Is a Flu Shot better for your diabetic health?

                             

Is it really that time again?  Why do I need one every year?

Flu shots are recommended  for people with diabetes to prevent problems with health.

 Sometimes a "Simple Flu" can lead to hospitalization or  even death for someone with diabetes. Allow me to explain.

If you have diabetes, and you get the flu, you are more likely to have a rapid worsening of health. 
I am sure you have noticed when you are sick your blood sugar increases. Sometimes as much as 200 points! This can lead to increased urination.  The flu commonly causes vomiting as well. Can you see a problem developing??  If you cannot keep your food, fluid, and medications down then you are headed to dehydration. This only compounds the problem. The main concern here is staying hydrated.

  Flu shots are recommended  as to prevent you from getting sick in the first place. Every year the CDC chooses what strains are likely circulate.  Those chosen flu strains make up the shot. The shots commonly contain 3-4 weakened viruses giving your body the opportunity to develop its own antibody defense. 

Does Insulin Come in a Pill?

                               

I have often been asked an interesting question. Does insulin come in a pill?  It doesn't. Wouldn't be so much easier if it did.

Insulin is a protein. If it came in pill form the stomach would digest it. It would never make it to the blood in the form it needs to be.

Also, how could it be timed to achieve good blood sugar control? A persons insulin needs change from meal to meal and day to day.

There are pills (sulfonylureas) on the market that increase the amount of insulin the body makes but none are actually insulin.

In the past, for a short time, inhaled insulin was available.  Problems arose with dosing and airway aggravation so it was taken off the market. Currently, insulin is only available in shot form.

Humor with Diabetes

Everything with diabetes is so serious. Enjoy a good laugh!

Courtesy "Diabetes Health"

 


















 

Berries Better Your Brain

It turns out adding berries to your meals and snacks throughout the day can improve brain health. 
 Those tasty little fruits can really "sweeten" your brain function.  According to the U.S Department of Agriculture berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries  can benefit brain signaling involved in inflammation and cell death.  Research also shows benefits with Alzheimer's and dementia too. 
 
 We know this is helpful because of the increased risk with diabetes.
 Berries contain "polyphenolics". These components are found in all types of fruits and vegetables with deep red, orange, and blue coloring. The good news is they behave like an antioxidant with anti-cancer protection.
Another wonderful aspect of berries is their low carbohydrate content.
Examples of 15 grams carbohydrate: 

- 3/4 cup fresh blackberries(fresh) 15 grams
 -3/4 cup blue berries(fresh) 15 grams
 -1 1/4 cups strawberries(fresh) 15 grams
-1 1/4 cups cranberries(fresh) 15 grams
-1/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries 19 grams

Berries are a great bargain for carbohydrates. You get so much more for the carbohydrate amount when compared to other fruits. So go ahead, add berries liberally to your meals and get the benefits.

Try adding them to salads , cold or hot cereal, muffins, smoothies, or just as a snack!

Diabetes and Aging

In addition to  the normal things like using sun block, getting almost daily exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting adequate rest, there is an extra factor in thrown into the equation if you have diabetes.  Prolonged elevated blood sugar can damage the inside of the body. One thing I have learned in my 14+ years of practice in diabetes is how tough and unforgiving the disease can be on the human body.

 We know the typical signs of highs and lows like damage from prolonged elevated blood pressure, increased risk of stroke and heart attacks. Did you ever, in your wildest dreams imagine it could cause you to age more quickly as well? 

I have seen several patients who of which bring their spouse with them to appointments. This is actually recommended because two people often remember more material taught than one. Generally, they appear to be the same age or close in age. Over time, the spouse with diabetes begins to appear noticeably older. I know this sounds awful and cruel at the same time. With a quick glance the spouse with diabetes appears to look roughly 20 years older! More gray hair, more wrinkles, dwindling health, the list goes on.

So not only does diabetes have the capability to destroy the inside of the body but now it seems to have shown effects on the outside as well.

Studies show individuals with heart disease live an average of 10 years less when compared to individuals without heart disease. Studies also show having mere obesity can reduce life expectancy by 10 years. Interestingly, even mild obesity reduces life expectancy by 3 years. Both heart disease and obesity are commonly found with diabetes.  This is just another reason why good blood sugar control is so important.

Heart Disease....

                        

 The following has been written by a guest writer. It is very interesting. Read on:   

 Heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States since the 1970’s. Surely someone you know, perhaps a relative has died from a heart attack.  This serious and often preventable disease continues to take the lives of over 2,000 people every day. Also people without heart disease are expected to live more than 10 years longer than those who have heart disease.

 Shockingly, our generation is the first in the history of the world, expected to NOT live longer than the previous generation. This means we are projected to die before our parents!  How can this be? Technology and medical science are so well advanced.

The answer is surprisingly simple. The biggest cause of heart disease is lack of exercise and over eating. I would like to share with you today some thought provoking information.

              

Studies show that nearly 32% of people do not exercise at all in any given week.  This means they are only doing activities of everyday living, like house cleaning, walking to the rest room, etc. Less than 20% of the US population reported that they exercise once or twice a week. Currently, 50% of Americans report exercise at least 3 or more times a week. The American Heart Association recommends that people should exercise at least 3 times for 30 minutes per week. They also stress the importance of raising your heart rate and breaking a sweat.
 Heart disease varies by ethnicity. Caucasians  have the highest percentages of deaths which is 25.1%. African Americans come in second with 24.4%. Asians or Pacific Islanders come in third with 23.2%. Hispanics come in fourth with 20.7%. American Indians or Alaska Native come in last with 17.9%. 
Also, a whopping 65% of Americans are overweight which increase heart disease risk.

A typical American eats out at some type of restaurant several times in a given week. Let me give you some examples.  A large hamburger such as a Big Mac, fries, and a drink is well over 1,000 calories which is half of a regular intake of calories in one meal! A typical meal should only contain about 500 calories so the Big Mac meal is doubled what a normal meal should be.

We also have problems with portion sizes. The food portions have grown dramatically. We eat larger portions increasing our calorie intake

                 

The calories you burn while sitting is only 68, compared to burning 240 calories while walking and 250 calories while biking. So you are burning more than four times the amount of calories burned when compared to sitting. If you feel motivated pull out the Roller Blades because you can burn more than 900 calories per hour. Whatever you do for exercise, it needs to be it needs to be something you enjoy so you do it often.  Burning calories is the key to weight loss!  weight loss is the key to prevent heart disease.

In order to be successful, some things you can do are exercise with a friend, schedule a time to do it, make a goal, listen to music, and try different activities.

One huge benefit from exercise is cholesterol reduction. Cholesterol is a type of blood fat that can be dangerous to your health. When there is too much, it will clog and completely block off blood vessels. If this happens in the heart it is known as a heart attack. If it happens in the brain it is known as a stroke. If one of these things has happened in your family, it will likely happen to you if you don’t exercise consistently throughout your life.

This morning I ate a bowl of cereal with milk. It was essentially 300 calories. I would need to walk for over an hour to burn that amount of calories. Let’s return to the meal of a hamburger, fries and soda. I would need to exercise at least 4 hours to burn that amount of calories. So think of a person that eats a meal like that every day for lunch. They are adding lots of calories and blood vessel clogging fat to their body. Over the years this adds up and causes lifelong heart disease. So the problem isn’t eating one meal of hamburger and fries every once in a while but eating it daily combined with little to no exercise.                                                                        Playing sports is a way to have fun and burn calories at the same time. For example, if you played in a football game you burned 526 calories. In a basketball game you would burn 598 calories. And during a soccer game you would burn 821 calories. Also, if you go sledding for 2 hours you could burn up to 749 calories.  

Any sport can become a hobby that will let you exercise in a fun way for the rest of your life. For example, I personally love to play soccer. I have played it for the past 11 years. It is one of those sports you can play lifelong from beginner to expert. It has all the attributes to be successful such as playing with a friend, setting a time, setting a goal, and it’s fun. I have soccer practice on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for an hour to an hour and a half. Then I usually have games on Thursday and Saturday for 90 minutes which means I exercise 6 out of the 7 days of the week.

So as you can see, not only exercising consistently throughout your life and eating healthy too can make a big difference for your heart. It can ensure a high quality of life. Which means you can do the activities you want and enjoy without restrictions. If you choose to be sedentary, you will likely end up with a slow painful death.

How can I prevent my children from getting diabetes?

    
You have heard it before..."Like father like son".
  Is is possible to stop the cycle of diabetes from passing from generation to generation?   This is a questions many people who have diabetes have probably asked themselves at one time or another.
The answer is yes and no. We know there is a very strong genetic link with diabetes. More often than not we can name several relatives who either have diabetes or heart disease. They may have the same build too. That all to familiar "central obesity".
Here are the risks: 
<> If one parent has diabetes there is a 50-50 chance the children will have it too.
<>  It both parents have diabetes the risk is essentially 100%. This means all of their children will end up with diabetes it just depends on when.
Considering the risks, it seems like no matter what I do, I sill still get diabetes so why try right??  Wrong!! I have several patients with an interesting story you may want to hear.
  Two of these patients lost a significant amount of weight.  Both are diabetic. Both started exercising.  They were able to lose about 100 pounds!! (They were over weight and could afford to lose that much).
 They began with small changes.  Small changes over time gives big results. Both were able to stop all medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. This amounted to hundreds of dollars in savings every month!!! I know what you are thinking "I'll never be able to do that".
 Let me put this in perspective. These are real patients just like you. They have busy lives, just like you. They have full time jobs just like you. They also have family responsibilities, just like you.
 Both patients started their journey in poor physical health, poor eating habits and over 55 years of age.
First, small changes were made. Consistent exercise and better eating habits over time yielded amazing results.  Both have normal blood sugar levels while taking NO diabetes medications.
Prevention falls in two categories. Weight loss/ or maintenance and exercise.
 One famous study showed if a person will exercise consistently and maintain a healthy weight, the risk of developing diabetes drops by 58%!  I am of course describing possible changes with type 2 diabetes. In the case of Type 1 diabetes, where a person is unable to make their own insulin, stopping insulin and other diabetes medications is not an option.
 
You are always fighting your genes. You cannot change who your parents are. You were born with certain genes. They are programmed to do specific things. It is an uphill continuous battle when  you are fighting your genes.   
Focus on the changes you CAN make. Healthy eating and exercise should be top of the list. Start slow with little steps. The pay off is big!

Natural Disasters and Diabetes--What you can do

   Natural Disaster Preparedness for Diabetes
                                   

There always seems to be worry in the air amongst people with any chronic disease. "What if I can't get my medicine? What if the power goes out? Will I have enough food and water to survive until help arrives?   These are all very good questions. As with any chronic disease,  good diabetes treatment provides some additional preparation.
 Many things with diabetes can be controlled like how many grams of carbohydrates you eat or if you exercise. It is the things you cannot control that you need to prepare for.  One thing you cannot control are natural disasters. They seem to cause lots of devastation and damage with little to no warning.


First get yourself prepared. Plan for a disaster. There are several free resources to help you. I suggest the following sites:
http://www.ready.gov/ 
  http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/READYNPM
http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/72hour_kit.htm 

 Then, If something happens you will be better equipped to take of yourself and your family. If nothing happens you still have the peace of mind of being ready "just in case".
You will want to store preparedness items in a back pack or something easy to carry that you can grab at the last minute. The following list was compiled by Linda Smith. She has presented numerous times on this subject to hundreds of people.


In your pack include:
() 1 large trash bag
() 1 towel rolled with rubber bands
() 2-4 hand warmers
() 1 partial roll toilet paper
() 1 small bottle purification tablets
() 1 small package tissues
() 1 small package wet wipes
() 2 small packages dry wipes
() 1 candle with base
() plastic spoons (4)
() 1 plastic cup or 8 Styrofoam cups
() 1 Quart ziploc bag
() 1 #10 can with plastic lid (large coffee can size)
() 1 box water proof matches
() 1 toothbrush
() 1 small tube toothpaste
() 1 small bottle dish soap
() 1 partial roll paper towels
() 4 small fire starters
()  1 small cooking stove
() 1 small bottle anti-bacterial soap
() 1 face mask(medical)
() 1 poncho (one size fits all)
() 1 silver thermal blanket & small blanket to keep you warm
() 1 flash light w/ extra batteries
() 2-3 small games
() 1 light stick (needed for small children)
() shelter or small tent
() 1 pocket knife
() 3 pair rubber gloves
() 1 document bag for personal papers
() rope (about 50 ft)
() List of emergency contacts of family and friends(phone numbers, addresses, email)
() List of current medications (include allergies)
() A month of medications (insulated lunch box with instant ice packs for insulin)
() Blood sugar monitor, extra battery, and extra test strips, lancets
() Source of carbohydrate for hypoglycemia and food to keep you alive (see menu below)
() Bottled water (1 gallon/per day per person)or water filter
() Small first aid kit
() Pencil and small note pad for blood sugar records and notes
() battery operated radio (1 per family)
 
Pack all food items in the #10 can. This plus all other items listed should be stored in a backpack.


It is important you have a 4-5 days supply of food and water in your pack. FEMA now suggests 96-hour kits instead of a 72-hour kit. They have learned from recent disasters it takes that long for some to get to you. It is possible to survive with little to no food for a few days, maybe even a week. You cannot survive without water!  Make sure you have a water storage both in your home and in your pack. Consider drinking water as well as cooking and cleaning water. It is a good idea to store extra food in your home.  You never know when you will need it. Store the foods you eat regularly.

 Below is a menu you can pack in your backpack. Ideally, everyone in your family should have a 4 day pack.

 

Menu – 96 hour Emergency Kit—developed by Linda Smith

Menu:

DAY ONE: (3,900 calories, 120 grams protein)

Breakfast: 2 granola bars, 1 hot cider mix, 1 trail mix

Lunch: 1 Pkg. Dried Soup mix, 2 pkg. soda crackers w/ peanut butter

  Tuna pouch or jerky stick

Dinner: 1 fruit roll, 1 trail mix, 1 can meat (4 oz.) w/ crackers or Mountain House meal

Snacks: 4 pieces candy, 3 sticks gum, 1 fruit roll

DAY TWO:  (4,200 calories, 123 grams protein)

Breakfast: 1 trail mix, 1 envelope hot cocoa, 1 pkt. instant oatmeal

Lunch: 1 beef jerky stick, 1 apple cider mix, tuna pouch and trail mix

DINNER: Canned soup, 2 pkgs. Soda crackers w/peanut butter, 1 can meat or mountain house dinner, 1 can juice

Snacks: 5 pieces candy, 4 sticks gum, freeze dried ice cream, 1 fruit

DAY THREE: (4,000 calories, 106 grams protein)

Breakfast: 1 trail mix, 1 hot cocoa mix, 1 pkt. instant oatmeal

Lunch: 1 pkg. soup mix, 1 pkg. soda crackers w/ peanut butter, 1 can meat (4 oz.), beef jerky

Dinner: 1 granola bar, 1 fruit roll, 1 apple cider mix, trail mix or mountain house meal

Snacks: 4 pieces of candy, 3 sticks gum, 1 granola bar

Day FOUR:  (3,900 calories, 121 grams protein)

Breakfast: 2 granola bars, 1 hot cider mix, 1 trail mix

Lunch: 1 Pkg. Dried Soup mix, 2 pkg. soda crackers w/ peanut butter (1.5 oz)

Tuna pouch or jerky stick

Dinner: 1 fruit roll, 1 trail mix, 1 can meat (4 oz.) w/ crackers or Mountain House meal

Snacks: 4 pieces candy, 3 sticks gum, 1 fruit roll

Water needed:  4 liters

*Note: Freeze dried Mountain House Dinners can be used. (More water will be needed.

Extra Night Snack to warm up: 1 pkt. hot cocoa and 1 pkt. cider mix

"Thank you" to Linda Smith for permission to post her 96 hour kit information.