Healthy new year!5 steps to getting back into your routine.
What healthy habits went out your window over the holidays? Portion control? Enough sleep? Getting your steps? The entire vegetable category? It's easy to wake up in January and realize that your routine isn't quite a routine anymore. So how can you get back on track? 1. Give up the guilt. You may have eaten too much, tested too infrequently or chosen eggnog over the treadmill. But that's in the past. Be glad you enjoyed the holidays, then let it go and look forward.2. Go to bed early. Give yourself the extra energy it often takes to get out of a slump.3. Clear...
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Understanding Gestational Diabetes
What is it? Gestational diabetes, or “pregnancy diabetes,” affects between 3 and 20% of pregnant women. It generally occurs in the second or third trimester and goes away on its own after childbirth. Any pregnant woman can develop it, but there are a number of risk factors such as age, ethnicity, excess weight, corticosteroid use, family history and some pre-existing conditions. What’s happening? Gestational diabetes occurs late in pregnancy, at the stage where the baby is already formed. Placental hormones, which help the child...
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Understanding Prediabetes
What is it? Prediabetes is when a person’s blood sugar level (blood glucose) is higher than average, but not enough to diagnose them with diabetes. Almost all type 2 diabetics have had prediabetes, but not all prediabetics develop type 2 diabetes. Of course, it’s not enough to hope you fall into the right category: without any intervention, prediabetes is extremely likely to evolve in the wrong direction. What’s happening? Prediabetes entails abnormal fasting blood glucose—that is, abnormal blood sugar levels eight hours after a...
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Hyperglycemia
When there isn’t enough insulin in your body, or when the hormone becomes ineffective, your cells are unable to use the available glucose, which then builds up in the blood. Hyperglycemia occurs when glucose levels rise above target values, i.e.: Over 7 mmol/L fasting or before a meal Over 10 mmol/L two hours after a meal Chronic hyperglycemia is what causes the long-term complications of diabetes such as blood vessel and nerve damage, blindness and kidney failure. Signs Fatigue or drowsiness ...
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Putting your best foot forward!
In the long run, the hyperglycemia that characterizes diabetes ends up affecting the nerves (in what is known as neuropathy) and the blood vessels, especially the capillaries. This results in a loss of sensitivity and a decrease in the natural hydration of the feet, which leads to dry skin, cracks and calluses. This means that not only are you more likely to injure your feet and not realize it right away, but you heal more slowly, and your wounds are more likely to become infected. How do you prevent problems? As with everything related to diabetes—and health in...
Read More
Hypertension 101
Also known as “high blood pressure,” hypertension is one of the leading causes of strokes and heart disease, and the worst part is that it often shows no symptoms. People with diabetes need to be especially watchful, as they are more likely to develop hypertension at some point and suffer its adverse consequences. Blood pressure “Blood pressure” refers to the pressure blood exerts on artery walls. It’s an essential part of the process that carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Hypertension Hypertension occurs when blood...
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Protecting Your Smile When You Have Diabetes
Diabetes increases the risk of mouth problems, but this has (almost) nothing to do with your sugar intake. The main culprit is actually hyperglycemia. The effect of blood glucose Your body can react in many different ways to improperly managed blood glucose. You produce less saliva, and what you do produce contains more glucose, which can lead to dry mouth, ulcers, tooth decay or yeast infections. Due to hyperglycemia, there is increase glucose in the saliva which promotes the spread of bacteria, decreases nutrient absorption and slows healing. This partly explains why you’re more...
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A Quick Overview Of Oral Medications
For type 1 diabetes With type 1 diabetes, you need to take insulin your whole life, since your body won’t produce any. It must be administered through injections or using a pump. If you’re wondering why no one has invented an insulin pill yet, that’s because stomach enzymes would make short work of it. In addition to insulin therapy, managing type 1 diabetes also requires exercising, eating a proper diet and monitoring blood glucose. Some oral medicines are sometimes prescribed to complement this. These include the following: Blood pressure medications...
Read More
Diabetes And Kidneys
Diabetic nephropathy is a kidney disease caused by type 1 or 2 diabetes. Up to 50% of people with diabetes will eventually experience kidney damage, and they risk kidney failure without proper treatment. Fortunately, good diabetes management and effective prevention can delay or even prevent many problems. What are kidneys for? The kidneys are two fist-sized organs located near the back below the rib cage. Their job is to filter blood and eliminate waste through urine. They also regulate the amount of fluid and salt in the body, which is an essential part of controlling blood pressure...
Read MorePages
Understanding Gestational Diabetes
What is it? Gestational diabetes, or “pregnancy diabetes,” affects between 3 and 20% of pregnant women. It generally occurs in the second or third trimester and goes away on its own after childbirth. Any pregnant woman can develop it, but there are a number of risk factors such as age, ethnicity, excess weight, corticosteroid use, family history and some pre-existing conditions. What’s happening? Gestational diabetes occurs late in pregnancy, at the stage where the baby is already formed. Placental hormones, which help the child...
Read More Understanding Prediabetes
What is it? Prediabetes is when a person’s blood sugar level (blood glucose) is higher than average, but not enough to diagnose them with diabetes. Almost all type 2 diabetics have had prediabetes, but not all prediabetics develop type 2 diabetes. Of course, it’s not enough to hope you fall into the right category: without any intervention, prediabetes is extremely likely to evolve in the wrong direction. What’s happening? Prediabetes entails abnormal fasting blood glucose—that is, abnormal blood sugar levels eight hours after a...
Read More Hyperglycemia
When there isn’t enough insulin in your body, or when the hormone becomes ineffective, your cells are unable to use the available glucose, which then builds up in the blood. Hyperglycemia occurs when glucose levels rise above target values, i.e.: Over 7 mmol/L fasting or before a meal Over 10 mmol/L two hours after a meal Chronic hyperglycemia is what causes the long-term complications of diabetes such as blood vessel and nerve damage, blindness and kidney failure. Signs Fatigue or drowsiness ...
Read More Putting your best foot forward!
In the long run, the hyperglycemia that characterizes diabetes ends up affecting the nerves (in what is known as neuropathy) and the blood vessels, especially the capillaries. This results in a loss of sensitivity and a decrease in the natural hydration of the feet, which leads to dry skin, cracks and calluses. This means that not only are you more likely to injure your feet and not realize it right away, but you heal more slowly, and your wounds are more likely to become infected. How do you prevent problems? As with everything related to diabetes—and health in...
Read More Hypertension 101
Also known as “high blood pressure,” hypertension is one of the leading causes of strokes and heart disease, and the worst part is that it often shows no symptoms. People with diabetes need to be especially watchful, as they are more likely to develop hypertension at some point and suffer its adverse consequences. Blood pressure “Blood pressure” refers to the pressure blood exerts on artery walls. It’s an essential part of the process that carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Hypertension Hypertension occurs when blood...
Read More Protecting Your Smile When You Have Diabetes
Diabetes increases the risk of mouth problems, but this has (almost) nothing to do with your sugar intake. The main culprit is actually hyperglycemia. The effect of blood glucose Your body can react in many different ways to improperly managed blood glucose. You produce less saliva, and what you do produce contains more glucose, which can lead to dry mouth, ulcers, tooth decay or yeast infections. Due to hyperglycemia, there is increase glucose in the saliva which promotes the spread of bacteria, decreases nutrient absorption and slows healing. This partly explains why you’re more...
Read More A Quick Overview Of Oral Medications
For type 1 diabetes With type 1 diabetes, you need to take insulin your whole life, since your body won’t produce any. It must be administered through injections or using a pump. If you’re wondering why no one has invented an insulin pill yet, that’s because stomach enzymes would make short work of it. In addition to insulin therapy, managing type 1 diabetes also requires exercising, eating a proper diet and monitoring blood glucose. Some oral medicines are sometimes prescribed to complement this. These include the following: Blood pressure medications...
Read More Diabetes And Kidneys
Diabetic nephropathy is a kidney disease caused by type 1 or 2 diabetes. Up to 50% of people with diabetes will eventually experience kidney damage, and they risk kidney failure without proper treatment. Fortunately, good diabetes management and effective prevention can delay or even prevent many problems. What are kidneys for? The kidneys are two fist-sized organs located near the back below the rib cage. Their job is to filter blood and eliminate waste through urine. They also regulate the amount of fluid and salt in the body, which is an essential part of controlling blood pressure...
Read More