Healthy activity combats diabetes

From bismarcktribune.com

Diabetes type 2 is characterized by insulin resistance, a condition which the cells and tissues of the body, primarily within the muscle, fat and liver, do not use insulin properly. This form of diabetes is the most common and accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed diabetes cases in U.S adults.

Risk factors for developing diabetes type 2 include aging, obesity, family history of diabetes, personal history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, race and ethnicity.

According to the most recent statistics from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes affects about 29.1 million people in the United States, or about 9.3 percent of the population. Pre-diabetes affects an estimated 86 million Americans, or 37 percent of the population. About 27.8 percent of people with diabetes are undiagnosed.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations and new cases of blindness in the U.S. It is also a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. The risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people of similar age without diabetes. About one in five health care dollars is spent on diabetes care.

The National Diabetes Prevention Program shows that 15 to 30 percent of people with pre-diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within five years, if they do not achieve moderate weight loss and increase physical activity. Visiting with a health care provider and adjusting one’s lifestyle with simple changes, including increasing physical activity and eating healthier, can cut the risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent.

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Eating healthier includes reducing overall carbohydrate and saturated fat content and including a wide variety of foods to obtain various nutrients throughout the day. Other recommended diet changes include using a luncheon-sized plate instead of a dinner-sized plate and filling half the plate with vegetables, such as green beans, lettuce, carrots, broccoli or other favourite “non-starchy” vegetables.

It also is recommended to eat a healthy form of protein, such as fish or poultry, about the size of a deck of cards, with meals. Include a half cup of whole grains with meals three times per day and consume two servings of fruit throughout the day.

Incorporating physical activity into daily routines is important. The American Diabetes Association recommends participating in 150 minutes of physical activity per week. One way to increase movement includes setting small goals using a step counter or a smart device to track and encourage physical activity. Other examples include parking your car in a spot farthest from the building or using the stairs instead of an elevator. The Bismarck-Mandan area has nature trails and recreation facilities that can make physical activity fun for everyone.

Developing and maintaining positive lifestyle changes is paramount to not only preventing the development of diabetes, but also improving overall health when living with diabetes.

http://bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/hospital-column/healthy-activity-combats-diabetes/article_d45d6f7f-415a-5313-946c-e47a34176ef0.html

Simple Steps to Healthy Feet

From shop.diabetes.org.uk

As well as raising awareness of the extent and effects of all types of diabetes, Diabetes UK is campaigning for Simple Steps to Healthy Feet. 

They have a selection of materials that are available to order in different languages.
Just follow this link:-

https://shop.diabetes.org.uk/store/managing-your-diabetes/healthcare-professionals/campaigns/simple-steps-to-healthy-feet.aspx

Why Diabetics Should Munch on Almonds for the Sake of Their Heart

From food.ndtv.com

Diabetes is a major disease affecting the world population today. It is a condition when the blood sugar level in the body shoots up because insulin is not able to break it down into energy. What makes this disease even deadlier is that it is life-long and in the process, it makes the patients more susceptible to fall prey to other diseases - cardiovascular diseases being the perfect case in point. Now of course, we all know that prevention is better than cure, and so it is very important for diabetics to watch what they eat and resort to healthier foods that can keep their heart healthy and keep a check on blood sugar at the same time.
There's a habit that most of us follow every morning - eating a handful of almonds that have been soaked in water overnight. Our parents follow it, who have of course learnt it from our grandparents. It's almost like a custom which has been followed across the Indian subcontinent over the years. And for good reason. According to Ayurveda, soaked almonds contain a host of nutrients that are very beneficial for our health. They are a good source of proteins, vitamin E and manganese, which all work towards keeping the heart healthy, strengthening the bones, reducing cholesterol and regulating blood pressure. Health experts also suggest munching on a few almonds in between meals to curb those sudden hunger pangs. They are a great snacking option - no junk and full of goodness. But you should restrict your intake to 8-10 soaked almonds per day, as they are high in monounsaturated fats.

Almonds and Heart Health

According to a study published in the journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, daily consumption of almonds may significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in Indians with Type 2 diabetes and improve their general health. This is because including almonds as part of a healthy diet may help improve glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors.

"India is known as the diabetes capital of the world, with incidence of Type 2 diabetes currently reaching epidemic proportions," wrote the researchers. They attribute this higher and earlier incidence of Type 2 diabetes in part to the "South Asian phenotype," a genetic predisposition that makes Indians more susceptible to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. The benefits of almonds are known by all, but it is the first free-living study that tried "to demonstrate the health benefits of including almonds in the diet among Asian Indians with type 2 diabetes," said Dr. Seema Gulati, lead researcher of the study.

The researchers conducted the study by recruiting 50 adults in Delhi, aged 25 to 70, all of whom had type 2 diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels. Post analysis, they found a significant decrease in a number of critical risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes, including waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HbA1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar regulation) and C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation in the body).

The Research Study

"Almonds are traditional snack for Indians; however, for the first time we have been able to prove its scientific all-round benefits in patients with diabetes. We now have confidence in prescribing it to all patients as mid-meal healthy snacks," said Dr. Anoop Misra, co researcher.

During a three-week run-in period, participants ate a standard diet compliant with the dietary guidelines for Asian Indians and appropriate for diabetes. During this period, participants were also asked to walk for 45 minutes at least five days a week to standardise their physical activity and were instructed to maintain the same level of activity for the rest of the study. There were 50 participants who completed the study commissioned by the Almond Board of California in collaboration with DFI.

Following the run-in period, participants were instructed to substitute 20 per cent of their total caloric intake with whole, raw almonds (unblanched almonds with their brown skin intact). Almonds were substituted for fat (such as cooking oil and butter) and some carbohydrate in this intervention diet which was followed for six months.

http://food.ndtv.com/health/why-diabetics-should-munch-on-almonds-for-the-sake-of-their-heart-1657551

Curbing 'Middle-aged Spread' Important to Prevent Diabetes

From medscape.com

A public-health strategy that stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy weight in middle age would have twice the impact on lowering the incidence of type 2 diabetes as a strategy that focuses only on getting obese patients to lose weight, researchers report.
They calculated that in a Swedish cohort of more than 33,000 patients aged 30 to 50, 22% of new diabetes cases would be prevented if the individuals did not gain weight during a decade-long follow-up.

In contrast, they estimate that only 8.5% of diabetes cases would be prevented if everyone with a body mass index (BMI) above 30 was referred to a program such as Weight Watchers and, as has been previously reported (BMC Public Health. 2011;11:434), lost an average of 5.6% of their weight.
The study by Adina L Feldman, PhD, and colleagues from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and co-investigators at Umeå University in Sweden, was published February 6 in BMC Public Health.
"We have shown that a population-based strategy that promotes prevention of weight gain in adulthood has the potential to prevent more than twice as many diabetes cases as a strategy that promotes only weight loss in obese individuals at high risk of diabetes," Dr Feldman said in a statement issued by the universities.
"Thus, when it comes to body weight and diabetes, from a public-health perspective it would be advisable to consider both high-risk and population-based strategies for diabetes prevention."
Moreover, although it may be difficult to prevent weight gain in middle age, it is even harder to shed excess pounds later on, the researchers emphasize.

"While primary weight maintenance in adulthood is challenging, it should be considered in contrast to the even more difficult challenge of weight loss and subsequent secondary weight maintenance," they note.

Middle-Age Weight Matters
To investigate how weight maintenance or moderate weight loss affects the incidence of diabetes on a population level, the researchers analysed data from people in northern Sweden who participated in the Västerbotten Intervention Program (VIP).

Dr Feldman and colleagues identified participants who were free of diabetes at baseline when they were 30 years old (4820 participants), 40 years old (14 023), or 50 years old (14 341). Just under half (47%) were men.
They had a mean BMI of 25.0 kg/m², and 55% of participants had a normal BMI of <25.0 kg/m².
During a 10-year follow-up, 29.1% of participants maintained their weight, 56.6% gained weight, and 14.2% lost weight.
A total of 1087 participants (3.3% of the study population) developed type 2 diabetes.
Compared with participants who did not gain weight, those who did (ie, their BMI increased by more than 1 kg/m²) had a 1.5-fold higher risk of developing diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 1.52).

At the same time, participants who lost a moderate amount of weight (their BMI dropped by 1 to 2 kg/m²) had a lower risk of developing diabetes (OR, 0.72).
The researchers estimate that if the mean BMI in a population of middle-aged adults could be shifted down by 1 to 2 kg/m² — corresponding to a weight loss of about 3 to 6 kg — then two in five cases of diabetes could be prevented.
Study limitations include the fact that close to a third of the participants were lost to follow-up (due to death or relocation), and the researchers analysed data only at two time points.

Nevertheless, "there is great potential from a public-health perspective for diabetes prevention in promoting primary weight maintenance for the whole population, in addition to moderate weight loss in individuals with a BMI ≥25.0 kg/m² and the current approach of targeting interventions to individuals in high-risk groups," Dr Feldman and colleagues conclude.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/875472

What You Should Know About Diabetes and Your Eyes

From newstrib.com

How much do you know about diabetes? If you’re like most Americans, you probably know at least a little. However, it’s becoming more and more valuable to understand diabetes on a deeper level, since so many adults are struggling with the disease.
In fact, according to Dr. Kamal Kishore of Illinois Retina & Eye Associates, “about 8 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, and 40 percent of these people don’t even know they have it.”
Shocked by those numbers? Take heart: Most people diagnosed (about 90 percent) have type 2 diabetes, which is often manageable with exercise and diet. However, a struggle with diabetes can still affect your vision, and there are necessary precautions you should take.

1. Damage to the retina is common with diabetes
The damage that occurs to the retina with type 2 diabetes is called retinopathy. According to Dr. Kishore, retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness for adults between the ages of 20 and 50.
“Two types of diabetic retinopathy are recognized,” he explains. “Patients with ‘background’ retinopathy have tiny aneurysms in the blood vessels and leakage of fluid and fat in the retina. The other type, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, happens when abnormal blood cells form on the nerve.”
2. Untreated retinopathy can eventually lead to blindness
Here’s a scary thought: If you don’t know you are diabetic, your vision could already be suffering damage.
Left untreated, Dr. Kishore says, retinopathy can eventually lead to blindness. Diabetic individuals are 25 times more likely to go blind compared to the general population. This risk can increase with other factors as well, including heredity, race, age and gender.
3. There are multiple treatments available for retinopathy
Treatment for retinopathy can consist of injections in the eye and laser therapy. According to Dr. Kishore, individuals with diabetic macular swelling respond better to a combination approach of both laser treatment and injections. In some cases, surgery may be performed for those with non-clearing bleeding, retinal detachment or swelling caused by scars.

3. There are multiple treatments available for retinopathy
Treatment for retinopathy can consist of injections in the eye and laser therapy. According to Dr. Kishore, individuals with diabetic macular swelling respond better to a combination approach of both laser treatment and injections. In some cases, surgery may be performed for those with non-clearing bleeding, retinal detachment or swelling caused by scars.
4. Regular eye exams can slow the progression of damage
Here’s something to remember – diabetic retinopathy does not cause symptoms until it’s too late. Because of this, regular eye exams are necessary. Even if you feel like you can see perfectly well, a dilation test from your eye doctor can reveal slow damage.
“Unfortunately, only 50 percent of those with diabetes get annual exams, and far too often diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed in a very advanced stage,” explains Dr. Kishore. “That’s why it’s so critical for all diabetics – and for everyone – to have an annual dilated eye exam.”

http://www.newstrib.com/sponsored/what-you-should-know-about-diabetes-and-your-eyes/article_fa446550-ec7c-11e6-88c1-1bf040c21bbe.html

What a food writer has learned about eating with Type 2 diabetes

By Polly Campbell

I didn't mean to become a poster child for Type 2 diabetes. I'd really rather be known for my clever writing, vast knowledge of food and gracious manners. But back in August I wrote a story about getting a diabetes diagnosis. (Which was not long after I went public with my face after years of a photo disguised with a hat.) Suddenly, I'm the diabetes lady.
Someone I didn't know at the grocery store peered into my cart and told me it looked like I was doing a good job.
A saleslady at Macy's compared notes with me. People asked my husband how I was doing. A diabetes magazine interviewed me for a story. And I got a lot of very nice emails from people with all kinds of suggestions and support.
So many of them said, "I'm in the same boat."
I'm sure lots of people in that boat have done a better job than I have in managing their adult-onset diabetes. Other people have lost a lot of weight, stuck to a strict carbohydrate regimen, started working out in response to a diagnosis. They could probably share all kinds of useful advice.

My story is of interest only because I eat for a living. If I can do a pretty good job while writing restaurant reviews and trying out bakeries and coffee shops and cafes, you can probably do an even better job.
If you read what I write, you know I haven't exactly given up paczki and coffee cake and pizza.
But I have, in fact, changed a lot about how I eat: How much, what I choose to try and how I eat when I'm not working. So I am doing a pretty good job. I had lost about 35 pounds or so when I wrote the story. I've kept it off, though it does bounce around a little. I try to take my blood sugar levels on a semi-regular basis to make sure they're within reasonable bounds, which they generally are. Though I have to say, I did not do that during the week of Christmas. I'm just trying to hold steady.
Here are some things I've discovered:

• Watching what you eat is more about planning and being organized than willpower. It's essential to plan the meals, get to the store, pack the lunch ahead of time. You just cannot have days when there's nothing healthy to eat so you order pizza or get fast food. 
• I got so many healthy eating cookbooks at the office in January. It's great to have new recipes to try that are designed for your diet and have nutritional counts. If I just think about what I want to make, I usually think of pasta. Then I have to make myself stop thinking about pasta. (See recipes below.) 
• I have to create the right environment. The best way for me not to eat ice cream is to have none in the house. If my husband wants it, he has to go to UDF.
• Carbs really add up. It's not until you look up everything you just ate in a book or on a calorie app that you realize you can't pretend another spoonful of brown rice is OK. And I have to be very honest with myself about pizza. 
• You slip, you start over. I did have to taste that flan cheesecake at Lalo's the other day and I'm glad I did. I can't afford to think that since I "strayed," I might as well go all the way and finish it. My friends finished it. And that bite was actually plenty for me.
• My eating out is a lot different than your eating out. But it is best with other people. If I don't finish it, someone else will. It's harder when I'm by myself. I try to keep zip-close bags with me because I feel weird ordering a sandwich, eating a bite, and asking for a box. This might not be a problem for people with less weird jobs. 
• Fine-dining restaurants aren't the challenge. They tend to serve smaller portions than, say, a sports bar. Fortunately, there are so many fine-dining restaurants opening that I don't often have to evaluate a menu that offers a choice between fried stuff with potatoes and fried stuff with bread. 
• Don't let a healthy restaurant lull you into complacency. I've noticed a tendency for restaurants to have a pretty decently healthy menu, and then have big cakes or muffins on display. You don't earn the right to eat those just because you're feeling good about having had a salad. 

My new best friends:

• Beans. High-fibre, low-carb, filling. Chili, hummus, lentil soup, roasted garbanzos, white bean salad... there are endless ways to use them.
• Avocado. I put them in every lunch I pack. Or I eat them with eggs. Not guacamole, though. That really needs corn chips. 
• Nuts. Every bit of nutritional advice about nuts says the same thing: Good for you, but eat in moderation because they're high in fat. Has anyone ever eaten salted nuts in moderation? It's a bit of a struggle, but they are low-carb. 
• Cherry tomatoes: To get through the winter until there are local tomatoes. I warm them up in a little butter to eat with fried eggs. They stand up well in packed lunches. I put them in every salad, I use them as a dip for hummus. 
• Eggs: Eggs poached in chunky tomato sauce for brunch or dinner, egg salad for lunch, deviled egg for a snack, etc. 
• Cottage cheese: (Breakstone or Michigan Brand are the only kind I like) with some fruit, or mixed with diced cucumber, celery, green pepper, parsley and scallion - my mother's favourite snack. 
• Raspberries: Not just because they are a higher-fibre fruit, but because a little box of fresh raspberries are expensive, so I never used to buy them. Now they're a justified special treat. Good with cottage cheese
• Coleslaw: So there can always be a salad in the fridge. 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/dining/2017/02/03/what-food-writer-has-learned-eating-type-2-diabetes/97283656/

Oxford university to host £115m diabetes research centre

From ft.com

Oxford university will host a £115m diabetes research centre funded over 10 years by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
Sir John Bell, Oxford’s professor of medicine and the government’s “life sciences champion”, said the investment signalled the revival of drug discovery research in the UK, after a decade-long decline.
“We once had 11 companies doing early-stage discovery research in the UK and now we have just two or three,” he said. “I think we can get that back to six or seven, making use of Britain’s world-leading strengths in the life sciences.”
About 100 Novo Nordisk scientists will work at the Oxford centre, investigating new ways of treating type-2 diabetes. The centre will be built on the university’s growing biomedical campus in Headington.
Among international drug companies, only GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and to a lesser extent UCB of Belgium still carry out discovery research on a significant scale in Britain, Sir John said.
Others are involved in later-stage development work, including clinical trials, as well as activities such as sales, marketing and management.
He was optimistic that two or three more companies would soon announce substantial research investments in the UK, encouraged by the government’s new industrial strategy and its announcement in November of a further £2bn in R&D spending.
Virginia Acha, research director at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said UK universities were also benefiting from a shift in corporate research from in-house labs to collaboration with external partners.
“Although most large companies have significantly decreased their number of in-house drug discovery employees in the UK, they have increased their investment in collaborative and outsourced research,” she said.
Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Novo Nordisk’s chief scientist, said the decision to set up the Oxford research centre followed 15 years of working with the university on a smaller scale, including a postdoctoral fellowship programme.

https://www.ft.com/content/8db89d84-e650-11e6-893c-082c54a7f539