Diabetes mellitus is a chronic and fast growing disease. There is no cure but it can be properly and successfully managed and controlled. Diet and lifestyle are very important factors to consider. It is useful to know how your body handles nutrients in the food you eat and how it affects your health. In other words, you are what you eat and what you eat heals you. (more…)
Diabetes Mellitus remains a growing problem worldwide and the scientific community continues to search for ways to prevent, slow down the progression, control and treat this complex hormonal/metabolic disease. In order to understand this, a basic overview of hormones and their effects in the body (Science of Endocrinology) needs to be elaborated—so let us start with some definitions in “Endocrinology 101″. (more…)
Obesity often occurs with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. At least 8 out of 10 people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or frankly obese. In fact, the rising number of people with diabetes in the last 20-30 years has been attributed to the rising number of people who are overweight or obese. This is observed worldwide, alerting health experts to the continuing twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity. (more…)
They say that of all the rights a woman has, the best is to give birth and become a mother. Despite its numerous discomforts – having morning sickness, mood swings, swollen feet, and the feeling of carrying two sacks of rice day in and day out – I know a lot of women who’d go through it, all over again, to experience the feeling of being whole after giving birth. (more…)
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition accompanied by a slew of complications, from the head down to the toes. Ask any diabetic what complications they are aware of, and, chances are, ranking among the top answers would be amputations. True enough, diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputations of the lower extremities. The presence of poor diabetes control, peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage), peripheral arterial disease, and foot ‘ ulcerations predict a higher risk for having a toe or a foot amputated. (more…)
If diabetes were a gender issue, then women should fight for gender equality. Why? Because women are at a losing end when it comes to diabetes and its many complications compared to men. For one, diabetes causes more complications in women than in men, some of which are unique to women. Being diabetic makes a woman prone to complications in pregnancy, reproduction, and the heart. Uncontrolled blood sugars in diabetic women may also cause increased yeast infections, bladder infections, vaginal dryness, and inability to reach orgasm during sexual intercourse. (more…)
What is the relationship between breastfeeding and diabetes?
Among the many possible concerns of new mothers, especially those with diabetes mellitus or those with a strong family history of diabetes, is the effect of breastfeeding on diabetes. Questions such as “will breastfeeding diabetic mothers pass on the diabetes to the baby” and, in view of the many beneficial effects of breastfeeding, “will breastfeeding prevent diabetes” have been asked. (more…)
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a blood sugar disorder due to a relative lack of insulin or the lack of insulin effectiveness, also known as insulin resistance, or both. Insulin is the hormone that lowers blood sugar. Patients with type 2 diabetes often respond well to oral medications, especially early in the disease process, unlike those with type 1 diabetes. As the disease progresses, the oral agents may become less and less effective and at some point the patient may require insulin therapy (injections). It is also possible to start treatment with insulin even in type 2 diabetes. (more…)
What vitamin supplements are good for an elderly person with diabetes?
Many vitamin preparations and supplements abound in the market and are readily available to unwitting consumers. In fact, some manufacturers of these products have even become very aggressive in promoting them as cure all, “wonder” pills for many conditions, including diabetes mellitus and heart disease. Just when we consider buying other consumer products, it would be wise to ascertain how useful these supplements are before we spend our money on them. More importantly, we would be buying these products presumably to improve our health and well-being. (more…)
