Male Health Problems Caused By Type 2 Diabetes

Unlike diabetes type 1, a person with type 2 diabetes continues to produce insulin. Although it is not entirely clear why, this insulin doesn't work properly. The early stages of type 2 diabetes are termed insulin resistance. The body resists the action of the insulin on the blood. Many people believe that this is due to the person being overweight and there is not enough insulin to go around to function adequately. Although this has not been clinically proved, most people that suffer from type 2 diabetes have a weight problem and a recommended treatment for type 2 diabetes is exercise to reduce the excess weight.

Men are more susceptible to developing diabetes than women. It is also believed that the common beer belly that some men have is another tell tale sign of the potential onset of diabetes type 2. The most common symptoms of type two diabetes in males are :

thirst or polydipsia,

frequent urination or polyuria,

excessive tiredness,

blurry vision,

slow healing wounds,

and erectile dysfunction.

Some of the major health problems that may occur from type 2 diabetes are as follows :

The circulatory system can deteriorate. This could mean that the extremities of the body will not get an adequate supply of blood. Thus the feet and hands may become numb from time to time. There may be erectile problems as not enough blood can get to the penis. This also means that cuts and bruises on these parts of the body will take longer to heal.

The eyes may become damaged over time. This is known as diabetic retinopathy and is also due to poor circulation. Blood vessels or capillaries around the retina seal due to lack of blood flow. This causes new capillaries to grow that are weak and susceptible to bursting. These capillaries leak blood into the eye, causing poor vision and blindness if untreated.

The is no cure for type 2 diabetes. The only way to treat the condition is to take regular exercise and watch what you eat. Implementing a diabetic diet and exercise program can minimize the impact that diabetes has on your life.

Diabetes and Nerve Damage- What You Should Know About Diabetic Neuropathy

Just imagine …

Imagine a world where you can't feel the lush grass between your toes.

Imagine a world where you can't hear the harmonious chirps of the birds.

Imagine a world where you can't see the beautiful sunrises or sunsets.

Imagine a world where you can't smell the fragrance of the seasons.

Imagine a world where you can't taste the delectable foods you love.

Is this the kind of world you want to live in? Of course not, but the truth is if you don't take care of your diabetes, this could be the world that you live in.

Diabetes and nerve damage go together like Bonnie and Clyde or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You can't go with just one, the same goes with diabetes and nerve damage.

What you should know about diabetes and nerve damage

People who have had diabetes for a long period of time are at greater risk of developing nerve damage. At first, the nerve damage may be mild, but as time goes on, the symptoms and treatment worsen. So, here's a checklist of factors that cause nerve damage:

1. Autoimmune factors.

2. High blood sugar.

3. Inherited traits.

4. Lifestyle factors (smoking or alcohol use, no exercising).

5. Mechanical injuries to nerves (like carpal tunnel syndrome).

6. Metabolic factors (like high blood glucose, diabetes, and low levels of insulin).

7. Neurovascular factors (damage to the blood vessels).

As you can see from the above list, there are some risks you simply cannot control. However, you will also note that there are several risks you, and only you, can control.

What you should know about the early symptoms of nerve damage

If you think you're at risk, here is a list of some early symptoms you can check to see if you have:

1. Diarrhea or constipation.

2. Dizziness or faintness due to a drop in blood pressure.

3. Indigestion, nausea, or vomiting.

4. Numbness, tingling, or pain in the toes, legs, feet, hands, arms, and fingers.

5. Problems with urination.

6. Weakness in the muscles of the feet or hands.

7. Weight loss.

What you should know to prevent nerve damage

If you're ready to take some steps to prevent yourself from getting nerve damage, here are a few tips to help ensure your health:

Keep your blood sugar as close to normal as it is safe for you.

Maintain normal blood pressure.

Properly care and inspect your feet on a daily basis.

Quit smoking.

Quit drinking.

What you should know about treatment options for diabetes and nerve damage

Here's a list of treatment options to benefit your health:

- Medications and other treatments.

- Keeping your blood sugar close to normal may help to decrease the pain.

It's not just your imagination…

Imagine a world where you can feel the lush grass between your toes.

Imagine a world where you can hear the harmonious chirps of the birds.

Imagine a world where you can see the beautiful sunrises or sunsets.

Imagine a world where you can smell the fragrance of the seasons.

Imagine a world where you can taste the delectable foods you love.

Imagine a world where you can live the life you've always wanted to live.

Diabetic Diet - Half A Million American Diabetics Risk Critical Illness In A Bid To Be Thin

A frightening eating disorder is sweeping the diabetic population according to recent medical reports. Coined Diabulimia, this is a psychological condition affecting an estimated one third of diabetic women, including nearly half a million women in the US. These women, who need to take insulin regularly to survive, are skipping insulin injections in an attempt to lose weight.

Determining the exact number of women affected is tricky as most diabulimics are unlikely to admit to skipping insulin injections whilst they are actually in the habit of doing so, but it is clear that this is a growing phenomenon.

- So how does missing insulin shots result in weight loss?

Skipping insulin injections can cause diabetics to lose weight rapidly in a number of ways:

a. They are not getting any calories from the food they are consuming as there is no insulin to break down sugars and transport them to the body's cells.

b. Very high blood sugar levels can cause muscle breakdown resulting in weight loss.

- The risks for diabulimics are extremely high

For a diabetic who is dependant on insulin shots, missing their medication can be extremely dangerous. The risks range from kidney and heart disease, to nerve damage resulting in blindness or amputations. Missing vital insulin injections can ultimately increase the risk of a coma and even death.

Matt Hunt, Science Information Manager from the research charity Diabetes UK made the following statement:

"This eating disorder is extremely dangerous. Blood glucose that is too high for too long can cause serious complications, with diabetes being the leading cause of blindness amongst the working population in this country. Cardiovascular disease can also result from long periods of insulin abuse as well as kidney disease and nerve damage."

- Do you think someone you know may be diabulimic?

If someone you know is skipping insulin injections in order to lose weight you may notice the following symptoms.

1. They have low energy levels and excess fatigue

2. They are going to the toilet more frequently than usual

3. They are eating more than usual but still losing weight

Always encourage someone that you know is skipping insulin injections to get professional help. This is a psychological disorder, and although it may seem illogical to you to risk serious health issues just to be slim, it may not seem that way to the diabulimic.

- Balancing the fear of being fat against the fear of critical illness

Many people suffering from this disorder start small, perhaps missing just a couple of injections to fit into a particular dress for a big night out. Before they know it they may be missing most of their shots, taking just enough stay alive. They reason that they will begin to take their medication again once they are thin enough, but somehow, no matter how much weight they lose, they never believe they are thin enough.

Although gradual weight loss can be very positive for overweight diabetics, enabling them to control their blood sugar more effectively, missing insulin shots is never a good way to lose weight. Although 'diabulimia' is not currently an officially recognized medical condition, it is as serious an eating disorder as anorexia or bulimia and it affects a frighteningly large number of diabetic women.

Diabetes Type 2 - Eating Cinnamon Can Control Your Type 2 Diabetes

Studies show that including cinnamon in your type 2 diabetes diet could significantly lower your blood sugar level, helping you to control your condition. In a world where this disease is an ever increasing problem, many people are seeking natural remedies to help them control their type 2 diabetes. Diet changes and supplements play a major role in this process.

- Cinnamon Reduces Blood Sugar in a Number of Ways

Cinnamon reduces blood sugar in three ways. Firstly it stimulates insulin production, secondly it increases the effectiveness of insulin receptors, and finally, as recent studies show, it slows the emptying of the stomach after eating. When the stomach empties quickly after a meal, this causes a rapid rise in blood sugar level, so slowing this process can help type 2 diabetics to control their condition.

- Should Cinnamon Buns Feature In My Type 2 Diabetes Diet?

Cinnamon can easily be added to wholemeal toast, low fat bagels and cereals. Some people even find soaking a cinnamon stick in their tea can have an impact on their blood sugar.

- Studies Show a 20% Decrease in Blood Sugar Levels

The original studies into the impact of including cinnamon in diabetes diets took place in Pakistan. Two groups of type 2 diabetics were monitored, with one group taking 6g capsules of cinnamon after eating, and the other group taking a placebo. The group taking cinnamon experienced a 20% reduction in blood sugar level compared with the control group. Their blood sugar levels began to creep up again as soon as the study was over and they stopped taking the cinnamon.

More recent research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, compares two groups of healthy volunteers. Both groups ate 300g of rice pudding a day, but one group added 6g of cinnamon to theirs. Their blood sugars were measured two hours after eating, and the rate at which their stomachs emptied was measured using ultrasonography.

The group that ate plain rice pudding had significantly higher blood sugar than the group that ate cinnamon, and their stomachs emptied much quicker which contributed to the high blood sugar levels. The group that ate cinnamon experienced significantly slower stomach emptying as well as lower blood sugar.

- Limits to the Effectiveness of Cinnamon

For cinnamon to be really effective as part of a type 2 diabetes diet, you need to eat large quantities which may have an impact on your liver over time. It is not recommended for pregnant women and should not be used to treat gestational diabetes. Because cinnamon works to increase the effectiveness of insulin, it cannot be used to treat type 1 diabetes, where no insulin is produced in the first place.

Cinnamon can be an effective addition to type 2 diabetes diets, and when used long term it can help to control blood sugar levels. It can also be used to lower cholesterol, to treat nausea and vomiting, and to prevent colds and gastrointestinal spasms. Although it is effective at lowering blood sugar, it should not replace a healthy and varied diet, regular exercise, and professional medical advice

It is Possible to Have Blood Sugar Levels Within Normal Ranges, Even as a Diabetic

What blood sugar levels can be considered normal? Your blood sugar level should be between 70 milligrams per deciliter to 100 mg/dl after 8 hours of not eating. A blood sugar level above 100 mg/dL at any time may indicate that a pre-diabetes condition is present.

If your level falls between 100 and 199, this indicates prediabetes. Diabetes (either type 1 or type 2) is likely present if your blood sugar level exceeds 200.

You can lower your blood sugar in several steps. If you want to have more normal blood sugar levels, the following suggestions can help.

B. Your blood sugar needs more frequent testing. You should test your blood sugar levels roughly 5-10 times per day. Regular readings of one's blood sugar are required to determine if one has the proper insulin dosage, even though it's tough on the fingers. The A1C test is a vital indication of your blood sugar level. Blood sugar levels, which should be less than 6%, can be revealed easily with this test

D. Making sure you eat 3 nutritious meals a day, and avoiding between-meal snacking, can make regulating your insulin levels less difficult a chore. You need to break your habit of snacking--it's not as hard as you may think.

Complications from both types of diabetes are strongly correlated with poor management of blood sugar levels. Therefore, keeping one's blood sugar level in the normal range eliminates most of the risk of complications from diabetes.

Normal blood sugar ranges from 70 to 100 for a non-diabetic. This level of blood sugar should be achievable for anyone, whether diabetes is present or not.

Huckleberry Promotes Vasodilation for Better Peripheral Circulation

What is huckleberry?

Huckleberry is also known as bilberry. This delicious fruit is of the plant called huckleberry, found in the North American and European continents. It's a shrub that grows to only 16 inches tall and the berries are usually less than 5 mm in diameter and contain ten large seeds. These berries differ in color from bright red, to dark purple, then to blues. When harvested in the summertime, its taste ranges from tart to sweet, similar to blueberries.

Cultures have known for centuries that food grown in the wild provide enormous medicinal benefits. Particularly beneficial are the berries high in flavanoids. Flavanoids are high in antioxidant properties. Also found are metabolic properties. Wild foods also provide high amounts of phytonutrients.

These valuable benefits are not found in our foods. To achieve maximum health from these types of food, you must purposely seek and include them in your supplementation.

Huckleberry promotes vasodilation for better peripheral circulation.

Huckleberry amazingly improves vasodilation. Vasodilation is a process when the blood vessels become wider following the relaxation of the smooth muscle in the vessel wall. This will reduce blood pressure - since there is more room for the blood.

What causes peripheral circulation?

In what ways can huckleberry help?

Huckleberry drastically improves blood sugar.

Huckleberry remarkably improves circulation.

Huckleberry promotes vasodilation for better peripheral circulation.

Huckleberry prevents and treats chronic venous insufficiency.

Huckleberry has recently been noted to positively affect blood vessels.

Huckleberry acts as a laxative to treat diarrhea naturally.

Huckleberry promotes insulin production.

Huckleberry improves the digestive system functions.

Huckleberry treats urinary tract infections.

Huckleberry fights infections.

Huckleberry controls cholesterol levels.

Huckleberry can be used as a non-harmful stimulant.

Huckleberry can be used as a mouth wash to treat infections.

Huckleberry tea, when used regularly, eases symptoms of glycosuria (glucose is excreted through the urine) and hyperglycemia (excessive amounts of urine circulates in the blood plasma).

Huckleberry is used to fight the onset of diabetes mellitus.

Huckleberry is an excellent source of vitamins A, B3, C, D, and E.

Huckleberry provides more antioxidants than 20 glasses of apple juice.

Huckleberry is low in calories and sodium, and is fat- and cholesterol-free.

Who can take huckleberry?

Because it's a natural ingredient, anyone who wants to have a healthier body can take huckleberry.

A Look At Natural Cures For Type 1 Diabetes

Opponents of natural cures for type 1 diabetes and other diseases believe that manufacturers and authors target people suffering from chronic diseases, offering hope where there is none and sometimes causing the delay of conventional or proven treatments. Some proponents claim that the federal government, pharmaceutical companies and even the American Medical Association suppress information about natural remedies. Then, there are people like me.

That being said, it is possible and wise to take responsibility for you own health and well being. The problems that plague the medical community have much to do with the search for quick fixes and instant cures. It takes time to heal your body, sometimes, depending on the condition, a lot of time. It also takes effort.

Doctors typically suggest weight loss, healthy diet and physical activity, but when a person is plagued with fatigue and feels depressed, they may not be able to follow those suggestions. The factor that is most commonly overlooked is nutrition.

There are specific nutrients that should be present in products advertised as natural cures for type 1 diabetes, but they are not always included. Read the label carefully. There are also specific herbal extracts and other supplements that, according to scientific studies, help control blood sugar levels and prevent complications that can accompany diabetes. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and if you are taking prescription medications, check with your pharmacist or the supplement manufacturer concerning possible interactions.

Ingredients to look for include:

Chromium Nicotinate

Biotin
Also known as vitamin B-7, scientists believe that biotin may be involved in the production and release of insulin. Most studies have involved people with type 2 diabetes, who often have low levels of biotin. Studies suggest that this vitamin may improve blood sugar control.

Inositol
A component of rice bran, the human body uses inositol to create molecules that transmit signals among the cells. Of most importance in diabetes is the role of inositol in helping the cells to identify insulin and use blood glucose for energy.

Alpha Lipoic Acid
This supplement plays many roles in the human body. Alpha Lipoic Acid is suggested in diabetes because laboratory studies have shown that it increases cellular uptake of blood sugar.

Many plants and herbs have been used throughout history in countries where they grow wild for the treatment of diabetes. Modern day research supports the use of all of the following: banaba extract, bitter melon extract, black cumin extract, green tea extract, gymnema sylvestre extract and milk thistle extract.

Know Your Blood Sugar Level - 5 Best Reasons Why This Is So Important For A Diabetic

Are you a diabetic and do you check your blood sugar level regularly ? - Some people whom I have spoken to find it a hassle to do so, but is it really so difficult if it could SAVE YOUR LIFE ?

With the availability of the many forms of home blood glucose monitoring (HBGM) devices ( such as the Accucheck Glucometer )in the market today, it is very easy for a diabetic to perform their own test to make sure that their blood glucose level does not fall out of the "safe zone". This is essential so that you could take preventive measures before complications of various form sets in (such as those that affects the heart and kidney.) In additional to Blood Sugar Self Test, we recommend that all diabetics should monitor the food they eat and to check for any wounds, cuts or injuries that they might have no their feet and hands everyday to make sure that they are clean and free from infection.

There are over 21 million Americans suffering from diabetes and 54 million people in the United States having pre-diabetes (a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.) with some totally unaware that they have the disease. This really says enough of the stance that we should take to combat diabetes and the first step is to KNOW YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL so that you could Control it and not letting diabetes take control of you !

Below are 5 Top Reasons why Self-testing is important and how you could control the disease :

Know Your Levels :

Check your blood sugar level frequently. This will let you know how much insulin you will need in order to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible.
But How frequently should we test ? If your blood sugar levels are within a target range, you just need to test once before breakfast each day and occasionally at other times of the day. However for those who take insulin, you may need to check your blood sugar levels several times a day. The usual time to test your blood sugar level are : before bedtime, one to two hours after meals or a big snack, before you go through any Strenuous physical activity or exercise because this will lower your blood sugar and you may want to make sure that your blood sugar do not drop too low either.
Managing diabetes is all about balance. This include keeping a balance on the food we eat, medication we take and the right amount of exercises to keep your blood sugar levels within the targeted range. This is important because our bodies can no longer do it for us. Regular self-monitoring of blood glucose levels gives us a gauge on where our blood sugar levels are right at the moment and provide us sufficient time to act before complication sets in.

Good Control Keeps Complications at Bay:

Assess The Effectiveness Of Your Medications:

Keeping your Blood Sugar Level in checks will also allow you to see how effective your medication or insulin is in controlling your glucose levels. If your medication is not effective in maintaining your blood sugar within the right range, it needs to be adjusted. Frequent self-testing will help you and your doctor to make the right choice in prescribing the right amount of doses and medications more accurately.

Minimizes The possibilities of Life-threatening Emergencies:

High blood sugar (Hyperglycemia) can occur during stress or when taking medications that affect the blood sugar. Testing can help you keep better watch on blood sugar so you can take the appropriate steps before it gets too high. Low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia) can happen if your blood sugar level drops too low. Our advise is, if you exercise, test your blood sugar level before, during or after exercise to avoid a dangerous dip in blood sugar. Do take note too that drinking alcohol can also lower your blood sugar and thus, monitor your level closely if you drink. It is better to do more then to be sorry after that.

Help Your Heart, Save Your Kidney !

People diagnosed with diabetes has an increased risk of heart and kidney diseases. This occurs slowly over time while your blood sugar remains consistently high.