Tag: Blood Sugar Levels

Diet For Hypoglycemia

A good diet for hypoglycemia is just the same as it would be if you want to lose some weight. Low carb, high protein. This is the best way to treat your hypoglycemia. If you make the changes you need to make in your diet then you may be able to improve or even eliminate your hypoglycemia.

If you cut the carbs then you should improve your situation dramatically. Eliminate or at least cut down on your intake of alcohol. Alcohol can greatly affect the frequency of hypoglycemic instances.

Decrease the amount of sugar in your diet. Stop drinking pop. Pop has no place in a diet for hypoglycemia. Cut down your use of white sugar, also. But do not just blindly start drinking diet pop, either, diet pop is poison and the chemical used in diet pop will actually trick your body into staying fat.

Increase your fiber intake. Fiber can help regulate the absorption of sugars that you eat. Try increasing the amounts of whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. All full of fiber and very good for you.

Now, if you have been doing some research, you have found that three meals a day is no longer the standard. What you should be doing, especially if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia, is eating several small meals a day. Small meals will help keep your blood sugar levels stabilized and under control.

Caffeine is another aspect of your diet that you should limit or even eliminate. Caffeine will actually help you feel full or at least less hungry and therefore you will not eat the way you should. Caffeine is never a substitute for a good meal.

These are the important changes that you should try to make and stick with when learning to deal with your diagnosis of hypoglycemia or even diabetes. Stay positive and don’t think of this as things you can no longer have. Think of this as an adventure in finding out all the new things you can have. When your blood sugars have stabilized then you can probably even reintroduce some of the old things you used to love, just in moderation from now on.

Having diabetes or hypoglycemia is not a death sentence, unless you choose to not do what is necessary to control it. Then you could find yourself in trouble. Big trouble. Symptoms for mild to moderate hypoglycemia are nausea, chills, cool, clammy skin, sweating, hunger, heart palpitations, irritability, anxiousness, confusion, blurry vision, and dizziness. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures, coma, and death, if left untreated.

Following a good diet for hypoglycemia can help you lessen your risk for complications and even lessen your risk for becoming a full blown diabetic. If you are or do become a full blown diabetic then you will have other things you will need to concern yourself with. It is common for diabetics to have decreased blood flow to their extremities. When this happens it can lead to ulcers and other skin conditions. If serious enough the decreased blood flow could lead to tissue death and the need for amputation.

Advanced Treatment Trends For Diabetes

Like obesity, diabetes is now considered by many health experts and professionals as an epidemic because more and more people suffer from it. The age ranges of people who become prone to it become younger and younger. And the people who are at risk are those who do not only have diabetes history in their families but also those who have developed the disease over time.

Experts say that people who have a history of diabetes in their bloodlines are the primary set of people who are at risk for this disease. But, they are not the only ones who can suffer from this chronic illness. In fact, almost everyoneespecially those who have high glucose content in their blood and unable to use itis prone to having this disease.

Trends are changing

Before, when you are diagnosed with diabetes, it is synonymous to loss of limbs, total loss of vision or blindness, kidney failure, and worst, early death. But now, this is no longer the case. Because of the trends in modern technology and advances in the medical field through research, many people with diabetes are seeing hope that they will enjoy longer and healthier their lives just like the regular people.

1. Insulin. Since diabetes is caused by lack of supply of insulin among diabetics, more and more people come up with variations with the way insulin can enter the body such as:

– implantable insulin pumps which makes it possible for the blood sugar levels to be measured so the and exact amount of insulin needed is delivered instantly;

– insulin inhalers which can aid the daily injections of insulin by providing instant relief by using rapid-acting insulin which is sprayed and inhaled through the mouthincluding its coats, the throat and the tongue to pave the way for insulin to enter the into the bloodstream quickly;

– insulin pill which will use a new type of polymer can help the diabetic get insulin faster because it can allow insulin to get into the persons bloodstream without being destroyed by the digestive system; and

– new insulins which are designed to minimize the regimens and to better control glucose for people including glargine which is a basal insulin, the aspart which is a very-rapid-acting insulin, and the 75/25 lispro mixture containing a very-rapid-acting content.

2. Monitoring and tests. These are very important to know how well the diabetic is doing. The new trends when it comes to monitoring and tests include:

– pain free glucose tests which allows the diabetic to monitor their own blood sugar without the excruciating pain of literally sticking their fingers to be able to get blood samples;

– continuous monitoring device which is a wristwatch-like device that give more information in how to mange diabetes effectively;

3. New treatments. Since diabetes is a chronic disease, theres no definite treatment to cure it. However, there are more and more treatments that promise better results like:

– islet cell transplant which can be effective for people with the rare type of diabetesthe type 1 diabetesbecause it uses the Edmonton technique which utilize uses cells from the pancreas or islet cells coming from a donor to help the person to produce insulin;

– gene therapy which identifies that a gene called SHIP2? can regulate the production of insulin;

4. Vaccine. Through the vaccinecontaining a peptidethat stops the destruction of pancreatic cells in the human body, more and more diabetics are now hoping that they can live longer lives despite the illness.

Depression And Diabetes

Many people who are diagnosed with diabetes are overwhelmed with an onslaught of new information, medications, doctor visits and a feeling of helplessness. Diabetes can be frightening, particularly for anyone who is not familiar with the disease. We read about complications and insulin and medication and feel hopeless.

Many diabetics experience a period of denial when first diagnosed with diabetes. They refuse to believe there is anything wrong with them. While they remain in denial, the condition worsens. This can often lead to depression. Depression and diabetes often go hand in hand. According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes have a greater risk for developing depression than other individuals.

The stress of management of diabetes can take a toll on an individual. There are new medications to take, blood sugar must be monitored frequently and a record kept for your doctor. There are frequent doctor visits and there may be several different medication combinations needed before your blood sugar is kept under control.

On top of that, people who have diabetes are often faced with sudden lifestyle changes. Foods that they once enjoyed are now taboo. An exercise regime is often recommended, which can be good for depression, but people with depression often have little energy to begin an exercise regime. As the depression continues, people often lose interest in monitoring their blood sugar levels and may even skip their medication.

Symptoms of depression include a loss of pleasure in every day activities you used to enjoy as well as a change in appetite. You may have trouble concentrating and have trouble sleeping. Or you may even sleep too much. Many people suffer from depression, but for a diabetic, it can be life threatening. Depression and diabetes is a dangerous combination.

People who are diagnosed with diabetes can empower themselves by learning as much about the disease as possible from the beginning. This can alleviate the feeling of helplessness that often accompanies the diagnoses. Ask your physician questions. Do research. Find out how you can help manage you disease.

If you feel you are suffering from some of the signs of depression, ask your doctor to recommend a therapist who is familiar in dealing with people with chronic illness. Therapy can be crucial for a diabetic patient who feels isolated because of all of the extra work involved in treating their illness. Do not be afraid to discuss your illness with family and friends. Diabetes is a nothing to be ashamed of, it is a disease that affects millions of people.

If at all possible, join a support group for others who also have diabetes. Here you can not only find kindred spirits who are experiencing some of the same fears as yourself, but you can also learn new information.

Any time someone is diagnosed with an illness puts them at risk for depression. Their world has changed and no longer feels safe. Worse of all, they feel out of control. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, take back the control and learn how to manage your disease. By empowering yourself, you will not only be able to effectively manage your diabetes, you will eliminate the depression.