Type 2 Diabetes - Are Your Blood Sugar Levels Normal?

I was reading an article on Type 2 Diabetes today. As an Administrator for a Skilled Nursing Facility, I am amazed at how many of those who come in for care are suffering from this disease. The impact of uncontrolled Diabetes on a person is something that each person should take seriously. Don't let it catch you by supprise. If you already have Type 2 Diabetes, their are something you need to be doing to insure continued health and well being. The following article, Type 2 Diabetes - Are Your Blood Sugar Levels Normal? states that if you are a diabetic, monitoring your blood sugar levels regularly is essential in keeping your health problem in tight control. Please read the article if you think you might, or if you know that you do, have Diabetes. This is not a battle you want to lose.

Picking the South Beach Diet

I have been researching diets for sometime now, looking for one that isn't just hype, but makes sense. There were a number that stated I could lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Others promised I could eat whatever I wanted and lose weight at the same time. I figured that the diet I chose needed to address the health issues that are beginning to creep up on me. Those issues are:

• Obesity - In my research a few weeks back I discovered that my height and weight but my Body Mass Index just into the range of Obesity.
• Diabetes - My last visit to the doctor I was informed that I am pre-diabetic and need to make some changes before I become diabetic.
• Family History of Coronary Heart Disease - May Grandfather died of a Heart Attach, my Dad had open heart surgery.
• High Blood Pressure - My BP has crawled up there and I would love to avoid medication if at all possible. My Dad and Grandfather also had High Blood Pressure.

The South Beach Diet was developed by Cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston. As a result of problems he was seeing with the Heart Healthy Diets, he went to work on something that was simple and addressed the issues he had identified with the growing Obesity issue he was seeing. Through his research he determined that the efficiency in which our bodies break down food into useful energy, makes the difference in wether or not we gain weight and place ourselves at risk for Cardiac Issues, Issues Related to Diabetes, and other problems that affect those who are overweight. At the center of how our bodies breakdown and store food is insulin - the production of, and our bodies acceptance of or resistance to the insulin we produce.

The South Beach Diet appears to be more about changing habits in how we eat and what we eat, then it is about losing weight. It is more about overall health then a fad that everyone is following for a season. The South Beach Diet seems right for me because it addresses some of the specific issues I am facing. I encourage each one who is thinking of dieting to research the diets out there and to chose the one that addresses the medical and genetic issues that you are facing. I don't believe that one diet fits all. I also know that for me to stick with something over a long period of time, it has to make sense to me. I'll keep you posted on how it works for me. Weight will be something that I am expecting to see drop, but I also expect to see my cholesterol and triglycerides come into line, as well as my blood sugars. With those areas being controlled I trust Blood Pressure will be affected in a positive way. My goal is improvement in my overall health and wellness. If that doesn't happen I won't be on the South Beach Diet very long.

Pre Diabetes

At my most recent visit to the Doctors office, he ordered the normal labs to ensure that everything is working properly in my body. Going over the results he stated, "looks like you have Pre-Diabetes." Thoughts raced through my head. Will I have to give myself shots? will I lose a toe or foot? does that explain my vision getting worse? All of course are things that can occur with Diabetes.

Going home I did a little research, and found that 54 million people in the USA with Pre-Diabetes. That didn't make me feel a whole lot better, but it was enough to show it is an issue that many people deal with. Even less comforting was the fact that most type 2 diabetics started with pre-diabetes. The definition of pre-diabetes in its simplest form is - your blood sugar (glucose) is higher than normal, but not high enough to be defined as diabetes.

There are things you can do to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing. Recent studies show that a change in lifestyle has a profound impact. In a few of the studies intense diet and exercise counseling were given, while the test subjects were given little or no instruction. The studies found that the degree to which the progression of diabetes was slowed or stopped was closely related to lost weight, reduced fat intake, reduced saturated fat intake, increased fiber intake, and exercise.

Thinking about lifestyle changes it seems that the changing my lifestyle now to slow or stop diabetes, is better than the alternative of developing diabetes and having to change my lifestyle to accommodate the disease. Its a battle worth fighting

A good source of information on the studies can be found at Diabetes Care.

Benefits of Exercise on Health

Thirty years ago I didn't think about needing exercise, or the benefits of being active. As a kid I just was. From the moment the sun came up until it went down I would be out running, swimming, playing basketball, you name it I was doing it. It was apart of my life and routine.

Fast forward 30 years and now it takes a little work to get myself motivated to start moving. I come home from work, a little worn out from the day, looking for dinner and something relaxing to do (usually the TV). The word exercise is equal to the word work. It is something I have to schedule, prepare for, dress for, and sometimes even travel to do. That just doesn't sound like something I want to focus on until I start thinking of how it helps me.

In earlier articles I have written about obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stress. In each of those articles a common theme has emerged, that of exercise. The Mayo Clinic has an excellent list of the benefits of exercise on their web site. A few of these benefits are worth mentioning here.

1. Helps manage stress - as I have exercised I have noticed a marked difference in my ability to handle and deal with stress. Exercise promotes the production of endorphins. Endorphins in your body help create a feeling of relaxation or well being. A short run after a tough day can help relieve some of the pressure you feel and free you from the tension you may be experiencing.
   
2. Helps you control weight - We all know that the right type of exercise, three or more times a week can help you control your weight. And being at a healthy weight comes with all kinds of benefits, not to mention feeling good about yourself. Simply burning more calories, by exercising, then you take in by eating, will result in weight loss.
   
3. Helps you prevent or manage diabetes - Exercise is said to help with the body's sensitivity to insulin. Simply put it allows the body to better use the sugar it is producing by making the cells more receptive to receiving it.
   
4. Helps manage blood pressure - Exercise has the benefit of lowering your overall blood pressure when consistent. This is the result of your entire cardiovascular system, heart, lungs, circulatory system, being strengthened.

There are many more benefits to exercising, and if you want to live a healthy life, it requires that we give our bodies the benefits that come with exercise on a consistent basis.

Diabetes

Diabetes affects over 150 million people. Most simply it is a problem of how the body breaks down food, and uses it for energy . In a normal body you produce the right amount of insulin to move the sugar you have created into the cells. With Diabetes you fail to make enough insulin and you blood sugar becomes to high. Left untreated you run the risk for many problems.

There are many terms out there you may have heard, Pre- diabetes, type 1, type 2. These are labels to describe those suffering with diabetes. In Pre-Diabetes your cells are beginning to resist your bodies insulin. It can resemble a lock and key. your cell is a locked door. The sugar wants to get in the door, and the cell would like the sugar to come in. The cell picks up a key (the insulin) and is able to get in. Pre Diabetes is the beginning of a sticky lock that won't always open with the key. This is usually the precursor to Type 2. However, a change in diet, or weight loss, can often correct the situation. The South Beach Diet really addresses this whole issue in its book and was very helpful in my understanding.

Type 1 diabetics are those who do not produce any insulin. It most often occurs in those under 30. Because the body is not producing the needed insulin type 1 diabetic require frequent insulin injections. It is usually described as a genetic disorder.

Type 2 diabetes, sometimes called adult onset, is the result of the cells becoming resistant to the insulin. It usually happens in those who are over 30, but has been know to occur earlier in life for some. This is the most common form of diabetes with 95% of all cases being reported as type 2. If type 1 is a genetic disease, type 2 is a disease of choice. It is usually triggered lack of exercise, a poor choice in diet, and obesity. These are all items that can be controlled by the individual.

Living Healthy in an unhealthy world requires that we each make wise choices in how we treat our bodies. What we eat, how we use our free time, controlling our weight, all play into our health and wellness, and obviously have an impact on your chances of becoming a Diabetic, or controlling your pre-diabetic state. It is worth the battle.