Type 2 Diabetes - Are You Getting the Sleep You Need?

Sleep has a strong impact on the health of a person diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Exercise, diet, blood sugar testing... and sleep. Lack of sleep can not only drain your energy and motivation to stick with your healthy living program, but can affect your hormones and actually promote insulin resistance, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.If you want to promote optimal health, one thing you must be doing is tending to your sleep each night. Make no mistake about it, lack of sleep will contribute to several health problems... now or down the road.Those who aren't sleeping sufficiently are more likely to suffer from...

depression,

fat gain especially around the mid-section,

heart disease, and

even stroke.
There's no denying the fact if you aim to be healthy, getting regular sleep is a must. But, what if you try to sleep, but can't? You're making every effort to go to bed earlier but try as you might, you just cannot fall into a restful slumber.Let's look at some of the common sleep problems and what you can do to overcome them...Tossing And Turning. If tossing and turning is what's keeping you awake, it might be time to consider putting meditation to use. Mediation will help you clear away those racing thoughts, helping you fall deeper and faster to sleep.Some people will also find writing their stressors down - and possibly writing out potential solutions to them will help them fall asleep faster and more easily.


Learn what works for you and then implement that strategy regularly.A Snoring Partner. In other cases, it isn't you that's the problem... it's your partner. If your partner snores, gets up regularly throughout the night, or just moves around a great deal, this could be causing you to awake easily.The solution? Consider separate beds. While it may not be the most romantic of options, if it puts you both in a better mood during the day due to better quality sleep, you'll find your relationship improves, not the other way around.Separate sleeping arrangements are becoming far more common, so it's something to definitely consider.Waking Up Throughout The Night. If you find you are constantly waking throughout the night, you may want to consider a check-up with your doctor. It could be a more serious medical condition causing this, a condition such as sleep apnea, so you'll need to have your nighttime waking checked out.Likewise, if you are constantly waking to get up and use the washroom, you may want to look into whether a medical issue may be linked to this.Finding out what's triggering your sleep problems and then putting steps in place to overcome those will be critical to optimizing your health. It's not just the lack of sleep that increase the risk of diabetes, it's the quality of the sleep you get too.What have you done to improve your sleep lately?

Type 2 Diabetes - When The Most Commonly Prescribed Drug Is Not Enough to Lower Blood Sugars

Metformin is the usual drug of choice for new cases of Type 2 diabetes - but sometimes it is not enough. When that happens saxagliptin, dapagliflozin, or a combination of both can be added. In October 2014 the journal of the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Care, reported the results of research comparing each drug and combination therapy as additives to metformin.Investigators at the Dallas Diabetes and Endocrine Center, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and AstraZeneca in the USA, compared the three types of treatment in adults with HbA1c levels of at least 8 and no greater than 12...

176 received their usual metformin plus saxagliptin,

179 received dapagliflozin plus their usual metformin, and

179 received both new additions plus their usual metformin dose.
It was found after 24 weeks of treatment...

diabetic patients taking both saxagliptin and dapagliflozin improved the most, lowering their HbA1c levels an average of 1.5 percent.

those diabetics given saxagliptin with metformin improved an average of.9 percent, and

diabetics taking dapagliflozin along with metformin improved an average of 1.2 percent.
Forty-one percent of diabetics in the program taking triple therapy achieved...

HbA1c levels under 7 percent.

18 percent of the participants taking saxagliptin with metformin achieved HbA1c levels under 7 percent, and

22 percent of the diabetics taking dapagliflozin with metformin had HbA1c levels under 7 percent



by the end of the study. About 1 percent of the Type 2 diabetics taking all three medications were diagnosed with urinary and genital infections. Low blood sugar was rare, and none of the diabetic participants had dangerously low blood sugar.Metformin is in the biguanide class of antidiabetic drugs. It works by lowering the amount of sugar made by the liver. In Type 2 diabetes the liver makes too much sugar, and metformin reduces its production by about a third. Saxagliptin is an enzyme that also causes the liver to slow down production of sugar, as well as increasing insulin levels after meals. Since it works when blood sugar levels are high, saxagliptin seldom causes blood sugar levels to go down too low. Dapagliflozin works by causing the kidneys to release more sugar into the urine.The best way to control your blood sugar levels is to eat a healthful vegan diet and exercise daily. Losing extra fat is so helpful many diabetics are able to achieve normal blood sugar levels with the help of achieving normal weight. When diet and exercise are not enough, the oral antihypoglycemics are the next best to add to your healthy living plan.

Type 2 Diabetes - Who Should You Share Your Diabetes Diagnosis With?

Finding out you have Type 2 diabetes can make you feel sad, scared, frustrated, or even angry. And once you come to terms with it yourself, telling other people you have this form of diabetes can be difficult. You may not be sure what their reaction will be and how you'll deal with it.Here are some tips for telling other people about your diabetes...First, decide who you want to share the news with. Of course, you'll need to tell your immediate family members. You may not want to tell your employer over concern it will affect your job. You don't have to tell them, but you may want to if your Type 2 diabetes will affect your job. For example, if your job involves operating machinery, low blood sugar can be a risk. You may also want to inform your employer so they'll know why you may have to miss work for medical appointments. And when you tell them, remember you will be protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).You can decide who else you want to tell. It's a personal decision, and there's no right or wrong answer. You may want to let friends and other family members know if you eat meals with them often.


When you tell your family about your diagnosis, they may feel worried or scared. They may treat you like you're sick, and they may want to help you. Or they may want to know more about the disease. You can reassure them you're going to manage your blood sugar levels to prevent or control any diabetic complications, and you'll be okay. You can ask them to treat you the same as they did before, and ask them for any support you need. Let them know the best way they can help you. For example, you can ask them to join in on exercise with you. Or you could ask them to make some healthy eating changes along with you.It's a good idea to teach your family a little about Type 2 diabetes. You can let them know about signs and symptoms of low blood sugar, so they can help you watch out for any of the signs. You can also teach them about blood sugar levels and what affects them. And let them know sometimes you won't be sure why your blood sugar gets too high, and ask them to please support you as you figure it out.

Type 2 Diabetes - To Prevent Dementia Diabetic Women Need Estrogen Levels Checked Before Menopause

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and is on the rise. But women who have both Type 2 diabetes and high estrogen levels, are at a significantly higher risk of developing dementia according to new research published in the journal Neurology.Older Women with Type 2 Diabetes at High Risk of Developing Dementia. This research has suggested women who were aged 65 or older were...

14 times more likely to develop dementia if they had diabetes and high estrogen levels.
This was compared to those who had...

high estrogen levels but not diabetes who were twice as likely to develop dementia when they were then compared to women diabetes free and low estrogen levels.
The study tracked the results of 543 women in total and of which 132 had Type 2 diabetes. During the study all women were assessed for risk factors for dementia, including...

Type 2 diabetes,

high blood pressure, and

abnormal blood clotting,
among other heart health risk factors.As well as an increased risk for developing dementia, if the women in the study had diabetes and high estrogen levels, the research team also found women with both dementia and diabetes had estrogen levels 70% higher than women who only had diabetes.The team did not find the dementia risk increased with any other heart health risk factors.Researchers Stunned by Results of New Study. Studies carried out previously had suggested undergoing estrogen-based therapies may have a protective effect on the brain, which is why Dr. Scarabin, the study author, said the team and himself were very surprised by the findings, going on to say...


"However, more and more evidence suggests an association between high estradiol levels and dementia in women who have undergone menopause.Considering the expected increase in the number of elderly people with diabetes and dementia, more research on this topic should be urgently conducted."Timing of Therapy May Make all the Difference. In 2012 Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, carried out a study that suggested hormone therapy may affect women's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease but the risk actually depended on the timing of the therapy.Through this study it was concluded women who underwent hormone therapy before menopause were believed to have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. But if you were to start this therapy after menopause, this may lead to an increased risk.Women with Diabetes Should Receive Mandatory Hormone Testing. Currently it is known having Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for going on to developing dementia and this is why it should become mandatory to screen women's hormones levels well before they reach menopause, especially in light of the emerging scientific evidence.This might make all the difference to a person who is already struggling to manage the complicated disease that is Type 2 diabetes and them going on to develop dementia, which is another problematic disease requiring a lot of help to manage.

My Personal Experience Eating Vegetables Improved My A1C Among Other Things

One thing I learned over the last few months that sparked me to go on a vegetable diet, was reading the book The China Study. It taught me that by eating vegetables, I would not only get all the protein my body needs, but that it was time released so my body only took in what it needed at the time. You see, I grew up in the body building era, where I was taught that the more protein you ate, the bigger muscles you'd have.The problem with this is once you stop lifting weights and still eat like a horse, you will start gaining lots of weight very fast. In my early thirties I was close to 300 pounds. Yes I had some body mass but lots more fat over it. Since then I've tried about every type of weight loss program there was from Jenny Craig to pure meat and zero carbs to vegetables. It felt like a roller coaster. However from 2005 to 2014 I did manage to go from about 290 to 255 pounds.So later I got sick of being this heavy, and decided to do something about it. About 5 months ago I started a vegetable based diet. When I started I was about 248 pounds. Now, 5 months later I'm at about 223. I actually managed to drop to 215, however I have to admit in the last couple weeks comfort food temptations got the best of me.What I did was buy the prepackaged Sweet Kale which usually consisted of Kale and other dense greens, packaged up with dressing, cranberries and nuts. I've been getting them from Smart & Final for $5.00 a package. I usually go through about one package per day and it fills me up pretty good. One demon I've been battling since trying to lose weight is not knowing how to channel all the extra energy I'm getting from getting so light. I work for the government which takes care of a lot of it, but I think I'll need to take a video editing class or something to stimulate my creativity a little more so I can more efficiently channel it.


One thing I noticed with eating vegetables, is that even though I seem to blow my diet sometimes and eat everything under the sun when I do, overall I'm still losing weight. For example, if I stay on my diet for 2 weeks and blow it for 3 days, overall I'm still losing more weight than I'm gaining. This is what has given me the opportunity to lose 25 pounds or so over the last 5 months. Also my A1C went from 297 to 156 which is a massive improvement, not to mention my blood pressure was 116/76. So my recommendation is to eat as many vegetables as you can. You will probably blow it occasionally but so what? The main thing is that you keep trying your best, and you'll eventually drop all the weight you need to.

Using Mother-Tinctures In Diabetics: My Experience

"Oh! you are a Homeopathic doctor!! Do you have anything to control my blood sugar levels?"I often come across this question when I get introduced in a social meeting. Diabetes has spread its wings and has quickly started getting grip over the young-adult population as well... thanks to our life-style (do we have any style left in it?) and food habits. I have at least 10 patients who have met this silent-monster before they celebrated their 35th birthday. Thus it becomes extremely essential to think about various options available with us to control and/or eradicate this dreadful disease called diabetes from our society, with the help of homeopathy.Much before I started treating diabetic patients with the deep-acting constitutional remedies, I had started using mother tinctures. Right from the days when I was studying Homeopathy and had hardly known more than 100 remedies in total. No need to guess the prescription... it was nothing else but 'Syzigium jambolanum', which has got its roots from the ancient Indian healing system - the Ayurveda. I had prescribed it to many but with not so promising results. First I doubted its actual role in the treatment of diabetes, but later as I learnt (and grasped) more about the system of Homeopathic healing, I could understand the reason behind the failures. I had simply ignored one of the basic principles of homeopathy - Individualization.Can we individualize while selecting a mother-tincture?The question thus arises - whether we can or should apply the theory of individualization while selecting a suitable mother tincture for a patient, or should it be guided by the clinical diagnosis alone?If it is guided by the clinical diagnosis - then how do we select from multiple remedies indicated for the same disease. Can a clinical picture be utilized to pick up individualizing characteristics for a given case?After more than 12 years of actively treating diabetic patients, I can now safely say that it is utmost essential to individualize while selecting a suitable mother-tincture for any case. I would like to discuss some of these mother-tinctures and their selection criteria through few case-experiences.Clinical presentation of diabetes:The initial presentation of diabetes has always surprised clinicians. The much-learnt clinical presentation of 'Polyuria - Polydipsia - Polyphagia' is rarely seen in the clinical practice now. Instead of that, diabetes prefers to declare its arrival through variety of other symptoms. These symptoms or the organs of diabetic complications can be the key to the individual mother-tincture selection.I have seen Syzygium-jambolanum doing wonders specifically in the cases of diabetes where the degree of rise in the urinary glucose levels is much higher than corresponding rise in the blood glucose levels. I have had a patient whose post-lunch glucose never went beyond 200 mg/dl [11 mmol/l], but his glycosuria always remained in '+ + +' mark. Syzygium given along with Calcarea-carb as the constitutional remedy helped him to have normal glucose reading for the first time.A diabetic patient presenting with hematuria or cystitis often calls for Rhus-aromatica as the choice of mother tincture. There is a lot of burning during and after passing of urine in large quantities. I have often used it in menopausal ladies who present with diabetes and complain of above symptoms along with stress-incontinence, suggesting of atony at urinary sphincters.Similarly, a diabetic patient with marked nephropathic manifestations can be helped by Abroma-augusta. It presents with marked albuminuria with offensive and profuse urination along with increased thirst for large quantities of water. Patient often complains about hard stools covered with mucus as a part of obstinate constipation. Loss of bowel-satisfaction that has started since the diagnosis of diabetes always rings bells for this remedy for me. Abroma-augusta can also be selected based on the concomitant presence of severe spasmodic dysmenorrheal in female patients, who react hysterically to the pain. They can categorically mention about the onset of pain just few months before or after diabetes showed its presence.


A diabetic patient with concomitant affection at hepatic sphere, presenting with jaundice marked by loss of appetite and generalized dropsy (anasarca) leads us to Cephalandra-indica as the savior. Dryness and burning are the key manifestations of this remedy.Gymnema-sylvestre should be labeled as the 'boon for diabetic men'. I have been using it in cases that either present with sexual debility with erectile dysfunction or report it after few years of diabetic diagnosis. It has not only reduced the sugar levels but has also shown its efficacy in improving the erectile power.Calendula ranks the highest when the case presents with wounds that take significantly longer time to heal and also show a tendency to result into non-healing ulcers.Concomitant symptoms:We understand concomitant symptom as the one which presents itself along with the chief complaint, but has no patho-physiological connection with the chief complaint except the time correlation. Thus it just exists along with the chief complaint.In my practice, I have tried to stretch this definition further to assess various systems / organs getting affected along with the primary complaint in patient's life-time, to check the principle organs of affection and have correlated it with Boger's sphere of action for the individual remedies.To give an example - a diabetic patient, after a history of alcoholism, often leads me to the selection of Avena-sativa. In most cases pointing to this remedy, you will find marked exhaustion as the key-presentation. The diabetes gets detected with 'marked debility not responding to sufficient rest' as the only presenting symptom for the physician to investigate further. Avena-sativa can also be used in patients where diabetes co-exists with neurological disorders like epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.I have already presented a case of diabetes with psychogenic origin, where Abroma-augusta was selected based on the characteristic presentation of constipation with hard ball-like stools & significant offensive urine with proteinuria along with diabetes.In the earlier days of my practice, I had prescribed Thuja to a case which presented with multiple renal calculi along with cholelithiasis (gall stones) as presenting symptoms along with diabetes that presented with significant pedal edema (water retention). Thuja not only had expelled the renal calculi but also reduced the swelling over the lower limbs in the initial treatment period. Thuja was followed by Lycopodium as the constitutional remedy which further helped the patient.A remedy like Carduus-marianus that has a marked action on the portal & vascular system can be selected when a patient presents with cirrhosis with ascites and varicose veins.In general, remedies like Chelidonium that improve hepatic function can be used to boost glucose-metabolism within the hepatic system.Dosage:Ideally 30 drops per day, divided in two-to-three partsCaution:Though the utility of mother tinctures in controlling the blood-glucose levels has been discussed here in great detail, it does not replace the value of a deep-acting constitutional remedy that can restore the fundamental metabolic balance.

Type 2 Diabetes - Can Diabetics Include Pineapple In Their Eating Plan?

As someone who is working hard to manage your blood sugar levels to help control your Type 2 diabetes, you are going to be constantly on the lookout for sugar-containing foods to avoid. That said, it is okay to include fruit from time to time as long as you are being careful with how much you eat.Fruit will contain natural fruit sugars, but it also comes packed with fiber, antioxidants, and a number of other vitamins and minerals that are too important to overlook.Various fruits will have different rankings on the GI scale, so that is also something to be aware of. Pineapple is one such fruit that does rank slightly higher, coming in with a medium ranking, but as long as you keep your serving to about ¼ to ½ cup, you can certainly still include it into your eating plan.Here is why pineapple is such a beneficial fruit...1. The Nutritional Content. When looking at pineapple, it's a clear winner as far as vitamin C is concerned. You will take in over 100% of your daily quota with a one cup serving, so can easily get 50% if you eat your half a cup.You'll also get some manganese, copper, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, as well as folate and pantothenic acid.


2. Benefits. Pineapple is an excellent fruit to help boost your health in a number of ways. First, it'll provide some anti-inflammatory benefits, reducing inflammation in the body and combating any related conditions.It also helps to support digestion, so can be a great way to finish off a meal if you want to reduce the chances of indigestion.It will help to provide immune system support, helping you fend off free radical damage and other invading bacteria and illness.Finally, the vitamin B found in pineapple can also help to boost your energy generation from the different foods you eat.3. How To Serve. So now you see how beneficial this fruit is, how can you serve it?Try it sliced and fresh for a delicious sweet treat, or consider adding several cubes into a bowl of Greek yogurt. Pineapple also works great with coconut flakes sprinkled on top, so you can grill up one or two slices and then top with coconut if desired.So, as you can see, it is one fruit not to miss out on. Keep your portion controlled and you can definitely include it as part of your diabetic eating plan.