#Diabetic #A1C #T1D: When to Eat when you have #Diabetes

When you are a diabetic sometimes when you eat is just as important as what you eat.
Keeping a steady stream of food in your system without causing high blood sugars can be hard to do.  But once you figure what works for you, you will have more flexibility and better control of your diabetes.

It is recommended that diabetics eat many small meals throughout the day or three main meals and three snacks in between.  A typical day may go like this:

*    Wake-up and have breakfast
*    Mid-morning snack
*    Lunch
*    Mid-afternoon snack
*    Dinner
*    Bedtime snack

The timing in between each meal or snack should be two to three hours.  This variation will depend on what you have eaten at the previous meal, how active you have been and what you feel like.  If you are feeling hungry or light-headed and you normally wouldn’t have eaten for another 30 minutes – don’t wait.  Test your blood sugar and move up your
meal.  The time it can take for you to wait the 30 minutes can be the time it takes for your blood sugar to drop dangerously low.

The only time you may want to wait a longer period of time is between dinner and your bedtime snack.  Most times dinner is the biggest meal of the day and you will not need food again for a longer period of time.  Another reason to wait longer is to ensure that you have enough food in your system before you go to bed to last you through the night without your blood sugars dropping too low.

If eating this many times in a day is too much for you, consider eating smaller means and smaller portion sizes.  Eating this way (less more often) makes it easier for your body to

regulate blood glucose levels.

Diabetics: 5 Ways to Lower Your A1C diabetes.

The A1C is a blood test that shows how well your diabetes management plan is working. Here's how to reach a healthy A1C number and avoid diabetes complications.

Taking the A1C Test

If your diabetes is well controlled and your blood sugar levels have remained stable, the American Diabetes Association recommends that you have the A1C test two times each year. This simple blood draw can be done in your doctor's office. A1C test results provide insight into how your treatment plan is working or might be modified to better control the condition. Your doctor may want to run the test as often as every three months if your A1C is not within your target range.

What the A1C Results Mean
The A1C test measures the glucose (blood sugar) in your blood by assessing the amount of what’s called glycated hemoglobin. “Hemoglobin is a protein within red blood cells. As glucose enters the bloodstream, it binds to hemoglobin, or glycates. The more glucose that enters the bloodstream, the higher the amount of glycated hemoglobin,” Dr. Dodell says. An A1C level below 5.7 percent is considered normal. An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 percent signals pre-diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when the A1C is over 6.5 percent. For many people with type 2 diabetes, the goal is to lower A1C levels to a healthier percentage.
Your A1C goal is specific to you. Several factors come into play such as your age, how advanced your diabetes is, and any other heath conditions you have. A common A1C goal for people with diabetes is less than 7 percent, Dodell says. If you can keep your A1C number below your goal, you help to reduce the risk of diabetes complications, such as nerve damage and eye problems.

Tips for a Lower A1C
Your A1C score is a valuable part of the diabetes control picture, Dodell says, but it is not the only indicator of your health. Someone who has wide fluctuations in blood sugar levels may have an A1C at goal because the average is good. However, these day-to-day fluctuations can lower your quality of life and increase your risk of complications, he says.
Diabetes can be a tough condition to manage, Dodell says. He tells his patients to view diabetes management like a job. It takes work, but the time and effort you put into it can result in good control and an improved quality of life. “The key to reaching your A1C goal is trying to follow a healthy lifestyle,” he says.
Making these healthy changes can help you improve your day-to-day blood sugar management and lower your A1C:

• Move more. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. This doesn’t have to be formal exercise, Dodell says. Find something you enjoy doing that gets your body moving — take your dog for a walk, play a sport with a friend, or ride a stationary bike indoors or a regular bike outdoors.
  
 

 
• Eat a balanced diet with proper portion sizes. You can load up on non-starchy vegetables, but be mindful of serving sizes when eating fruits, lean proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates like bread, potatoes, and other starches. Using a salad plate instead of a full-size dinner plate can help prevent overeating. Avoid processed foods as much as possible and say no to sugary sodas and fruit juice. A diabetes educator or dietitian may be able to help if you’re unsure about a good 
•  
• Stick to a schedule. Skipping meals, letting too much time pass between meals, or eating too much or too often can cause your blood sugar levels to fall and rise too much. Your doctor can help you determine the best meal schedule for your lifestyle.
• Follow your treatment plan. Diabetes treatment is very individualized. Your doctor will help you determine the steps you need to take to successfully manage your diabetes. Always talk to your doctor before making any changes.
• Check your blood sugar as directed. Checking blood sugar on your own is still necessary, even if your doctor is monitoring your A1C levels. Keeping a journal of your blood sugar levels can tell you and your doctor how certain activities affect your blood sugar. It can also help determine an ideal eating schedule and alert you to foods that cause blood sugar spikes.

Understanding your A1C levels is an important part of your overall diabetes management. If you have any questions about your A1C levels or what they mean, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor.

#Diabetes and Your #Heart for #diabetics- #diabetic #A1C

http://pilotbay1.tumblr.com

You must keep blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol as close to normal as possible to protect your heart
KEEP AT IT. Making even small changes is hard in the beginning. Try to add one new change a week. If you get off track, start again and keep at it.

Having diabetes is hard on your heart. You might worry more about other diabetes complications, like eye, kidney and nerve disease, but did you know that when you have diabetes there is a 80 percent chance you will die of heart disease? It's true; compared to a person who doesn't have diabetes, you are much more likely to have a heart attack, and heart problems are likely to be more severe and to strike you when you are younger.

Heart disease is also tremendously expensive to treat. As a result of the devastating human and economic toll, the medical community is paying much more attention to the diabetes–heart health connection. Scientists are trying to understand it better, and health care providers are trying to do something about it.
Diabetes and heart disease: what's the link?

In addition to the high risks that attend diabetes itself, people with diabetes often have two other major risks factors for heart disease:

    high blood pressure
    high cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Each of these conditions contributes to blood vessel damage; the vessels get blocked and less flexible, cutting off circulation to the heart and making it work too hard. This condition is called cardiovascular disease or CVD for short. People with diabetes are likely to suffer from other large blood vessel conditions, such as stroke, as well.
Be smart about your heart

Keeping your blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat (cholesterol) levels as close to normal as possible can help keep your blood vessels healthy and protect your heart. Unfortunately, most people with diabetes don't know that. Most aren't aware that heart disease is the most deadly complication of diabetes, and very few know the specific things they can do to maintain heart health.

Recently a coalition of diabetes groups including the National Institutes of Health and the American Diabetes Association launched a project to give people with diabetes and their health care providers the information they need. This project is called, “Be Smart About Your Heart: Control the ABCs of Diabetes.” The message is clear: Take control of the ABCs of diabetes care and live a long and healthy life.

A is for A1c. The A1c (”A-one-c”) test – short for hemoglobin A1c – measures your average blood glucose over the last three months.

B is for blood pressure. High blood pressure makes your heart work too hard.

C is for cholesterol. ”Bad” cholesterol or LDL cholesterol builds up and clogs your arteries.

Do you know your ABC numbers? If you don't, be sure to get them from your health care provider. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends an A1c of less than or equal to 6.5 percent, and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends blood pressure below 130/80, and LDL cholesterol below 100. (The ADA recommends that people who have both diabetes and heart disease aim for an LDL cholesterol level below 70, using statin medications to reach this target). If any of your ABC numbers are higher than these targets, talk to your health care provider about actions you can take to reach your ABC targets. These actions could include changing your diet, getting more active, quitting smoking or taking medication.

Bottom line: anything you do to get closer to your ABC targets helps keep your heart healthy. 

KEEP AT IT. Making even small changes is hard in the beginning. Try to add one new change a week. If you get off track, start again and keep at it.

Diabetes Management #T1D #diabetic #A1C

As of 2016, there is no cure for either type 1 or type 2
diabetes. This may seem like a dim outlook for many people,
but the fact is that even though there is no cure, there
certainly are ways to manage your diabetes.


Proper management can give you many years of healthy
living.

Diabetes management starts with a visit to your doctor.
first, finding out you have diabetes, what type you have
then arming yourself with as much information as possible
about the diabetes you are diagnosed with.

All management begins with controlling the glucose cycle.

The glucose cycle is affected by two factors, entry of
glucose into the bloodstream and blood levels of insulin to
control the transport out.

Your glucose levels are very sensitive to both diet and
exercise, so change in either should first be discussed
with your physician. Proper management of diabetes can be
very intrusive to the patient.

Proper management requires a complete lifestyle change and frequent, sometimes multi-daily checks of glucose in the
blood.

It can change as people grow and develop and no two cases
are ever really the same. Today it is easier to measure the
blood sugar level.

Glucose meters are readily available and are quite easy to

use with a little practice and patience.

With a small drop of blood to the testing strip attached to
the glucose meter, the user is given the number, which
represents their blood sugar level. 

This in turn will let
the user know if and when insulin is needed.

#Diabetics: Perception of #T1D versus Type 2 Diabetes. #Diabetes #insulin

It is essentially the same disease in how it affects a person’s body but they are completely different in how they develop.  In most news and media reports, diabetes is linked with
obesity and it is claimed that if more people lost weight or became more active the number of people diagnosed would drop. 

These reports can be upsetting to a diabetic with type 1 diabetes, it doesn’t matter what there body type is, was, or will be they will always have the disease.  There may be some animosity from type 1 diabetics towards type 2 diabetics but this would be misplaced – the media is creating this by not telling the full story.

Yes, type 2 diabetes is intertwined with lifestyle choices and being overweight.  This is an epidemic that can be avoided.  But not all people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are
considered obese or to be living an unhealthy lifestyle.

Another problem with the misconception about type 1 diabetics is that they make up a very small amount of the people diagnosed with the disease (approximately 10% of all
diabetics are type 1).  

They are not getting as much attention in the news and reports because it is not a growing concern like type 2 diabetes.

It is hard to be diabetic and read the news as it paints type 2 diabetics as people who should just lose weight and they wouldn’t have a problem.  But it should be noted that
there are many people who are overweight and obese who do not have diabetes and the opposite is true too – people who maintain a healthy body weight are being diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes.

It is important to remember that not all the information is being provided and that there are many reasons and people who get this disease and they should not be judged because
of it.

#Diabetes #Diabetic #Diabetics: Illness & Injury

Illness & Injury

When people with diabetes are sick with a cold, flu, or other infection, it can cause blood

glucose levels to climb. So can the physical stress of an injury.  It is important to have a sick day plan worked out with your medical team before you need it. Taking your medications, testing your blood glucose levels, and staying hydrated are all parts of managing your diabetes while you are sick.

SOURCES

First Aid A well-stocked first aid kit is your first line of defense in an emergency.	Cold, Flu, & Illness The flu is a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. For people with diabetes, this illness can impair the immune system and cause serious complications.
Urinary Tract Infections A UTI is an infection anywhere in the urinary tract. Changing some of your daily habits may help you avoid UTIs.	Yeast Infections Women with diabetes have a higher risk of contracting yeast infections, but men, infants, and children are susceptible as well.
Wound Care Wounds and infections are a common complication of diabetes. The dLife wound care resource center is the first stop in the prevention or care of wounds and infections.	Hospital Care Hospitalization does not have to derail your efforts to manage your diabetes. Be prepared for hospital stays.

Prevent Pre-Diabetes: #diabetes #diabetics #T1D #insulin

Are you susceptible? Discover how to prevent it developing into type 2 diabetes

Pre-diabetes means you probably have higher than normal blood-sugar levels but, fortunately, not high enough to be classed as being diabetic.

However it does mean that you are susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease if you do nothing about it.

Unfortunately, more often than not, there are no physical symptoms to warn you if you are in a pre-diabetes stage. So it's worth getting yourself checked out and, if you fall into any of these categories, ask your physician if you are likely to be at risk of pre-diabetes: 

* You are overweight and you are aged 45 or older

* Your weight is OK and you're aged 45+. Ask your doctor during a routine check-up if testing is appropriate for you

* You are an adult under age 45 and you are overweight 

* You have high blood pressure; low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides 

* Your family has a history of diabetes 

* There's a history of gestational diabetes in your family 

* You have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds 

The good news is, if after testing you discover that you do have pre-diabetes; your blood-sugar levels are rather higher than they should be but not in the diabetes range, you can take positive action to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

* Reduce the amount on your plate - eating just a little less helps reduce your risk factor.

* Avoid snacks; if you must snack go for a healthy rather than sugar-laden option.

* Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before eating to take the edge of your appetite so you don't overindulge in food.

* Choose whole-grain foods or sugar-free foods.

* Take a little more exercise; such as walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift or an escalator.

* Don't shop for food when you are feeling hungry.  You'll be more tempted to buy the foods that increase your blood-sugars; add on weight and generally create a higer risk of moving from your pre-diabetes state into being a fully diagnosed type 2 diabetic.

Taking these and other simple actions can reduce your risk of turning pre-diabetes into type 2 diabetes.

Diabetics: Carbohydrates, High Blood Sugars, Diabetes - know the connection?

There is a strong connection between carbohydrates, high blood sugars and diabetes. Carbohydrates give your body the energy, or fuel, it needs to function properly. 

There are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are in foods such as fruit sugar, corn or grape sugar and table sugar. They are single-sugar molecules. Complex carbohydrates are the foods that contain three or more linked sugars. So carbohydrates create blood sugars and that's where the problems start for diabetics.  Understanding more about the connection helps to control your diabetes...

A Personal Experience

I am a diabetic type 2 and, at the moment, I control my blood sugars through tablets and diet.  Blood glucose control is extremely important for any diabetic - it is the only way of minimising future health complications; heart disease; neuropathy resulting in amputations; kidney disease and early death.

Four years ago my A1C sugar levels were starting to get out of control - they weren't massively high but were creeping up. My Doctor increased my medication - with no real satisfactory results, my blood sugars were all over the place; I could go from a high reading at night and be woken by a hypoglaecemic (low blood sugar) in the early hours. 

Then I discovered the Atkins diet and, because I wanted to lose weight, I started to follow the low carbohydrate, high protein menus.

That's when I discovered the real connection between complex carbohydrates, high blood sugars and my diabetes.  Suddenly my blood sugars stabilised and it was because I was no longer piling in huge amounts of carbohydrate, which were pushing my blood sugars far too high.  

This seemed to fly in the face of conventional advice on the right diets - complex carbohydrate rich - for diabetes.  You see, I already understood I had to avoid sweet, sugary food - these contained simple carbohydrates.  I hadn't realised that the more complex carbohydrate of bread, potato and cereals affected my blood sugars as well.

But (there's always a 'but' isn't there?)  the Atkins diet did not really suit me.  I had constant diarrhea which was stressful and debilitating.  So I came off that diet after 3-4 months and, of course, my blood sugars began to get out of control again.

But now I knew about the connection, all I needed to do was find the right program for me that followed the low carbohydrate principle.

And just recently, whilst doing research for my diabetes website, I discovered a program that suits me, and which I describe in more detail on my website for diabetics.

My advice to any diabetic and pre-diabetic, do your research!  Understand the close connection between the complex carbohydrates you eat, how they affect your blood sugars and how it can make it difficult to control your diabetes.  Once you understand that link, look for a diet or system that you can adapt to safely bring your blood sugars back under control.

Remember, too many carbohydrates (complex or simple) give you high blood sugar levels and if you have diabetes it means your body cannot cope with the additional overload.

#Diabetics: 28 Ways to Prevent Type 2 #Diabetes #insulin #A1C

Reduce Portion Sizes

Portion size is the amount of food you eat, such as 1 cup of fruit or 6 ounces of meat. If you are trying to eat smaller portions, eat a half of a bagel instead of a whole bagel or have a 3-ounce hamburger instead of a 6-ounce hamburger. Three ounces is about the size of your fist or a deck of cards.

Put less on your plate, Nate.

1. Drink a large glass of water 10 minutes before your meal so you feel less hungry.
2. Keep meat, chicken, turkey, and fish portions to about 3 ounces.
3. Share one dessert.

Eat a small meal, Lucille.

4. Use teaspoons, salad forks, or child-size forks, spoons, and knives to help you take smaller bites and eat less.
5. Make less food look like more by serving your meal on a salad or breakfast plate.
6. Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that you are full.
7. Listen to music while you eat instead of watching TV (people tend to eat more while watching TV).

How much should I eat?
Try filling your plate like this:

• 1/4 protein
• 1/4 grains
• 1/2 vegetables and fruit
• dairy (low-fat or skim milk)

Move More Each Day

Find ways to be more active each day. Try to be active for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Walking is a great way to get started and you can do it almost anywhere at any time. Bike riding, swimming, and dancing are also good ways to move more.
If you are looking for a safe place to be active, contact your local parks department or health department to ask about walking maps, community centers, and nearby parks.

Dance it away, Faye.

8. Show your kids the dances you used to do when you were their age.
9. Turn up the music and jam while doing household chores.
10. Work out with a video that shows you how to get active.

Let's go, Flo.

11. Deliver a message in person to a co-worker instead of sending an e-mail.
12. Take the stairs to your office. Or take the stairs as far as you can, and then take the elevator the rest of the way.
13. Catch up with friends during a walk instead of by phone.
14. March in place while you watch TV.
15. Choose a place to walk that is safe, such as your local mall.
16. Get off of the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way home or to work if it is safe.

Make Healthy Food Choices

Find ways to make healthy food choices. This can help you manage your weight and lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes.
Choose to eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Cut back on high-fat foods like whole milk, cheeses, and fried foods. This will help you reduce the amount of fat and calories you take in each day.

Snack on a veggie, Reggie.

17. Buy a mix of vegetables when you go food shopping.
18. Choose veggie toppings like spinach, broccoli, and peppers for your pizza.
19. Try eating foods from other countries. Many of these dishes have more vegetables, whole grains, and beans.
20. Buy frozen and low-salt (sodium) canned vegetables. They may cost less and keep longer than fresh ones.
21. Serve your favorite vegetable and a salad with low-fat macaroni and cheese.

Cook with care, Claire.

22. Stir fry, broil, or bake with non-stick spray or low-salt broth. Cook with less oil and butter.
23. Try not to snack while cooking or cleaning the kitchen.
24. Cook with smaller amounts of cured meats (smoked turkey and turkey bacon). They are high in salt.

Cook in style, Kyle.

25. Cook with a mix of spices instead of salt.
26. Try different recipes for baking or broiling meat, chicken, and fish.
27. Choose foods with little or no added sugar to reduce calories.
28. Choose brown rice instead of white rice.

#Diabetics:Treatment for #T1D. #Diabetes #insulin

Type 1 diabetes develops because the cells in the pancreas are not producing enough or any insulin to process the food in the body into energy.  The only way to fix this is to inject insulin into the body to replace the insulin the body should be producing on its own. Type 1 diabetes is also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) and requires insulin treatment for the patient to survive.  This is done by via insulin injections.  

There are two different types of insulin that can be used and in most cases a combination of the two is required. There is fast-acting insulin that is taken and it will start working immediately or within 30 minutes after taking it.  This insulin is good for the beginning of the day before breakfast.  If your body goes through the insulin quickly another injection of the fast-acting insulin may be required before dinner time.  The other type of insulin is long-lasting.  It can be mixed with the fast-acting and injected at the same time but can take upwards of 2-3 hours before it takes affect. Taking this insulin the morning should work for lunch or dinner time meals.

If multiple needles to not appeal to you, an insulin pump is another option.  It is a machine that will pump fast-acting insulin into your system as needed.  Prior to meal times, a button can be pressed to inject an extra dose of insulin to process the food that is going to be eaten.  Some find this method offers greater flexibility, a benefit that outweighs the fact the pump has to be worn 24 hours a day.

The other piece of the treatment puzzle is a balanced diabetic diet.  In addition to the insulin injections the food that is consumed is very important.  If the proper food is not eaten, blood sugar levels will rise and so will insulin requirements.

What is #T1D? #diabetics #diabetes #diabetic #insulin

In type 1 diabetes a person’s pancreas is not able to make enough insulin for the body to
function properly.  Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease – the body’s
cells attack the cells in the pancreas that produces insulin either destroying them entirely
or enough of them that there isn’t enough insulin.

People who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are often surprised because it is not linked
to lifestyle or a healthy body weight.  As of now, there still is no exact reason that
researchers have found that causes a person to develop type 2 diabetes.  Although there
are risk factors that can increase the chances of someone being diagnosed.

Another name for type 1 diabetes is juvenile diabetes.  The reason for this is because the majority of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are under the age of 25.  There have
been reported cases of patients being diagnosed with the disease much older but those are exceptions.  There may be a genetic link that causes people to become insulin dependent but the exact link has yet to be discovered.

Diabetics with type 1 will have to take insulin for the rest of their lives.  The amount of insulin they take may vary with their diet and weight through the years.  Type 1 diabetics
need to carefully monitor their urine for ketones every morning as they are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis – a serious condition.  This is your body’s way of telling you it is not getting enough fuel and is using fat cells as energy instead of the food that is being consumed.

The number of people with type 1 diabetes is relatively small compared to the number of people who are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  The numbers for type 2 diabetes
continue to grow with the obesity rates.

What is Type 2 #Diabetes? #A1C #diabetic #diabetics #insulin

Where type 1 diabetics do not produce enough insulin for their body, type 2 diabetics produce the insulin but their bodies are not make proper use of it.  Type 2 diabetes has
been linked to lifestyle choices as a large number of people who are diagnosed areconsidered overweight or obese.  The extra weight a person carries around can make it
hard for the body to process insulin properly.

Some additional risk factors for being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes include a familyconnections (a first or second generation family member) and race.  Even with these risk
factors present a person can prevent out put-off a diagnosis off type 2 diabetes by losingweight, eating a healthy diet, and plenty of physical activity.  

Type 2 diabetes has in the past been diagnosed in patients over the age of 40 but in recentyears people of all ages have been diagnosed with this disease.  There is an alarming
number of young children who are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who are obese.

People who have not yet been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may exhibit some of thesesymptoms:  Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) and skin infections.   Moodiness andirritability may also be a symptom of diabetes but is usually not one that precipitates a trip to the doctor and is later explained by high or low blood sugar levels.  Other warningsigns for type 2 diabetes are the same as type 1 diabetes such as an increased need tourinate, a desire to drink more and a feel of lethargy or constant tiredness.

Type 2 diabetics have a range of options for treatment depending on personal preference and their individual needs in contrast to type 1 diabetics whose only option is to go on
insulin injections or an insulin pump.