Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Cut the risk of diabetes.

According to researchers at the Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, say they found that brief but intense exercise every day or two may help reduce the risk of diabetes. People with higher than average risk for type 2 diabetes are those who are overweight and people who are not physically active.

Type 2 diabetes — where people gradually lose the ability to use insulin, a hormone crucial to converting glucose into energy — accounts for most cases. It’s increasing at epidemic proportions as Americans get older, fatter and less active.

The researchers found that people can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 50%, simply by accumulating one hour of moderate physical activity per day. This exercise can be incorporated into daily life as easily as walking up and down the stairs at work or by commuting via bicycle.

The researchers note that moderate exercise, exemplified by brisk walking, accumulated throughout the day, can lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women by nearly 50 percent.

The activity can come from a variety of sources throughout the day: walking to the bus stop in the morning, taking the stairs at work, or running errands.

Physical activity helps to reduce risk of Type 2 diabetes two different ways. The first, Physical activity often reduces bodyweight. Overweight is related to a higher risk of diabetes, so losing weight cuts risk. Secondly, physical activity improves insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to make better use of its own insulin.

Exercise adds life to your years! It will not only keep you in shape, but you will feel better and enjoy life more. As well as the many benefits mentioned above, by keeping you fit, exercise will help you stay more independent.

Diabetics should be forewarned that ...

they should never perform exercise during the time that their insulin level is at its peak. The ideal time for a diabetic to exercise is when their blood glucose level is between 100 to 200 mg/dl or about thirty to sixty minutes after meals. They should also avoid exercising when their blood glucose is above 250 mg/dl and ketones are present in the urine.


There are metabolic effects that occur with exercise that type 1 and type 2 diabetics should be aware of. In the case of type 1 diabetes, glucose control can be compromised if proper adjustments are not made in food intake or insulin administration. People with type 2 diabetes who take oral hypoglycemic medications may be at risk of post-exercise hypoglycemia.


Here are some general guidelines that may assist in regulating the glycemic response to exercise in persons with type 1 diabetes.


1. Metabolic control before exercise: Avoid exercise if fasting glucose levels are greater than 250 mg/dl and ketosis is present. Eat added carbohydrates if glucose levels are less than 100 mg/dl.


2. Blood glucose monitoring before and after exercise: identify when changes in insulin of food intake are necessary. Learn the blood glucose response to different exercise conditions.


3. Food intake: Consume added carbohydrates as needed to avoid hypoglycemia. Carbohydrate-based foods should be readily available during and after exercise.


People with type 1 diabetes who do not have complications and are in good blood glucose control can perform all levels of exercise, including leisure activities, recreational sports, and competitive sports. To do this safely, the diabetic must posses the ability to collect self monitored blood glucose data while exercising and use this data to adjust their insulin and nutritional therapy.

Exercise can increase the risk for hypoglycemia in people with type 1 diabetes. Hypoglycemia during exercise of forty minutes or less is rare. Onset of hypoglycemia is more likely to occur after exercise, often four to ten hours after. Blood glucose levels should be monitored at one to two hour intervals after exercise to assess response to the exercise and allow for adjustments in insulin and food intake.

Control of diabetes .

Step 2 in properly controlling the effects of your diabetes is a regular exercise routine. Any type of exercise is a good thing and if you do nothing more then go for regular walks you are off to a good start. As you progress and your health improves and your diabetes comes under control you can add to your routine if you wish. Join a gym, go for bike rides, yoga, aerobics, or any other physical activity you enjoy are all good ways to add variety to your program.

The complications caused by type 2 diabetes can be easily managed and avoided by following a sensible type 2 diabetic diet plan and exercise program. By making these simple lifestyle changes and staying healthy you can control your diabetes and live your life to the fullest.

Diabetic diet and exercise.

For adults diagnosed with adult onset type 2 diabetes most health care professionals agree that the best way to control its effects are with a type 2 diabetic diet and exercise. Although some people are genetically predisposed to contracting diabetes most cases are caused by poor lifestyle choices centered around bad diet, obesity, and a lack of exercise. Reversing the damage caused by years of un-healthy living is hard to do but if the specter of type 2 diabetes is looming over your long term health it is vitally important to change the way you live to best control the long term consequences that diabetes is known for.

Since both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are major health issues it is important to consult you doctor before starting any new diet or exercise plan. Your doctor can get you started in the right direction and recommend a dietician who specializes in the type 2 diabetic diet. The dietician can help taylor a customized diabetic meal plan to your specific needs. There will be foods that are for the most part off limits but in most cases moderation is the key to combating this disease and the health issues it is directly responsible for.

Probably the biggest dietary change for the type 2 diabetic is cutting sugar and simple carbohydrates out of their diet. Sodas, candy, and baked goods are to be avoided because they pose the greatest threat to the diabetic; hyperglycemia otherwise known as high blood sugar.

Instead of the empty calories to be found in high sugar and processed foods you should eat a diet of nutrient rich foods that provide the necessary health benefits that only they can provide. Fruits, vegetables, and protein from lean meats and nuts are a good place to start with a type 2 diabetic diet. These foods and others provide a good mix of nutrients including complex carbohydrates which provide you with a steady supply of energy throughout the day and keep your blood sugar levels consistent.

The other important aspect of the diet for those with type 2 diabetes is how often you eat during the day. Instead of eating two or three big meals you need to be eating five or six smaller meals throughout the day. This helps avoid the big blood sugar spikes that are associated with eating big meals. Eating smaller meals will keep you blood sugars at a steady level which is easier to control.

Diabetes signs and symptoms.

Early signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes include not so serious cases of chronic fatigue, overall weakness in the patient and malaise (uneasy feeling). The most pronounced symptom of patients suffering from this disease is excessive thirst and fluid intake and frequent urination. Since increased glucose levels tend to drain away all the water from the body, the patient is dehydrated very often and has the urge to drink a lot of fluids thus leading to frequent urination.

Eyesight goes blurred due to change in refraction in the lens leading to myopia caused due to change in osmotic balance on account of higher glucose levels. Also patients are known to have increased appetite. The patients are lethargic and face excessive bowel movements and itchy external genitalia. Other symptoms may include polydypsia, polyuria, nocturia, tiredness, prurtis vulva, loss of libido, erectile dysfunction and parasthesiae of limbs.

Other physical signs of type 2 diabetes .

Long term type 2 diabetes symptoms include abnormal thickening of the basement membrane of capillaries present all over the body. This is an effect normally seen in ageing population, however, in diabetics its impact is seen as micro-angiopathy in kidneys retina and nervous system. This results in symptoms like dizziness, abdominal fullness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, incontinence, anhydrosis and impotency. There may also be chronic and perforating ulcers in feet and painless arthropathy known as Charcot’s joints as also some muscle weakness and muscle wasting.

Other physical signs of type 2 diabetes may involve loss of tendon reflexes in lower limbs, diminished vibration sense causing impairment of the limbs. Skin lesions like carbuncles, spotted leg syndrome, fungal infection on skin and mucous membrane that is contaminated by glucose and infection of external genitalia are also some of the symptoms of this disease. Women patients may experience loss of fertility and libido. Another disorder known as hepatomegaly is caused in type 2 diabetes patients on account of fat and glycogen infiltration. A very rare but still observed sign is onset of coma.

Type 2 diabetic(High blood glucose ).

Type 2 diabetes is a disease characterized by high levels of blood glucose. The body of a type 2 diabetes patient does not make proper use of insulin and shows insulin resistance. Lower the concentration of insulin lower is the blood sugar transported into cells and stored as energy. This increases the blood sugar levels. This leads to another disorder known as hyperglycemia.

High blood glucose levels normally trigger the pancreas to produce more and more insulin, although this insulin is failed to be utilized by the body. One of the major diagnoses of this disease is by blood tests for insulin that gives high plasma insulin counts as a result. This disease is prevalent in major populations of the developed countries since most of them face obesity. People who are overweight show insulin resistance since the fat interferes with the insulin function.
It is a non-insulin dependent diabetes and it is seen to be independent of the age of the patient. It can occur in both children and adults. Almost in all cases, people suffering from this disease do not show any prominent signs of the onset of the disease and they can go as far as eight years without the disease being diagnosed. Most people are obese at the time of diagnosis; however, it can also develop in patients who are thin but elderly.

There are many causes of this disease amongst which the most frequent cause is excess body weight. Excess body weight in turn is caused by absence of physical activity and intake of fatty foods. Genetic factors also play a major role in bringing about type 2 diabetes in people. Other causes may include low activity level, poor diet, old age (above 45 years), High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels low in the body at about less than 35mg/dl or higher triglyceride levels of above 250mg/dl, high blood pressure, family history of gestational diabetes, previous incidence of impaired glucose tolerance and sometimes race and ethnicity of the people.