Disease Basics
Exercise Like Crazy, But Don't Run Away from Insulin
01/28/09
Nutrition & Exercise, Living Well, Treatment Options, Prevention, Disease Basics, General
As you know, there are certain ethnic groups that run a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you belong to one of these noble heritages, you have a lot to celebrate that far surpasses the worries associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes.
How Diabetes Treatment Got More Intense in 1993
12/22/08
Type II Diabetes, Type I Diabetes or Juvenile Diabetes, Treatment Options, Disease Basics, General
Diabetes and Sick Days
12/19/08
Living Well, Disease Basics, General
When most people are sick, they can take the day off from just about all of their responsibilities. However, if you live with diabetes, you cannot take a day off from medications and managing blood glucose. If you neglect diabetes, it could seriously compromise your health in a matter of hours.
Burning fat easier, more pleasant exercise
12/17/08
Nutrition & Exercise, Living Well, Treatment Options, Disease Basics, General
- by Matt Nilsen
I have not always been a good exerciser, but now it is a very important part of my life. It helps me thrive. I do a few different activities with an emphasis on swimming and riding a bike. The other day I tried a new kind of exercise bike at my local community recreation center. As I entered my settings for weight and age into the bike's computer, it hit me that I need to pass on a very valuable piece of information to all of our readers. Simply put, exercising to burn fat and lose weight is a lot easier than most other types of exercise.
Paying When Insurance Won't
12/15/08
Disease Basics
By Matt Nilsen
Recently an Arizona newspaper reported on a man who could not get a sufficient number of blood glucose tests strips from a government entity he counted on for health services. It served as a good reminder that we do not have to be bound by the policies of pensions, health insurers, or government benefit providers. Even if appeals to a government program or insurer fail, a person can choose to purchase more test strips.
Understanding Cholesterol
12/12/08
Disease Basics
Cholesterol is a naturally-occurring substance in the body, but the very mention of it can strike fear in the hearts of diabetics. A little knowledge can go a long way toward dispelling fears associated with cholesterol.
What is Cholesterol?
According to the American Heart Association Web site, cholesterol is “a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells.” It is a member of a group of chemical compounds known as lipids, or fats—although cholesterol is not synonymous with fat. The two are different in that cholesterol cannot be used by the body as a source of energy, like fat is burned for energy. Cholesterol is used in other body processes like the production of cell membranes, some hormones, vitamin D, and bile. The latter is the largest use of cholesterol.
Impulse Control
12/10/08
Disease Basics
By Eric Devine
“Get that out of your mouth!” I stand, hands on hips, looking at my three-year-old. She pulls the toy from her lips and looks up at me. I begin with the questions I always ask. “What can you put in your mouth?”
She answers. “Food.”
“Right.” I look severely at the toy. “Is that food?”
She sizes up the pink, plastic whatever. “No.”
“Exactly, so keep it out of your mouth.”
If only my daughter knew that this line of logic could easily be turned back on me, she’d enforce it with gusto. No, I don’t have a compulsion to put toys in my mouth, but what I do have a panache for can’t really be deemed much better. My weakness is chocolate. To my daughter’s credit, at least plastic doesn’t have any calories.
I follow a rather regimented diet, wholly free of processed foods, starch, grains, and sugar. Basically, if our Paleolithic ancestors ate it, so will I. Except when it comes to chocolate. That concoction is allowed a de-evolutionary pass.
However, I do restrict the quantity: a Hershey Kiss or two, a miniature peanut butter cup, or some M&M’s. And it’s only when the chocolate happens to be around, because of a holiday or it’s my daughter’s. I never, ever buy any. This fact, coupled with the small quantity of consumption, becomes justification for cheating on my diet, and in turn, the source of my shame.
And shame it is, because once the sweet, almost titillating sensation has worn from my tongue, I feel guilt and remorse. This isn’t due to the fact that I’ve eaten sugar and now believe that I’ve undercut all my healthful measures. Rather, it’s the lack of ability to control my impulse, or the giving in to temptation. I know I’m better than that, and to fall victim is so very demeaning.
Trust me; I understand that this small lack of willpower is starkly insignificant when compared to the other, more formidable issues we with diabetes must withstand. However, the root of the issue does not. We all have far more impulses toward “rewards” (typically unhealthy food) than we like to admit. We are in a perpetual state of saying “No.” Therefore, giving in only feels like an unavoidable circumstance. Who can keep up such dogged discipline? Well, us, if we want to maintain our health.
The only way then to proceed in these scenarios is to allow rational judgment to override desire. Yes, easier said than done, but it is a measure we must practice.
So here’s a method toward that end: the next time your “trigger” of loss of impulse appears, whether it be chocolate or baked goods, ask yourself the same questions I do my daughter, and then act accordingly.
Ketones, Low Carb Diets and Diabetes
12/08/08
Disease Basics
Diabetes Weighs Heavily on Feet
12/04/08
Disease Basics
Obesity Associated with Diabetes Spike
11/03/08
Disease Basics