What Does Type 2 Diabetes Look Like?

From polyclinic.com

When you picture someone who is at risk for type 2 diabetes, who do you see? Someone who is overweight? Older? Someone with a poor diet? Do you ever picture yourself?

Identify Potential Risk Factors

While it's true that certain people are at higher risk, there is no "typical" person with diabetes. We all have the potential for developing type 2 diabetes.
Several years ago at age 57, actor Tom Hanks announced that he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It caught many by surprise. He appears to be in good health, a normal weight, and active; yet his doctor had identified an issue with his blood sugar levels when Hanks was in his thirties, and he's been monitoring him for two decades. The lesson? Looks can be deceiving; only testing will tell for sure.
Some risk factors include, but are not limited to:

• Overweight/sedentary lifestyle
• Family history of diabetes
• Certain ethnicities, including African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino
• Low levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol)
• High levels of triglycerides
• High blood pressure

Watch for Symptoms

"It's hard to imagine, but 6 million people with diabetes don’t know they have it," explained Polyclinic Endocrinologist Dr. Michael Williams. "That’s because the common symptoms of diabetes and pre-diabetes can be mistaken for other conditions, so people don't discuss them with their doctor."
The only way to know for sure if you have diabetes is through a simple test during a routine visit with your primary care physician explains Dr. Williams. Like any health condition, early diagnosis is the key to reducing the risk of serious complications. Some signs to look for include, but are not limited to:

• Increased urination and excessive thirst
• Weight loss
• Hunger
• Slow-healing infections, cuts or bruises
• Skin problems like itchiness from poor circulation
• Yeast infections (yeast thrives in sugar-rich environments)
• Fatigue and irritability
• Blurry or distorted vision
• Tingling/numbness

Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Managing type 2 diabetes requires a multi-faceted approach to treatment - lifestyle changes, medications, and regular monitoring of blood sugar levels as well as the body’s response to the disease. Often patients can manage diabetes with their primary care physician (PCP); sometimes they also need specialty care.

https://polyclinic.com/blog/what-does-type-2-diabetes-look

How to lower your risk for diabetes

From news.missouristate.edu

November is American Diabetes Month. This disease affects more than 30 million Americans.
Natalie Allen, clinical instructor of dietetics in the biomedical sciences department at Missouri State University, helps to raise  awareness of the benefits of proper nutrition.
But first she explains some of the foods that are typically high in glucose. Although most vegetables don’t metabolize into glucose, she reminds us to beware of these starchy veggies.
As a dietitian, she works with people with both Type I diabetes and Type II. But in Type II, diet and lifestyle modifications could certainly reverse the needs for medication. Shedding a few pounds could make a huge positive impact.
In fact, she says, she wishes the standard across the board would be for most Americans to follow the guidelines of a diabetic diet.
Her number one tip for a diabetic or anyone with weight loss or health goals is to plan ahead. Meal plan, think about your activities for the week, and know your weak spots so you don’t end up in the drive thru.
In her role as the team dietitian for MSU, Allen notes that she monitors the intake of the student athletes. For those who might be diabetic, she encourages they have a snack or drink on hand that will help as their blood sugar drops.

The full transcript is here:-

https://news.missouristate.edu/2017/11/07/diabetes/

Type 2 Diabetes - A Diagnosis of Diabetes Can Have A Positive Effect on Your Life

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Even the worst situations may not be as tragic as they initially seem. When the harsh facts are presented, it is easy to narrow your focus on what is most alarming. In the process, you may not consider the positive aspects of a situation, even if they are minimal. When the odds seem stacked against you and your circumstances bleak, it pays to hold onto hope.
One frightening situation for many adults is when they are given a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. At first, the condition may seem bewildering and foreign, but as you will learn, even small changes in your lifestyle can help you to manage the effects.

At some point, the disease has got to be stopped in its tracks. If you care about your well-being and ability to live a long, productive life, you will put into motion a plan that helps you recover. You have been diagnosed, and you are now a Type 2 diabetic. More importantly, however, you can still control what happens. You can influence your future in ways only limited by the restrictions you place on yourself. Moreover, in some ways being diagnosed with diabetes may be a silver lining. There are advantages to the situation which you may not fully realize if you are focused on the complications the disease can bring.

A diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes presents an opportunity to bring a positive change into your life. Not only to recover to a healthy state but also to establish an ongoing healthy lifestyle. You may have never led a traditional healthy way of living, and diabetes may be the wake-up call you needed to develop a better understanding of your unique nutritional needs. A more physically active lifestyle and a change in food choices have been proven to help lower blood sugar levels, body weight, and even blood pressure reading.
The past is done; you can regret not having adopted lifestyle changes before, but it is not going to make a difference. What will make a difference is your daily commitment to regaining your health and maintaining a positive outlook.

It is not only possible to be healthier than you were before being diagnosed but also entirely reasonable. Just like how middle-aged adults can reclaim their well-being after establishing a healthy diet and losing weight to the extent they might even be more robust than when they were younger. But it depends on you, and no one else.
You do not have to give in to a diabetic fate; you don't need to think of yourself as a victim of diabetes. Think of yourself as a person with Type 2 diabetes who has choices to make. You can take charge, and make the most of your situation.
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---A-Diagnosis-of-Diabetes-Can-Have-A-Positive-Effect-on-Your-Life&id=9821439

Diabetes Can Be Reversed Naturally

From businessworld.in

Diabetes, like all lifestyle diseases, is a degenerative condition that will only worsen if not addressed. But the good news is that diabetes can be put in reverse gear in as little as 21-days! Pills and insulin injections are not the answer. A conscious shift in choosing what goes into your mouth is.

"Ditch the mangoes" and "switch to artificial sweeteners" - is the dreaded advice handed out to diabetics and pre-diabetics when first diagnosed. But did you know that the real villain here is -  Fat and not carbs? In this week's column, we uncover how the advent of cutting-edge MRI techniques has helped solve this mystery and why diabetes is both preventable and reversible naturally.

Don't Shoot the Messenger
All type 2 diabetics understand that their bodies are 'insulin-resistant' or non-cooperative towards helping insulin do its job of managing spikes in blood sugar after each meal. Sadly, what most doctors and diabetics don't understand is - why.

Insulin is a hormone which, like all hormones, works as a messenger-boy in the internal communications department of our body corporate. Its job is to persuade the muscles department to use up as much of the blood sugar supply as possible. Given their large size and heavy energy needs, muscles are naturally the largest consumers of blood sugar. As per policy, insulin must first obtain an entry-pass from 'insulin-receptors' who sit at the reception desk outside the muscle department. Most times, insulin-receptors are pretty accommodating and swing open the gateways for insulin to offload its blood sugar cargo inside the muscle.

However, there are times when insulin-receptors are less welcoming. This happens when the receptors are too busy firefighting a gatecrasher - FAT - specifically, intramyocellular lipids or small droplets of fat in the blood that bulldoze their way into the muscle department without permission.

A FAT Chance of Success    You have to admit, it's a thankless job for insulin, made even tougher by interference from FAT - who jams up the communication lines between insulin and insulin-receptors and in doing so, blocks the uptake of sugar by the muscles.  As muscles become increasingly unreceptive to insulin's charms, it heralds the beginnings of "insulin resistance". As blood sugar levels continue to rise, a vicious cycle of disease and weight gain starts as insulin levels remain elevated throughout the day (regardless of food intake) - all thanks to FAT!

It does not matter whether this FAT comes from the foods we eat or spills out from the fat cells we carry. In fact, most obese persons develop insulin resistance because of this 24-hour fat 'spillage' effect. The link between obesity and diabetes is so strong, that it is commonly referred to as Diabesity.  Also, not all dietary fats are created equal. As Dr Michael Greger, M.D. explains, saturated fats (such as palmitate found mostly in animal-sources like milk, meat and eggs) are notorious for inducing insulin resistance. In sharp contrast, fats (such as oleate found in plant-sources like nuts, avocados and olives) actually improve insulin sensitivity!

If the offending fats are removed from the diet, eating carbs (like mangoes) would no longer be a problem for diabetics.  With insulin-resistance on the mend, insulin would regain its power to control any rise in blood sugar (even from a sugar-rich diet). Remember: High blood sugar is not the cause but rather the RESULT of diabetes. The cause is insulin-resistance, which is FAT-induced.

A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare
Isn't it ironical then that the only nutritional advice doctors offer to type-2 diabetics is to steer clear of carbohydrates (which we know is not the cause of diabetes) but issue no warnings against dietary fat?

Perhaps it's because these recent findings were missing from the medical textbooks that our doctors read at medical school. Researchers first observed the mechanism through which 'ectopic fat accumulation' caused insulin resistance only after the emergence of cutting-edge MRI techniques in the 2000's. (Ectopic means in the wrong place, such as an 'ectopic pregnancy' where the fertilized egg lodges in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus). Fat is supposed to be deposited only within our fat cells and not in organs like the muscle, heart, pancreas or liver, or it can lead to disastrous health consequences.

Fortunately, as more physicians worldwide embrace these new findings, a paradigm shift is underway. While the 'why' is now evidently clear, the 'how' to reduce medications and 'how' to navigate the minefield of dietary choices - is where most patients still need help.  Non-profit organizations such as the MacDougall Foundation and Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (in the US) and SHARAN (in India) have been at the forefront of this diet revolution - helping tens of thousands of people successfully reverse their diabetes through food alone. 

Diabetes, like all lifestyle diseases, is a degenerative condition that will only worsen if not addressed. But the good news is that diabetes can be put in reverse gear in as little as 21-days! Pills and insulin injections are not the answer. A conscious shift in choosing what goes into your mouth is.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house. Unless otherwise noted, the author is writing in his/her personal capacity. They are not intended and should not be thought to represent official ideas, attitudes, or policies of any agency or institution.

http://businessworld.in/article/Diabetes-Can-Be-Reversed-Naturally-/04-11-2017-130020/

DIABETES: Essential to get your flu jab

From northumberlandgazette.co.uk

It is essential that everyone with diabetes has the flu jab this winter. People with diabetes are at a greater risk of flu and this can lead to more severe illnesses, such as pneumonia. Figures show that 24 per cent of people with diabetes did not have a flu vaccination in England last winter, despite it being free to everyone with the condition.
The jab is one of 15 healthcare essentials that every person with diabetes is entitled to through the NHS. These include having your blood pressure measured, having your eyes screened for signs of retinopathy, and having your feet and legs checked. Illnesses like the flu are serious for people with diabetes so please ensure that you take up the offer of the free flu jab. If you have any concerns about receiving the vaccination, speak to your GP or healthcare professional. Diabetes UK has put together a guide to help people with diabetes to avoid the flu as part of Public Health England’s Stay Well This Winter Campaign. For more details visit www.diabetes.org.uk/seasonal-flu

http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/diabetes-essential-to-get-your-flu-jab-1-8836436

Silent warning signs of diabetes

From griffinhealth.org

The early warning signs of diabetes can be hard to spot at first, and people sometimes mistake them for stress or fatigue.  More than 29 million Americans have diabetes -- 1 out of 10 U.S. adults -- and according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a quarter of them are undiagnosed. Millions of others are considered at high risk for developing diabetes.
Read on to learn more about what “silent” symptoms to look for that may actually point to diabetes. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these warning signs so you can discuss whether you should be screened for diabetes.

Warning sign: You’re Taking More Bathroom Breaks
When you have diabetes, your body becomes less efficient at breaking food down into sugar, so you have more sugar sitting in your bloodstream.  One red flag is whether the need to urinate keeps you up at night. Once or twice might be normal, but if it's affecting your ability to sleep, that could be a diabetes symptom to pay attention to.
Warning Sign: You’re Thirstier Than Usual
Urinating a lot will also make you feel thirsty. One mistake people with diabetes make is they use drinks like juices, soda, or chocolate milk to quench their thirst. These sugary beverages then pack the bloodstream with excess sugar, which can make the problem worse.
Warning Sign: You’ve Lost a Little Weight
Considering that being overweight is a risk factor for diabetes, it sounds counterintuitive that losing weight could be a silent diabetes symptom. But much of this weight loss is actually water weight from frequent urination.
Warning Sign: You Feel Shaky and Hungry
When you have high blood sugar, your body has a trouble regulating glucose, which can lead to hunger and shakiness. This may also cause carbohydrate or sugar cravings, which can worsen the problem.
Warning Sign: You’re Tired All The Time
When your blood sugar is up and down, you don't feel well. You may also become short-tempered, lose the desire to go out, and frequently want to sleep. In fact, many diabetes patients think they have depression when in fact they show signs of improvement after their blood sugar stabilizes.
Warning Sign: Your Vision Seems Blurry
In the early stages of diabetes, the eye lens stops focusing well because glucose builds up in the eye, temporarily changing its shape. This can usually be corrected once blood sugars are stabilized.
Warning Sign: Your Feet Tingle
Elevated sugar levels can cause complications well before you realize you have diabetes. One of these is mild nerve damage, which can cause numbness in your feet, known as neuropathy.

http://www.griffinhealth.org/blog/healthy-u/Post/14800/Silent-warning-signs-of-diabetes

The Importance of National Diabetes Awareness Month

From usnews.com

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Before you assume this is another made-up holiday created just to post an image on social media, think again.

There are some major reasons why National Diabetes Awareness Month is important – 114 million reasons, to be exact.

That’s because 114 million represents the number of Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes.
An estimated 30 million – or 9.4 percent of Americans – have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
About 84 million Americans have prediabetes. Although prediabetes is not an actual disease, it is a major wake-up call to make life changes to prevent someone from developing full-blown diabetes, says Dr. Dean Schillinger, professor of medicine in residence at the University of California San Francisco and chief of the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital.
Without any intervention, 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes over the following five years, says Heather Hodge, director of the Chronic Disease Prevention Program at YMCA of the USA.

As the obesity epidemic grows in the U.S., diabetes also has become an epidemic. With all the health complications involved with diabetes – not to mention the health care costs for people living with the disease – November becomes a sobering reminder of the value of diabetes awareness.

“We need more than one day or one week to get the message out,” says registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Byron Richard, a clinical nutrition manager at University of California San Diego Health.

Much of the news about diabetes is frustrating both for people who have it and those who treat it. After all, poor eating continues, Americans keep gaining weight and there are many health complications associated with diabetes, including heart disease and vision loss. The average medical expenditures for people with diabetes are about $13,700 a year – with $7,900 relating to diabetes alone, according to the American Diabetes Association.“Sometimes individuals only begin to understand the effect a disease has on their life until it hits them in the wallet, and this statistic can be a wake-up call to many,” Hodge says.

However, there is some hope. A federal study of the Diabetes Prevention Program – geared toward preventing diabetes in people with prediabetes – found that when participants lost just 5 percent to 7 percent of their body weight, they decreased their risk of diabetes by 58 percent to 71 percent.
There’s also less shaming nowadays about having diabetes – specifically Type 2, which is the kind of diabetes often linked to lifestyle choices. Much of the diabetes epidemic is linked to the social environment in the U.S., Schillinger says.

There’s also more technology nowadays to help users and health care providers see diabetes data and use it to better understand the disease, says Rick Altinger, CEO of Glooko in Mountain View, California.

And there’s finally a growing focus on prevention. “Many health insurance companies and employers are investing in educational and digital programs to help people better understand their condition and get it in better control,” Altinger says.

Still, “Innovation needs to move faster, programs need to be tested, improved and rolled out faster to tackle the growth rate of the disease and make a difference,” Altinger says.

Use this month to make the following positive changes in your life if you believe you have prediabetes or if you have diabetes.

If You Think You Have Prediabetes

See a health care provider. Prediabetes and diabetes don’t always have symptoms. However, you’re at a higher risk for diabetes if you have a family history of diabetes or if you’re overweight, with a body mass index greater than 25.

Join a diabetes prevention program. The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program was certified in 2016 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a proven low-cost community program shown to prevent diabetes, Hodge says. The DPP is specifically for adults age 18 and older who have been diagnosed with prediabetes. “The YMCA’s DPP can produce cost savings of approximately $2,650 over 15 months and improved health outcomes,” Hodge says. Diabetes Prevention Program meetings are held at 1,100 sites in 47 states; some sites have classes in different languages.

Find ways to exercise more. Physical activity is important for everyone. If you’re sedentary and you have prediabetes, it’s the perfect time to get moving so you can help avoid diabetes, Schillinger says. Try out your local pool or walk for 10 minutes after each meal, for a total of 30 minutes a day. It’s OK to break your physical activity into smaller chunks throughout the day.

If You Have Diabetes

Talk about your typical day with a health professional knowledgeable in diabetes. With your doctor, certified diabetes educator, registered dietitian or a nurse, go through a typical day of living with diabetes. The health professional can help you identify changes to your routine to improve your diabetes care, Schillinger says. He also recommends trading healthy ideas with others who have diabetes. “Some of the greatest learning for diabetes is with peers. If it’s peer advice, you’re more likely to listen,” Schillinger says.

If you don’t already do so, check your blood sugar at least once a day, at different times of day. This can include first thing in the morning, before meals, one to two hours after meals and before bedtime. “If you do one of these daily, you can get a better picture of your blood sugar control. Record these numbers for your doctor,” Richard recommends.

Start with small changes in what you eat. This could mean switching from soda to water or adding more lean protein to your dinner. “I can’t say enough about improving diet,” Richard says. “A pill will not protect you without good eating and exercise.”

Track everything. This is valuable for both prediabetes and diabetes, says Altinger, whose company Glooko was created to help users track their diabetes and get insights. Note your blood sugar readings, food, exercise, medications and even stress. Tracking this information can give you insights into blood sugar highs and lows.

https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-11-02/november-is-national-diabetes-awareness-month-why-thats-important