Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas whose primary function is to lower blood sugar. It does this by binding to insulin receptors on the cell wall which open glucose transporters. Once the glucose transporters are opened by the action of insulin, glucose can flow freely from the blood into the cell.

If you are insulin dependent your body relies on insulin injections in order to function correctly. This is either because your pancreas is not secreting any insulin, as in type 1 diabetes), or else the insulin that your pancreas is making is not doing its job properly, as in type 2 diabetes.

Insulin Basics

Before we jump into discussing the various insulin regimens, I need to first explain two terms which you will come across frequently:

Basal insulin - This is the injection of a long-acting insulin which mimics the insulin secretion of the pancreas. A single basal shot of insulin continues to act slowly throughout the day, therefore you only need to inject it once or twice daily. These long-acting insulins are “peakless” which means that they try and maintain the same glucose level throughout the day, unlike the fast acting insulins which result in a rapid decrease in blood sugar.

Bolus insulin - A bolus is a medical term for a single dose. Bolus insulin is given when you eat food in order to counteract the rapid increase in blood glucose after a meal. Bolus insulins are typically fast-acting, some of which start bringing down blood glucose in a matter of minutes. They do not remain in your system for long, being metabolized and excreted out of the body usually within a few hours.

So, to summarise… basal insulin keeps your blood sugar stable in the absence of food, but when you eat you need to take a bolus of fast acting insulin in order to counteract the sudden increase in blood sugar which comes from the breakdown of carbohydrate into glucose.

When Is Insulin Needed?

Insulin is always necessary for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, because there is a complete lack of the hormone in these patients. Type 2 diabetics do not usually require insulin until the disease has progressed to a point where the patient has become highly resistant to insulin, or when oral antidiabetic medications are no longer enough to keep blood glucose levels down.

A patient with insulin dependent type 2 diabetes has to use insulin in the same way as type 1 diabetics. However, there is a difference in that type 2 diabetics usually have to take much larger doses of insulin than type 1 patients because they have become so resistant to the effects of insulin.

For many type 2 diabetics, the addition of a long acting (basal) insulin such as Lantus or Levemir is usually enough to provide enough help to assist the body’s own insulin in doing its job. If this is still not effective enough, a basal dose can be taken in addition to fast acting boluses of insulin at mealtimes.

Insulin Mixtures

These come premixed under certain brand names, a popular one is a 70/30 mix (70% long acting, 30% fast acting) called humulin or mixtard. These are usually taken before breakfast and supper.

However, the combination of basal and bolus injections provides much tighter glucose control and is a more flexible system than taking premixed insulin. This is because you can vary the amount and timing of the bolus to match what type of food you eat and when you eat it.

With mixtures of insulin such as the 70/30 mix, you have to take it on a rigid schedule, and you can only eat a certain number of carbohydrates each day and at a scheduled time. You are not able to vary the timing of the injections because they contain both slow acting and fast acting insulin, and you are not able to eat more or less food depending on how hungry you are that day.

How to Inject Insulin

Depending on the insulin regime prescribed by your doctor, you may have to inject insulin via a traditional syringe. However, the majority of patients now are using injection pens which come pre-filled with insulin as they are much easier to use. In either case, the following basics apply:

Step 1: If using a syringe, roll the insulin vial (or the syringe itself if it has been pre-filled) between the palms of your hands a number of times before filling the syringe to redistribute any particles that may have settled to the bottom. This ensures an even concentration of insulin in each dose. The same applies to insulin pens, but they should also be shaken as most pens have a small glass ball inside which can move around and mix the insulin thoroughly.

Step 2: Choose an injection site and pinch the skin slightly. Position the syringe or pen so that the insulin is injected under the fatty layer of the skin. Note that a 45 degree angle is best for children and adults who are very thin, otherwise a 90 degree angle may be more appropriate.

Step 3: You should rotate your injection site regularly. Insulin is best absorbed through the abdominal area so rotating injection sites in this area is ideal. You could visualize your abdomen as a grid of 8 squares. Assign to each square a particular day and change to a new one each day of the week.

Insulin Injection Tips

1. Subsequent injections should be delivered at least 1 inch away from the previous injection site.

2. It is not necessary to disinfect the injection site with an alcohol swab as long as your skin is clean.

3. If necessary, insulin may be injected through clothing, but this is not recommended.

4. Never shake a vial of insulin as this creates air bubbles which can clog the syringe.

5. Never mix one type of insulin with another in a single syringe. This can make it’s effects erratic.

6. Try not to inject insulin into muscle tissue. It is painful and the insulin is absorbed too quickly and cause hypoglycemia.

Insulin Pumps

Insulin pumps are normally used in type 1 diabetes however they can work as effectively for insulin dependent type 2 diabetics also.

Some advantages of using an insulin pump include:

You change your infusion site once every 3 days, so if you have a dislike of needles, insulin pumping is better than having to inject yourself times a day.

You will use less insulin with a pump than on injections. Insulin pumps only use fast acting insulin which is more efficient than the slow acting types. Typically you use 20% less insulin when using a pump.

Because you have more control of the amount of insulin you take, if you are motivated, you can achieve much lower HbA1c (glucose average) than with injections. This improved control is due to the fact you can take doses that are not whole units, but fractions of a unit.

A new development in the area of insulin pumps is the advent of the artificial pancreas. This device combines an insulin pump with a continuous blood glucose meter, and automatically calculates how much insulin you need, minute by minute. This device is not currently on the market, but foundations such as the JDRF have invested a lot of money into it’s R&D. Human trials are currently underway.

Is an Insulin Pump Right For Me?

Not everyone is suited to pump therapy, and it usually reserved for cases of type 1 diabetes or insulin dependent type 2 diabetes. In order to be successful at using an insulin pump:

• You need to be good at counting carbohydrates. You have to manually program the pump with the number of carbohydrates you are going to eat. It then calculates the dose of insulin to give you.
• You need to be comfortable working with technology. If you are unable to basic devices such as a cell phone, then the insulin pump is not for you. However, as you are reading this information on your computer, this is likely not the case.
• You need to be patient in order to give the pump a chance to impress you. It usually takes at least a week or two before your glucose levels reach a healthy level. It will also be at least several more weeks after that before you become confidant with adjusting the device.
• You need to have a cool head rather than anxiety prone. When your glucose level starts to seem a little scary you have to quickly figure out what changes you need to make. Your doctor will be able to assist you with the learning curve at first, but you will eventually have to cope with the device on your own as the lag time between seeing a problem and getting help is too long for another person to control your pump for you.
• Finally, you must be willing to test your blood glucose level with a glucometer about 8 times per day and more often when you are making adjustments to your routine.

Having a child diagnosed with diabetes can be one of the most emotional times of your life. After the initial shock you quickly realize how drastically your family’s life is going to change. Your child’s diet will change and your family will have to closely monitor and count the carbohydrates that he or she eats. You will also have to give your child daily insulin injections to make sure his or her blood sugar stays in a healthy range.

Insulin injections can be a scary thing for a child, which means a stressful process for you too. When injection times come around you want to try to be as organized as possible. Have the syringe already prepared so your child doesn’t watch you prepare the needle and the insulin. Be very patient and caring with your child. Tell them in a comfortable and firm voice that you are going to give them their insulin and let them know that they might feel a slight pinch.

You might want to ask your child where they want to receive their insulin injection. By choosing the area, such as their thigh or the back of the leg, they may feel that they have some control over the situation, which will make them a bit more relaxed.

When you are about to inject, be sure to do it quickly so that your child doesn’t have to fear the anticipation of a needle. Then you should give your child love and praise, even if they fussed or cried a bit. You want to let them know how much you love them and give them some type of positive feedback about the injection experience.

Some children will get used to insulin injections over time, while others may never become comfortable. Because getting insulin injections is not an option, be sure to let your child know how proud you are of them. Diabetes is not easy for anyone- especially children. Insulin injections are one of the biggest reasons for this so try to make the daily experience as painless and anxiety-free as possible.

I’m sure that you are here to read this as you have had an alarming call from your body in the form of signs of diabetes. You must have been told that it was predictable as you have a genetic connection to diabetes by means of your parents. Is this statement enough to make you happier? Should you now grab your syringe and have an insulin injection and the rest of task would be handled by insulin itself?

No! I think you are not right; as here is the news that will turn your joy to thrill.

The simple addition of these foods that lower blood sugar level into your meal plan can make you a healthier and normal person. I can bet that you’ll end saying

Where is the sugar???

Grains: Generally grains are said to be best for diabetics. I love to eat oats. Better idea is to go in the super market. You’ll find various bins of different types of granola. Read the labels carefully and check the sugar content. There will be some as low as 4 gm. I’m sure the temptation is to grab the one with 20 gm; as you are suffering from sugar craving because of diabetes. This is the point where your concern for your adrenal glands and blood sugar level must kick in. This concern will definitely help you to pick the one with maximum 8 gm sugar.

Design the breakfast in such a way that it contains foods that lower blood sugar level. Better give your blood a rest from biscuits, pancakes, doughnuts, white bread and some other sugar laden foods.

Here is a nice idea for breakfast

Take 2 handfuls of granola and add it to the half cup of low fat yogurt and ? cup of skimmed milk. You can choose coconut and almond granola; as this mix is loaded with good fat content of almonds and fortified with fiber content of coconut.

Sweet Potato: It is not easy to believe that foods which start with the word sweet bring an impression of joy along with the health benefits. These foods also help to adjust the intensity of sweet tooth. Sweet potato helps to stabilize the blood sugar level. It also enables to respond the hormone that stabilizes the movement of glucose from bloodstream into cells. Beta carotene content of sweet potato has the potential to reverse this insulin resistance of the body. It also contains a good amount of vitamin B6 which then help to keep the diabetics away from diabetic complications.

Just bake the sweet potato in microwave. Add it to salads, make a soup of sweet potato or just stir diced sweet potato into cooked brown rice. Your creativity will certainly take you away from French fries

Snack on nuts: It is better if you roast raw nuts. Roast for 10 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees. Never trust tinned nuts; as you should not trust the source of the oil that has been used. As diabetic you must be thoughtful about the fats that you pour into your body.

It is a pleasure for me to share my thoughts and give information on how a diabetic can reverse diabetes type 2 with confidence and change of lifestyle. It is awful to hear that millions of people are pitiably unaware of the fact that they have pre-diabetes or diabetes. Being ignorant of one’s own diabetic condition is worse than being a long-term diabetic.

Controlling blood sugar is a good strategy of reducing the possibilities for risk of heart problems or unprovoked death. Diabetes is a bodily disorder with high blood sugar which leads to many complications when ignored. If timely care is given, you can have plenty chance to recover from high risks like kidney failure, sudden loss of vision, and attack of nervous system. Timely check over the steep rise of blood glucose levels with a healthy lifestyle can save you from further risks.

A person is susceptible to diabetes basically with two reasons namely day time laziness and improper food habits. Here is your concern to beat diabetes from you. Most of the medications suggested for beating diabetics are with therapeutic treatment of lowering blood glucose by boosting insulin secretion. But there is a research finding that it is a wrong idea to customize the body by taking insulin injection. This is because the body which gets accustomed to insulin dose can never go for any change without insulin. If the body gets habituated to insulin therapy, then the chance of getting back to sustained medication is low. In the place of insulin, proper diet can be substituted to fight diabetes.

Diabetes Meal plan to reverse diabetes:

Consuming balanced foods with Vitamins and Minerals in right measure can help control blood sugar. Also, it improves liver function of detoxification helping to reversing insulin resistance. The foods that are rich in fiber with low glycemic index are best recommended for diabetics. For this, you have to choose colorful fruits with nuts and fresh vegetables as healthy foods. These foods are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant by nature with detoxifying bond. In this category, you can add soy products, black beans, and black berries in your meal plan in order to reverse diabetes type 2.

Whatever may be the food you choose eating, the timing should be scheduled with 4 hours break to keep a balance between insulin and glucose levels. Sleeping during day time and eating food just before bed should be avoided to keep off diabetes.

High blood sugar developing during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes. Since this type of diabetes may go undetected because of the lack of obvious symptoms, it is typically found during a screening performed between the 24th and 30th weeks of pregnancy. If gestational diabetes is diagnosed, a diabetes pregnancy diet is in order.

A good, balanced diabetes pregnancy diet is important to maintaining the mother’s health and helping to insure a complication free pregnancy. This diet by itself is usually enough to control blood sugar, but sometimes insulin injection becomes necessary. Being mindful of the total daily calorie intake, avoiding foods that increase blood sugar, and eating more of the foods which aid in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels are the backbone of a good diabetes pregnancy diet.

The carbohydrates in the food you eat become glucose in your body. Glucose is a major source of energy. Carbohydrates come from starchy foods such as pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, and other grains. They are also found in fruit, dairy foods, vegetables, and sugar. Eating the right balance of carbohydrates, fat and protein is an essential part of the diet.

Women who are pregnant should get about 45 to 60 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, 15 to 25 percent from protein, and 20 to 30 percent from fat. They also require about 300 extra calories daily in the second and third trimesters to ensure proper weight gain. An additional 10 to 12 grams of protein per day is also required to help the baby grow normally.

A registered dietitian is essential to helping you plan your diabetes pregnancy diet. Your doctor can help you locate one and the American Diabetes Association can also assist you in finding one. Coping with pregnancy is burden enough, but finding out that you have gestational diabetes adds an extra load. But it’s important to remember that this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born and the baby is typically not affected by the disease. Just focus on maintaining a healthy blood sugar level, sticking to your diet and following doctor’s orders.

The control of blood sugar cannot be overstressed and the diet is the single most important factor in controlling diabetes while pregnant. With the right diabetes pregnancy diet and a good team of diabetes professionals to assist you in avoiding complications, the disease should not harm the mother or child.