Vitamin D Decreases Pain in Type 2, Study Shows
By Diane Fennell
Vitamin D lessens pain in women who have Type 2 diabetes and depression, according to new research presented at a recent conference at Loyola University's Health Sciences Campus. Up to 60% of people with diabetes deal with chronic pain, according to surveys, and people with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression as those without diabetes.
Two types of vitamin D are important in humans: vitamin D2, which is made by plants, and vitamin D3, which is made by human skin when it is exposed to the sun. Foods may be fortified with either type of vitamin D.
To determine how vitamin D2 supplementation ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - December 6, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
The Diabetian Lens
By Scott Coulter
I have a friend who's a lawyer. We went to high school together. She lives in London now, where she works with a big financial corporation that does something she's tried to explain to me many times, and which I still don't understand. It has something to do with investing rich people's money. In any event, I remember a conversation we had when she was still in law school. She said that what they were teaching her in law school wasn't so much about information or content. Rather, they were teaching her how to view and understand the world through the lens of law.
I'm a musician, as many of you know. And j...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - December 5, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott Coulter Source Type: blogs
Do You Eat Organ Meats?
By David Spero
All you Paleo diet fans out there, this one's for you! I recently started eating organ meats twice a week. Although it hasn't been easy, I feel stronger already. Liver, heart, or kidney might help you, too. Here are some things to consider.
I had never eaten organ meats in my life, even though my mom used to make chopped chicken liver regularly. I didn't like the taste or the thought of eating icky vital organs.
Then I encountered the work of Terry Wahls, MD, a doctor who has recovered significantly from multiple sclerosis. She did it through a landslide of vegetables and fruits (nine plate-sized servings a...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - December 4, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Good Acid, Bad Acid?
By Quinn Phillips
Acetic acid, also known as vinegar, has long been a folk remedy for ailments ranging from infections to stomachaches to poison ivy. More recently, its benefits for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have been discovered. As DiabetesSelfManagement.com's David Spero wrote in a 2011 blog post, vinegar may act similarly to many different types of diabetes drugs, slowing the breakdown of starches like acarbose (brand name Precose), increasing insulin sensitivity like metformin, and promoting insulin production like nateglinide (Starlix). A 2004 study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that when accompan...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - December 4, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
Yearning for a Nap, but There's Too Much to Do
By Jan Chait
May I take a nap now? It's been busy around here. Real busy.
First there was a colonoscopy last Tuesday, then cooking like mad beginning Wednesday, followed closely by Thanksgiving and Hanukkah all at the same time.
My granddaughter and her boyfriend were in from college and grandson dearest was hanging around annoying his little sister, with their mother — my daughter — looking on and giggling (thanks a lot). Did I mention the children's friends coming and going?
Did you know college students really do bring their dirty laundry home?
My computer decided to glitch at the worst possible time: Righ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - December 3, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
Calories: Do They Count?
By Amy Campbell
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. No doubt, you enjoyed some familiar favorites: turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes…perhaps a slice of pie. And you probably thought, at least a little bit, about how much you were eating (certainly important if you have diabetes), and you may even have wondered about how many calories you consumed. According to an article that I read on The New York Times Web site, the average Thanksgiving Day calorie intake is 4500, which is equal to eating seven Burger King Whoppers. Wow!
What are calories?
I think most of us would agree that 4500 calories is a lot....
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - December 2, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Scholarship Program for Type 1 Athletes
By Web Team
On World Diabetes Day, Phil Southerland, founder of the first all-diabetes professional cycling team, launched the Team Type 1 Foundation.
The Foundation's first US initiative is a scholarship program for college athletes who have Type 1 diabetes and compete in an NCAA sport. In 2014, the Foundation will award up to seven scholarships of $5,000 each to help student-athletes offset the costs of diabetes care, which can average between $300 and $500 a month. Scholarship recipients will also become diabetes ambassadors for the program, speaking at Team Type 1 events "to raise awareness about diabetes management...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 30, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Exercise Directly Affects Heart Risk
By Diane Fennell
The risk of cardiovascular complications in people who have Type 2 diabetes is directly related to how frequently and how long they exercise, according to a new study from researchers in Sweden. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people with Type 2.
Studies have proven that people with Type 2 diabetes have up to five times the chance of developing heart disease or stroke compared to people without diabetes, and research has also indicated that physical activity is directly linked with the risk of developing a cardiovascular condition.
To evaluate whether the risks of coronary hear...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 29, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
Joslin Diabetes Center Seeks Study Volunteers
By Web Team
Would you like to contribute to cutting-edge diabetes research? If you are between the ages of 18 and 70, with or without diabetes, you may be eligible to participate in a new study being conducted at Joslin Diabetes Center.
Joslin researchers are investigating Induced Pluripotent cells (iPS), a type of cell that can be grown forever in a laboratory and become another type of cell, in diabetes. According to Joslin, "these cells may someday help us to predict who is at risk of developing diabetes, which may lead to a better understanding of the disease process or possible new therapies."
Study participants ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 28, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Statins in the Spotlight
By Quinn Phillips
Two weeks ago, at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, that group — in partnership with the American College of Cardiology — released sweeping new guidelines on drug treatments for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Of the new recommendations contained within the guidelines, the one that is getting the most attention is a dramatic expansion in the number of people for whom statin drugs are recommended. Statins — the group of cholesterol-lowering drugs that includes atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), and rosuvastatin (Crestor) — were prev...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 27, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Quinn Phillips Source Type: blogs
Going From Famine To Feast
By Jan Chait
Thanksgivukkah is a once-in-a-lifetime holiday you probably haven't heard of, yet it occurs this very week. It's when Hanukkah and Thanksgiving converge to overlap or, as food writer Veronica Meewes put it, "the fried foods of Hanukkah meet the carbfest of Thanksgiving."
Some say the next time the two converge is 70,000 or so years away. Others say it's in 2070. Either way, it's rare. (Also rare this year is the turkey-shaped menorah: the Menurkey.)
Traditional foods for Thanksgiving include turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, rolls, green bean casserole (I'm told), and whatever else you can come up with to cau...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 27, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Jan Chait Source Type: blogs
Controlling the Dawn Phenomenon
By David Spero
Do you wake up with a blood glucose level that's higher than when you went to bed? You might wonder how this could be. Is this "dawn phenomenon" serious, and what can you do about it?
Our reader Mishelle commented here, "I don't eat [much] during the day. [I take metformin morning and night.] My blood sugar is still too high in the morning…sometimes 125–140ish."
How can Mishelle's glucose levels go up if she didn't eat anything? She probably has a mild case of dawn phenomenon. Her glucose is going up from sources other than digested food. Some of it is produced by the liver from stored starch an...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 27, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Using Insulin: A Day in the Life
By Web Team
Ever wondered what it's like using insulin — or wanted to let someone else know what it feels like to be in your shoes? Then you'll want to see a new, interactive infographic from Abbott called "A Day in the Life of an Insulin-Using Patient."
This educational tool allows you to choose a character and walk through a day in the life of someone using insulin, highlighting the various factors he must consider to keep himself healthy — when to monitor, what to eat, when to take insulin, and more. The infographic also presents diabetes facts, such as what percentage of the total daily insulin dose is u...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 26, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
Foods That Fight…Illness, That Is
By Amy Campbell
That time of the year is upon us: the "holidays." It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but the stores are already filled with Christmas decorations and gifts. Holiday music is playing on radio stations. Holidays are fun, but this season can come with side effects, including colds and flu, heartburn, upset stomach, headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue. Medicine is often needed to treat these maladies, but if you're looking for something a little more natural and gentle, think, instead, about food. Food is medicine, too, and what better way to remedy your maladies and nourish your body at the same time?
Colds and ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 25, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Diabetes App for Safe Drinking
By Web Team
If you have Type 1 diabetes and are thinking of drinking alcohol, you'll want to check out a new, free app from Pool Hospital Diabetes Center.
For people who have diabetes, drinking alcohol can have unpredictable effects on blood glucose, including increasing the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). The app, "The Type 1 Diabetes Friend: Alcohol Guide," provides profiles of different alcoholic drinks that include information on the drink's sugar, carbohydrate, and alcohol levels. The app also has a list of hypoglycemia symptoms, along with steps that can be taken to counteract hypoglycemia.
"Young peop...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 23, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Web Team Source Type: blogs
