Inpatient diabetes teaching may reduce trips to the hospital Outpatient diabetes teaching from your healthcare provider has shown to increase compliance to medicine regimens and improve blood glucose levels. However, many people with diabetes may not have access to such outpatient care on a [...]
Prediabetes is when your blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Having prediabetes means that you do not yet have diabetes, but you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. [...]
What role does stress play in affecting your blood glucose level?
Stress is the physical and mental reaction of the body when it senses danger. Conditions that seem uncontrollable or that require emotional and behavioral changes are usually perceived by the body to be dangerous. These threats cause you to feel stress and can cause blood glucose levels to increase. [...]
Hunger is often thought of as a bad thing, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, this type of thinking can actually make it much harder to change your eating habits. Why? Hunger is a normal and natural body signal and should not be viewed negatively. Physical hunger tells you that it is time to eat. However, the idea of letting your hunger guide food and eating choices may seem too good to be true, especially if you have diabetes. [...]
As a healthcare provider with a focus on diabetes, I take care of a lot of people who monitor their blood glucose level, blood pressure, and weight at home. And even though we all understand how important these readings are, most of my patients don’t like keeping a written record to bring to me. Many of them don’t know the readings that should concern them, or if their readings are as they should be. [...]
The warm weather is coming and as you tackle your spring cleaning and pack away your winter boots, don’t forget about your kidneys. Why? March is known as National Kidney Month, so it’s a perfect time to take stock of your diabetes treatment plan and make sure that you’re doing what you can [...]
Anemia increases risk of dementia Anemia occurs when you have a low number of iron-rich red blood cells in your body. Nearly one-fourth of people 65 years of age or older develop anemia, which can cause weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. A recent report has found that those with anemia [...]
Those with diabetes and thyroid disorder require early insulin > Those with type 2 diabetes are often treated with other medicine regimens and lifestyle changes first before insulin is added to their diabetes care routine. A recent study has found though that those with diabetes and thyroid [...]
You ran out of oil. You have your grocery shopping list in one hand and you are armed with knowledge. Olive oil is the cardiovascular health darling. “It’s all I use,” says Magaly, one of my patients diagnosed with diabetes and high cholesterol levels. “It has no cholesterol,” she adds with an approving nod. Olive oil has once again garnished attention following the results of the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet, the PREDIMED study. [...]
Costco is known for its great selection of foods for every occasion. Whether you’re throwing a party or simply doing your weekly grocery shopping, you know you’ll find exactly what you need here. But what if you’re on a low-carb diet to control diabetes? How can you make the [...]
Kerri Sparling, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 27 years ago, recently spoke with me about her new book Balancing Diabetes: Conversations About Finding Happiness and Living Well (Spry Publishing, 2014). Like many people with diabetes, she often felt alone with her disease. So she started a [...]
Too much weight gain can be a bad thing, even when pregnant When you are pregnant you may have many cravings, which in turn may lead to overeating for you and your bundle of joy. However, weight gain while you are pregnant should be controlled to avoid any health problems during pregnancy and at [...]
Being obese, or 10-percent or more of normal weight, can place you at greater risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, it is important to eat healthy, stay active, and stay on top of your doctor’s visits to keep weight at a healthy level. The sooner you adopt [...]
DNA link found in those with type 2 diabetes It has been thought that some people may be more prone to getting diabetes than others due to their family history. A recent study which looked at the DNA, or genetic code, of nearly 200,000 people with and without diabetes found that this thought may be [...]
It’s never too late to start leading a healthy lifestyle, but it’s easier if you start living healthy young. Offer your child heart healthy foods such as fruits, veggies, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Also, be sure to take your child to the doctor often to find out if your child is at risk [...]
