December 31st, 2009 by admin

With millions of sufferers out there, all with varying degrees of glucose intolerance, don’t panic you are not alone. The real problem with type 2 diabetes is high blood sugar, over time it can and will, cause a multitude of problems. So as the title states, you number one priority in reversing type 2 diabetes is lowering you blood sugar levels to within a safe range, then keeping them there.

A safe range being between 4.5 – 6.5 mg/dl. This is the reading you a looking for upon waking. It is known as your fasting blood sugar level. Having a reading slightly above these figures is not going to kill you but it is a good indication that something is not quite right with your blood sugar control system. Natural Foods is a great way to keep this number low for you in the morning.  For more info on diet, exercise and the reversal of type 2 diabetes see what Dave has to say.

What are the three steps to lowering your blood sugar and reversing type 2 diabetes?

1. Diet This is the daddy of the bunch, your diet is above all else your medicine, prevention, cure and life enhancing all in one magic potion. Never underestimate diet. Sticking to a diet rich in natural unprocessed foods. Dark green veg, healthy lean protein, healthy un altered vegetable oils (cold pressed if available), all low glycemic foods.
2. Restrict Carbohydrates. There is much controversy over the low carb lifestyle but what the opposing forces fail to mention, is that your body is primarily geared up to run without carbs, if you are not sure about this just look up any good scientific source on the process known as gluconeogenesis. It will explain how your body quite literally creates its own energy in the absence of carbohydrate.
3. Exercise. Never underestimate the profound effect, twenty minutes walking will do for you three or four times a week. Exercise helps remove excess blood sugar from your system and not only burns it up as energy but also stores it a stable long chain glucose molecules known as glycogen, this stuff is called upon as back up when in times of increased physical activity and stress.

The Glycemic index (also glycaemic index) or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion releasing glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. For most people, foods with a low GI have significant health benefits.

High Glycemic Index Foods Are Linked to Health Problems

What researchers have learned is that high glycemic index foods generally make blood glucose levels higher. In addition, people who eat a lot of high glycemic index foods tend to have greater levels of body fat, as measured by the body mass index (BMI). High BMIs are linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

High glycemic index foods include many carbohydrates such as these:

• Bread
• Pasta
• Rice
• Cereal
• Baked goods

Low Glycemic Index Foods Are Healthier Choices

Low glycemic index foods generally have less of an impact on blood glucose levels. People who eat a lot of low glycemic index foods tend to have lower total body fat levels.

Low glycemic index foods include these:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes

For a more comprehensive list of glycemic foods and additional reading please check out David Mendosa’s Glycemic Index article.

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Source: Ken

December 28th, 2009 by admin

Employing training methods originally developed to save lives in the air, LifeWings Partners LLC, helped a resource-strapped inner-city clinic significantly improve care for their diabetes patients.

Inner City Diabetes Program

Memphis, TN (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) September 23, 2005 — The critical need for better patient care is an imperative for medical facilities large and small. Increasingly stretched community clinics that provide a vital safety net to the most vulnerable populations are continually faced with the challenge of having to make improvements with dwindling resources. One such center successfully employed an innovative approach that allowed them to improve patient care and delivery processes using only current personnel and equipment.

The Vine Hill Community Clinic serves an inner-city population in Nashville, Tennessee. Approximately 90% of the clinic’s patients are on a state form of Medicaid. Like many primary care clinics in the U.S., Vine Hill provides outpatient care to many patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness, kidney disease, and amputation. Although almost 18 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, less than optimal care is often provided, particularly in at-risk communities. Improving care for these patients is vital because many complications may be helped or avoided with good care and behavioral changes.

Recognizing the urgent need for improved diabetes care, the Vine Hill clinic contracted with LifeWings in 2004 to provide what is considered to be a very promising form of training for the healthcare industry: Crew Resource Management (CRM) based training. CRM is a team based approach to service delivery not usually found in the medical arena. CRM was developed in the 1990s to reduce the human error component of aviation accidents. CRM produces an inclusive, organized, collaborative environment in which potentially high-risk decisions can be made with the most possible information and high degrees of accountability and flexibility. CRM enables teams to make better decisions and have the best chance of avoiding negative outcomes. The methodology has worked remarkably in aviation, arguably the safest high consequence industry, resulting in no U.S. passenger deaths in three years.

The Vine Hill Community Clinic initiative included a formal study conducted on visits from 619 type 2 diabetes patients over a thirteen-month period. The conclusions of the study state that the CRM training was instrumental in improving the diabetes care process and the patient outcomes. The number of patients who met the recommended levels for blood pressure, amputation risk, body weight, and other factors improved after receiving care from the CRM trained staff. Further benefits to the clinic include improved organization of diabetes care team, decreased patient visit time, and shorter orientation periods for new staff: all very important cost-saving measures for the severely under-funded public health sector. Although follow-up training is important to the continued success, the improvements from this training are viewed as significant to this clinic.

The success of this effort, and others like it, are not going unnoticed by the medical community. With persistent press about the alarming number of preventable, error-induced deaths in the U.S., medical providers are desperately looking for innovative ways to improve patient care. Many medical care providers never receive formal training on teamwork, situational awareness, or conflict management. Critical communication skills that could save lives are often not taught, monitored, or measured. Protocols and checklists are often not a part of typical medical care delivery, in the clinic or in the operating room. Contrast this with the systematic, documented, and mandatory recurring training received by those in the aviation community and it is not hard to see why the numbers are materially better. CRM ensures all members of a crew flying an aircraft know their responsibilities, protocols, and obligation to speak up if they feel something is not safe. The medical community is learning that applying these principles to healthcare delivery can provide measurable improvements for their patients.

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Source: Ken

December 25th, 2009 by admin

Since one of the most important tools in battling diabetes is the Glucose Meter there are many different versions on the market today. Pretty much any Glucometer you choose is going to be accurate and provide fairly consistent results. When it comes to choosing a Glucose Meter it will really depend on what type of features you think you will need.

Which Glucometer is Best?

If you are like me, you’ll want one fully loaded with all the options. Not because I necessarily need all the options, but I want them. There are some things that you may want to consider if you are in the market for a new Glucose Meter.

1. Does the meter require a test strip or a control solution that you need to use when checking for accuracy?

2. Do you need the Glucose Meter to be small enough to fit inside a purse or briefcase?

3. What does cleaning the Glucose Meter entail?

4. Do you need a meter that allows you to do a AC1 check at home? Some don’t have that feature.

5. Would you prefer a Glucose Meter that uses test strips or do you find that cartridges are easier?

6. The smaller the amount of blood the meter requires the better so you definitely want to know what size blood sample the meter requires to take an accurate reading.

7. The price is a huge factor when choosing a meter. If you are the kind of person that misplaces or has a tendency to break glucose meters and possibly will have to replace it then a meter on the cheaper side would be better for you.

8. The test strips or cartridges definitely should be factored into the cost. You may get the cheapest meter available just to find out that the strips that it requires are the most expensive on the market.

9. Is any of the cost for the Glucose Meter or the test supplies covered by your health insurance? If so, go out and get the most expensive Meter that your heart desires.

10. Are you kind of a computer geek and want to be able to download your results to your computer? This is a very good way to track your levels.

11. Are you tired of having your fingers pricked? You may want to check out the Glucose Meters that use alternative site testing.

12. Do you ever need to check your levels in the middle of the night? If so you could get a Glucose Meter that glows in the dark.

13. Are you already carrying way to many gadgets on your person and would love to streamline? Now available is a Glucose Meter and Personal Digital Assistant in one. Pretty cool huh?

So as you see there are many things to consider before running out and getting a new Glucose Meter test kit. Like I said, I opt for all the bells and whistles on mine because I am a nerd and need to have the latest and greatest. No matter what your budget or your preferences there is a Glucose Meter out there that will be perfect for you.

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Source: Ken

December 22nd, 2009 by admin

Treatment of Diabetes has advanced in the last 50 years or so. Back in the 50’s a strip that was placed in the urine could give a rough estimate to an insulin user on the amount that was needed in their injection. It was not very accurate and not at all convenient.

Today diabetes patients are able to use electronic blood sugar monitors that give automatic readouts every 5 minutes. Also available are insulin pumps that are the size of a beeper, strap to patient’s belts and give an insulin injection right under the skin. These products, along with advanced medication to control blood glucose and a form of insulin that is actually inhaled rather than administered by an injection, are available on the market today. As of right now, not all of those are covered by every insurance. They can be quite costly if paying out of pocket but obviously well worth it.

So what is in the works for the advancement of diabetes treatment? One of the most interesting, in my opinion, is an artificial pancreas. This would essentially be the cure for diabetes as we know it today. The artificial pancreas would consist of a monitor that gives a readout of the blood sugar level directly to an insulin pump. This would be an automatic function which the patient would not have to constantly worry about. This is years in the future but definitely in sight.

There are an estimated 20.8 million diabetics in the country today. As we all hear, this number is actually on the rise. The CDC has predicted that 1 out of 3 Americans born in the year 2000 will wind up with diabetes. It is about time that there are finally options in treatment for diabetics. You and your doctor can work together to find the treatment that is best for you.

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Source: Ken