If you read the previous blog about “Are You An Undiagnosed Person With Diabetes?”, you will want to read this about what to do if you are diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes. If you were not diagnosed with either of these, then consider that you must continue to undergo at least an annual test for diabetes. The older you are, the more important this becomes.
If you were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, then you will have more than likely been put on medications and been advised to watch your diet. Hopefully your doctor will have referred you to a dietitian and maybe to a diabetes educator. These should be specializing in diabetes or they may be less than useful to you. Occasionally you will encounter a nurse that specializes in diabetes and some of the complications from diabetes including depression and cardiovascular disease, but not limited only to these.
Start reading as much information as you are able. I suggest starting with two of my blogs here and here. One is about printed materials and the other about some of the many internet sources.
Do not go into panic mode. There are many tasks to accomplish and the more knowledge you obtain the easier dealing with diabetes it will be. First, you must make a lifestyle change. Some say severe, others say to do it gradually. This will depend on you and either way this change should be considered a permanent one as this will give you the best overall means to manage diabetes and prevent or delay its complications.
Next, if you have no medical limitations, you need to start an exercise regimen in something you like doing. Please talk to your doctor before starting. Your doctor may have advice you need to follow depending on your condition and weight.
If you have prediabetes, please do not take it lightly or dismiss it, and proceed as if you have diabetes because your pancreas is not functioning properly and some damage has been done. It is still possible to delay the onset of full blown diabetes and complications for many years, but only if you take this seriously and are able to follow a regimen of nutrition and exercise.
Read this blog for more details on insulin resistance. For a discussion of prediabetes read this and my blog here.
January 29, 2011
January 26, 2011
Are You An Undiagnosed Person With Diabetes?
Are you a person that is undiagnosed for diabetes? If you don't know if you have diabetes and are overweight and even normal weight, please read carefully. The number of undiagnosed persons is growing every day.
About 25 percent of the adult population has already developed insulin resistance. No one knows the number that are on their way to developing Type 2 diabetes. The following are some of the symptoms that may give you some guidance that will let you learn if you should get an appointment with your doctor for a definitive check.
Depending the the source of information there are varying symptoms, but the following are good indicators. These are not the signs that are for diabetes, but for insulin resistance.
Obesity: Almost every source lists this. This is the greatest indicator of possible insulin resistance.
Hypertension: Also goes by high blood pressure, and it involves high cholesterol and high triglycerides.
High blood glucose: This means the glucose is not getting into the cells and is raising blood glucose levels.
Low blood glucose: Cells starved for food when insulin cannot escort glucose into the cells, causing prolonged periods of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia makes you feel agitated and jittery and the symptoms generally go away after you eat. If you get shaky when you are hungry, it may mean you have insulin resistance.
Inflammation: Inflammation is caused by high levels of insulin in the blood stream and this is the result of inflammatory compounds like C-reactive protein which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The other symptoms are also thought about, but not everyone includes them in the discussion. They include: fatigue, brain fogginess, intestinal bloating, sleepiness, depression, and increased weight.
According to most polls, about 25 percent of the US population has already developed insulin resistance and about another 10 percent is is not far behind. If you have doubts about where you are, please make an appointment with your doctor to confirm if you have a problem or not.
You should ask for two tests. The first if the fasting glucose test, meaning you have nothing to eat from midnight until the test is done and then you may eat. The second
test is the two-hour glucose tolerance test. Be prepared to insist on both tests if the doctor only wants one done.
Read other discussions here and here. Next blog is a suggestion of what to do with the diabetes diagnosis.
About 25 percent of the adult population has already developed insulin resistance. No one knows the number that are on their way to developing Type 2 diabetes. The following are some of the symptoms that may give you some guidance that will let you learn if you should get an appointment with your doctor for a definitive check.
Depending the the source of information there are varying symptoms, but the following are good indicators. These are not the signs that are for diabetes, but for insulin resistance.
Obesity: Almost every source lists this. This is the greatest indicator of possible insulin resistance.
Hypertension: Also goes by high blood pressure, and it involves high cholesterol and high triglycerides.
High blood glucose: This means the glucose is not getting into the cells and is raising blood glucose levels.
Low blood glucose: Cells starved for food when insulin cannot escort glucose into the cells, causing prolonged periods of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia makes you feel agitated and jittery and the symptoms generally go away after you eat. If you get shaky when you are hungry, it may mean you have insulin resistance.
Inflammation: Inflammation is caused by high levels of insulin in the blood stream and this is the result of inflammatory compounds like C-reactive protein which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The other symptoms are also thought about, but not everyone includes them in the discussion. They include: fatigue, brain fogginess, intestinal bloating, sleepiness, depression, and increased weight.
According to most polls, about 25 percent of the US population has already developed insulin resistance and about another 10 percent is is not far behind. If you have doubts about where you are, please make an appointment with your doctor to confirm if you have a problem or not.
You should ask for two tests. The first if the fasting glucose test, meaning you have nothing to eat from midnight until the test is done and then you may eat. The second
test is the two-hour glucose tolerance test. Be prepared to insist on both tests if the doctor only wants one done.
Read other discussions here and here. Next blog is a suggestion of what to do with the diabetes diagnosis.
January 24, 2011
RDA for Vitamin D Needs Change
At least I feel vindicated by what I said in my blog of December 20, 2010. Others including Dr. Miller are also pointing out more accurately the problems of the report issued by Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science (IOM). There are some glaring errors that punch holes in the report by IOM. These errors make me wonder how these men of science could miss this or do they simply lack the education necessary for their duties.
Harsh, yes. But these errors are serious. Even David Mendosa has told me to be careful not to take vitamin-D2, but to take vitamin-D3. What bothers me is that people will go to the doctor for a vitamin D prescription and pay the doctor fee and a higher cost for vitamin-D2, when vitamin-D3 is on the shelves and a lot cheaper.
Vitamin-D2 is much less effective in humans than vitamin-D3. D2 is largely human made and added to foods as a fortifier. Vitamin-D3 is also consumed by consuming animal based foods. So those on non-meat lifestyles, should have their doctor check their vitamin D levels and consider taking vitamin-D3 supplements.
Vitamin D, also known as calciferol, comprises a group of fat-soluble seco-sterols. The two major forms are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). In addition to having markedly lower potency, D2 also has a significantly shorter duration of action relative to vitamin D3. Both forms of vitamin D produce similar initial rises in serum 25OHD over the first 3 days, but 25OHD continues to rise with D3 supplementation, peaking at 14 days, and serum 25OHD falls rapidly in D2 treated subjects.
I think that this statement in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is most effective and needs to be heeded. They say that vitamin-D2 should not be used as a nutrient suitable for supplementation or fortification.
Dr Miller's blog is well stated and has some excellent comments to read here and read his latest blog here. Jon Barron writes his understanding of the IOM study and publishing of standards here. He is very factual and reports on the errors. NOTE: The two links for Dr. Miller's information are no longer functional.
Harsh, yes. But these errors are serious. Even David Mendosa has told me to be careful not to take vitamin-D2, but to take vitamin-D3. What bothers me is that people will go to the doctor for a vitamin D prescription and pay the doctor fee and a higher cost for vitamin-D2, when vitamin-D3 is on the shelves and a lot cheaper.
Vitamin-D2 is much less effective in humans than vitamin-D3. D2 is largely human made and added to foods as a fortifier. Vitamin-D3 is also consumed by consuming animal based foods. So those on non-meat lifestyles, should have their doctor check their vitamin D levels and consider taking vitamin-D3 supplements.
Vitamin D, also known as calciferol, comprises a group of fat-soluble seco-sterols. The two major forms are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). In addition to having markedly lower potency, D2 also has a significantly shorter duration of action relative to vitamin D3. Both forms of vitamin D produce similar initial rises in serum 25OHD over the first 3 days, but 25OHD continues to rise with D3 supplementation, peaking at 14 days, and serum 25OHD falls rapidly in D2 treated subjects.
I think that this statement in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is most effective and needs to be heeded. They say that vitamin-D2 should not be used as a nutrient suitable for supplementation or fortification.
Dr Miller's blog is well stated and has some excellent comments to read here and read his latest blog here. Jon Barron writes his understanding of the IOM study and publishing of standards here. He is very factual and reports on the errors. NOTE: The two links for Dr. Miller's information are no longer functional.
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