reading taken before eating the meal) and he used his pump to keep his insulin at basal levels. Basal dosing keeps blood glucose levels at consistent levels during periods of fasting.
4. Keep insulin at a cool temperature. The endocrinologist mentioned not to allow the insulin to “cook.” It has to be kept cool. Tyler brought special packs that cool items when moistened with water since he did not know if there would be refrigerators available.
5. Receive clearance for all activities. Because this trip involved scuba diving, Tyler had to receive clearance from a hyperbaric physician prior to the trip. They went through how to handle every scenario that could arise while scuba diving. Tyler knew what depth he could dive at and that he could dive for 45 minutes at a time which worked well with having his insulin pump off for no longer than an hour.
6. Plan what snacks to bring. Think about the weather, the living conditions and even what types of foods are normally eaten. Try to find out if there are sources of food outside of what meals will be served. Tyler discovered the first week in the rainforest that the food was sparse and primarily simple carbohydrates. The students walked and worked all day with small breaks for meals. Three meals were provided and included porridge with a piece of fruit, watered down soup with a small piece of meat and a root vegetable, rice and beans with a half of a sandwich containing one piece of meat. Being mostly simple carbohydrates, determining the amount of carbohydrates in each of the foods he was eating proved to be a challenge.
7. Have good communication and talk through the trip with all that will be involved. Talk through every situation that may occur. What are all of the worst-case scenarios that could happen? How much insulin could be needed? What is the plan for both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia? What equipment is needed for managing diabetes?

Even with months of preparation and planning Tyler and his family had some unexpected challenges. Below are some extra diabetes self-management tips that Tyler considered and some things he learned from the experience:

• Wicking clothing, such as fishing apparel, worked best on this trip along with hiking boots and hiking socks.
• Being unfamiliar with the food, counting carbohydrates and increased physical activity was a challenge for Tyler’s blood glucose management. Fruit snacks worked the best as emergency glucose to prevent hypoglycemia. This type of snack handled the humid weather well and was easy to carry.
• Kool-Aid packets were brought to add to a water bottle as a glucose source but there were not enough carbohydrates in one packet. Tyler would have had to drink one liter every 15 minutes.
• Tyler’s glucose tablets, used to quickly bring his blood glucose to normal levels began to melt in the warm, humid weather. They were also dry in your mouth and had an undesirable aftertaste that lasted a long time. These were not his first choice as a sugar source. Fruit snacks served as his first choice.
• Research if there will be refrigeration available for insulin. Insulated cooling cases called ”Frio Packs” were available at the “big box stores.” These packs keep things cool when they are moistened with water.
• Food is crucial. Try to find out what type of food is eaten at the location where the trip will be. And if there is other food available outside of meals. Tyler suggested packing more high-protein/carbohydrate snack bars.

The preparation and tips provided above were items that Tyler and his family found to be helpful to feel comfortable and ensure that this trip would be safe and successful for Tyler. Always talk with your diabetes healthcare team for your individual medical nutrition therapies.
Part 3 of this journey, provides reflection from Tyler and his family.

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/traveling_abroad_with_diabetes_part_2

Traveling abroad with diabetes: Part 1

From msu.edu

For an adolescent or anyone with type 1 diabetes, every day there is a plan. A plan for meals, a plan for insulin and a plan for emergencies. What if your teenager had the opportunity to travel with a school group out of the country? How would you begin planning for this opportunity?
Tyler is a 17-year-old senior in high school. He has had type 1 diabetes since he was two years old. He approached his parents with an opportunity to travel with the school science club to Dominica for two weeks. Tyler’s parents have always been very open about his diabetes and have always felt that there is nothing that Tyler could not do. He is an active athlete on the golf and soccer teams. This trip was an opportunity for Tyler to be more responsible for his health and take ownership of his diabetes.

Beginning steps for traveling abroad

First steps – Tyler and his parents began researching more about what to expect from the trip to Dominica, a country located in the Caribbean. They attended meetings and watched videos to learn more about the location, the environment, weather, and what activities the group would engage in during the visit. The family carefully reviewed the travel itinerary and noticed that the activities while doable, could be more physically strenuous than Tyler’s current activity level. An increase in Tyler’s physical activity along with the heat could trigger low glucose levels.
Seek input from your provider – Tyler and his family met with his endocrinologist many times. They discussed how to handle every possible scenario and have a backup plan. They went over what would be included in Tyler’s diabetes kit and even added some new items. A diabetes kit is personalized to accommodate an individual’s needs and not all kits contain the same items. Having more than one diabetes kit may be necessary for a long, extensive trip. Delegating a diabetes chaperone for Tyler, someone on the trip that can assist him in monitoring his diabetes was important and reassuring. 
Cultural considerations – When traveling, the availability of certain foods is not always known. Planning to have enough snacks and emergency glucose can partly be a guessing game. Tyler took into consideration the many things that would make his blood glucose drop. On this trip, he had to work around the physical activity involved, the type of foods (which were unknown) and the weather.
Prevention steps – Prior to the trip, teachers and trip organizers were made aware of what to do in case of a diabetic emergency and Tyler needed their assistance. To aid in prevention, Tyler wore a weatherproof T1D identification bracelet. Tyler and his family made sure to identify the location of all area hospitals.
Reinforce your child’s management plan – Planning for the right amount of insulin for Tyler’s trip proved to be challenging. Tyler and his healthcare provider confirmed that two weeks plus an additional 1 ½ weeks’ worth of insulin would be sufficient. This can differ for others so good communication with all of the healthcare professionals involved is important. The responsibility of proper insulin management fell to Tyler during this trip. Prior to this trip, Tyler’s mother had always taken the lead in making sure that his glucose levels were staying even. She did this through use of a sensor monitor worn by Tyler that connected to her phone. Making sure that Tyler could effectively manage his diabetes on this trip was a concern for his endocrinologist and his parents.
Part 2 of this journey talks about how the family prepared for this trip.

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/traveling_abroad_with_diabetes_part_1

10 Amazing Benefits of Green Tea

By Demarcus Martin

Among its many properties, green tea could help us prevent diabetes because it controls blood sugar levels.
There are many reasons why green tea has been part of Asian cultures for some centuries. It is a drink rich in antioxidants and nutrients that benefit the body in multiple ways, being a great support to strengthen the defences and prevent diseases.
In addition, it is now known that this tea is a great support to lose weight and prevent chronic health problems, such as cancer. Do you know the amazing benefits of green tea? We invite you to discover more reasons to drink green tea more regularly.

1. Green tea is rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants are chemical compounds that are responsible for combating other molecules, such as free radicals. Green tea is a rich source of antioxidants and, thanks to this, it is an ally to prevent chronic diseases, as well as problems of premature aging of the skin.

2. It could help prevent cancer
Studies have shown that green tea has important properties that are promising as a method to reduce the risk of developing different types of cancers.

In an investigation carried out by the McGill University in Montreal (Canada), it was found that the antioxidants contained in this tea could help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In another analysis, a decrease in the risk of lung cancer up to 18% was observed.
Other Chinese research has linked the consumption of tea with the decreased risk of developing stomach, pancreatic, esophageal, prostate and colorectal cancers.

3. Heart health
Its high content of antioxidants make it an ally to regulate the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood and prevent it from being installed in the blood vessels.
Thanks to this, it is considered that the regular consumption of green tea can decrease the cardiac risks and other problems related to cardiovascular health.

4. Improves the health of the liver
The liver is the organ responsible for filtering the toxins that accumulate in the bloodstream and can affect health. However, the excess of toxins can have a negative effect and prevent its proper functioning.
A cup of green tea a day could be the impulse to purify the liver and make sure it is working properly. Regular consumption of tea helps prevent damage caused by toxic substances such as alcohol and prevents inflammation.

5. It stimulates the metabolism and helps to lose weight
It is scientifically proven that the consumption of green tea helps prevent and reduce excess body weight. In an investigation it was determined that the fat oxidation power of tea had helped the participants to lose weight in a period of three months.
In addition, it was also determined that it helps activate metabolism, improves the ability to burn calories and acts as a cardioprotector.

6. Digestive support
Green tea has a mild laxative effect that can help prevent and combat constipation, in addition to having properties to reduce gas, bloating and other digestive problems.

7. Prevention of diabetes
The properties of this tea could help control blood sugar levels to prevent diabetes. Recent research has shown that tea can help prevent the development of type 1 diabetes, in addition to controlling type 2 diabetes.

8. Improves dental health
In traditional Chinese medicine green tea has been used as a dental protector, capable of preventing oral infections, in addition to helping to control bad breath problems.

9. Prevention of arthritis
Several investigations have determined that green tea has a powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory action that could be very useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other types of inflammatory diseases.
The consumption of this tea could help stop the inflammatory response, as well as the cartilage breakdown in people suffering from this type of disease.

10. Strengthens the immune system
Its high content of antioxidants added to vitamins and minerals make this tea is one of the best natural allies of the immune system. The properties of tea have been shown to be effective in the treatment of different types of infections, in addition to common respiratory problems such as flu and the common cold.

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Amazing-Benefits-of-Green-Tea&id=9858997

Lifestyle changes can reverse Type 2 diabetes

From hippocraticpost.com
By Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Type 2 diabetes is a public health emergency and the number of people with this disorder has almost doubled since 1996 to nearly four million today. Most people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body is no longer able to keep blood sugar levels under control, are put on a lifelong drug regime to manage their condition, which is closely linked to obesity.
However, I believe we are doing patients with type 2 diabetes a great disservice by assuming that this condition is irreversible and medication is the only way. I personally have helped patients fully reverse their type 2 diabetes within just 30 days of making specific, personalised lifestyle changes, and they have no further need of medication as long as they continue to maintain healthy lifestyle practices.
I teach doctors how to achieve the same results.
Many people assume that type 2 diabetes is a dietary illness and whilst diet plays a significant role, it is not the only factor to consider. When looking at lifestyle changes, I always talk to my patients about what I consider to be the four pillars of health – Food, Movement, Sleep and Relaxation. I discuss the science of each pillar, as well as practical tips to help, in my upcoming book, The Four Pillar Plan.

The alternative to lifestyle change is taking pills. This is often misguided for 2 key reasons. Firstly, the pills do not treat the underlying cause of the condition, only the symptoms. Secondly, many of the pills cause side effects of their own. Before you know it, you are starting to take more and more medications to cope with the side effects of taking the pills in the first place!
Type 2 diabetes is not something that just happens to you overnight. The underlying process will have been building up for many years. By the time you finally get diagnosed, the body will have been malfunctioning for many years. I explain how this works in my TEDx talk: How to make diseases disappear.
The fundamental abnormality with type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance – the body stops reacting appropriately to insulin, despite it being present in the bloodstream. As well as diet, we know that poor sleep contributes to the problem of insulin resistance, as does a sedentary lifestyle and high levels of stress. Our modern lifestyles are leading to many people being underslept, overstressed and sitting at their desks for hours each day, not even getting up at lunchtime when they eat on the job.
Simple tips that people can apply immediately to help them start get on top of their type 2 diabetes are:
FOOD – reduce sugar, refined and processed carbohydrates such as biscuits, bagels and even many highly processed breads that fill our supermarket shelves these days.
MOVEMENT – do a strength-based workout twice per week. More muscle means less insulin resistance. I have devised a 5 minute kitchen workout that has helped many of my patients from those in their 70s to those in their 20s.
SLEEP – prioritise sleep. Many don’t realise that a lack of sleep can contribute to insulin resistance.
RELAXATION – being chronically stressed contributes to type 2 diabetes. One of my friends reversed her pre-diabetes simply by tackling her stress levels. Diary in 10 minutes per day to do something for yourself.
The first thing we need to do is empower people by giving them the correct information. Then we need to help them make the changes they need, recognising that this can very difficult. It’s not always possible to lift away financial worries, problems at work and in relationships, but we can work within the limitations to improve people’s health and wellbeing through realistic lifestyle choices.
I have found that when we empower our patients with the right information, in a language that makes sense to them, they often thrive and make the changes required to take control of their health.
This is about empowerment. Telling patients what to do never works. Empowering them with information and choice is the only way.

https://www.hippocraticpost.com/ageing/lifestyle-changes-can-reverse-type-2-diabetes/

Is sugar responsible for obesity and diabetes epidemics?

From aninews.in

Washington D.C [U.S.], Jan. 08 (ANI): Gary Taubes, journalist and author, argues that sugar could be a fundamental cause of the global obesity and diabetic epidemics, with detrimental effects on the human body.
Bringing the matter to forefront, Taubes emphasises that "we must do more to discourage consumption while we improve our understanding of sugar's role" which according to him goes beyond just empty calories.
Taubes further writes that it has long been suspected by the doctors that sugar is a fundamental cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes. But until recently, the ideas of fat consumption and total energy balance have taken over the debate regarding obesity and nature of a healthy diet.
In 2016, the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes were described as 'slow-motion disasters' by Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO). She also suggested that the probability of preventing this 'bad situation' from getting 'much worse' was 'virtually zero'.
Official estimates state that one in every 11 people is affected by diabetes in the United States and one in every 16 people in the UK. The estimates also suggest that diabolical twins - obesity and diabetes - may cost US healthcare system as much as $1bn (£740m; €850m) a day.
Taubes raises the question that "Why, despite all our best efforts, have these epidemics gone unchecked?" He adds that a simple reason is that our understanding of the root cause is fundamentally flawed.
Over the past decade, a renewed interest in the possibility that calorific sweeteners have major roles in causing obesity and diabetes have taken home in people's minds and therefore, major public health organizations are now recommending limited or no consumption of these 'free sugars'.
However, Taubes argues that the recommended usage only targets its calories rather than its potential for causing diseases.
He asks "What if the problem is the sugar itself?". He states that sugar metabolises in a different manner than other carb-rich foods. The evidence that sugar has harmful qualities independent of its calories is still ambiguous. He states "If it is true, though, it changes how we must communicate the dangers of sugar consumption".
He warns that while restricting the amount of sugar consumption in a healthy diet is a good start "but we don't know if the level recommended is safe for everyone. It could be that for people who have obesity or diabetes, or both, even a little is too much. And the ubiquity of sugar-rich products may make it difficult for many people to maintain a healthy level of sugar consumption".
He concludes that given the scale of the obesity and diabetes epidemics, "then a concerted programme of research to establish reliable knowledge on this subject should be among our highest priorities. Meanwhile, we can acknowledge the uncertainties while still recommending strongly against consumption".
The research was published in The BMJ. (ANI)

https://www.aninews.in/news/health/is-sugar-responsible-for-obesity-and-diabetes-epidemics201801081421400003/

Big Strides Made in Diabetes Care

From health.usnews.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- This past year was a busy, productive one for diabetes research and care.

"2017 was a year of progress in our understanding of diabetes and its complications, the tools available to help people manage their diabetes, and attention to the economic and accessibility challenges faced by people with diabetes," said Dr. William Cefalu, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Artificial pancreas technology

Probably the biggest and most anticipated news of 2017 was the rollout of the so-called artificial pancreas. Created by Medtronic, the device combines an insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor and a computer algorithm that measures blood sugar levels and then delivers insulin automatically when those levels rise. Insulin delivery is also temporarily suspended if blood sugar levels drop too low.

The device isn't completely automated yet. People with diabetes still need to know how to count the carbohydrates in their food and enter that information into their insulin pump.

And the device still requires people with diabetes to check their blood sugar several times a day and enter that information into the machine -- this is known as "calibrating." The hope is that future versions of the device won't require these steps.

Aaron Kowalski, chief mission officer for JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), said, "We've waited a long time to see these systems come to market, and while it's not yet perfect, it has opened the door, and there's definitely a benefit."

He added that a number of other insulin pump manufacturers and independent companies are working on their own artificial pancreas systems. "Competition is really important and helps drive innovation. The next few years will hold promise," Kowalski added.

Improving heart health

Heart disease is a significant concern for people with diabetes. New research suggested that long-term use of metformin could reduce the risk of heart disease in people with type 1 diabetes. Other medications have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes. These include Jardiance, Invokana and Victoza.
"Cardiovascular disease is the most deadly and expensive complication of diabetes, and a number of recent studies have shown that certain medications also have a strong protective effect against cardiovascular disease in people at high risk for it," Cefalu said.

Competition in the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) market

The artificial pancreas wasn't the only innovation in diabetes technology in 2017. Another continuous glucose monitoring device (CGM) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Made by Abbott and called the Libre, this device has been in use in Europe for several years.

The major difference in the Libre is that you have to request the blood sugar information. Other devices on the market -- from Dexcom and Medtronic -- send blood sugar information collected by a tiny sensor wire inserted under the skin to a receiver every five minutes or so.

The Libre also uses a tiny sensor wire inserted under the skin, but the person with diabetes has to request the information be sent to the receiver. In addition, the Libre also doesn't require any fingerstick calibration as other devices on the market do.

"Some people find the constant information provided by continuous glucose monitors to be stressful. With the Libre, you ask when you want the information. It's also a little bit flatter than other CGMs, and it comes in at a much lower price point," Kowalski explained.

Improving blood sugar levels in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes

One of the most promising uses of CGM technology became evident with the publication of the results of an international study of women with type 1 diabetes who wore the devices during pregnancy. Women with type 1 diabetes have to manage their blood sugar levels very tightly during pregnancy, because high blood sugar levels are associated with birth defects and other pregnancy complications. But this also puts them at risk of developing dangerously low blood sugar levels.
Women using CGM spent more time in "target" range than women who didn't. That means their blood sugar was neither too high nor too low for longer periods of time.

"This study helped show that mothers and babies do better when the mother [with type 1 diabetes] has a CGM," Kowalski said. The study was published in The Lancet.

Insulin speed

Novo Nordisk received FDA approval for a new insulin called Fiasp. This insulin starts working in about 2.5 minutes. Currently, Novolog, another product from Novo Nordisk, takes approximately five to 10 minutes to start working.

That difference may not seem like much, but unless people with diabetes who are dependent on insulin inject at least five to 10 minutes before they eat, their blood sugar levels may spike too high after eating.

It's not always possible or even safe to pre-inject insulin. For example, in a restaurant, you have no way of knowing when your food might arrive, and if you pre-inject and your food is late, you can have a dangerously low blood sugar level. The shorter time it takes Fiasp to work could help prevent spikes in blood sugar after eating, which ultimately leads to better diabetes control.

Awareness of costs and increased coverage

The cost of insulin has come under sharp scrutiny recently because the cost of some insulin has tripled in about a decade. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) first brought the issue up during the 2016 presidential campaign. The ADA started a campaign called "Make Insulin Affordable" and is working with members of Congress to bring more attention to the issue.
This was also the first year that people on Medicare with diabetes could get coverage for CGMs. Initially, Medicare only offered coverage for the Dexcom CGM, but on Jan. 4 the agency announced that it would also cover the Libre CGM.

https://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2018-01-05/big-strides-made-in-diabetes-care

'I'm lucky I'm still here': Patients ignoring type 2 diabetes at their peril

From abc.net.au

The doctor's words still haunt Paul Walker after nearly 30 years.

The diagnosis could not dissuade him when he was a young man and he continued to eat poorly and neglect his health.
"He told me I had type 2 diabetes and it was killing me from the inside out," Mr Walker told 7.30.
More than 1 million Australians have diabetes. It is the country's leading cause of preventable blindness and results in more than 4,400 amputations every year.
"I said, 'I will be right'. I just ignored it — thought I was invincible," Mr Walker said.
"I was young, a truck driver. Every service station you would get a burger, a pie, chocolate, Coke."

'Lucky I'm still here'

Mr Walker, now 52, avoided monitoring his blood sugar levels, did not take his medication, and ignored medical advice to lose weight and start exercising.
Last year, he was admitted to Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital suffering from a complication of type 2 diabetes, a foot ulcer, which in unusually severe cases requires amputation.
"He had developed a nasty heel ulcer which was threatening his leg," said Dr Ramon Varcoe, Mr Walker's vascular surgeon.
"In people with diabetes they have usually got obstructed blood vessels below the knee."
Mr Walker has urged others to take diabetes more seriously.

                 Paul Walker in physical rehabilitation at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital

A 'silent epidemic'

More people are being diagnosed with the condition, but it's increasingly affecting younger Australians.
Greg Johnson, the CEO of Diabetes Australia, describes it as an epidemic.
"Twenty years ago it was unheard of to have a child or an adolescent with type 2 diabetes but we are seeing it more and more frequently," Mr Johnson said.
"But the big numbers are in the 20s and 30s. Over the past five years, we've seen just under a 20 per cent increase in people in their 20s and 30s getting type 2 diabetes."
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body loses its ability to produce enough of the hormone insulin, which regulates glucose in the blood. Over time high blood glucose levels can lead to blood vessel and nerve damage throughout the body.
"We see damage to organs like the kidney, the eyes, the feet, the heart the limbs and all of the complications happen because of the damage to our blood vessels," Mr Johnson said.
"The silent nature of it is what makes it so difficult, because people can have type 2 diabetes for years without knowing they've got it and without symptoms."
He's calling for earlier identification through routine blood tests for adults and also checks in hospital emergency departments.
"Once you've got type 2 diabetes, it's with you for life," Mr Johnson said.

"The sooner we identify it the sooner we can manage it. If people have pre-diabetes and act on it, we could prevent 60 per cent of type 2 diabetes cases from developing."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-03/type-2-diabetes-patients-ignoring-diagnosis-at-their-peril/9203076