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Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Obesity and overweight conditions affect the way insulin work in your body. Extra fat tissue can create body resistance to insulin. The Insulin resistance is a condition that increases the chances of contacting diabetes and heart diseases. It is also known as pre-diabetes stage.

After eating, food is broken down into glucose (Sugar), which is the main source of energy for body's cells. But, cells cannot use glucose directly without the help of insulin, a hormone produced by pancreas. If the insulin is insufficient or the body is incapable to use the insulin to absorb the sugar into the cells, the excess glucose builds up and goes above the permissible level in the blood stream. This is a pre-diabetic condition, which leads to diabetes in due course of time.

Excess fat effectively reduces the capacity to use the insulin for the cells

One of the major causes of insulin resistance is being overweight or obese, where the excess fat effectively reduces the capacity to use the insulin for the cells to convert glucose into energy. This leads to lack of energy and lack of exercise which becomes a vicious circle to aggravate the insulin resistant conditions further.

It is observed that in majority of cases, high blood glucose is linked with obesity and excess weight around waist, causes high LDL cholesterol levels, low HDL cholesterol levels and high triglycerides. The result is high blood pressure which puts the heart at risk. This is termed as insulin resistance syndrome. In this condition, both excess sugar as well as insulin will be present in the blood stream, simultaneously.

The effective way to combat with this condition is to 1. Reduce weight and 2. Exercise to increase the effect of insulin to be used by the body cells.

You will observe that the prime generating source for most of the health related complications is obesity and overweight. Utmost care should be given for weight management and regular exercise.

Visit http://www.healthy-business.blogspot.com for tips on weight management, diabetes control. Author is an independent distributor for Herbalife products which ensures good health and takes care of weight management requirements. Here is a splendid work at home opportunity with excellent remuneration and a pride of restoring good health to customers. Contact author on his e-mail vemburamani@gmail.com for guidance.

Dark patches under the arm-pits, back of the neck or elbows indicate insulin resistant condition.

A Dietary Overhaul for Diabetics

When a person is diagnosed with diabetes, they have to at many of the basic activities in their life. If a doctor confirms a diabetes affliction, they often mention the need for dietary changes. While there is no one set-in-stone plan for a diabetes diet, there are definitely some guidelines that can set you on the right path towards healthy eating.

The food pyramid is a useful tool when deciding exactly what your body needs, and it can be good to follow when diabetic. However, a person with diabetes needs to watch the levels of carbohydrates that they consume. To help to keep blood sugar levels stable, it can be very helpful to try to eat the same types of foods at the same times of the day throughout the week.

There have been claims of type 2 diabetes being cured by diet alone although the diabetic associations are adamant that no cure for diabetes exists.

Nutrition plays a big role in the in all of our lives, especially if your a diabetic. When a person is diagnosed with diabetes, they have to often need to overhaul many of the basic activities in their life.

Maintaining the blood glucose levels can be done with the correct foods eaten in the right amounts. Our bodies need carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to convert to fuel. But in what forms and in what amounts?

Recently guidelines were released that recommend 40 percent of our total daily calories should come from calories obtained from fresh vegetables, fruits, and beans. If you are trying to count calories and using that method of either weight control, or glucose level control, be sure you are eating enough vegetables to give you the proper amount of vitamins and minerals you need.

Protein is needed for fuel energy, however most of us eat more than we need. When choosing protein, we need to choose lean meats, chicken, fish, and lean beef products. We should also avoid cooking these meats in a high fat method. Broiling, grilling, and roasting, even stir frying can make a tasty meal but also be low in fats. If you have kidney problems, you should watch your protein intake even closer.

Our bodies do need some fat because it helps protect our inner organs, has a concentrated source of energy, helps to regulate body temperature, and is important in healing pain and inflammation. Fats also help us absorb fat-soluble Vitamins such as A, D, and E.

However we do need to be careful about which fats we consume. Saturated fats should be less than seven percent of your caloric intake each day. Looking at food labels is a good habit to start. Many foods now proudly display the fact they have zero transfats. You should try to include in your diet fish products such as sardines or salmon as well as using vegetable oils to make sure you are getting enough of the essential fats.

Carbohydrates are an essential part of our diet. As with fats, there are two different types of carbohydrates. Which carbohydrate you are consuming is important in controlling your blood sugar levels. Counting carbs is easy to do; every package you pick up will have the carbohydrates included in each serving. Good nutrition is choosing complex carbohydrates instead of the simple carbs. Most simple carb foods are sugar related. Carbs can be good for you if they are complex. That means it will take longer for the carbs to be processed. Simple carbohydrates, which most sweets are made of, are processed right away for fuel. Sugar substitutes can be used if the FDA has approved them. A new sugar substitute that is widely used and enjoyed is Splenda. You can use it to bake with, and it is equal teaspoon to teaspoon to sugar. It’s all right to eat a little sugar as long as you are testing to be sure your glucose level under control.

Having soluble fibers in your diet can be of great assistance to your body when you have diabetes. Soluble fibers can be found in many fruits and vegetables. These nutrients help to slow down the absorption of glucose in the intestine, which can help to keep blood sugar levels from getting too high and causing a hyperglycemic reaction. One great source of soluble fiber is the kidney bean. When cooked, these beans have one of the highest levels of soluble fiber found in foods. While soluble fibers can be quite helpful towards diabetic issues, insoluble fibers such as bran and whole grains can be helpful as well. Insoluble fibers help to keep the intestinal tract clean, and this can help you by assuring that glucose isn’t just waiting around to be absorbed.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends several tips to maintaining a healthy blood sugar level while adhering to a healthy diet. One recommendation that is made is to consume a good amount of starch. Starches such as cereal, bread, and certain types of vegetables should be consumed at the rate of at least six servings per day. In addition to the commonly known starches, black beans, garbanzo beans, and corn are sources of starch that can compliment a meal while giving you your required nutrients. The ADA also recommends that you adhere to the five-a-day plan, eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. One of the more obvious tips offered by the ADA is to use sugars sparingly. To locate a dietitian in your area, the American Association of Diabetes Educators offers a phone number to assist you. By calling 1-800-342-2382, you can quickly and easily find someone who can help you with your diet with regards to diabetes.

Helpful Tips for Your Diet

• Certain ice creams can cure diabetes. They do so by their "insulin generative powers and with fairy dust from pixies".

Well .... technically speaking ice cream is not a diabetes cure. It can’t do that. But it can help!

Low fat ice creams and other dairy products like skimmed milk, cheese, whole milk and so on has been proven in a medical study of 41,000 American men to lower the risk of developing diabetes by 9 percent per daily serving.

Fats and refined carbohydrates like sugar are bad news for the glucose levels of diabetes sufferers, but with careful monitoring of the food labels, you can find dairy products that are suitable for diabetics. If you haven’t got diabetes and you want to reduce your risk for developing diabetes, dairy products, including ice cream of the low fat variety, have been proven critical in the prevention of diabetes. And in some sense I guess you could say that’s a cure. Now where is that Ben & Jerry super-size tub?

• Always carry an apple or some grapes with you. It is one of the quickest ways to get a natural sugar fix if you begin to feel as if your blood sugar levels are dropping too low.

• Candy bars or soft drinks will restore you rapidly as well but if you are diet managing your diabetes then those foods could send you over the edge in the other direction.

• Drinking plenty of water, with a diet high in fiber and low fats are necessary for a healthy diet.

Refined sugar should be cut out if possible, if not, cut out as much as possible. Watch your fat intake also. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and low fat proteins.

• Watch your carbohydrate and sugar intake are especially important if you have a history of diabetes in your family.

Not all carbohydrates are bad for you, but you should cut out the refined carbohydrates such as sugars and fats. Eating balanced and regular meals will help in keeping a healthy weight.

You may find by eating three regular meals a day, and small nutritional snacks in-between meals, you will feel fuller, and will help overcome the urge to binge on sweet treats.

• Controlling your weight is one of the first steps in controlling diabetes. Watching your dietary intake, losing weight if you are overweight, and reading the labels of the packages you buy at the grocery store will help you delay the onset of diabetes.

Most Diabetics Suffer From Calluses

According to the American Diabetes Association National Fact Sheet, 2005:

• Diabetes is the #1 reason for non-traumatic limb amputations
• 82,000 people lose a leg or foot to diabetes each year
• The risk of leg amputations is 15-40 times greater for a person with diabetes

At the 2006 ADA Expo in Utah, The Educational Institute For Healthy Feet had its first booth and conducted a market survey of diabetic participants. We received responses from participants ages 5 to 82. Note the high number of respondents from the age group 51-60 as shown.

Age Percent of Respondents
61-70 18%
51-60 27%
41-50 18%

Being in the business of “healthy foot care,” we are concerned about the risks people take by not treating common foot problems. In our survey, we concentrated on collecting data about foot calluses, cracks, and calluses with cracks. We found the survey to be quite astonishing considering the data from the American Diabetes Association relating to limb amputations and that 82,000 people are at risk annually.

Considering the statistics from our survey, information about the high risk of limb amputation from the ADA, and the fact that of the 185 people we surveyed 81% had some type of insurance, why were 64% of our respondents still suffering from calluses and/or cracks on their feet that are potentially life threatening? Drawing on 13 years of foot work experience, we propose the reasons may be:

1. Lack of education: The most common response is “I have dry skin and I should do something about it, but I do not know what to do.”

2. Heredity. We often hear remarks like, “My family has always had problems with calluses and cracks, and there is nothing I can do about it”

3. Hopelessness. Another frequent explanation is, “I go to the doctor’s office for treatments but the calluses just come back again”

Let’s take a look at each of these reasons.

1. Lack of education. We had the opportunity to go with a client to her foot care appointment and we asked her doctor if he would participate in an experiment. Marie had been going to the same doctor for over 15 years with dry calluses and cracks. The doctor would wet down the calluses with a disinfecting solution and then use a scalpel to shave off the calluses. He would then wrap her feet in tape so that Marie could walk out of the office. This procedure was done every 4 to 6 weeks with the calluses always coming back. Marie said that the procedure was painful. She became allergic to the tape and was unable to continue having her feet wrapped. This meant that she was in pain every time she walked for at least 3 days after each procedure. With the doctor’s consent, we decided to compare results of our foot treatment against that of the doctor’s standard treatments. We took care of Marie’s worse foot that had cracks and calluses. The doctor treated the other foot, which had only calluses. After 6 weeks and three callus treatments, the foot that the doctor had used the scalpel on was in worse condition than the foot that had a callus foot treatment. The doctor was amazed that the procedure and post-procedure were painless for the client. Interestingly, the doctor never instructed Marie to use moisturizing crèmes on her feet at home or any other type of home maintenance to help with her dry feet.

The statistics of our survey, with over 71% of the respondents suffering from calluses, and the 82,000 people who lose limbs annually to health-related amputation beg the question: why are not more diabetics seeking treatment from doctors?

2. Heredity. Some people claim that their families have always suffered from calluses, cracks, or dry feet. One of our clients, Ty, suffered from calluses most of his life. Because of the extreme calluses on his feet he was unable to try out for professional football. Although he was a great player in college, he was told that a team could not take on the liability of his feet. Ty’s grandfather, father, uncle, sister, nephews, and daughters all suffer from the same problem—wherever their feet have pressure (the toes, the ball of the foot, the side of the foot, or the heels) calluses appear, sometimes up to ¼ inch thick resulting in great pain. Ty’s father had surgery done in which a doctor cut the calluses and skin off almost to the bone. His feet were wrapped up and he had to stay off his feet for almost 6 months. The calluses came back. Although his doctors used scalpels, crèmes, and pills, the calluses always came back. We have been providing Ty with our special callus foot treatment with home maintenance and continued treatments and we continue to see marked improvement. When Marie’s doctor saw pictures of Ty’s feet he stated that his feet would be too difficult and that he would refer him to us.

Lori was another client who suffered from extreme callus buildup as did her sister and mother. After 3 treatments, the calluses and cracks were gone and now we are also treating her sister.

3. Hopelessness. It is understandable how; with 56% of clients that have gone to a doctor for a scalpel treatment and have had their calluses come back, finding a cure may seem like a lost cause. Our experience shows that when one cuts the skin or even shave off dry skin, the body reacts like it would to any other cut and starts to heal itself by growing replacement skin that is tougher and drier. If clients are not being instructed to have home maintenance or even to use a moisturizing crème on their feet, they will have reoccurring calluses and cracks.

There are amazing results happening daily—scalpels and blades, which are certainly dangerous for diabetics, are a thing of the past. The first and foremost issue is education for the client who has calluses or cracks needing immediate treatment. When we take care of the calluses, we can help diabetic clients on the road to walking with both feet again. Serious problems may starts with a small callus and can develop in to an open sore or ulcer. That is when there is the greatest likelihood for non-traumatic limb amputations. A healthy foot treatment alternative for calluses is now available with R3 Callus Foot Treatment. Let’s end the needless cycle of calluses and cracks through education, prevention, and effective treatments.

Leesa Myers, CEO The Educational Institute For Healthy Feet, developer of the R3 Callus Foot Treatment, Founder of the NECA and UAEA associations, author, expert witness for the State of Utah, and long time educator is a dedicated advocate in the industry of helping people. http://www.HealthyFootCare.com or email to Leesa@HealthyFootCare.com

Children Suffering from Diabetes

Diabetics suffer from an illness called Diabetes mellitus. This is a condition where there is an abnormally high level of sugar glucose in their blood. It is caused by a deficiency of the hormone insulin, which is produced in the pancreas. The pancreas is a small gland tucked behind the stomach. The carbohydrates found in starchy food such as bread and potatoes, are broken down tin the body to produce glucose. Glucose is the body's main source of energy and travels around in the body via the bloodstream to wherever it is needed. For the body to convert glucose into energy, it needs insulin. People with Diabetes make little or no insulin, so the glucose builds up in the blood reaching dangerously high levels. These high levels of glucose in the bloodstream may cause the person to go into a coma, unless treated medically.

Diabetes in children is becoming more common, for reasons not really understood. In certain children exposure to a virus - possibly a Coxsackie R virus - and/or other environmental factors may trigger off a sequence of events that could eventually lead to diabetes. Diabetes is not contagious. It can develop at any age, but statistics show there are two possible peak ages: early years of primary school or early years of secondary school. Most children affected have Type 1 diabetes (Diabetes mellitus - IDDM). Type 1 diabetes is where the pancreas produces very little or no insulin at all. These patients must inject themselves daily with insulin.

The symptoms of diabetes develop rapidly. The condition is usually diagnosed days after the symptoms appear.

• The child passes enormous amounts of urine.
• Unusual thirst and tiredness
• Weight loss
• Suffers from blurred vision

If these symptoms are not picked up, more serious ones can appear:

• Tummy ache and vomiting
• Heavy, deep breathing
• Smell of acetone on the breath
• The child could go into a coma - This need urgent medical attention

If you notice any of the above symptoms please take your child to your doctor immediately. Your doctor will check glucose levels in the child's urine and blood. If the levels are unusually high your child may be admitted to hospital. Treatment involved is twice - daily injections of insulin needed to bring the diabetes under control. You and your child will be taught how to administer the injections at home. Some children as young as five years, manage to inject themselves. Children usually take one injection before breakfast and the second injection before supper. A pen injector is more convenient to use than the syringe method. The child must rotate the injection site between arms, legs and abdomen to avoid the build up of fatty deposits.

It is also recommended that possibly another member of your family know how to administer injections, recognize signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and how to treat it with a fast-acting carbohydrate. The child should be given foods such as honey, soft sweets or glucose tablets. If blood sugar levels drop too quickly they should be given an injection of glucagons. Blood sugar levels need to be monitored four times per day. This is very easy to do at home on finger prick samples of blood. Urine tests give a rough estimate of glucose levels.

Children with diabetes do not need a special diet, although they should eat regular meals, with sufficient starchy carbohydrates and fibre, with little fat and sugar. Control of diabetes depends on a careful balance of food intake, exercise and insulin. This may be more challenging in the teenage years.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Diabetics

Diabetics And Risk Of Hypoglycemia

Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) is a common occurrence in patients who have diabetes. Hypoglycemia occurs when the blood glucose level drops too low to provide energy for the body and the brain. Hypoglycemia mainly occurs as a complication of insulin therapy, however some of the pills that are used in the treatment of diabetes may also cause hypoglycemia.

Commonest reason for development of hypoglycemia is a combination of excessive use of insulin and irregular diet. Often the diabetic person may be injecting insulin but not eating enough or in a timely manner and this can result in low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.

Common symptoms of hypoglycemia include hunger, nausea and vomiting. You may be confused with nervousness and develop shakiness from hypoglycemia. You may experience profuse sweating while experiencing an episode of hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia may lead to confusion and even coma.

Hypoglycemia may also occur in sleep. This may happen if a diabetic person takes too much insulin at night, Symptoms of hypoglycemia that may occur in sleep may include nightmares, crying out spells. Sometimes the only finding is to discover your night pants, pajamas, or bed sheet to be wet from perspiration at night. Diabetic patients who experience hypoglycemia during night may be tired, irritable, or confused when they wake up.

When blood glucose begins to fall, glucagon, another hormone produced by the pancreas, signals the liver to break down glycogen and release glucose, causing blood glucose levels to rise toward a normal level. With repeated episodes of hypoglycemia this glucagon response to hypoglycemia may get blunted, making it harder for your glucose levels to return to the normal range. Also the warning symptoms of nausea, sweating, faintness may fail to occur with repeat episodes of hypoglycemia.

Repeated episodes of hypoglycemia can impair the body's ability to respond to low blood sugar in the future. This impairment can allow an individual to develop severe hypoglycemia in which they may lose consciousness, experience convulsions, fall into a coma, and suffer brain damage or even die.

Patients who are on insulin treatment should be aware of these potential complications. If you are taking insulin or other diabetic medications you should be aware of the risks of hypoglycemia. You should take the medication in the recommended doses. Do not compensate for a missed dose with double dose of medication. You should maintain strict dietary schedule so that episodes of hypoglycemia could be avoided.

Copyright Medicineworld.org 2006

Scott William is the Webmaster for Medicineworld.org a site dedicated to medical information. For more information and useful tips for diabetic patients please visit Diabetes watch blog.

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