Healthy eating in proper amounts at fixed times is called diet. The diabetic diet is a planned healthy diet. It helps everyone. Diet controls the amount of sugar and cholesterol in your blood. In a diet plan for diabetes the things that are considered are sex, age, height, weight, physical activity and nature of diabetes. Dietitians also consider the blood pressure and cholesterol levels while planning diets for diabetic patients. By studying these factors dietitians assess the nutritional needs for each patient. Nutritional need means number of calories required by an individual in a day. This need varies from person to person; the general range of calorie requirements is between 1200-1800 calories per day.

The exchange meal plan is a diet plan which helps to plan your meal by balancing carbohydrate, protein and fat intake per day. In diabetes, blood glucose level is generally not within normal range. Glucose is a sugar released from carbohydrates, if we want to control diabetes then we need to control glucose level and hence we have to limit carbohydrate intake. With the help of exchange plan you can decide the type of food to be taken in the diet, the amount of food and also the time to eat.

The exchange meal planning is more flexible than others as in this plan you can make variations in your daily meal plan. There are some factors that you should always keep in mind while planning a diabetic diet. Include more amounts of vegetables and fruits in your meal. Instead of large meals take small meals at regular intervals. Do not exceed fiber intake beyond 1.4 oz in a day. Replace bakery products with whole cooked cereals.

The exchange system contains six lists of foods and each list contains foods having same amount of calories. You have to include the right amount of servings from each food list to control your diabetes. The serving size means size of food after it is cooked or prepared. The six basic groups in the exchange system are vegetables, fruits, starches, milk, meat and fats. Each group contains various foods with the same amount of calories. Since each group contains same calorie count foods, the effect of these foods on the blood glucose level is similar. You can exchange the foods within a group as they have the same effect on blood sugar levels.

Based on your individual needs your dietitian recommends you a certain number of daily exchanges from each food group. For example to meet 1800 calorie requirement per day you can include four exchanges from vegetable group, three exchanges from fruit group, none exchanges from starch group, two exchanges from milk group, six exchanges from lean meat and four from fat group. These numbers of exchanges are per day means you have to distribute these exchanges throughout the day. While planning the diet with the help of exchange system always keep in mind that you cannot exchange the food of one group with food of another group always exchange the foods within the group.

The exchange system also provides list of free foods having less than 20 calories and these foods can be consumed without much worry.

Drink lots of water because it is calorie free and helps to flush away the toxins. Did you know that flavored carbonated water has no calories, sugar, body, sweetener, color or preservatives?

Retrospective analysis of a US health-care plan claims database reveals patients with diabetes hospitalized for a cardiovascular (CV) event incur higher costs and resource use than their counterparts without diabetes.

Excess medical expenses and reduced productivity due to diabetes represent a significant economic burden for the US health-care system.

As CV complications are generally the most costly component of medical care in patients with diabetes, Robert Straka (University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, USA) and colleagues compared real-world costs associated with initial and subsequent CV events in patients with and without the disease.

The authors identified 29,863 patients hospitalized for a CV event between January 2001 and June 2005 from a large US managed-care population. Of these, 5501 (18.4%) patients had a history of diabetes.

Direct medical costs and resource use for all CV events combined were determined for patients with or without diabetes. The researchers also calculated costs and resource use by type of CV event, eg, coronary artery bypass graft, myocardial infarction, or ischemic stroke.

Mean direct medical costs per patient for the initial CV hospitalization and for the first recurrent CV hospitalization were similar for patients with and without diabetes.

However, during the follow-up period, patients with diabetes experienced a higher incidence of subsequent CV events than the non-diabetic cohort for each event type.

As a result, medical costs for CV care during the follow-up period were consistently higher in the diabetic cohort with mean total direct medical costs per patient of US$8805 (€5964) versus $6982 (€4729) in year 1, $13,860 (€9390) versus $10,056 (€6813) in year 2, and $16,149 (€10,942) versus $12,163 (€8241) in year 3.

The cost difference between diabetic and non-diabetic patients remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, and other potential confounders.

Patients with diabetes also experienced longer periods of inpatient cardiovascular hospitalization than those without the disease with a mean of 3.3 versus 1.8 days.

“Taking into account expenditures for the initial cardiovascular hospitalization plus all CV events during the follow-up period, the incremental per-patient cost attached to CV events in patients with diabetes was $10,131 (€6865) over 3 years,” write the authors.

“The real-world cost estimates described here will aid the development of future economic models that assess the impact of health-care initiatives aimed at this growing diabetic population,” they conclude in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology.

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a trading division of Springer Healthcare Limited. © Springer Healthcare Ltd; 2009

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The pathologic changes that lead to myocardial insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes and left-ventricular dysfunction (LVD) are distinctly different, report researchers in the European Heart Journal.

“Whole body insulin resistance is a predominant feature of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and, although less well recognized, it is also a feature of LVD and congestive heart failure,” write Paolo Camici (Imperial College, London, UK) and co-workers.

Despite the increasing global burden of diabetes, the pathophysiology of tissue- and disease-specific insulin resistance remains unclear.

Camici and colleagues therefore studied skeletal and cardiac muscle biopsies from nine patients with Type 2 diabetes and eight patients with LVD, and seven control volunteers who had neither of these conditions, all of whom were waiting for routine cardiac surgery. Glycemic control and myocardial glucose uptake were also studied using euglycemic-hyperglycemic clamping techniques and positron emission tomography.

Analysis revealed that the expression of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 was significantly decreased compared with normal in skeletal muscle tissue from patients with LVD, while the activity of cardiac IRS-1 P13K was significantly increased both in patients with LVD and those with Type 2 diabetes.

In addition, expression of the glucose transporter (GLUT)-4 was significantly decreased in the sarcolemma of patients with Type 2 diabetes and significantly increased in the sarcolemma of patients with LVD. Despite this, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was lower than usual in those with LVD.

“The results of the present study provide some novel findings of the mechanisms underlying whole body and myocardial insulin resistance in patients with Type 2 diabetes or LVD,” conclude the authors.

However, the researchers say that their study is limited by the fact that they “compared glucose utilization measured during euglycaemic??”hyperinsulinaemic clamp in vivo, with molecular analysis carried out ex vivo on samples obtained at the time of surgery.”

The investigators say they cannot explain why the increased GLUT-4 expression observed in patients with LVD was accompanied by decreased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, but hypothesise that this may be due to “elevated adrenergic signaling in the failing heart, which is been shown to affect some components of insulin signaling.”

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a trading division of Springer Healthcare Limited. © Springer Healthcare Ltd; 2009

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Gestational diabetes is a medical condition in which the pregnant women have to suffer from blood sugar levels higher than normal. Medical science is unable to reveal the exact cause of gestational diabetes; still it is thought that gestational diabetes is linked to hormonal changes during pregnancy and stress of pregnancy on woman’s body.

Most women are unable to notice the signs of diabetes and think that it is the part of pregnancy. They only come to know of it when the doctor sends them for laboratory test.

It is thought that placenta and its working are the major cause of gestational diabetes. Placenta produces many hormones during pregnancy. Some of these hormones adversely affect the efficiency of mother’s insulin. The result is then increase in the blood sugar level. Insulin becomes unable to effectively move glucose in the cells where it can be used for the production of energy.

Sometimes the body of the mother produces three time added insulin to cancel the effect of pregnancy changes. This is termed insulin resistance.

Some women are able to notice some classic symptoms of diabetes during pregnancy these are

Excessive Urination: The increase in blood sugar level cause an increased flow of blood towards kidney.

Excessive Thirst: This is caused by the dehydration because of excessive urination.

Excessive Hunger: As the glucose is unable to move in the cells; the cells become starved of energy and brain gets the signal that body is hungry.

Unexplained Weight Loss: Though the woman is eating more than routine still she loses weight. The body has to break down the fat and protein reserves for the production of energy.

Tiredness: Tiredness is the result of the energy deficit

Blurriness In Vision: It is the result of increased flow of blood that may result in the swelling of the eye lens.

Though these are some of the sign of gestational diabetes. Still most women do not experience any symptom of diabetes. So it is critical that women must be screened for gestational diabetes towards the end of second trimester.

People who have diabetes know that they need to take extra care of their feet to reduce or eliminate the pain and complications often associated with the disease. Pain, numbness and tingling in the extremities, including the feet, are commonly experienced by people with diabetes. Neuropathy can cause injuries to go unnoticed, and reduced circulation to the extremities can slow healing after an injury has occurred. Here are a few precautions that may be recommended to help care for diabetic feet:

Thoroughly inspect feet for injuries each day. A loss of sensation can lead cuts, bruises, blisters or ulcers on the feet to go unnoticed in people with diabetes. Discovering and treating any such problems early can help keep them from worsening. Examining the feet daily is a good idea for anyone with diabetes.

Contact your medical professional immediately if any foot problems are observed. Discovering and treating any potential foot issues early gives you the chance to begin treatment right away. Many foot related problems can worsen or become infected if they go unnoticed.

Wear properly fitted diabetic footwear for your needs. Diabetic footwear is designed to provide optimal support and distribute the weight of the body such that foot pain is minimized. Podiatrists and certified pedorthists can help people with diabetes select appropriately fitted footwear for their needs.

Avoid going barefoot to reduce the chance of injury. Preventing cuts and other foot injuries is a precaution that can help minimize foot problems and infections in diabetics. Wearing shoes at all times is one way to help prevent unnecessary injuries that can lead to infections.

Wash and dry feet well daily. Washing the feet daily helps promote foot health. Drying the feet completely, particularly between the toes, is also very important for people who have diabetes.

Work with your doctor to determine what treatments work for you. Since the same treatments options may not work for each patient, working with a medical professional such as a podiatrist or certified pedorthist will help you determine the best way to care for your feet.

Note: This information is not intended to supplement or replace advice from a medical professional, or to diagnose or treat any condition.

Whoever is unfortunate enough to have diabetes type 2 should be making sure they follow the best diabetic diet. Even though the diet itself cannot cure the diabetes, it can assist the sufferer lead an otherwise healthier life. The diet has to basically follow the rules that are laid out by the food pyramid.

Those suffering from type two diabetes have to maintain a stable diet, exercise, lose weight and stop smoking. Carbohydrate consumption plays a pivotal role when it comes to a diabetes type two diet. Because they have to try and keep their blood glucose levels low, diabetes type 2 sufferers have to therefore limit those foods that are deemed to be high in carbohydrates. Foods full of sugar like chocolate, most breads, sweets, cakes and biscuits are full of carbohydrates and are called simple carbohydrates.

With some foods such as grains and cereals being high in complex carbohydrates, diabetics will be happy to know that these are not as bad as simple carbohydrates. These foods break down its glucose at a much slower rate than simple carbohydrates and include wheat germ, barley, oatmeal, maize, potatoes, brown rice and pastas.

Apart from complex carbohydrates, the diabetes diet can also include foodstuffs such as fruit, veg and protein from things like eggs and dairy. A healthy balance is enjoyed by the diabetic sufferer when eating a mixture of all these foods. A dietician is the best person to give you advice on starting a type two diabetes diet. They can give great advice on all things food related for diabetes sufferers.

But quite apart from the diet, type 2 diabetes sufferers have to also exercise regularly. Exercises like walking, jogging, gym sessions and even playing with kids help in improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin in a type 2 diabetic.

Many people are concerned about diabetes and are very interested in knowing the most important things to do to prevent diabetes. A federally funded study called the “Diabetes Prevention Program” (DPP) studied 3,234 people who were considered to have risks of developing diabetes. This study concluded that people can delay and very possibly even avoid diabetes by simply losing a little weight (as little as 5 to 7 percent of total body weight). ?The study suggested this can be accomplished by adopting healthier eating habits and by practicing as little as 30 minutes of physical activity for 5 days each week.

Some FAQs about preventing diabetes include:

1 . At what point in time should I be tested for diabetes? This is a question you should pose to your doctor or health care provider. Generally, if you are 45 or older you should consider being tested (especially if you are overweight). If you are not yet 45, but you are overweight plus you have at least one additional risk factor (see the next answer), you will probably want to be tested.

2 . What are some of the risk factors associated with developing diabetes?

- If you are overweight or obese

- If you have a parent or sibling with diabetes

- If you are of African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic American, or Latino heritage

- If you have a prior history of gestational diabetes

- If you have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds

- If your HDL (good) cholesterol is 35 or lower

- If your triglyceride level is greater than 250

- If your blood pressure is higher than 140/90

- If you are physically active less than 3 times each week

3 . In what manner does my weight relate to my odds of developing diabetes? One of the primary risk factors for Type 2 diabetes is being overweight or obese. If you are overweight, your body struggles to make and utilize insulin correctly. In addition, being overweight and/or obese can cause you to develop high blood pressure. If you eat a reasonably healthy diet and are physically active for at least 30 minutes per day for 5 days each week, you can reduce your odds of developing diabetes.

4 . What is pre-diabetes? This is when your blood glucose levels are not yet in the diabetic range but are higher than normal. Depending on what test was used to diagnose your situation, this condition might be called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG). If you are insulin-resistant or pre-diabetic, you probably will have no symptoms. You may not notice anything for several years if you have one (or even both) of these conditions.

If you are pre-diabetic, your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is elevated. Also, if you are pre-diabetic, there is a high probability that you will develop Type 2 diabetes within 10 years. You also have a higher risk of heart disease. HINT: Check with your doctor … you may be able to avoid diabetes by losing weight.

5 . Can vaccines cause diabetes? Based on several scientific studies reviewed in 2002 by the Institute of Medicine, the answer is “NO”. You can confirm this by searching online for the complete transcript posted by the Institute.

There are two types of diabetes, one is type I diabetes where the person fails to produce insulin and type II diabetes where the person is insulin resistant. Most people are type II diabetes affected. Whatever maybe the type of diabetes; there are enough medicines and treatments available today which allow a person to lead a normal life. But most people forget that apart from medicines and injections, there is a simple and chemically non-intrusive solution which can help in controlling diabetes in a far better way and that is exercise. In fact, exercise and diabetes should always go hand in hand.

In diabetes, body loses the ability to synthesize glucose. When glucose builds up in the body and becomes life threatening; while you cannot change your genetic disposition you can certainly take care of two things, diet and fitness. Managing diabetic health becomes really easy if you support your medicinal treatment with the right exercise.

Fitness and diabetes when combined together help to reduce diabetes related problems. Exercise increases glucose uptake by the cells and decreases production of glucose by the liver. Also, exercise burns up energy that is stored in the muscle cells. This makes cells hungry for more glucose. Thus, glucose moves from the blood into cells, preventing the conversion of glucose to fat. It also helps to improve the use of insulin by the body and burn excess body fat which helps to decrease and control weight. Muscle and bone strength and bone density also improves. It helps to lower blood pressure. It increases body’s bad LDL cholesterol count and increase its good HDL count. It also improves blood circulation thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. It also reduces stress, tension and anxiety and helps to relax. Thus diabetic control is possible by following a proper exercise program.

Personal training and diabetes coupled together has a profound effect on the health of diabetic people. The best form of exercise is outdoor exercises in fresh air where sweating occurs. If you have not been exercising then start with 15 minutes of exercise and gradually increase it to 30 minutes. A brisk walk can do wonders for your diabetes and health. Other aerobic exercises that can help in management of diabetes include jogging, aerobic dance or cycling. If you have problems with the nerves in your feet or legs, do an exercise that won’t put stress on your feet. These exercises include swimming, rowing or chair exercises.

People with diabetes should take the advice of the doctor about the right type of exercise for them. They should check their blood sugar level before and after exercising. Checking the feet for blisters and sores is also important since wounds in diabetic people take long time to heal. Ensure that you are wearing correct footwear and drinking plenty of fluids during exercise. Never forget to do the customary warm-up before the exercise. Keep a snack handy in case your blood sugar level drops too low.

Reduce the consumption of refined grains, instead eat fiber rich food. A good exercise and diet routine can help you not only control diabetes but also prevent its side effects like blindness, heart diseases, limb amputation etc.

Whether it’s type 1 or type 2 diabetes both showcase signs similar to that of high blood sugar. This is primarily due to less or no insulin present in the body. Diabetes symptoms advance in accordance with the range and duration of high blood sugar levels.

The symptoms usually start mildly with poorly healing skin rashes, and eventually progresses to severe stages, characterized by excessive carving for thirst and frequent urination. Finally it leads to life threatening ailments like HHNS or DKA. Let’s have a look at the common symptoms of high sugar level.

Diabetes Type 1:

In this type the pancreas stops manufacturing insulin due to auto-immune response or possibly viral attack on them. If insulin is absent, the body cells don’t get the required glucose for producing Adenosine Tri phosphate (ATP) units, which results into primary symptoms like nausea and vomiting. When it advances to later stages, it leads to ‘ketoacidosis’. The body starts breaking down the muscle tissue and fat for producing energy which results in tremendous weight loss. Dehydration is usually observed due to electrolyte disorder. In worst case scenario, death is anticipated.

Diabetes Type 2:

Fatigue: Due to incapability of the cell to metabolize glucose, preserved fat of the body is metabolized to produce energy. When fat is broken down, more energy is used in comparison to sugar, due to which we find ourselves into negative calorie region, which eventually leads to fatigue.

Weight loss: Factors like water loss, metabolism of body fat and protein may lead to weight loss.

Blurred vision: Hyperosmolar hyperglycemia nonketotic syndrome is the condition when body fluid is extracted from tissues including eye lenses, which affects the ability to focus, resulting into blurry vision.

Irritability: Irritability is another symptom of high blood sugar level, This condition occurs due to lack of sugar supply to the brain and other vital organs.

Unhealed wounds: This risk has been often reported in the patients suffering with high blood sugar levels. The wounds on their body like small cuts and rashes will make an outflow of blood in a large quantity, and it is sometimes hard to resist it. This prevents the growth of white blood cells which are accountable for body’s immunity.

The succession of symptoms is usually slower in Type 2 diabetics, whereas it is rapid for Type 1 diabetes. Those suffering from Type 2 diabetes are often undiagnosed long enough, which leads to further complications like kidney failure and foot complications.

Fruits play a pivotal role in the diet of a diabetic victim. An individual suffering from diabetes should abstain from eating fruits that are rich in carbohydrates and sugar. There are many fruits out there which are low on fat contents and rich in nutrients and vitamins required to lower blood glucose levels. Let’s have a look at some of these fruits.

Strawberries

Strawberries are best for controlling diabetes as they are rich in fiber and water. Carbohydrate and calorie value in strawberries are very low in comparison to candies or chocolates.

Apple

Apples have high pectin content and are very favorable amongst diabetic patients. Apples are also rich in Vitamin B1 which prevents damage of the brain cells that can occur due to diabetic acidosis.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit contains medicinal properties responsible for bringing down the blood sugar levels within a matter of few days. Nutritionists suggest that individuals dealing with high blood sugar levels should consume grapefruit three times a day.

Rose apple

The contents of a rose apple have a strong and positive effect on pancreas. It resists the development of starch into bad sugar, thus controlling the blood sugar levels. Its seeds can also be dried, powdered and then taken with water. Besides controlling diabetes, it also satisfies thirst and prevents excessive urination.

Avocados

Don’t consider its fat content. A very little of it is inundated. It’s rich in vitamins A, B & E and contains high antioxidant level.

Figs

Black or green, it doesn’t matter. The nutrients of the figs are highest when they are fresh. Figs are very rich in essential minerals especially potassium, calcium, and iron. Avoid dried figs because they can be harmful for your blood sugar levels.

Pomegranates

They may be disorganized when you want to eat, but the nutrients in them make it worthwhile. They have one of the richest combinations of antioxidants of all fruit and vegetables which can protect you from free radicals and chronic diseases as well.