Diabetes mellitus is a common disease which affects many people worldwide. Chronic uncontrolled diabetes is a major source of death and disability because of the damage it causes to many different tissues and organ systems throughout the body. Over time it causes blood vessel disease which can lead to heart disease and heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. It also has negative effects on the kidneys, eyes and the immune system, to name just a few other long-term damaging effects of diabetes.

Because it is so common and so damaging, many people begin to wonder how to know if they have diabetes. What are the early symptoms of diabetes to look out for? This is actually a very important question because the earlier diabetes is caught, the better the chance of treating it effectively and preventing or minimizing the long-term complications that can occur.

The hallmark of diabetes is poorly controlled blood sugar (glucose). Normally, the blood glucose level hovers throughout the day in a fairly tightly controlled range. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, helps to lower levels of glucose while other hormones (and eating carbohydrates) raise them. The balance between them helps keep glucose levels normal. In diabetes there is an imbalance because insulin is not working as it should to lower blood sugar levels. The glucose goes up and stays high at most times. This high level of glucose in the blood is termed hyperglycemia.

Diabetes Symptoms

When blood sugar levels are very high there are a number of acute symptoms which can occur. The most common are the three 'P's', polyphagia (increased hunger), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyuria (frequent urination). The high blood sugar causes the blood to become thickened, more concentrated, because of the sugar dissolved in it. Sugar also gets dumped in the urine by the kidney which pulls water with it, dehydrating the body and further concentrating body fluids. The net effect is that the body gets dehydrated and urination increases. The brain senses the dehydration and causes an increased sense of thirst and hunger. Other symptoms that can occur with hyperglycemia include blurred vision, fatigue, dry mouth, dry or itchy skin and recurrent infections (such as vaginal yeast infections, groin rashes and others), among others.

Early Diabetes Symptoms

However, these symptoms generally only occur with quite high levels of blood sugar when diabetes is quite severe. In early diabetes, symptoms can be less common. In fact, in very early diabetes patients may be completely asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms. Also, the early symptoms may be mild and may not be noticed or passed off as something less important. At this early stage, sometimes referred to as prediabetes, the blood glucose levels are elevated above normal, but not yet in the high range which could be diagnosed as diabetes. While it is not yet severe, it is still important because the increased sugar may already be doing damage to your organs and most people with prediabetes will go on to develop diabetes in time if they do not make changes in their life to prevent it.

So if early symptoms are absent or mild how do you know if you should be worried about diabetes? For one, simply educating yourself (as you are doing now) about the signs and symptoms of diabetes help to make you more aware so that if you do experience early symptoms you recognize them. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you have any concern or suspicion, seek the advice of your own doctor. They can counsel you about your risks for diabetes and perform simple tests which can help identify early diabetes.

Diabetes Risk Factors

One final suggestion is to learn more about your own risk for diabetes. Even if you do not yet have symptoms, knowing whether you are at high risk for developing diabetes can help you to be aware and get screened early. The most common form of diabetes is called Type II Diabetes, adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes. While it generally occurs in adults it can affect younger individuals too, particularly if they are considerably overweight. Many of the risk factors for this type of diabetes are well understood. First and foremost, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical activity) both increase your risk for type II diabetes considerably. There is also a strong genetic link to diabetes which means that family history and ethnicity are important predictors. If you have close family members (parents and/or siblings especially) with Type II diabetes then your risk is greater. Also, individuals of African American, Native American, some Asian and Latino decent are at highest risk for diabetes. Age is also an important factor. As mentioned above, while diabetes can occur at almost any age, its risk increases as one gets older. Finally, in women, a history of gestational diabetes, high blood sugar during pregnancy, is another risk factor.

If you have one or more of these risk factors, your chances of developing diabetes are greater than the general public and you should be on the look out for it. Talk to your doctor about it and ask if getting screened for prediabetes or diabetes is advisable. Also, if you think you are at risk for diabetes or know you have early diabetes, there are changes you can make to help prevent it progressing and causing long-term complications. While some of the risk factors cannot be changed (age, family history, ethnicity, etc.), some are called modifiable risk factors which can be changed. If you improve them, your risk for diabetes will decrease. The best examples are obesity and sedentary lifestyle. Increasing physical activity and exercise both help to control blood glucose and help to control weight. Improving diet and loosing weight can significantly improve your body's ability to keep glucose in a normal range. Other factors, such as quitting smoking, and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol can be useful as well. While they do not directly impact diabetes, they are also risk factors for heart disease, stroke and other blood vessel diseases. Controlling diabetes as well as these other risk factors will greatly decrease your chances of developing these diseases as well.

A Note on Type I Diabetes

Type I Diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes and insulin dependent diabetes, is a less common form of diabetes. It most commonly presents in childhood although it can affect anyone. In a sense it is a more severe form of the disorder because the pancreas which secretes insulin is completely dysfunctional and there is little or no insulin secreted. Therefore, this form generally presents earlier with more severe symptoms. Patients can quickly develop severe hyperglycemia and the symptoms associated with it (increased thirst, hunger, frequent urination, etc.). In addition, if untreated by insulin injections, patients can develop diabetic ketoacidosis and diabetic coma, potentially life-threatening conditions which require emergent treatment. The risk factors for Type I diabetes are less well understood.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, stay aware of the early signs of diabetes as well as the risk factors which are associated with the disease. By being educated you can better judge your personal risk for the disease and better catch early signs of the disease. Again, if in doubt, ask your doctor. Making an early diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes can help prevent the long-term damage that diabetes can do. It allows you to make changes in your life (improved diet, weight loss, exercise, etc.) which can help control diabetes and prevent the death and disability associated with poorly controlled diabetes.

J. Dusick is the editor of the Diabetes Information Source, at http://www.diabetes-information-source.com, your guide to diabetes, its effects and its management, providing an in-depth introduction that is understandable even if you do not have a background in science or medicine.

Diabetes affects the manner in which the body handles digested carbohydrates. If neglected, diabetes can cause serious health complications, ranging from blindness to kidney failure.

Approximately 8% of the population in the United States has diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes accounts for 178,000 deaths, 54,000 amputees, and 12,000-24,000 cases of blindness annually. Blindness is 25 times more common among diabetic patients compared to nondiabetics. It is proposed that by the year 2010, diabetes will exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death through its many complications.

Diabetics have a high level of blood glucose. The blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, which releases it in response to food consumption. Insulin causes the cells of the body to take in glucose from the blood. Diagnostic standards for diabetes have been fasting plasma glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dL on two occasions and plasma glucose greater than 200 mg/dL following a 75-gram glucose load. More recently, the American Diabetes Association lowered the criteria for a diabetes diagnosis to fasting plasma glucose levels equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL. Fasting plasma levels outside the normal limit require additional tests, usually by repeating the fasting plasma glucose test and (if indicated) giving the patient an oral glucose tolerance test.

The symptoms of diabetes include excessive urination, excessive thirst and hunger, sudden weight loss, blurred vision, delay in healing of wounds, dry and itchy skin, repeated infections, fatigue and headache. There are two different types of diabetes.

Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes): The cause of type I diabetes is caused by pancreatic inability to produce insulin. It is responsible for 5-10% of cases of diabetes. The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, which secrete the hormone, are destroyed by the body's own immune system, probably because it mistakes them for a virus. Viral infections are thought to be the trigger that sets off this auto-immune disease. If untreated, death occurs within a few months of the onset of juvenile diabetes, as the cells of the body starve because they no longer receive the hormonal prompt to take in glucose. While most Type I diabetics are young (hence the term Juvenile Diabetes), the condition can develop at any age. Autoimmune diabetes can be definitely diagnosed by a blood test which shows the presence of anti-insulin/anti-islet-cell antibodies.

Type II Diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes or adult onset diabetes): This diabetes is a result of body tissues becoming resistant to insulin. It accounts for 90-95% of cases. Eventually the pancreas may exhaust its over-active secretion of the hormone, and insulin levels fall to below normal.

A tendency towards Type II diabetes is hereditary, but it is unlikely to develop in normal-weight individuals eating a low- or moderate-carbohydrate diet. Obese, sedentary individuals who eat poor-quality diets based on refined starch, which constantly activates pancreatic insulin secretion, are prone to develop insulin resistance. Native peoples such as North American Indians whose traditional diets did not include refined starch until its recent introduction by Europeans have extremely high rates of diabetes, up to 5 times the rate of caucasians. Blacks and hispanics are also at higher risk. Though Type II diabetes is not fatal within a matter of months, it can lead to health complications over several years and cause severe disability and premature death. If neglected, diabetes can lead to life-threatening complications such as kidney damage (nephropathy), heart disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), retinal damage and blindness(retinopathy), and hypoglycemia (drastic reduction in glucose levels). Diabetes damages blood vessels, especially smaller end-arteries, leading to severe and premature atherosclerosis. Diabetics are prone to foot problems because neuropathy, which affects approximately 10% of patients, causes their feet to lose sensation. Foot injuries, common in day-to-day living, go unnoticed, and these injuries do not heal because of poor circulation through the small arteries in the foot. Gangrene and subsequent amputation of toes or feet is the consequence for many elderly patients with poorly-controlled diabetes. Usually these sequelae appear earlier in Type I than Type II diabetes, because Type II patients have some of their own insulin production left to buffer changes in blood sugar levels.

Type I diabetes is a serious disease and there is no permanent cure for it. However, the symptoms can be controlled by strict dietary monitering and insulin injections. Implanted pumps which release insulin immediately in response to changes in blood glucose are in the testing stages.

In theory, since it caused by diet, Type II diabetes should be preventable and manageable by dietary changes alone, but in practice many diabetics (and many obese people without diabetes) find it personally impossible to lose weight or adhere to a healthy diet. Therefore they are frequently treated with drugs which restore the body's response to insulin, and in some cases injections of insulin.

If you suspect you have diabetes or are in a high risk group, please see your doctor.

Will You Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes?

If you or a loved one is at risk of developing diabetes, it is important that you learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of diabetes as soon as possible. Type 2 diabetes can develop on at any age. If you catch it early, you can often prevent the many serious complications of this disease. You need to know that diabetes is known as a "silent killer" for good reason. This is because the signs and symptoms of diabetes often don't manifest themselves right away and people often don't recognize the symptoms until they get really bad. Basically, diabetes is a disease that often sneaks up on people. Please don't let that happen to you.

Complications of Diabetes

Complications of diabetes include heart disease, high blood pressure, vascular disease, kidney failure, nerve damage (neuropathy), eye problems (retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, blindness), recurring infections, wounds that won't heal or are very slow to heal, and stress due to the disease. Amputations of feet and legs are more common in diabetics. Nerve damage makes wounds in extremities go unnoticed until it is too late and reduction in blood flow can make wounds very difficult to heal.

Increased Visits To the Bathroom

This is a very common sign of diabetes. If you find you are having to get up more at night to trot to the bathroom, you may have diabetes and you should get your blood sugar tested. Daytime urination may become more frequent too. Frequent urination is your body's way of diluting and eliminating the excess sugar in your blood stream.

Thirsty All the Time and Dry Mouth

Diabetics often become dehydrated because they are urinating more frequently. This causes thirst and dry mouth.

Hungry All the Time

This is another very common symptom of diabetes. If you eat a big meal and then get hungry again an hour or two later, there is a good chance you may be diabetic and you should get tested. After you eat, there is always an increase in blood sugar which prompts the release of insulin. However, in diabetics there can be a huge spike in blood sugar which leads to a huge release of insulin which in turn makes you feel hungry.

Unexplained Fatigue

If you wake up in the morning after a normal night's sleep and you still feel sluggish, this may be because you have diabetes or pre-diabetes and your cells aren't getting enough energy. The same could be true if you begin to tire out easily during the day.

Wounds Are Slow To Heal

If you notice that your body doesn't seem to heal wounds, scrapes, or cuts as quickly, you need to get to the doctor and have your blood sugar tested.

Dry Itchy Skin

This symptom can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Women may experience vaginal itching and men may experience jock itch. General dry skin including flaking can also be a symptom.

Frequent Headaches

Headaches can be caused by a variety of factors but high blood sugar is one of them. This is especially true if you tend to get headaches first thing in the morning or after large meals. Dehydration which can be caused by diabetes can also cause headaches.

Impotence

This may be a blessing in disguise as it often gets men to finally go to their doctor and get their blood sugar tested. In men, blood vessel damage and nerve damage can lead to impotence even if the desire is still there. Sexual desire can be reduced in both men and women due to disruptions in the endocrine system.

Mysterious Weight Loss

If you find you are losing weight but you haven't changed the way you eat and there hasn't been a change in your activity level, don't jump for joy too quickly because you may have diabetes. Diabetics often lose weight because the nutrients they are eating are not able to get inside their cells. You may be eating plenty but your body may be starving.

Numbness or a Tingly Sensation In Your Feet and/or Hands

Diabetes causes nerve damage and circulatory problems. The symptom for this is often numbness or a tingly sensation in your extremities.

Frequent Infections and Inflammation

Urinary tract infections, candida, thrush, jock itch, vaginal infections, athlete's foot, gum disease, and skin boils can all be signs of diabetes, especially if they chronically reoccur. Unfortunately, people often don't recognize infection as a sign of diabetes but it is very common.

Constipation

If you don't have a bowel movement every day and/or your stool is unusually hard, you may want to get your blood sugar checked, especially if you also have other symptoms.

Disruption of the Menstrual Cycle

The hormonal system can get really out of whack if you have diabetes and this sometimes affects the menstrual cycle in women. If you normally have regular menstrual cycles and suddenly start have irregular cycles or you skip a period or two entirely, this could be a sign of diabetes.

General Malaise

If you just feel "yucky" and can't quite put your finger on why, please do yourself a favor and go get tested for diabetes, especially if you are over-weight and/or have a close family member who has diabetes.

What Is the Average Life Span of a Diabetic?

People with diabetes often worry about whether or not they will be able to live a normal lifespan. This is a source of great anxiety for many people who have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes and for those who are at higher risk for diabetes.

The bad news is that on average diabetics do not live as long as those without diabetes. Moreover, they often lead a lower quality of life due to health complications and often die from these complications with heart failure being the number one cause. Depending on the source, it is reported that life expectancy is cut by 6-17 years. Type 2 diabetics have a shorter life expectancy on average than type 1 diabetics.

The good news is that if you learn the symptoms of diabetes, you catch it early, and you follow natural remedies that can reverse your diabetes, you can live a normal lifespan. In fact, some people use their diabetes diagnosis as a wake up call to get really healthy and their quality of life actually goes way up after the diagnosis.

You CAN reverse diabetes and prevent diabetes by eating the right foods and other natural means.

I am living proof of this and so are many other people who were diagnosed with diabetes but now have normal blood sugar levels. My doctor could hardly believe the difference in my blood sugar readings after only a few weeks. Please visit my Reverse Diabetes Naturally website to learn more about how you too can reverse diabetes: http://reverse-diabetes-naturally.blogspot.com.

The five main diabetic complications!

As with any other disease, you may want as much as possible to learn about diabetes and the complications of diabetes. The more knowledge you have, the easier it will be overcome and manage diabetes.

Acquiring the Knowledge of diabetes is also useful for those do not suffer from diabetes because this knowledge could be used to prevent the onset of adult diabetes and hopefully avoid this chronic disease altogether.

In addition to knowledge of diabetes such as the diabetes symptoms, diagnosis of diabetes, causes and treatment of diabetes, it is also important to know about all the related diabetic complications. All this knowledge will help you prepare - emotionally and physically - with the possibilities of coping with having not only with your diabetes, but also with other complications that are related to it as well and the lifestyle changes that is necessary to deal with it effectively.

Some factors such as heredity, age and ethnicity can have an influence on people who are prone to diabetes. But regardless of the risk factors associated with diabetes the complications of diabetes will be the same. Below are some of the diabetic complications that people need to be aware susceptible to diabetes are:

DIABETIC NEUROPATHY - If you suffer from diabetes then there is an increased risk of suffering from severe diabetic complications of the nerves. Damage of the nerves in the body will cause poor circulation in the body especially the extremities like the hands and legs, and fingers and toes. Smoking or drinking alcohol only exuberate the problem so limiting these would be a good idea.

HEART DISEASE and STROKE - According to experts, people with diabetes have a much greater risk of developing coronary heart disease, and angina compared to those without diabetes. In fact, these complications are the leading cause of death in diabetics around the world.

Diabetics are prone to heart diseases and stroke because of deposits of fat deposits in the arteries and hardness of the arteries caused by the extra glucose in the blood. This will cause high blood pressure or hypertension to develop.

DIABETIC EYE DISEASE - people who suffer from diabetes have a higher instance of suffering from diabetic eye problems as a result their diabetes. These problems of the diabetic eye may lead to diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and optic nerve damage. If not treated immediately they could lead to irreversible damage of the eyes or even blindness.

DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE - Kidney disease is also a very common complication of diabetes, because the parts of the kidneys that filter the blood damage because of high glucose levels. The kidneys will eventually be damaged as a result of being over worked and will be unable get rid of toxic by-product from the blood
This diabetic kidney disease can be avoided by keeping blood sugar levels under control by following your diabetic diets closely and do regular physical activity to keep the blood sugar in check. Other useful things that you could do include: stop smoking and drinking alcohol.

GASTROPARESIS - This is somewhat related to diabetic nerve damage. The nerves in the stomach help the stomach to contract and relax thus allowing the food to pass down into the intestine. When these nerves are damage the food remains in the stomach for long periods causing bacteria to develop. The improper functioning of the stomach also cause the diabetic to struggle in controlling his or her blood glucose level because the organ that convert the food we eat into carbs cannot be predicted. Approximately 20-30 percent of diabetics with type 1 diabetes are vulnerable to suffer gastroparesis because the vagus nerve, which keeps the food moving through the digestive tract are damaged. While people can get type 2 diabetes only suffer from gastroparesis less frequently and only in the advance stages of diabetes.

A summary and some stunning statistics
I am a diabetic, a person who suffers from the disease called diabetes, a disease that is growing at a fast rate in North America where in the United States and Canada there are now more that 25 million people diagnosed as being diabetic and where another 6 million are estimated to have the disease and do not yet know it, probably because they have not visited a doctor of late. And it gets worse, the forecast by health authorities is that one in three children born from this moment on will end up with diabetes. And a stunning number of 57 million people have the condition called pre-diabetes, referred to in the text below. And a major problem linked to diabetes is the similarly growing incidence of obesity.

So what is diabetes?
There are three main types of diabetes and a few others less common. There is also a condition referred to as pre-diabetes - and that is a something to be watched for because, as its name suggests, it can lead to the real thing, not a happy prospect for anyone.

No cure
It is generally accepted by the medical profession that there is no cure for diabetes and the condition must be contained and controlled within a specific tolerable range by the adoption of appropriate lifestyle changes. Those include more healthy dietary approaches that are even better if accompanied by exercise and perhaps weight loss and possibly medication to assist in controlling the levels of glucose that enter the bloodstream after eating.

But some say it IS curable
However, having said that there is no cure, I must add that there are a number of quite renowned and successful medical practitioners who insist that by adopting certain dietary approaches the disease can be brought under control until it does not manifest itself and the diabetes will, in effect, not exist for the individual who follows and adheres to that approach. The gestational form of diabetes, mentioned below and not very common, is a temporary diabetic condition suffered by a small percentage of pregnant women.

The three main types of diabetes are known as type-1 diabetes, type-2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes, of which type-2 is by far the most common, making up about 90 to 95 percent of all cases.

In the past, but less so nowadays, type-1 and type-2 were referred to respectively by the more descriptive names of juvenile diabetes and adult-onset diabetes.

Type-1 Diabetes
Sadly, type-1 diabetes is most often a disease that develops in childhood or in young adults, although it sometimes strikes adults. It is called an autoimmune disease that occurs when the individual's immune system fails to function properly. The immune system is the collection of biological processes in the human body that normally protects us all against disease. But instead, in the case of type-1 diabetes, the immune system actually destroys cells in an organ of the body, called the pancreas, which make insulin. The result is that from that time on, the type-1 person must take insulin each day to stay alive.

Insulin and glucose
Without insulin, the glucose produced from the food we eat and that is needed to provide energy for all the body's cells cannot be delivered into those cells and when that happens, life cannot survive for long. Without a source of insulin, a type-1 diabetic can fall into a life-threatening coma. A parent of a diabetic child lives with that constant fear and concern that such an event might occur.

Type-2 diabetes
The most common form of diabetes, is a condition in which an above normal level of glucose exists in the blood. That can occur for more than just one reason but most likely due either to insufficient insulin being produced by the body or resistance by the cells of the body to the insulin that is being produced. And it may be a combination of both of those factors.

The role of insulin
Insulin is needed to join with the glucose in the bloodstream and aid in the delivery of the glucose to the trillions of cells in the body where it is needed. It is the insulin's ability to interact with the receptors that exist on the outer membrane of the cells, in a way acting like a mediator, that enable the process to take place to completion.

To illustrate, in the process, the insulin acts like a key that opens a door to a cell allowing the glucose to enter into the cell. Without that key, without insulin, the glucose cannot be absorbed. And that would lead to a dangerous life threatening situation if not remedied promptly.

Gestational diabetes
Is a usually temporary form of the disease developed by some women, usually late in their pregnancy, who may not even be aware of it because no symptoms are exhibited. It is not common, occurring in perhaps about 5 percent or more of pregnancies but one unfavorable outlook for the mother is that there is a 40 to 60 percent chance of them later becoming full type-2 diabetics by about 5 to 10 years later.

What is pre-diabetes?
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there are 57 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes. People with pre-diabetes have higher than normal blood glucose levels but levels not high enough for a confirmed diagnosis of diabetes. In pre-diabetes there is an increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes, and research indicates that damage to the body does occur especially in the cardiovascular system, meaning both the heart and the circulatory system, and that can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Important research relating to pre-diabetes
An important clinical research study called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) showed that type-2 diabetes is preventable by adopting lifestyle changes that includes improved eating habits, adding or increasing physically active, and weight management. The weight target is to get down to a body mass index of 25 or less and to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a chart of human body weights related to height and is used by doctors to aid in determining the degree of variance, if any, of a patient's particular readings with known acceptable index values.

Diabetes is not contagious, it is not a disease that others can catch but in some cases it may have a heredity genetic component so that more than one member of the family may develop the disease. But the cause is really unknown although certain factors are known to increase the possibility of developing diabetes.

Type-2 diabetes is especially associated with obesity and is considered to be a lifestyle disease of the developed western world associated with our generally more sedentary life. The incidence of diabetes is increasing as we, as a population, consume more readily available foods that are rich in fats and contain more calories than we need to sustain our levels of energy output.

Incidence of diabetes
According to data from the Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes by the World Health Organization, type 1 diabetes occurs equally among males and females but is more common in whites than in non-whites

Type-1 diabetes is uncommon in most African, American Indian, and Asian populations while some countries of northern Europe, including Finland and Sweden, have high rates of type 1 diabetes. The reasons for these differences are unknown. As mentioned above, type-1 diabetes develops most often in children but can occur at any age.

Type-2 diabetes is more common in older people, and overweight people and occurs more frequently in African Americans, indigenous native Americans, and some Americans of Asian origin, Hawaiians and other Americans of the Pacific Islands. Also it is more common among Latin Americans, a segment of the population that is growing faster than the rest.

If you have diabetes, you may be able to get free testing supplies delivered to your door. Many diabetes service companies work with health insurance carriers to provide free supplies to patients with diabetes. Contact your health insurance provider to find out if you qualify for free diabetes testing supplies. Medicare Part B covers diabetic testing supplies, but does not cover other diabetic supplies such as insulin. There are other programs available, such as Medigap, Medicaid and prescription assistance programs. If you are low-income and do not have health insurance, you can apply for financial assistance. Contact the American Diabetes Association for more information on insurance providers and programs that cover diabetic supplies.

There are a lot of online companies that will ship supplies to you free of charge. Some of the supplies included are insulin and insulin supplies, diabetic testing meters (aka glucose meter or glucometer) and testing strips, glucose control solutions, and alcohol swabs. While testing meters are not that expensive, the test strips can be. If you can get your test strips free in addition to the glucose meter, you can save a lot of money. These companies usually only offer the free meter and test strips to diabetics with health insurance. You will have to fill out an online form, giving personal information such as your mailing address, health insurance policy and physician information. Some diabetes supply companies handle all the insurance claims, so you can get your diabetic testing supplies quickly and without hassles. Make sure that the company you are using offers free shipping. Some companies offer additional services, such as tips for using glucose testing supplies and valuable information regarding exercise, nutrition and menu planning. Using an online diabetic supply service is a good way to get free diabetic testing supplies and information.

Almost twenty-one million people in the US are living with diabetes and an estimated 6.2 million of these people don't know that they have diabetes because they are undiagnosed. People with diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures that are 2.3 times higher than non-diabetics, according to the American Diabetes Association. Another study in Population Health Management estimates that diabetes is costing our nation $218 billion dollars in health care every year. Yet, most diabetes cases are preventable or reversible through exercise, weight loss, and healthy living.

I find myself wondering. What if the 6.2 million people who were undiagnosed knew they had diabetes? Or the estimated 57 million Americans with Pre-Diabetes were educated on how they could mange their health and avoid becoming a Type 2 Diabetic?

Being diagnosed as Pre-Diabetic does not mean that Type 2 diabetes is inevitable. If you lose weight and increase your physical activity, you can prevent or delay diabetes and even return your blood glucose levels to normal (ACSM 2006). (See sidebar for diabetes terms defined)

This is a very important point that many people do not understand - if you exercise and lose weight you can prevent or delay diabetes.

Do you know the signs of diabetes? Take a look around you. Do you see any signs of diabetes in your friends and family right now? (See sidebar for common signs of diabetes) It is very possible that there are people that are diabetic (or will become diabetic) around you every day. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in three Americans may develop diabetes in their lifetime. Those statistics are staggering and PREVENTABLE for most.

What about Type 2 diabetics that have been diagnosed? What if we educated them that through diet and exercise they could reduce their medication or eliminate it? What would this do for our health care crisis? I know that we'd first have to break through many myths, magic solutions, and limiting beliefs. The pharmaceutical companies won't be happy with me letting this secret out either. But, what the heck, our health care system is in a crisis! Our Nation is sick! There, I said it. So let's get down to the business of taking some personal responsibility for our health.

Many of you who are trying to understand diabetes and take responsibility for your health immediately have several questions:

o Should you cut out sugar?
o Is your weight putting you at risk?
o If you are skinny, you don't have to worry, right?
o Can exercise and diet really help YOU?
o How do I control blood sugar levels?

And then there are the issues that you might not even know to ask about:

o Having diabetes for more than five years can increase your likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease
o Regular exercise can make you more sensitive to insulin, which can reduce medication dosages

First, let's talk about insulin, the prime medication that keeps diabetics functioning and then you can see the answers clearly to your questions.

How does insulin work? Insulin is the main hormone that controls the entry of blood sugar from the blood stream into the cells of the body to be used as energy. How does exercise influence the insulin hormone? Exercise has an insulin-like effect on the body. When exercising, your muscles require a steady flow of sugar to keep contracting and keep you moving. Exercise increases the rate at which your muscles take up the sugar from your blood stream; so exercise acts the same as insulin by emptying the excess sugar in your blood stream into your muscles. This action, therefore, lowers your blood sugar. One twenty minute walk a day can lower glucose levels by twenty points.

Here is a great example to explain insulin's function in your body. Think of insulin as a bus for a moment. Glucose (sugar) is the passenger. There are two types of diabetics. Type 1 diabetics manufacture no insulin (or have no bus), which, according to the Center for Disease Control, is 5% - 10% of all diagnosed cases. The second type (Type 2), have insulin resistance, which means the bus is there, but it is not picking up passengers and, there are less buses running the route. According to the Center for Disease Control, Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90%-95% of all diagnosed cases.

When you exercise, your muscles work harder than usual and require more fuel than usual; so your muscles send out their own buses to pick up the sugar in the bloodstream and carry it back to the muscles. Working muscles take over for insulin and (for Type 2 diabetics) they can even show the buses (insulin) how to work again (pick up passengers).

Exercising has many benefits for a diabetic. It increases glucose uptake by the cells, improves insulin sensitivity by improving glucose metabolism and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Reduction of blood glucose levels improves insulin sensitivity by making it more effective. Exercise may reduce dosage requirements or need for medication and improve the ability to lose and/ or maintain body weight if combined with an intuitive diet. (See sidebar for Safe Exercise Check List)

There are many popular myths about diabetes. Here are a few that I hear often.

Myth #1 - Diabetics can't eat sugar or sweets and the only reason they have diabetes is because they ate too much sugar. Yes, simple carbohydrates or sweets do raise your blood glucose levels but if you eat them in moderation and make them part of your meal plan, you can safely eat an occasional sweet

Myth #2 - If I'm skinny I'm fine. Diabetes is only a disease that obese people get.
Not completely true, 20% of people with Type 2 Diabetes are slim. Yes, being obese does put you at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The key thing to remember is that there is not an atypical "diabetes" body type, genetic trait, race, age or gender. Type 2 diabetes is caused by lifestyle choices and diabetes is a disease to take seriously.

Myth #3 - There is no natural remedy for Diabetes. If I take insulin or insulin sensitivity drugs I can continue with my same lifestyle choices and be alright. Well there is a natural remedy, it is called exercise and balanced eating. You can keep a tight control on diabetes by monitoring your glucose levels, combining exercise with balanced eating, or use medication.

Myth #4 - Well I'm only borderline and 170 mg/dl blood sugar reading is normal for me. You may feel normal being a diabetic but high glucose levels are not safe. There is no such thing as borderline. You either are a diabetic or you are not a diabetic. This is a serious disease that requires you to take personal responsibility for your body. There is serious health complications associated with diabetes, especially when you are stressing your body with high blood sugar levels. You have to start to make lifestyle changes so that you can live a quality life over the long term.

Myth #5 - Exercise! What can that do for me? Blah! Blah! Healthy Lifestyle Blah! Yeah, Yeah, I know. The American Diabetic Association recommends 150 minutes of exercise a week. This is exercise of 20-60 minutes, in continuous sessions, 3-5 times a week. The Diabetes Prevention Study revealed that exercising for a total of two hours a week can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 50%, that can be as little as 20 minutes, 6 days a week. Take a short, ten minute walk before and after work and you can prevent diabetes or lower your glucose levels.

The fact is, over 90% of diabetes cases are preventable and can be maintained with some natural remedies such as exercising, healthy eating, and/or combined with low doses of medication without tapping into our health care system to the tune of $218 billion. Start gradually and exercise a little everyday until you build up to the recommended guidelines. Eat a balanced, healthy diet and lose the all or nothing approach. Get educated about your disease, determine what your beliefs are about diabetes and make lifestyle changes starting today. (See sidebar Want to Learn More)

Diabetes is serious but you can do something about it!

Side Bars:

Diabetes Terms Defined
o Type 1 = Auto immune disease that destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas. The body cannot manufacture its own insulin because the beta cells of the pancreas that are responsible for insulin production are destroyed. About 5-10% of all diagnosed cases (CDC 2005)

o Type 2 = body loses its sensitivity to insulin so the body's cells are unable to utilize insulin properly (also knows as insulin resistance or adult onset diabetes). About 90% - 95% of all diagnosed cases (CDC 2005)

o Pre-Diabetes = If you have a fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) and your levels are 100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl you are diagnosed as showing signs of becoming a diabetic unless you make some lifestyle changes

o Gestational Diabetes = When pregnancy hormones interfere with the mothers insulin, causing glucose levels to rise. This is a form of insulin resistance that in most cases ends with the birth of the child.

o Metabolic Syndrome = A combination of medical disorders that increases the risk factors of developing cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), high cholesterol levels and elevated plasma triglyceride levels.

o Hypoglycemic = abnormally low blood sugar levels which could be caused by excessive insulin, or your diet. Signs would be: trembling or shakiness, nervousness, rapid heart beat, increased sweating, headache, impaired concentration or attentiveness, unconsciousness and coma

o Hyperglycemic = abnormally high blood sugar levels. Signs would be: frequent urination, great thirst, nausea, abdominal pain, dry skin, disorientation, labored breathing, and drowsiness.

Do you know the signs of diabetes? Some very telltale signs include:
o frequent thirst, hunger and urination
o weight loss
o fatigue
o crankiness
o frequent infections
o blurred vision
o cuts/ bruises that are slow to heal
o tingling and numbness in hands and feet
o recurring skin, gum and bladder infections

Safe Exercise Check List
o Get physician clearance before starting any exercise program
o Test your blood glucose level before exercise, immediately after exercise, and again two hours after exercise
o Follow general guidelines for a safe exercise session; warm-up, cool-down, stretch, adhere to an intensity of Type 1 (3 to 5 RPE) and Type 2 (3 to 6/7 RPE), drink plenty of water
o Wear well-fitting, well cushioned, supportive shoes
o Wear polyester or cotton polyester socks so that your feet stay dry and minimize trauma to the foot
o Avoid strenuous, high-impact or static activity unless specifically approved by your doctor
o Carry a carbohydrate snack with you of 10-15 grams of carbohydrate
o Wear identification that tells others you have diabetes in case of a hypoglycemic response http://www.n-styleid.com
o Know and monitor signs of exercise induced hypoglycemia
o Do not exercise if 250 mg/ dl blood glucose levels or if you have ketones in your urine
o If you have autonomic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy or any other related conditions to diabetes, you must get a doctors approval before starting an exercise program. These conditions require specific and strict guidelines.
o Exercise with a partner until you know your response to exercise
o Always check your feet before and after exercise for lesions
o Drink plenty of water. A good rule is to take a mouthful or two at least every fifteen minutes

Want to Learn More? Additional Resources:
o Living Free! CD and Workbook System http://www.livingfreediabetes.com

? Free Audio Educational Podcast at http://www.mindbodybalance.com/audio.php ? Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars, Richard K Bernstein M.D. Little Brown and Company 2003 ? The Healing Power of Exercise, Linn Goldberg, M.D. and Diane L. Elliot M.D., John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2000 ? Understanding Diabetes: What it is, how to treat it, how to cope with it, Janet Worsley Norwood and Charles B. Inlander, MacMillian and People's Medical Society, 1999

Kimberly Searl has been a fitness professional since 2005. She holds a bachelors degree in Applied Science from Youngstown State University. Kimberly is also certified as a W.I.T.S. Personal Trainer, Master Fitness by Phone® Coach, Classical Pilates Teacher, 200 r.y.t. YogaFit® Instructor, Intuitive Eating Coach, Get A Grip/ Aging Gracefully Coach, A Diabetic Lifestyle Specialist Coach and A.F.A.A. Group Exercise Instructor. Kimberly opened Mind/Body: Balance in 2007. Her business specializes in designing exercise programs for individuals, special populations, diabetics and clients wanting and needing to make long-term lifestyle changes. Kimberly strives to inspire clients to transform their mind and body; finding balance through learning and self-discovery.

The diabetic coma is a situation where the individual goes into an unconscious state. On the other hand, the victim does not all of a sudden go into that condition, there are some certain diabetic coma symptoms.

This diabetes is a very serious diseases that affects the way in which your body make use of glucose. Mainly, there are two major types of diabetes namely:

Type 1 diabetes Type 2 diabetes

In these two types of diabetes, the blood sugar is more than the average level needed. There is another type of diabetes which is known as gestational diabetes. It occurs during pregnancy. Leaving your diabetes untreated may advance to diabetic coma. Know that not all diabetic will suffer from diabetic coma but mind you that diabetic coma is a very bad complication in diabetes. What happens in diabetic coma is that the patient becomes unconscious because of some certain complications in diabetes. Having gone this far, it is time for us to take a look at what causes diabetic coma.

What causes Diabetic Coma?

We can observe the symptoms of diabetic coma by this following;

1. The Diabetic Ketoacidosis -This is generally seen in type 1 diabetic patients. The type 2 and gestational diabetic patients might as well suffer from this complication. The muscle cells in the body starve for energy due to this complication. The body of the patient have to break the stored fat to obtain energy. The ketones are the by products of this process and it is very dangerous to the our body. This can cause the coma.

2. The Diabetic Hyperosmolar -It is a situation of the body at which the victim of diabetes is going through a severe hyperglycemia alongside with severe thirst. When the level of the sugar in the body rises in hyperglycemia then the body will excretes this surplus sugar through urine. Also repeated urination might lead to dehydration, which results in thickening of the blood. If at this stage left untreated, it might as well lead to the coma.

3. The Diabetic Hypoglycemia -This hypoglycemia is itself a complication of diabetes. Our brain requires glucose in order to function as it should be. When an individual is on insulin, he or she is possibly to become hypoglycemic because of overdose or missing some meals. The insulin is outwardly supplied in diabetes and it is in charge of regulating the level of the glucose. When the glucose levels go down too much in that case, it also can lead to an unconscious state known as 'diabetic coma'.

What Are The Symptoms Of Diabetic Coma?

The signs and symptoms of diabetic coma are when the sugar level in the body go higher, the symptoms of diabetic coma are dissimilar than what are seen when the blood sugar level drops down.

If the level of the blood sugar is extremely high, It signifies that the diabetic patient is suffering from hyperglycemia and their symptoms are as follows;

1. Frequent urination
2. Shortness of breath
3. Increased thirst
4. Dry mouth
5. Vomiting
6. Nausea

It maybe because of a forgotten insulin or diabetic medicines, infections like flu or pneumonia. All these infections can bring about an increase in the sugar levels of the body. The last thing that can cause it is that the person in question may have consumed too much of sugar and glucose rich foods.

Secondly, if the diabetic patient is suffering from hypoglycemia then their symptoms are;

1. Progressive drowsiness
2. Tiredness and continuous sweating
3. Shivers and shaky nerves
4. Increased fatigue and confusion
5. Fruity smell in the breath
6. Increase in hunger
7. Abdominal pain

The patient will suffers from these symptoms due to overdose of insulin or diabetic medicines. Some people does not know that rigorous exercising might as well lead to this position and too much alcoholism is an additional cause of diabetic coma incase you don't know.

All the above are the symptoms also when you notice them in any diabetic patient, it must be treated without delay. Don't even try to give the patient whatever thing to eat or drink for the reason that the patient may choke.

For tips on controlling your diabetes.

Then grab the much talked about Diabetes Reversal Report Guide. A 100% safe, natural, and effective ways you can manage and even fully recover from your diabetes...And so that you never have to take insulin again, or have to suffer painfully dull diets ever again!

Check this http://www.diabetes-reserval-report.blogspot.com for the product review and for useful Diabetes Management Tips your doctor does not want you to know.

Diabetes is a ailment touching the behavior in which the figure touch absorb carbohydrates. If ignored, diabetes can cause very critical physical condition difficult situation, extending from loss of sight to kidney loser.

Nearby eight percent of the citizenry in the United States has diabetes. This process that nearby sixteen million citizens have been identifying problem with the affliction, based only on state-run demography. The American Diabetes union approximate calculation that diabetes records for 178,000 end of life, as well as 54,000 amputees, and 12,000-24,000 belongings of loss of sight by the year. Loss of sight is twenty-five period similar additional familiar along with diabetic case in comparison with no diabetics. If current flow carry on, by the time 2010 difficulty of diabetes will best the two heart ailment and cancer as the best basis of death in America.

Diabetics have a great balanced of blood carbohydrate. Blood sugar balance is adjust by insulin, a hormone cover up by the pancreas, which drop it in reaction to carbohydrate burning. Insulin causes the cells of the figure to blot sugar from the blood. The carbohydrate then arrange as material for cellular work.

Common demonstrative standards for diabetes have been eating plasma carbohydrate stage very large than 140 mg/dL on 2 chance and plasma carbohydrate very large than 200 mg/dL being next or after a 75-gram carbohydrate pressure. Anyhow, similar further fresh, the American Diabetes union lowered the basis for a diabetes disease to eating plasma carbohydrate stage alike to or advanced than 126 mg/dL. Eating plasma stage exterior the usual physical boundary request more tough, regularly by doing again the eating plasma carbohydrate examination and (if signify initiating an vocal carbohydrate fortitude examination.

The a few warning of diabetes contain extreme urination, extreme thirstiness and food shortage, unexpected burden reduce, make dirty foresight, arrest in curing of damage, dry and inflamed skin, frequent germs, tiredness and pounding head. During suggestive of diabetes, these warning can also be affected by other element, and therefore a person with mark careful of the ailment should be examined.

Present are 2 various types of diabetes.
Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes, also famous as insulin-dependent diabetes): The originator of type I diabetes birth with pancreatic lack of ability to produce insulin. This purpose 5-10% of belongings of diabetes. The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, which squirrel away the hormone, are ruined by the patient's own invulnerable usage, no doubt as it misunderstanding them for a bacterium. Viral germs are supposed to be the cause to happen that position off this auto-immune ailment. Type I diabetes is generally prevalent in the Caucasian citizenry and has a heritable part.

If prepared, Type I or juvenile diabetes can manage to death in two to three months of the start, as the cells of the figure avoid as they no longer accept the hormonal speedy to blot carbohydrate. During a grand best part of Type I diabetics are infantile (hence the duration Juvenile Diabetes), the circumstances can grow at any stage. Autoimmune diabetes is identify problem by an immunological assay which appearance the attendance of anti-insulin/anti-islet-cell antibodies.

Type II Diabetes (non insulin helpless diabetes, also famous as a mature inception diabetes): This diabetes is an outcome of action of figure fabric attractive opposed to to the sound effects of insulin. It approximates calculation for 90-95% of personal belongings. In numerous personal belongings the brains is producing a bountiful quantity of insulin, all the same the cells of the figure have happen to not responsive to its result due to the constantly high-level balance of the hormone. At last the brains will tire its over-active emission of the hormone, and insulin stage lowering to in a lower place ordinary.

A partiality on the way to Type II diabetes is inherited, although it is not likely to grow in normal-weight person's consumption a low- or same moderate-carbohydrate abstinence from food. Obese, sedentary persons who eat poor-quality diets built approximately purify complex carbohydrate, which continually actuate, pancreatic insulin discharge, are flat to produce insulin resistance. Native human beings like North American Aboriginals, whose common food never built-in purify complex carbohydrate and sugar until these article were make known by Europeans, have very important charge of diabetes, five period the charge of Caucasians. Blacks and Hispanics are also at upper endanger of the affliction. All the same Type II diabetes isn't as straight away detrimental as Type I, it can manage to strength difficult situation after several years and originator humorless disability and decrease old age. As with Type I diabetes, the circumstances prosper generally in a specific age assemble, in this justification person being treated for medical problem more than forty (which is why it's typically label a mature start Diabetes); all the same, with the get higher in period of being young and youthful heaviness, this action is being behold for the primary period in educate very young person as well.

If care is ignored, one and the other Type I and Type II diabetes can conduct to life-threatening difficult situation like kidney damage (nephropathy), heart disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), retinal spoil and sightlessness, and hypoglycemia (drastic decline in glucose levels). Diabetes compensation blood vessels, particularly lesser end-arteries, best to very dangerous and early on atherosclerosis. Diabetics are flat to end difficulty as neuropathy, which afflicts about ten percent of person being treated for medical problem, purpose their base of an object to mislay feeling. Bottom harm, usual in day-to-day existing, reach ignored, and this harm cannot recover as of atherosclerotic jam of the tiny avenue in the end. Collapse and successive confiscation of foot part, base of an object or similar legs is the answer for countless in old age person being treated for medical problem with poorly-controlled diabetes. Commonly these consecution are behold earlier in Type I than Type II diabetes, as Type II patients have a lesser quantity of their own insulin creating of goods gone to protect alteration in blood sugar stage.

Type I diabetes is a serious affliction and there is no common enduring treat for it. Nevertheless, the mark can be hold back by tough digestive monitoring and insulin vaccination. Insert supply which make available insulin as soon as in reply to alteration in blood sugar are in the tough division.

In hypothesis, since it encourage by abstinence from food, Type II diabetes must be avoidable and controllable by digestive convert lonely. All the same, as so often come to pass, clinical hypothesis is frustrate by person creation in this case, as countless diabetics (and numerous very overweight people with no diabetes) discover it independently unachievable to mislay load or similar hard to a abstinence from food limitless of starchy, sugary discard diet. So Type II diabetes is normally discussed with medication which heal the body's reaction to its own insulin, and in a minority cases vaccination of insulin.

Delight make a note of that this article isn't a substitute for health recommendation. If you doubtful you have diabetes or similar are in a high ranking possibility analytical collection, please find out your medical practitioner.

http://www.diabetesguidelover.com

People who suffer from Diabetes have to severely limit certain foods to keep their blood glucose level. Sugar Free Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

You will need a 9” pie crust brushed with egg whites, ¼ cup whipping cream, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of fruit-sweet raspberry jam or syrup, ½ pint of fresh, rinsed raspberries, 1 packet of Equal or NutraSweet, 1/3 cup of fat free or light cream cheese, 2/3 cup of partially skin ricotta cheese, ¾ cup of milk, 1 4-serving package of instant sugar-free chocolate pudding, and a mint sprig to decorate each slice.

To make the Creamy Raspberry Filling, first beat the whipping cream. When it is nearly stiff, add the vanilla and a tablespoon of the strained raspberry jam or syrup. Save one berry for the garnish, and fold the remainder of the fresh raspberries and the Equal into the mix. Spread the filling evenly over the bottom of the baked pie shell.

To make the Chocolate Raspberry Mousse, blend the following thoroughly in a blender or food processor: The cream cheese, ricotta cheese and ½ cup of raspberry jam or syrup. When the mixture is smooth and no seeds are detected, hand stir in the milk. Beat in the chocolate pudding powder, only until it is thoroughly mixed. Pour the mousse mixture over the berry filling immediately, making sure that it spread evenly and until the edges of the crust.

Refrigerate for thirty to sixty minutes, until properly congealed. When ready to serve, garnish each individual slice with one raspberry and one mint sprig.

Diabetic Apple Raisin Cookies
You will need one cup of raisins, 1/3 cup of dates, ½ cup of chopped apples, ¾ cup of chopped nuts, 1 cup of water, ½ cup of vegetable shortening, two well-beaten eggs or egg-substitute, 2 ½ teaspoons of liquid sweetener, 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Soak the raisins and dates for at least an hour. Then boil the raisins, dates and apples for a full three minutes. Refrigerate the mix until it is well chilled, then drop the mix by the teaspoon onto a cookie sheet. Bake the cookies at 350ºF. for 10 to 12 minutes, and enjoy!

You may feel afraid and puzzled when the doctor diagnoses you with diabetes. Nevertheless, as soon as you know what it is and how to deal with it, you will feel better. Notwithstanding, even if you feel fine, it is important that you take your condition seriously and immediately start your diabetes treatment.

SO WHAT IS DIABETES?

If you are diabetic, your body is unable to use insulin properly, or even incapable of making enough insulin. Insulin helps you move glucose (sugar) from your bloodstream into the cells of your body, to produce energy for its functioning. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, without which sugar can not enter the cells and thus builds up in the bloodstream.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF DIABETES?

PRE-DIABETES

There is a condition named "pre-diabetes". People with pre-diabetes have higher than normal levels of blood sugar, though not quite as high as those with diabetes. This is a warning sign to urge one to make a lifestyle change to prevent type 2 diabetes. In the United States alone more than 50 million people have pre-diabetes, studies reveal.

TYPE 1 DIABETES

Then there is type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks the beta cells in your own pancreas, the cells that produce the insulin, and this causes the pancreas to make too little insulin or stop making it at all. This type of diabetes is more common among whites than it is among people of other races.

TYPE 2 DIABETES

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type. According to the CDC, in the United States alone more than 20 million people are affected by this condition. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body cannot properly use the insulin that it produces itself. This condition is called insulin resistance. This usually happens when you are overweight, and body fat makes it harder to use the insulin your body produces. There may be other risk factors, including aging, physical inactivity, race, family history of type 2 diabetes, etc.

GESTATIONAL DIABETES

Another type of diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels during pregnancy are higher than pre-pregnancy levels. This is called "gestational diabetes", and its causes are not well known at the present. Some experts' opinion is that the hormones produced by the placenta interfere with the mother's capacity to use her own insulin. If this type of diabetes is not carefully controlled, the baby may be affected. Fortunately, gestational diabetes is usually caught in an early stage and the baby does not suffer any complications.

DIAGNOSIS OF THE TYPE OF DIABETES

To determine what type of diabetes a person has, there are two different tests to be used. The FPG test (fasting plasma glucose), in the first place, measures the glycemia level after fasting for an eight hour period. The other one, the OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test), measures the glycemia level after drinking a standardized drink, rich in glucose. Glycemia levels are then tested several times over a period of four hours.

Just a few years ago type 2 diabetes was referred to as "adult onset diabetes". However, an increasing number of teenagers and even children are diagnosed with this type of diabetes, as juvenile obesity increases. Type 1 diabetes used to be known as "juvenile diabetes", but every day more adults are being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is no longer called "sugar diabetes". So you see that many old terms for diabetes are not relevant anymore.

WHAT YOU MUST DO IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES

Although being a frightening situation, receiving a diagnosis of diabetes can be, on the other hand, an excellent opportunity to adopt healthier habits and the decision to take control of your own overall well-being and choose, as soon as possible, the right diabetes treatment you need. If you are a type 1 diabetic, you will need insulin each and every day. If you have type 2 diabetes, or gestational or pre-diabetes, you probably will not need insulin.

Anyway, no matter what the type of diabetes you have, you don't need to live a miserable life, full of restrictions and sufferings. You might be able to improve your condition with the appropriate lifestyle modifications including diet, weight control, exercise and nutritional supplements.

Keeping glycemia level under control is key. Maintaining it in the correct range is the first mandatory step. Scientific studies have consistently shown that attaining this goal helps minimize the risk of complications. Strict blood sugar control drastically reduces the chances of suffering most of the diabetes-related complications: kidney, eye and nerve diseases.

A crucial issue here is the way you deal with food. Healthy eating habits can help diabetics control their weight and thus control their diabetes more easily. Among the diets for diabetics, I would recommend the low glycemic index diets (low GI diets), which help maintain body weight and blood sugar in the right levels. It is important for the diabetic to follow a heart-healthy diet, with high complex carbs content, high fiber and low fat content, to prevent hypertension and high cholesterol.

BOTTOM LINE: THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS

People can control their type 1 diabetes with a combination of a healthy diet, frequent exercise, the appropriate nutritional supplements, and of course insulin.

People with anyone of the other types of diabetes may be able to keep their glycemia under control, and even reverse their diabetes with just diet, exercise and supplements, the three fundamental pillars of any diabetes treatment.

JOSE TALAVERA - Health advisor. Diabetes expert, consultant and author. If you like this article, please visit the web site below for more advice and resources for diabetics: http://conquer-diabetes.blogspot.com

Like all complicated matters there are certain misunderstandings regarding Diabetes.

Today I want to dispel some myths regarding diabetes.

Here is a list of the questions that I will be discussing:

Can I get diabetes from someone else?

Eating too much sugar causes diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is mild diabetes

People with diabetes eventually go blind

It's not safe to drive if you have diabetes

People with diabetes can't play sport

People with diabetes are more likely to get colds and other illnesses

People with diabetes can't eat sweets or chocolate

People with diabetes shouldn't eat bananas or grapes

People with diabetes should eat special diabetic foods

Now for some serious myth bashing...

Can I get diabetes from someone else?

Although we don't know exactly why some people get diabetes, we know that diabetes is not contagious - You cannot get it from others. There is a chance that a person whose parents or brothers and sisters have diabetes might get diabetes, particularly Type 2 diabetes. But lifestyle factors also play a part.

Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

Eating sugar does not cause diabetes. Diabetes is caused by a combination of inherited and lifestyle factors. However, eating a diet high in fat and sugar can cause you to become overweight. Being overweight increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, so if you have a history of diabetes in your family, a healthy diet and regular exercise are recommended to control your weight.

Type 2 diabetes is mild diabetes.

There is no such thing as mild or borderline diabetes. All diabetes is equally serious, and if not properly controlled can lead to serious complications.

People with diabetes eventually go blind.

Although diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people of working age, research has proved you can reduce your chances of developing diabetes complications - such as damage to your eyes - if you:
o Control your blood pressure and glucose levels
o Keep active
o Maintain your ideal body weight
o Give up smoking

It's not safe to drive if you have diabetes.

Providing you are responsible and have good control of your diabetes, research shows that people with diabetes are no less safe on the roads than anyone else. Nevertheless, the myth that people with diabetes are not safe persists

People with diabetes can't play sports.

Pakistan's famous all-rounder Wasim Akram has diabetes; many other people with diabetes take part in active sports. People with diabetes are encouraged to exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Keeping active can help avoid complications associated with diabetes, such as heart disease. There may be some considerations to take into account with your diabetes before taking up a new exercise regime - talk to your doctor for more information.

People with diabetes are more likely to get colds and other illnesses.

No. You are no more likely to get a cold or another illness if you've got diabetes. However, people with diabetes are advised to get flu vaccinations. This is because any infection interferes with your blood glucose control, putting you at risk of high blood glucose levels and, for those with Type 1 diabetes, an increased risk of ketoacidosis.

People with diabetes can't eat sweets or chocolate.

Sweets and chocolate can be eaten by people with diabetes just like the rest of us, if eaten as part of a healthy diet. Remember that confectionery foods tend to be higher in fat and calories too so for this reason they should be limited especially if you're trying to lose weight.

People with diabetes shouldn't eat bananas or grapes.

All fruit and vegetables are extremely good for you. Eating more can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, some cancers and some gut problems. You should aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. This also helps to improve the overall balance of the diet. Eating a variety of different fruit and vegetables ensure you get the maximum benefit.

People with diabetes should eat special diabetic foods.

Diabetic versions of foods offer no special benefit. They still raise blood glucose levels, contain just as much fat and calories, are usually more expensive and can also have a laxative effect. The healthy diet for people with diabetes is the same as that recommended for everyone - low in fat, salt and sugar, with meals including starchy foods like bread and pasta and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Dr Sherry Chandy is a Medical Domain Specialist at Yos Technologies. He is a medical doctor and ophthalmologist by profession with special interests in enabling better health care through the use of information technology. For more such useful information and diabetes care tools which help you to Control Diabetes effectively and to see a video of me explaining the six steps to control your blood sugar levels go to [http://diabetescare.yoscare.in/diabetes_information]

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which patients present with absolute or relative insulin deficiency. It affects about 6% of western populations and is a major contributing factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and peripheral vascular disease. Diabetes mellitus is also the leading cause of new blindness without a cure.

1. Types of Diabetes
There are four forms of the disease, classified as: types 1 and 2, gestational and other specific types.

a. Type 1 Diabetes
In people with type 1 diabetes the pancreas is not producing insulin, so blood glucose levels are higher than normal. People with this form of diabetes require daily insulin therapy to survive. This form is further split into idiopathic diabetes and immune mediated diabetes.

Type 1 accounts for around 10% to 15% of all people with diabetes. It is one of the most serious and common chronic diseases of childhood, with about half of the people with this form of diabetes developing the disease before age 18. It is also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes.

b. Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is marked by reduced levels of insulin (insulin deficiency) and/or the inability of the body to use insulin properly (insulin resistance). This form of the disease is most common among people aged 40 years and over and accounts for 85% to 90% of all people with diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes are obese.

c. Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy in about 3% to 8% of females not previously diagnosed with diabetes. It is a temporary form of diabetes and usually disappears after the baby is born. However, it is a marker of much greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. Screening tests for gestational diabetes are usually performed around the 24th-28th week of pregnancy.

d. Other Specific Diabetes Types
This includes people who have diabetes as a result of a genetic defect, or exposure to certain drugs or chemicals.

2. Causes of Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes is caused by resistance to, or deficient production of, the hormone insulin, which helps glucose move from the blood into the cells.

In type 1 immune mediated diabetes, pancreatic beta cell destruction results in failure to release insulin and ineffective transport of glucose. There is no known cause for idiopathic diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, the beta cells release insulin but, receptors are insulin resistant and glucose transport is variable and inefficient. Some people may have conditions that can cause diabetes, such as Cushing's syndrome, pancreatitis or liver disease.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include;
a. Obesity
b. History of Gestational diabetes
c. Lack of physical activity
d. Hypertension
e. Age 45+
f. Ethnic groupings other than anglo-saxon
g. Low HDL cholesterol levels
h. Impaired glucose tolerance
i. Family history

3. Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
Symptoms of diabetes include; dehydration, unexplained weight loss, excessive thirst, frequent need to urinate, fatigue, lethargy, severe irritation and itching, excessive hunger, blurred vision, skin and urinary infections and vaginitis.

4. Diagnosis
Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance may be detected on routine blood tests as part of a general health check up or investigation for other symptoms or diseases. Diabetes tests check blood glucose levels. Someone with a random non fasting blood glucose level greater than 200mg/dl accompanied by other symptoms, or someone with a fasting blood glucose level greater than 126mg/dl can be diagnosed with diabetes.

Because symptoms can be mild, diabetes is often detected when a person suffers a problem that is caused by diabetes, such as a heart attack, stroke, neuropathy, poor wound healing or a foot ulcer, certain eye problems, certain fungal infections, or delivering a baby with macrosomia or hypoglycemia.

5. Diabetes Treatment
Effective treatment endeavors to normalize blood glucose and reduce complications using insulin replacement, diet and exercise. For those with very mild diabetes, diet plus weight loss plus exercise may be enough to keep blood glucose within reasonable levels.

Dietary changes should focus on the ideas of weight loss and blood sugar regulation by keeping the blood sugar levels relatively stable throughout the day, avoiding big peaks or troughs. Interestingly a number of people have experienced considerable benefit from the use of Lifewave acupuncture patches.

The principal treatment of type 1 diabetes, even from its earliest stages, is replacement of insulin combined with careful monitoring of blood glucose levels using blood testing monitors.

Type 2 diabetes may require oral anti-diabetic drugs to stimulate the body's insulin production and increase insulin sensitivity. Various forms of natural supplements for diabetes treatment have also been postulated as effective.

People with unstable diabetes, or those requiring many injections a day, may benefit from an insulin pump which is worn on the body and delivers a continuous infusion of insulin via a needle implanted into the body.

Gestational diabetes is fully treatable but requires careful medical supervision throughout the pregnancy. Even though it may be transient, untreated gestational diabetes can damage the health of the fetus or the mother.

Treatment for all forms of diabetes need not significantly impair normal activities, if sufficient patient training, awareness, appropriate care, discipline in testing and dosing of insulin is taken

6. Complications
Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of adult kidney failure worldwide in the developed world. If undetected or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, heart attack, stroke and impotence.

Dick Aronson has been involved in the healthcare industry for 35 years. He has written numerous articles on the subject and runs a number of informative websites,viz: http://www.life-wave-patches.com and http://www.healthinnovationsonline.com

Britain is snowballing towards a giant diabetes epidemic, as obesity levels rocket. Fortunately it is possible to walk the tightrope between good and bad glucose control. And you can even beat it with diet and natural approaches.

Here are 9 simple tips to beat Diabetes.

1. Lose Weight. Even shedding a little will help.

2. Consider Chromium supplements, which can improve insulin resistance in muscle cells.

3. Take Alpha-Lipoic Acid, an Antioxidant that helps improve insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake into muscle cells/

4. Try Conjugated Linoleic Acid, which helps to improve insulin resistance in fat cells.

5. Take Coenzyme Q10 and antioxidant that also improves the function of insulin-producing cells.

6. Take Garlic to help maintain a healthy heart and circulation.

7. Try Omega-3 Fish Oils for their effect on the heart and circulation and their ability to reduce the inflamation linked with metabolic syndrome.

8. Green Tea can improve glucose control.

9. Think about taking Pycnogenol and antioxidant that can significantly improve Glucose tolerance.

Remember diabetes is no laughing matter. My Mother, Mother-in-law and Uncle all have it.

Diabetes mellitus (sometimes called "sugar diabetes") is a condition that occurs when the body can't use glucose (a type of sugar) normally. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body's cells. The levels of glucose in the blood are controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Insulin helps glucose enter the cells.

In diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the body can't respond normally to the insulin that is made (type 2 diabetes). This causes glucose levels in the blood to rise, leading to symptoms such as increased urination, extreme thirst, and unexplained weight loss.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes)

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease where the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan.

Type 2 diabetes (previously known as non-insulin dependent diabetes)

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development. Symptoms may not show for many years and, by the time they appear, significant problems may have developed. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by dietary changes, exercise and/or tablets. Insulin injections may later be required.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)

GDM, or carbohydrate intolerance, is first diagnosed during pregnancy through an oral glucose tolerance test. Between 5.5 and 8.8% of pregnant women develop GDM in Australia. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life. Self-care and dietary changes are essential in treatment.

Causes Of Diabetes

Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both.

To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process of food metabolism. Several things happen when food is digested:
A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because their pancreas does not make enough insulin or their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally, or both.

There are three major types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. The body makes little or no insulin, and daily injections of insulin are needed to sustain life.

Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1 and makes up most of all cases of diabetes. It usually occurs in adulthood. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to the insulin. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, although it is a serious condition. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common due to the growing number of older Americans, increasing obesity, and failure to exercise.

Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes.

Diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans. About 54 million Americans have prediabetes. There are many risk factors for diabetes, including:
1. A parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
2. Obesity
3. Age greater than 45 years
4. Some ethnic groups (particularly African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic Americans)
5. Gestational diabetes or delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
6. High blood pressure
7. High blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat molecule)
8. High blood cholesterol level
9. Not getting enough exercise

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all adults over age 45 be screened for diabetes at least every 3 years. A person at high risk should be screened more often.

How To Prevent Or Control Diabetes

Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do it by eating healthier and getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. In other words: you don't have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes. The key is: small steps that lead to big rewards. Learn more about your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the small steps you can take to delay or prevent the disease and live a long, healthy life.

Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your GAME PLAN to Prevent

Watch Your Diet

There is no one magic diet that works for everyone. Nor is there a single diet that works best for one individual over a long time. Pay attention to your genetics, and to your ethnic group's traditional foods. If you are African American, that does not mean overcooked vegetables or pork rinds. Such garbage came on the nutritional scene only recently, and is not a true ethnic food. The same is true for Italians who overdose on pepperoni pizza. Being Italian myself as, well as having enjoyed fantastic African cuisine, I can tell you there is a lot more to these diets than the recent introductions often associated with these cultural groups.

Except for Eskimos and a few other highly specialized ethnic groups, all diets must adhere to the same few macronutrient rules. For example:

Eliminate as many processed carbohydrates as possible.

Don't eat carbohydrates 2 hours before bedtime.

Balance your fat/carbos/protein in a roughly 30-40-30 ratio (this is a guideline, not a hard and fast rule--it doesn't work for everyone).

Eat at least 5 or 6 small meals a day.

Always eat a high-protein breakfast.

Did you know that the peanuts offered on airlines are LESS fattening than the fat-free pretzels?
It's true. Stay away from fat-free foods--they make your insulin levels do a yo-yo, and that makes you put on fat. Yuck. Worse, it sets the stage for adult-onset diabetes.

Do NOT eat white flour, bleached flour, enriched flour, or any other kind of wheat flour that is not whole wheat. The glycemic effects of such flours will work against you. Eat whole grain flours, and try to get a variety. Amaranth and soy are two good flours. Eat oat groats instead of oatmeal. In short, get your grains in the least-processed form you can. This holds true for everyone, regardless of genetics (unless you have a malabsorption problem). This one "trick" will help you keep your insulin level on an even keel, and that is paramount to diabetes prevention and management.

What also holds true for everyone is: drink lots of water! Fill a gallon jug twice a day, and make sure you drink all of it. Once you get as lean as you want to be, cut back to a single gallon if you want to. For added fat loss, drink chilled (but not super cold) water. Sodas do not count. Such beverages are extremely unhealthy, for reasons I won't cover here. However, I will say that if you want to get osteoporosis, soft drinks are for you. Soft drinks make for soft bones.

Make sure to eat at least 5 or 6 small meals a day, rather than one big one. Doing so levels out your insulin and your blood sugar. Forget about that full feeling. If you find yourself overeating out of anxiety or boredom, fix the underlying problem -- don't add to it by poor eating!

Stay Healthy.

My Name is Abayomi Aje, I have written many articles concerning weight loss and other health related articles some of which can be found on my blog at http://yourhealthdoctor.blogspot.com