Signs of Juvenile Diabetes That Can Kill You

My friends and I went to hear one of our favorite local bands play one night at a small club. These guys were rock solid. I was sure they were going to go big time.Halfway through their second set, however, something started to not feel right. It was the singer. In between one of the songs he started talking. His words were barely intelligible, and he seemed disoriented, frightened even.Then he fell.His band mates rushed to his aid, as did the manager of the band. My friend was a paramedic, so he jumped onto the stage to see if he could help. The young singer was unconscious.An ambulance was called and he was whisked away to the hospital. The band played a couple more songs that the bass player sang, but it was clear the energy for the night was gone.Some people went to the hospital, while others just went home.When the dust settled, it turned out the young man, whose name was Clay, was a Type 1 diabetic. The band had been traveling heavily and he had not been taking care of his condition. His coma lasted about 45 minutes, but the ER doctor said it could have been much worse.So, what are the signs of juvenile diabetes? How can you tell if you've got it?Most people with juvenile diabetes report a feeling of extreme thirst that cannot be quenched. The sugar that builds up in your blood pulls water from your body tissues. This makes you constantly thirsty.Also, since you're drinking a lot more water, you'll probably also notice that you're urinating a whole lot more.


You might also find you are incredibly hungry and, even though you seem to eat constantly, you keep losing weight. People might tell you that you have a tapeworm. This is a far worse condition, however.You see, when you have juvenile diabetes, the body stops using sugar for fuel, to power the body and give you energy. Instead, the body turns to fat stores and muscle tissue for its energy, meaning your metabolism drops making you very tired and lethargic all the time.One of the more dangerous signs of juvenile diabetes is vision loss. When your blood sugar is very low or very high, water gets pulled into the lens of the eye which causes your vision to blur. Typically, when the blood sugar returns to normal, so does the vision.Over time, however, if this condition is not properly treated, a condition known as retinopathy may develop, which means the blood flow to the retina is slowed or stopped. This can cause permanent blindness.Why did Clay, the singer from the band, go into a coma? We later learned he had developed a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. This results when the body's acids are allowed to build up in the bloodstream.Since Clay wasn't taking his insulin as prescribed, his acids reached levels they shouldn't have, and the result was disorientation and a coma. People have died from this very condition.

Why Diabetes Herbs Treatment May Be a Better Option

Type II Diabetes has become a global health crisis which is now threatening the economy of many nations especially developing ones.While it was once mainly known as a disease of the west, it has now quickly spread to all parts of the world.And Asia is the epicenter of this epidemic and accounts for almost 60% of the world's diabetic population.With a lower BMI levels than Caucasians, Asians are more prone to develop Diabetes at a younger age.A sedentary lifestyle, addiction to smoking and excessive alcohol use further adds to this.A worrying fact is that Diabetes was once prevalent mainly in adults but now, even children as young as 10 years of age are being diagnosed with the condition.While there seems to be an obvious connection between a person's weight and the onset of Diabetes, even this theory seems to be challenged.India for example, has the lowest rate of Obesity but ranks only second to China in the number of people with Diabetes in Asian countries. However, the distribution of fat in the body may also determine the high incidence of this condition.Asians are more prone to have visceral fat than Caucasians and this abdominal obesity may lead to an increased rate of insulin resistance in the body.
Is the Condition Preventable?According to Ayurveda, an ancient form of holistic healing based in India, Diabetes is completely preventable if you take adequate preventive measures in Ahara and Vihara or Diet and Lifestyle.Clinical trials like the ones conducted by the Indian Diabetes Prevention Program (IDPP) have also proven this fact.Ayurveda recommends a Diabetic diet which reduces the amount of carbohydrates consumed in an average day and replaces it with complex carbohydrates and a high amount of protein.


Optimum support is provided in the form of herbal remedies for Diabetes. Depending on the type of the condition, a single herb or an herbal blend may be prescribed. This will help the boost the natural production of insulin in the body and also help to reduce the amount of carbohydrates that is converted into blood sugar.Is Diabetes Herbs Treatment a myth?We continue to be increasingly dependent on synthetic medicines for treating most of our lifestyle problems and as a result, pharmaceutical companies control a multibillion dollar industry.If we take the sales of Lantus or Januvia, world famous Diabetes drugs being used by millions of people around the world, the numbers are staggering.Yet, every now and then, an existing drug is completely withdrawn or regulated from the market due to increasing side effects. Some are as severe as pancreatic cancer.It is estimated that the global sales for Diabetes drugs will touch $58 billion by the year 2018. It is now wonder then that herbal remedies for diabetes are given considerable bad press.Most of the diabetes herbs treatments like Gymnema Leaf, Cinnamon or Fenugreek are termed as ineffective. A popular theory goes that you need to consume large amounts of these herbs to control diabetes which is clearly untrue.Yet, doctors warn their patients not to use herbs for diabetes while using other synthetic medications because there is the risk of blood sugar going way below normal levels.If herbs were indeed ineffective in reducing blood sugar levels, then why is this warning issued for patients?It is very simple. If used with a regular diet and exercise routine, herbs can be a safe and long term way to help control Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes - The Connection Between Controlling Your Blood Sugar and a Healthy Brain

Diabetes has been associated with dementia and changes in brain anatomy, but so far it's unclear what changes come about when blood sugar levels are poorly controlled. Researchers at Maastricht University Medical Center in Maastricht, in the south of the Netherlands, reviewed the literature reporting on the subject so far - in order to gain insight as to blood sugar control and the brain.Their study, reported on in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, in August 2014, included 86 papers on...

blood sugar levels,

insulin concentration,

insulin resistance,

diabetes treatments and how they might affect the brain.
It was found blood sugar levels, changes in these levels, and high HbA1c levels, were associated with difficulties in brain function. On the other hand, HbA1c levels only accounted for less than 10 percent of differences in patient's scores on tests of their mental abilities.According to a report published in Diabetes Care August 2014, insulin resistance, the cause of Type 2 diabetes, could affect how much iron is found in the brain. Investigators at the Girona Biomedical Research Institute in Girona, Catalonia, Spain and other research centers in Spain, compared magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of brains affected by insulin resistance in 13 obese and 20 non-obese women. It was found obese individuals had more iron in certain areas of their brain than did non-obese women. Insulin resistance was associated with having too much iron in the brain and with poor results on tests of mental skills.


In June 2014 the journal Neuropsychopharmacology reported the results of a study on insulin resistance, diabetes, and the brain in manic-depressive disorders. Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, and other investigative centers compared brain structures using brain MRIs of people with...

manic depressive disorders and either insulin resistance or full-blown Type 2 diabetes,
of people with...

depressive disorders and normal blood sugar levels, and
participants with...

normal blood sugar levels and no psychiatric diagnoses.
It was found amongst those people with manic depressive disorders and those with insulin resistance or diabetes, had less brain matter than those with normal blood sugar levels.From this information it was suggested keeping blood sugar levels and insulin resistance under control could be one good way of preventing brain shrinkage in people with manic depressive disorders. If controlling Type 2 diabetes is ideal for anyone who has been diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, it is not too far-fetched to think it is likely to help prevent shrinkage in the brain of the mentally healthy as well.

A Diabetes Epidemic and the Nutrition Remedy

Diabetes occurs in the body (both human and animal), when the body's metabolism (breaking down of food) process becomes imbalanced. The malfunction within the body contributing to the disease begins in the pancreas. The body's natural sugar production occurs in the pancreas and is identified as insulin. When the pancreas does not sufficiently produce enough insulin, or the body does not utilize the insulin properly enough, a malfunction in the body's biological process occurs. Insulin production in the body adds to the body's nutrition values on a daily basis, based on the types of foods people consume. Proper nutrition has been known to be a remedy to many types of physical diseases.The most common types of diabetes are 'Type 1' diabetes and 'Type 2' diabetes. Type 1 is essentially when the body lacks insulin from lack of insulin production from the pancreas. This type of the disease is known to occur mainly in young adults and children thus having been referred to as Juvenile Diabetes. The other type, Type 2 (and the most common form) is known to be caused by the body resisting insulin produced by the pancreas. The cells of the body's liver, muscles, and fat become resistant to insulin and do not utilize insulin effectively. Health researchers are still trying to pinpoint the exact causes of the resistance.The diabetes disease has been identified by health scientists to be the result of high glucose (high blood sugar) levels within the body. Such high levels of sugar produced within the body can be the result of an unhealthy diet consisting of heavy consumption of sugary foods and drinks over time. After years of heavy sugar consumption, the body can react from the increase of blood sugar production between the pancreas and the sugar taken-in when people eat or drink sugar-rich foods regularly.


One of the ways that people have been reverting to more healthy-choice diets is by less consumption of sugar-rich foods and drinks. Many foods and drinks even contain artificial sugar in the forms of corn syrups. Corn syrups are concentrated, artificially produced sugars that can often exceed a natural daily sugar intake need for the body. By heavily consuming sugar (especially artificial sugar), the habit can lead to overcompensation within the body thus creating high levels of blood sugar in the body.Health experts have warned people for years about the risks of eating a lot of foods rich in sugar and drinks high in sugar content. Now, with the diabetes epidemic seemingly on the rise due to poor health choices, it has become very important that people realize the dangers of poor health choices. Proper nutrition has been taught extensively by genuine health experts and health advocates all over the world.When health awareness becomes more evident, by people choosing healthier lifestyles, diseases like diabetes can be prevented. Many people have begun to realize the health benefits of stringent diets of refraining from consuming foods and drinks high in sugar. Taking proper care of the body can result in better health and it can even increase life expectancy when being aware and utterly responsible in choosing what to eat. Nutrition can be the remedy to good health.

Type 2 Diabetes - Dealing With the Diet Police As You Come to Terms With Diabetes

So, you've been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. You've told your friends and family about your diagnosis. You've got appointments with doctors, nurses, and dietitians. You're learning how to follow a meal plan, test your blood sugar, and maybe you need to give yourself insulin injections. And on top of all this... now you're dealing with the diet police. The diet police are people - usually friends and family members - who think it's their job to tell you what you can and can't eat. And while they usually mean well, their comments can be annoying - and even hurtful.Here are some tips on dealing with the diet police...1. Decide on a response. Figure out what works best for you when dealing with the diet police. You could choose to completely ignore the person and not respond. Or you can come up with a comeback. A humorous "who invited the diet police?" may get the point across.2. Educate them. Many people don't have a good understanding of nutrition. They may know there's a connection between carbohydrates and Type 2 diabetes and assume this means you can't eat any carbohydrates at all. Ask them how well they understand the role of carbohydrates in the body, and then explain everyone needs some carbohydrates for energy, and it's the source of the carbohydrates - simple vs. complex - that's important.


3. Confront the person. If these strategies don't work, you may need to talk to the offender privately. You can let them know you understand they are concerned and are trying to help, but their comments aren't helpful. Remember to use "I" statements during this conversation, like "I feel hurt when you_________." You can also suggest to them other ways they can be supportive like exercising with you or maybe cooking healthy meals together.4. Take care of yourself. Stress and negative feelings won't help your blood sugar level, so do what you need to and create a positive environment where you can make healthy lifestyle choices. If a friend or family member does talk to you in an appropriate way about concerns they have over your health, give what they say some thought. If there are changes you feel you can make to improve your diet, exercise, or other areas of your diabetes management, ask for the support you need to be successful. For example, if you're having a hard time avoiding eating sweets, talk to your family about not serving them as often. If it's a food you need to avoid, it's likely a food the rest of the family doesn't need to eat either.

Type 2 Diabetes - Should You Get Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Bariatric surgery, or surgery to reduce weight, is effective for producing remission in Type 2 diabetes in some cases. Researchers at the University of Florida in Miami, United States, carried out a study to learn which people with Type 2 diabetes could benefit the most from the procedure.Their study, reported on in the medical journal Obesity Surgery in November 2014, included 245 obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes. One year after surgery 26 percent of these diabetics had an...

HbA1c of not more than 6 percent and

a fasting blood sugar of less than 100 mg/dl (5 mmol/L).
The average HbA1c decreased from 8 to 6.7 percent after 6 months and 6.4 after one year. It was found the participants with...

no family history of Type 2 diabetes,

who were using only oral medications, and

who had few complications of the disease
had the greatest chance of going into remission.From these results it was concluded diabetics without a family history, with fewer complications, and not using insulin are the best candidates for roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery.Roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery consists of...

making the stomach into a small pouch and reattaching it to the middle part of the small intestine (jejunum).

food goes into the small pouch so the person feels full eating only a small amount.

as the food travels to the jejunum, it bypasses the upper part of the small intestine, or duodenum.

since the duodenum normally absorbs some of the food, bypassing it means absorbing less of the food as it passes through the digestive tract.



After the procedure it is important to prevent malnutrition. Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, United States, recommends daily vitamin and mineral supplements for life...

vitamin D,

calcium,

vitamin B12,

iron, and

multivitamins
prevent nutritional deficiency.People who have had gastric bypass surgery...

need to take twice the dose of vitamins recommended for people with normal digestive tracts, and have

blood tests every six months to ensure they get enough vitamins and minerals.
People who have bypass surgery develop a higher need for protein, and must eat high protein sources such as beans and other legumes. Fruits and vegetable are also important for their vitamin and mineral content, although diabetics need to regulate their carbohydrate intake.Major surgery is undertaken only as a last resort, when diet and exercise fail. Many people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are able to produce a remission by lowering their weight to normal by lowering their blood sugar, eating less and getting more physical activity. Here's to remission.

Type 2 Diabetes - How Much Salt Should a Diabetic Eat Each Day?

As a Type 2 diabetic, you're used to watching what you eat. You count or monitor the amount of carbohydrates you eat, while also looking at the fat and protein content and portion sizes. But, do you also pay attention to how much sodium (salt) you take in?Eating too much salt can raise your risk of cardiovascular disease. Since having Type 2 diabetes also increases your risk, it's smart to pay attention to your sodium intake. It's recommended adults in the US get at least 1,500 mg of sodium a day, but not more than 2,300 mg. The average adult intake in the US is 3,436 mg.However, you may have seen some recent news in the Forbes Magazine about studies that question these recommendations. Some scientists feel since there has never been a large, randomized trial on sodium levels, the low sodium recommendations may be inaccurate. It's not only Americans who eat too much sodium - 99.2% of the world's population takes in more than the recommended amount of sodium.So, with different opinions on the sodium recommendations, how much salt is okay for you to have? Studies have shown some people are more sensitive to sodium levels than others. This means some people may be able to eat high amounts of salt with no health issues developing, while other people find eating high levels of salt contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. However, it can be hard to tell if you're sensitive to sodium or not. Since having Type 2 diabetes puts you at a higher risk of heart disease, it's wise to limit your intake of salt and avoid possibly increasing your risk of heart disease.


How do you avoid eating too much salt? In Americans, the majority of their salt intake comes from processed food and food eaten at restaurants. Sprinkling a little salt on your food at the table or adding it during cooking usually doesn't add too much. Avoiding or cutting back on processed food is a good way to lower your salt intake, as well as the amount of added sugar you eat.If you often eat out at restaurants, try replacing one or two meals out each week with home cooked meals. And when you do eat out, check the nutrition information for the amount of salt and choose lower-salt options. If the nutrition information isn't available, ask the restaurant how much salt is in the food you want to order, and see if they can reduce it.