Spices May Protect Against Consequences Of High Blood Sugar

Diabetes And Exercise

Yoga: The Stealth Health Booster

These days, you don’t have to chant or wear funny clothes. Once the practice only of serious hippies and people living in ashrams, yoga is now as mainstream as the Stairmaster. Because it is touted to be relaxing, researchers have conducted studies to measure yoga’s effect on stress and health.

One study, published in the May 2007 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, showed that yoga practitioners experience a 27 percent increase in levels of a neurotransmitter known as GABA after a one-hour yoga session. Low levels of this brain chemical are associated with anxiety and depression, so these findings point to the possibility that regular yoga practice may somehow offset that drop in GABA. Though the study was small, the researchers broke new ground using high-tech brain imaging to gauge the levels of the neurotransmitter before and after the yoga session, comparing the results to a control group of people who simply read during the hour-long session.

Consider those findings in light of these: In another study from 2005, a group of 98 people were given blood tests at the beginning and end of a 10-day yoga-based intervention that involved yoga, relaxation techniques, group support, and lectures. In this short period, researchers saw marked improvements in fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

So, perhaps yoga — or the type of physical and mental activity that yoga involves — causes a tide of physiological responses that affect our health in lots of positive ways, from making us feel less stressed or depressed to regulating what’s happening in our blood vessels and organs. Sound worth a try?

SOURCES:

Bijlani RL, Vempati RP, Yadav RK, et al. A brief but comprehensive lifestyle education program based on yoga reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2005 apr; 11(2): 267–74.

Sahay BK. Role of yoga in diabetes. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India. 2007 Feb; 55:121–6.

We congratulate Micheal Phelps on his extrordinary accomplishment. While searching google for an appropriate Video for this article I came across the following and realized there is a lot to learn from him and all of our Olympic Champions.

For those of us who are type 2 diabetics the mesage has special poinancy. To be our best we need to train ourselves to excel. Our competions are personal and we get graded on our performance every time we do a blood glucose reading or do our quarterly A1Cs. When I see my daily readings at 4.4 mml/l ( 79 mg / dl) or an A1C of 5.0 with out meds (Higher degree of difficulty) it is like an exceptionally high score from the Olympic judges. Instead of a medal, our prize is much better healt, quality of life and possibly even longer life to enjoy all the things available to us. Thank you Micheal Phelps for the out standing example you give us all and for what you are sharing in this video.

As diabetics, our demons and sharks are the  unexceptable diabetic complications we face if we do not excel at controlling our blood glucose

Watch the Video and apply the concepts you your daily lives.  

I got a request to help find people willing to do a study about type 2 diabetes and the internet. I have done the complete survey and think it is worth while so I am passing along her message and asking you to take the survey. It will take a few minute but I believe it is a worth while study.

This is the mesage I recieved

Hello everyone!

I am a student from University of Nottingham, UK, and I am conducting a research on one of my biggest fields of interest : diabetes. In 2006 I spent a year working in Canada in a diabetes health education team, within a diabetes unit care in one of the main hospitals. I loved my work, found it very rewarding and saw the benefits of knowledge sharing and information giving when it comes to diabetes management. I was also very touched by personal stories and observed just how important it was for everyone to meet other people going through the same challenges, exchanging thoughts and feelings about it, and helping each other find solutions to their daily difficulties. This led me to become very interested in the role of social support in disease management. This research I am leading now as part of my MSc in Health Promotion and Psychology is about the importance and the influence that online social support can have on diabetes management. I have designed a survey and the Internet link to it is the following:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=p1bZazmTYa_2bqGBhuJWw_2fzg_3d_3d

All data collected will remain anonymous and confidential. Any participant is allowed to ask for his data to be destroyed if he/she changes his/her mind about participation. A summary of the results will be made available as soon as this is possible.

I hope this survey might be interesting and helpful to you to, hopefully enabling you to reflect on the management of your diabetes, helping you to identify areas of self- care which might need improvement and others which you are doing well in, and enabling you to identify more the type of support you receive and how satisfying it is to you.

Please feel free to check it out and ask me any questions that you would like to ask me.

Justine Baron

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

MSc Health Promotion and Psychology

Tel: (0044) 079 83631396

Foot Care for Diabetics

More than 60% of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations occur among people with diabetes. In 2000-2001, about 82,000 non-traumatic lower-limb amputations were performed annually among people with diabetes.

Once an individual has an amputation additional complication and challenges to daily living activities occur. But this doesn’t have to happen to you!

The first step in avoiding potential amputations is to keep your glucose levels in check. Study after study indicates that failure to maintain proper glucose levels exacerbates ALL of the complications associated with diabetes.

Nerve damage from diabetes causes loss of feeling to the lower extremities for 60 – 70% of all diabetics. Even something simple like poor fitting shoes can cause serious problems.

See a Podiatrist

A podiatrist is a doctor that specializes in feet that can help you (in conjunction with your other health care providers) develop a foot care plan that meets your needs.

·        Have them show you how to correctly care for your feet

·        Have them evaluate you to see if you are at special risk for foot problems

·        Have them help you determine if special shoes are required for your condition 

Check Your Feet Everyday

·        Even though you don’t feel any pain you may have problems developing -- you might not be able to feel it!

·        Check your feet top and bottom for cuts, sores, red spots, blisters, swelling or infected toe nails

·        If you have problems bending over, use a mirror or ask a family member or caregiver to help you.

Wash Your Feet Everyday

·        Wash your feet in warm – not hot water

·        Do not soak your feet (these causes them to dry out)

·        Dry your feet well after washing especially between your toes

·        Use talcum powder or cornstarch in between your toes to keep them dry and from rubbing together

Keep Your Skin Smooth and Soft

• Run a thin coat of lotion, cream or petroleum jelly on the tops and bottoms of your feet
• Don’t put between your toes because that can cause an infection

Take Extra Care with Corns or Calluses

·        Talk to your podiatrist about the best way to treat corns and calluses

·        If it is okay with your doctor, use a pumice stone (volcanic rock) to carefully and slowly smooth away the corn or callus after bathing or showering. Only rub the stone gently and in one direction to avoid tearing the skin

·        Don’t cut corns or calluses or use over the counter corn plasters or other remedies which can damage the skin

Trim Your Toenails

·        Long toenails can damage the skin, become ingrown or infected (not to mention being unsightly!)

·        If you are unable to trim your nails ask a family member, caregiver or your doctor to do it for you.

·        Trim your toe nails after you’ve washed and dried your feet.

·        Cut them straight across and smooth with an emery board

·        Do not cut into the corners of your toe nails as that may cause them to become ingrown

Wear Shoes and Socks

• Do not walk around barefoot, even inside since you might step on something that could injure your feet
• Always wear some type of sock to help avoid developing blisters
• Always check the inside of your shoes before putting them on to make sure there are no loose stones or pebbles and that the lining is smooth
• Wear shoes that are properly fitted and in good shape

Protect Your Feet from Hot and Cold

As with all matters relating to diabetes balance is the key. Protecting your feet from temperature extremes keeps them healthy.

• Wear shoes or sandals at the beach or when walking on hot pavement
• If you spend time in the sun, be sure to use sun screen on the tops of your feet to keep them from getting burned or blistered
• Keep feet away from radiators, open fires or space heaters
• Don’t use hot water bottles or heating pads on your feet
• If your feet get cold at night wear socks or booties
• If you spend time outside in cold weather be sure to check your feet for frostbite

Keep the Blood Flowing to Your Feet

·        Elevate your feet if you sit for long periods of time

·        Wiggle your toes for two – five minutes at least three times a day. This helps improve the blood flow to your feet and helps keep them healthy

·        Do not cross your legs for long periods of time

·        Do not wear garters, elastic bands or tight socks that may reduce the blood flow to your feet

·        Stop smoking. Smoking reduces the blood flow to the extremities.

Be More Active

Physical activity is good for you in so many ways.

• Work with your health care provider to develop an activity schedule that is right for you.
• Avoid activities such as running or jumping that are hard on the feet
• Wear athletic shoes that fit well and socks

Start Your Foot Care Regime Today

• Set a regular time of day to conduct your foot care and stick to it.
• Set a schedule to purchase the items you need for proper foot care

Tips for Proper Fitting of Foot wear

• Athletic shoes are a good option for every day wear because they usually have good support and proper construction
• Never wear vinyl or plastic shoes because they don’t stretch or breathe
• Women should stay out of high heels, platform shoes or very pointy toed shoes which can pinch, cause uneven walking and create a host of other problems.
• Have your shoes properly fitted by a shoe salesman. Make sure that they aren’t too tight and you have plenty of room for your toes.
• Periodically have your foot size re-measured. Sometimes feet grow or get wider with age.
• You may need special shoes or shoe inserts. Check with your doctor to see if Medicare or your health insurance will pay for them.

"Many of the investigators, including myself, were surprised by the results," local principal investigator David Brown, ophthalmologist and retina specialist with The Methodist Hospital System in Houston, said in a news release issued by the university. "We're continually researching new treatments, but sometimes the tried-and-true methods are still the best course. These findings substantiate the importance of laser treatment in the management of diabetic macular edema."

Almost half of the 23 million Americans with diabetes have vision problems.

The popularity of treating DME with corticosteroid injections came after early reports of success several years ago. This study is the first to compare the long-term benefits of both treatments and evaluate their potential side effects.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about diabetic eye problems