Diabetes Symptom

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above
normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (sugar)
for our bodies to burn to create energy. The pancreas, an organ
that lies near the stomach, produces a hormone called insulin to
help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have
diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t
use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes large
amounts of sugar to build up in your blood.

The actual cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although
both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity appear
to play major roles. Diabetes can cause serious health
complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney
failure, and lower-extremity amputations. According to the
Center for Disease Control, diabetes is the sixth leading cause
of death in the United States. As of 2002, 18.2 million people
in the U.S.–6.3 percent of the population–had diabetes, with
1.3 million new cases being diagnosed each year. The National
Institutes of Health also estimate that an additional 5.2
million people have diabetes without actually being aware of it.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which was
previously called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile-onset
diabetes, accounts for about 10% of all diagnosed cases of
diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which was called
non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes, accounts for the
remaining 90%. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that
only pregnant women get. If not treated, it can cause problems
for both the baby and the mother. Gestational diabetes develops
in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies, but usually disappears when the
pregnancy is over.

Diabetes is a serious disease and phrases such as “a touch of
diabetes” or “your blood sugar is a little high” tend to dismiss
the fact that diabetes is a major killer of Americans. In
addition to the lives that are lost, diabetes has a tremendous
economic impact in the United States. The National Diabetes
Education Program estimates the cost of diabetes in 2002 was
$132 billion. Of this amount, $92 billion was due to direct
medical costs and $40 billion due to indirect costs such as lost
workdays, restricted activity, and disability due to diabetes.
The average medical expenditure for a person with diabetes was
$13,243, or 5.2 times greater than the cost for a person without
diabetes. In addition, 11 percent of national health care
expenditures went to diabetes care.

In response to this growing health burden of diabetes, the
diabetes community has three choices: prevent diabetes; cure
diabetes; and improve the quality of care of people with
diabetes to prevent devastating complications. All three
approaches are being actively pursued by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services. Many government agencies, at all
levels, are involved in educational campaigns in an attempt to
prevent diabetes, especially type 2. Several approaches to
“cure” diabetes are also being pursued: pancreas
transplantation, islet cell transplantation (islet cells in the
pancreas produce insulin), the development of an artificial
pancreas, and genetic manipulation where fat or muscle cells
that do not normally make insulin have a human insulin gene
inserted and are then transplanted into people with type 1
diabetes.

While there is yet no cure for diabetes, healthy eating,
physical activity, and insulin injections are the basic
therapies for type 1 diabetes. For those with type 2 diabetes,
treatment includes healthy eating, physical activity, and blood
glucose testing. Many people with type 2 may require oral
medication to control their glucose levels. People with diabetes
must take personal responsibility for their day-to-day care, and
keep blood glucose levels from going too low or too high. The
key to living a long and healthy life with diabetes is to learn
about the disease, exercise daily, follow a diabetes food plan
(right portions of healthy foods, less salt and fat), stop
smoking, take prescribed medications, get routine medical care,
brush your teeth and floss every day, monitor your blood glucose
the way the doctor tells you to and remain positive. Using the
correct routines, thousands of people with diabetes have lived
long, happy and productive lives.

About the author:
Larry Denton is a retired history teacher having taught 33 years
at Hobson High in Hobson, Montana. He is currently Vice
President of Elfin Enterprises of Montana, Inc. an Internet
business dedicated to providing information and resources on a
variety of topics. For more info on diabetes visit http://www.DiabetesAide.com

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Proper nutrition is an area of confusion for most people. With
all of the conflicting information in the media and all of the
fad diets out there, it is hard to know how to eat right. Eating
right comes down to eating the proper balance of the three main
compounds that make up our food: carbohydrates, proteins and
fats. Knowing the balance is the first step, knowing the right
foods to eat within these groups is the next.

Carbohydrates: Fourty percent of your calorie intake should come
from carbs. A good portion of the carbs you take in should be
low glycemic and dietary fiber rich. Low glycemic carbs take
longer to digest and fill you up quicker. Good sources of these
types of carbs are fruits such as mangos, grapefruits and pears.
Whole grains breads, rice and pasta, veggies and popcorn
(without butter) are all excellent sources of dietary fiber as
well. Eating carbs rich in dietary fiber help prevent many
cancers, decrease cholesterol in the bloodstream and decrease
the chance of diabetes, which is increasing within the
population.

Protein: Thirty percent of your calorie intake should come from
protein. You should take in no more than 2 grams per 2.2lbs of
body weight to avoid kidney damage although this takes a long
time to develop (15 years of high protein intake). Animal
proteins are the most complete form of protein. Good animal
sources are chicken, turkey and lean cuts of beef. Plant
proteins are incomplete sources and a variety of them must be
consumed to get a complete protein. Vegetarians run into this
problem and depending on the type of vegetarian, a protein or
amino acid supplement may be needed.

Fats: Thirty percent of your calorie intake should come from
fats and less than 10% should come from saturated and trans fats
(the bad and evil fats). The rest should come from essential
fats. I know, this sounds like a lot of fat in a diet but hear
me out. The big thing is to decrease saturated and trans fats
and eat the essential ones. But what are sources of essential
fats? Good sources are cold-water fish, peanuts, walnuts,
avocados and sunflower seeds. Also, using olive or canola oils
for cooking will increase essential fats in the diet. The most
important thing to do is to stay away from foods cooked in
shortening, processed foods, deep-fried foods and fatty cuts of
meat.

Now the next question, how many calories should I eat a day to
have a healthy lifestyle? Well that depends, is your weight
ideal right now? To maintain your current weight, there is a
certain amount of calories you must take in. To figure out your
maintenance level, multiply your weight in kg’s (lbs/2.2) by 24
+ 200 for males and 23 + 200 for females. Dieting is very
simple. To lose weight, take in fewer calories. About 500 less
than your maintenance level is a safe start. To gain weight, eat
more than your maintenance level. It’s as simple as that!

For more information on health and to view our products go to
www.gearforhealth.com

About the author:
Dr. Jeff Hand was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario,Canada, where he
attended Lakehead University for his Bachelor of Science degree.
He then attended Northwestern College of Chiropractic in
Minneapolis, MN for his doctor of Chiropractic degree. Dr. Hand
now practices in Baxter, MN at Family Chiropractic Clinic.

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Overview of Gout Gout is a systemic disease caused by the
buildup of uric acid in the joints, causing inflammation,
swelling, and pain. This condition can develop for two reasons.
The liver may produce more uric acid than the body can excrete
in the urine, or a diet of rich foods (e.g., red meat, cream
sauces, red wine) puts more uric acid into the bloodstream than
the kidneys can filter. In both cases, a condition called
hyperuricemia results. Over time, the uric acid crystallizes and
settles in the joint spaces, most commonly in the first
metatarsal phalangeal joint of the big toe or in the ankle
joint. Signs and Symptoms The most common symptoms of gout are
inflammation, swelling, and tenderness in the joint of the first
toe. Touching or moving it is intensely painful and patients
often say it hurts to have as much as a bedsheet over the toe.
Gout develops quickly and typically occurs in only one joint at
a time. Symptoms may develop in two or three joints
simultaneously, but this is rare. If widespread symptoms occur,
the condition is probably not gout. Diagnosis The most reliable
way to diagnose gout is to examine the joint fluid for uric acid
crystals. This is done by drawing fluid from the joint with a
needle and examining it under a polarized light microscope.
Although the test is invasive, the results are definitive, and a
positive result facilitates proper treatment and quick relief.
Treatment Treatment for gout involves decreasing the amount of
uric acid in the joint. If dietary habits are the cause, the
patient’s lifestyle must be changed to avoid the condition. Gout
is readily corrected with patient cooperation, and it is usually
not treated unless it occurs frequently. Colchicine is a common
medication for treating acute gout attacks. If continuous
medication is necessary, the two most common choices are
probenecid and allopurinol. Prevention Alcohol and rich foods
are primary contributors to excessive uric acid levels. Although
some patients have a genetic predisposition to excessive uric
acid production, most gout patients have normal kidneys and
uncontrolled dietary habits. Prevention is the best defense
against the disease. Many patients who suffer from gout continue
to indulge, and suffer frequent attacks as a result. Although
medication makes it possible to live with gout, the continued
accumulation of uric acid in the joints eventually damages them,
seriously inhibiting movement.

Overview of Diabetes New to diabetes? Learn the basics – check
with your local diabetes clinic or research it on the internet.
A key to diabetes management is maintaining a regular exercise
program. Its never too late to start – see below. Sticking to
dietary goals while eating out also can be very challenging –
see comments below. 20 million Americans and Canadians have
diabetes. Nearly 7 million don’t know it. Type 2 diabetes
usually develops slowly, and the symptoms often go unnoticed.
Our son developed a puffiness to his face which we noticed right
away because we saw him only a couple of times a year. He and
his wife put it down to simple weight gain. After 2½ years they
finally snapped to there being something wrong and when he was
finally checked out his diabetes was “off the charts”.
Fortunately, they caught it in time, but it should have been
caught over a year earlier. Nearly 90 to 95% of all people with
diabetes have type 2. Who gets it? Just about any body. Fat,
skinny, regular build, it makes no difference; just about
everyone can develop diabetes. Most at risk are people
regardless of body build who live on a high intake of “junk
food”. Least at risk are people who eat a regular balanced diet.

What you may not know about diabetes – the truth about insulin
resistance. 92% of people with type 2 diabetes have insulin
resistance. Get the facts – go to your local diabetes agency or
research it on the internet.

Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes. Obesity is not a
guarantee you will develop diabetes and many obese persons never
develop it, but persons who are obese

Diabetic meals can be healthy and savory.

A key to diabetes management is maintaining a regular exercise
program. Its never too late to start and you can do it with a
simple walking program. Just walk 1 kilometer a day and over a
period of a month build it up to two miles (3 kilometers) a day.

Sticking to dietary goals while eating out can be very
challenging. Many, even most, restaurants cater to people with
special dietary needs – just ask. And learn those restaurants
which do not and avoid them.

When it comes to diabetic nutrition, not sure what to believe?
There are many stories out there, some believable, others not.
Research what you need to know from trusted resources – your
local diabetes support center, the internet, friends who have
diabetes.

The help of friends and family can make all the difference to
someone with diabetes.

Help for Diabetes, Gout and Other Disorders

Check out these products, Native’s Gift, Desert Promise, Bio88+,
and see if there is something here for you. They are all “Native
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On the testimonials page below I am L. Windblad and my wife is
J.D. Windblad. I have long-term gout (since 1977), damage from
gout including numbness and pain in the feet, a prostate which
had ceased functioning for the past 2 years, and in Jan 2004 I
was diagnosed with a lazy thyroid. By the end of January my
thyroid was functioning normally, by April I was noticing an
improvement in prostate functioning and by mid-May it was
definitely clear that not only was the pain gone but feeling was
coming back into my feet. This is written in June 2004 and its
all still getting better.

Check out these product testimonials and see what you think
about what these products have accomplished in many other lives.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and contact the people who gave
these testimonials.

There are other stories of “miracles” with these products and
they will be posted as soon as they can be collected. What these
products actually do is work to make your body function the way
it is supposed to function, and they accomplish this at least in
part by restoring your natural Ph balances.

Make sure to go to the product testimonials page above, scroll
to the bottom, and click on the email contact for any of the
people given, and receive their confirmation and personal full
testimonial. Disclaimer: This article in no way should be taken
as “medical advice” on any product, condition or course of
action, nor does it constitute in any way “medical advice”
endorsing any specific product, specific result, nor any
possible cure for any condition or problem. This article is
meant as a source of information upon which you may base your
decision as to whether or not you should begin using any
vitamin, mineral and/or herbal supplement for better health, or
begin using a “greens” product as a dietary supplement.

If in doubt, or if you have questions, you should consult your
physician and, if possible, consult a second physician for a
possible different opinion. The author does not bear any
responsibility for your decisions nor for the outcome of your
actions based upon those decisions.

About the author:
Loring Windblad has studied nutrition and exercise for more than
40 years, is a published author and freelance writer.

This article is Copyright 2005 by http://www.organicgreens.us,
http://www.organicgreens.ca and Loring Windblad. This article
may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is
copied complete with all links and text, including the Authors
Resource Box, intact and unchanged except for minor improvements.

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