HEALTH: Know about DIABETES

Diabetes

Over 20 million Americans have diabetes and almost one-third do not know that they have it. Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Diabetes occurs when your body does not make enough insulin or does not use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas.

Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to serious long-term health problems, including heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, eye complications, nerve damage, and foot complications.

This Diabetes Assessment serves several purposes. If you don't have diabetes, the assessment will help you understand your risk for getting diabetes in the future. If you aren't sure whether or not you have diabetes now, it will help you better understand the likelihood, including symptoms and how you can be screened for diabetes. Finally, if you already know that you have diabetes, this assessment can help you manage your diabetes and control your blood sugars. Studies are clear that the better controlled your blood sugar, the less likely you are to develop complications.

Most people with type 2 diabetes have NO symptoms or only very mild symptoms that develop so gradually that they don't even notice them.

If symptoms do occur, they might include one or more of the following:

• Frequent urination, especially at night
• Excessive thirst
• Blurred vision or sudden vision changes
• Feeling very tired much of the time
• Being hungrier than usual
• Unexplained weight loss
• Sores that are slow to heal
• More infections than usual, such as urinary tract infections
• Itchy, very dry skin

Diabetes is diagnosed if the levels of glucose in your blood are too high.

Your doctor can test your blood and tell if you have diabetes. There are several tests that can be used, including:

• Fasting plasma glucose test -- this is the simplest and fastest way to measure blood glucose and diagnose diabetes. Fasting means that you have had nothing to eat or drink (except water) for 8 to 12 hours before the test. You are diagnosed with diabetes if your blood glucose level is 126 mg/dl or greater on two separate tests.

• Oral glucose tolerance test -- your blood glucose is tested two hours after drinking 75 grams of glucose. You are diagnosed with diabetes if your blood glucose level is 200 mg/dl or greater.

• Hemoglobin A1c -- a blood test reflecting your blood glucose average over the previous 3 months. You are diagnosed with diabetes if your hemoglobin A1c is greater than or equal to 6.5% 

You are at greater risk for diabetes if you are African-American, Hispanic, Native American, or Asian American.

While this risk factor cannot be changed, you can lessen your chances for diabetes tremendously by losing weight if you need to, eating healthfully, and exercising regularly. Also, make sure that your doctor is screening you for diabetes by checking a fasting blood sugar every one to two years.

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Smoking or chewing tobacco greatly increases your chances of developing heart disease and other blood vessel damage -- especially in combination with diabetes or poorly controlled blood sugar. In addition, smoking may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. 

Have you ever tried to quit smoking or using other forms of tobacco? If so, don't think of those previous attempts as failures. In fact, it takes most smokers or tobacco users several attempts before they ultimately succeed. Look at your past experiences and see what you can learn. What worked? What didn't? There are a lot of ways to quit - exercise is a huge help, as is joining a support group or working with other people who are also trying to quit. You've heard it 100 times, maybe even 1,000 times - tobacco use is the worst possible habit for your health. Not only are you more likely to have a heart attack and develop emphysema, tobacco also greatly increases your chances of developing many different types of cancer. Think of quitting as an incredible gift you can give yourself and your family.

Good nutrition can improve everyone's health. To prevent type 2 diabetes, especially if you are overweight or have other risk factors, eating the right foods is essential.

You may worry about what kinds of food to choose. But once you understand a few basic facts, you will become more confident in your ability to eat well. Give yourself time to work on your diet because eating habits DO NOT change overnight.

Here are the basic facts to understand:

• All foods that you eat turn to sugar in your body.

• Carbohydrate-containing foods alter your sugar levels more than any other type of food.

• Carbohydrates are found in starchy or sugary foods, such as bread, rice, pasta, cereal, potatoes, peas, corn, fruit, fruit juice, milk, yogurt, cookies, candy, soda, and other sweets.

• High-fiber, whole-grain carbohydrates are digested more slowly and are your healthiest choices.

• Carbohydrates in food are measured in grams. You can learn to count the carbohydrates in the foods that you like and that you eat. 

Other important factors that impact your health and blood sugars are:

• Controlling your weight
• Eating healthy protein foods
• Including vegetables and fruit every day
• Enjoying the "good" fats
• Choosing carbohydrates wisely 

All carbohydrates are not equal. The best are high in fiber and provide slow-releasing energy into your blood. Beans, whole grain bread, oatmeal, fresh fruit, whole-wheat couscous or pasta, brown rice, and barley are among the best carbohydrate choices for your diet.

Look for the word "whole" (like "whole wheat") as the first ingredient on food labels of breads and cereals.

Things you must know:  

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

The most common eye disorder in diabetes is retinopathy. This condition is caused by the excessive amount of glucose in the bloodstream, which weakens and damages the blood vessels. A weakened blood vessel may bulge out (aneurysm). The blood vessel may even rupture, leaking blood (hemorrhage) and fluid into the surrounding tissues.

Either of these can cause vision problems. Diabetes puts you at higher risk for developing cataracts and certain types of glaucoma as well. If you have diabetes, it is important that you:

• See an eye doctor at least once a year. Even if vision problems have not started, a doctor can detect early warning signs.

• Notify your eye doctor of any problems -- such as blurred vision, spots, or rings around lights. 

Eat healthy protein foods and enjoy the good fats.

Protein is an important nutrient that builds muscles and bones and gives you energy. Protein also helps with weight control because it helps you feel full and satisfied from your meals.

The healthiest proteins are the leanest. This means that they have the least fat and calories. The best protein choices are fish or shellfish, skinless chicken or turkey, low-fat or fat-free dairy (skim milk, low-fat cheese), and egg whites or egg substitute. If you eat red meats, choose the leanest cuts (loin and tenderloin). Other healthy options are beans, legumes (lentils and peanut butter), and soy foods such as tofu or soymilk.

High-fat proteins like many red meats, fried fish, and cheeses contain more calories and unhealthy fat. Try to eat these much less often.

Enjoy the "good" fats. Fat is an essential part of your diet. If you have heard that you should eliminate all fat from your diet, you will be pleased to learn that eating healthy fat can improve blood sugar control and even help you lose weight. The best way to keep calories under control while adding the good fats is to remove some "empty calorie" foods like snacks. For example, try eating 10 almonds or walnuts rather than crackers. Or, eliminate croutons and try a few slices of avocado on your salad instead.

The best choices for fat in your diet are called mono-unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acid.

Examples of good fats include olive and canola oils, oily fish, walnuts, almonds, peanut butter, avocado, and olives. An extra benefit is that these foods taste good.

The fats that you should eat less often are saturated fats (which come from full-fat dairy products and meat) as well as hydrogenated fats, partially hydrogenated fats, and trans fats (found in margarine, crackers, cookies, and other commercially prepared foods).

Have a Happy Life... Cheers!!!