I’m 16 and about a year ago my dad found out he had diabetes. I’m always thirsty, tired and constantly have a headache. I weigh 140 pounds and 5′ 4" I don’t really exercise I just watch tv all the time. I eat terrible. I don’t eat any fruits or vegetables. I only eat junk food.

I’m scared that I might have diabetes but I don’t want to tell my parents because they’ll take me to the doctor. I don’t want to poke my finger to take my blood sugar, change my diet, and worry about all the problems that diabetics worry about.

What if I do have diabetes and I don’t go to the doctor to do something about it. What’s the worst thing that could happen?

High blood sugar can cause organ damage (heart, kidneys), blindness, and circulation problems that could lead to amputation. Those are just some of the more common problems.

Ignoring it won’t go away and catching the disease early can really improve your overall outlook. The longer you let it go, the harder it’ll be to control your blood sugar when you do get serious.

The thirstiness is concerning, but tired and headache are common symptoms of many conditions. You might just be thirsty because you eat a lot of salty and sugary junk food. Your diet may be poor and you may not exercise, but you’re still very young and not very overweight. Because your father is diabetic, your chances of becoming diabetic are higher, so you should work to improve these areas, but I would be surprised if you were diabetic this young.

Still, you need to get checked. If you’re not diabetic, let this experience scare you a little into changing.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, one of the most important things that you can do is manage your weight. Being overweight can affect your blood sugar levels dramatically since fat cells can become resistant to insulin, causing your blood sugar levels to rise. Losing just 10-20 pounds can make a huge impact on your diabetes. In fact, getting down to your recommended weight can get you off of diabetic medicine and allow you to live a healthier lifestyle.

You should never begin a weight loss diet on your own if you are a diabetic. Talk with your doctor and a diabetic educator. Set up an appointment to meet with a registered dietician. Losing weight on your own without the guidance of your doctor can be dangerous to a diabetic. Your diabetic medicines will probably need to be adjusted as you lose weight, so it is important to have your doctor involved.

Start by cutting back by 500 calories per day. This is safe for most diabetics and will promote weight loss. The ideal goal is cut back on carbohydrates, proteins and fats equally. Your diet should consist of 50%-55% carbohydrates, 30% fats and 10%-15% proteins.

Carbohydrates are very important in a diabetic diet. They have the biggest impact on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates are broken down into sugars very early in the digestion process. It is important to get a refresher course on carbohydrates and how to measure them from the dietician.

Watch your blood sugar levels carefully when following a weight loss plan. You are at an increased risk for becoming hypoglycemic, especially if you are exercising and losing weight but haven’t adjusted your diabetic medications. If you start to feel nauseated, sweating or have trouble concentrating, have your blood sugar level checked immediately. It is a good idea to always carry fruit juices or other snacks with you.

Different types of exercise affect your blood sugar levels in different ways. The aerobic exercises such as, running or anything that gets your heart rate up, will drop your blood sugar immediately. More strenuous exercise or weight lifting can drop your blood sugar hours later. It is important to plan accordingly for the type of exercising that you are doing. Over time this will not be a problem as you lose the weight and are able to reduce your diabetic medication or maybe stop it altogether.

Do plenty of research on the best diabetic weight loss plans. Talk with your doctor and keep him updated frequently of your progress. Make sure that you follow a weight loss plan that is approved by your dietician or diabetic educator. Weight loss in never easy and it is a special challenge for someone with diabetes. However, the benefits of losing the weight far outweigh the alternative of living the rest of your life with diabetes.

Jeff Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/weight-loss-is-very-important-if-you-have-diabetes-126252.html

It is known that diabetes can be a life- threatening condition, so it is important for patients to treat it under medical supervision. There exist a lot of alternative therapies that can help manage the symptoms of diabetes. For example, by stimulating some points, acupuncture can help relieve the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy. Of course, for this, it is needed the help of a qualified practitioner.

Helpful in managing diabetes are also the herbal remedies. They can adjust blood sugar levels or manage other diabetic symptoms. We can mention some of these options. For example, some studies showed that fenugreek reduces blood insulin and glucose levels while also lowering cholesterol; garlic may lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and bilberry helps to maintain healthy blood vessels and also may lower blood glucose levels.

Gingko biloba is known to have a role in maintaining blood flow to the retina, and in this way preventing diabetic retinopathy, cayenne pepper relieve pain in the peripheral nerves, and onions may lower blood glucose levels by freeing insulin to metabolize them.

Therapies that lower stress levels are important in treating diabetes, because this will reduce insulin requirements. We can mention here hypnotherapy, biofeedback, and meditation.

It is known that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to blindness, end-stage renal disease, and limb amputations. Also, there can occur eye problems like cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

When nerve endings, particularly in the legs and feet, become less sensitive, we can say there appeared the condition called diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The inability to sense pain, and also the complications of delayed wound healing that appear cause minor injuries, blisters, or callouses becoming infected and difficult to treat. There are cases of severe infection, when the infected tissue begins to break down and rot away. Unfortunately, sometimes due to the severe infection, there may be needed the amputation of toes, feet, or legs.

Common complications of diabetes are also heart disease and kidney disease. The need for kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant due to kidney failure can appear because of the long- term complications.

We must also mention that babies born to diabetic mothers have an increased risk of birth defects and distress at birth.

It is known that the onset of Type I diabetes is unpredictable, but in what concerns the risk of developing Type II diabetes this can be reduced by maintaining ideal weight and exercising.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important in order to prevent the onset of Type II diabetes and further complications of the disease.

So, if you want to find out more about symptoms of diabetes or even about type 2 diabetes please follow this link http://diabetes-info-center.com/

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/some-things-about-treatment-and-prognosis-of-diabetes-130889.html

What you must know about diabetes and diet:
Cases of diabetes go up, but most cases can be prevented through changes in healthy lifestyle. If you are anxious about diabetes, you could make some difference by taking in healthy diet, checking your weight and doing some exercises.

Three things to be observed in eating right because of diabetes:
1. What to eat – Your diet does a big difference. Basically all you must eat are plant foods, cut back on purified carbs and drinks that have sugar and select healthy fats over fats that not healthy.
2. When you will eat- Diet is a parcel of it, but taking regular meal and times for snack also affects levels on blood sugar and will aid to keep them more stable.
3. How much you have to eat- When you take healthy meals but in excess will gain more weight and it is cause for diabetes.
You don’t need to take in special foods, but instead just emphasize on vegetables, whole grains and fruits. Diabetic diets are just health eating plans that are high in nutritious elements will less fats and calories in moderation.

Facts regarding eating to control or prevent diabetes:
You may enjoy your desired treats but you have to plan properly. Be sure that the sweet treat is a portion of the meal plan that is healthy or with a combination of exercise. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats compose a healthy diet. The three are needed for our bodies in functioning properly and is the key to a diet that is balanced. The intake of carbohydrates is important. Whole grains are good sources of fibers because they slowly digested which keep the blood sugar scales more even. Healthy eating principles are similar, whether you are trying or not to control or prevent diabetes. Expensive diabetic foods generally do not offer special benefits. You can easily eat with your friends and family, just bear in mind to eat moderately.

Eating habits regularly are vital for diabetic patients. If you maintain meals in a regular schedule your body is able to maintain blood sugar scales. Aspire for moderate and steady portion sizes in every meal or snack.

Tips to remember to in order to institute eating habits regularly:
- Do not miss breakfast
- Eat little meals at regular meals
- Maintain calorie intakes the same
- Listen to the dictates of your body

If you have diabetes then there are certain guidelines as to what you should eat to maintain your health. Whilst you will have to change certain aspects of your diet, you will not have to drastically cut out all sugars or your favourite meals. In general guidelines are there to help you plan your meals at the same time as enjoying what you eat.

The foods you eat should be designed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels to avoid further complications with diabetes. To manage your nutrition effectively you will need to use a meal plan that is designed especially for you. There is no set plan for everyone, as each person varies in their requirements and preferences. For advice when you first devise this plan you should contact your doctor. Once you have worked it out you can start to experiment with recipes that fit with the diabetic nutritional guidelines.

There are different ways of devising meal plans, and you should use the one that is most convenient for you. You should monitor groups in certain categories, such as carbohydrates, meat and fats. You will then choose an appropriate amount from each category in the meals you choose to eat every day. This will apply to all of your meals as well as any snacks that you eat throughout the day.

In general, a meal plan will let you know what to eat and when to eat it. Your medication will be matched to what you eat, so it is important to be organized. Once you have an outline, you can cook a number of dishes that fit in with this plan.

willyboy
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-to-follow-diabetic-nutritional-guidelines-to-help-maintain-a-healthy-and-balanced-diabetic-diet-708373.html

A diabetic person cannot make normal use of sugar, and so sugar builds up in the blood. The kidneys discharge some of the excess sugar in the urine. In severe cases of diabetes, fats and proteins cannot also be used normally.

The type 1 diabetes strikes some people so suddenly that the lack of insulin causes an emergency condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. There is excess urination, thirst, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and difficulty in breathing. If the patient is not treated promptly, he may go into diabetic coma with fatal results.

In type 2 diabetes, the patient has normal or even above normal production of insulin. But their bodies do not respond efficiently to the insulin. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes are excessive urination, great thirst, hunger and loss of weight and strength.

Complications of Diabetes

It is very important to take care of diabetes as improper care can give rise to several complications. If the blood sugar level is kept under control, one can prevent many health problems. Many people come to know of their diabetes only when they develop one of its complications.

1. The structural and functional abnormalities of diabetic complications are the glycation of structural proteins and the production of advanced glycation end products with their deposition in various tissues.
2. Most patients with type 2 diabetes also tends to be obese and hypertensive.
3. Angina is a long term complication of diabetes.
4. Difficulty in walking with chronic ulceration of feet due to diabetic neuropathy and also diabetic microangiopathy and diabetic nephropathy due to small blood vessel disease.
5. Diabetic patients are at higher risk of developing atheroscelerosis.
6. Wound healing is delayed in diabetics because of neuropathy, and hyperglycaemia.
7. Intermittent claudication and gangrene due to atherosclerosis
8. Blindness due to diabetic retinopathy
9. Diabetes affects the blood vessels, the blood and the heart.
10. Cardiac failure is also another long term complication of diabetes.

I hope this article has covered some of the long term complications of diabetes. Knowing these complications will help you to prevent them.

Control your blood glucose level for more controlled life!

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Are you looking for some Home remedies for cellulite? Know effective Home remedies for weight loss. Read useful Home remedies for erectile dysfunction for more intimate relationship.

Nick Mutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/long-term-complications-of-diabetes-670039.html

Exercise is an integral part of life for everyone. This becomes especially true in the case of a person with diabetes, in which case it is part of the treatment of diabetes as well. For a diabetic exercise should be a daily routine. Daily exercise would help a diabetic person to have good blood sugar control in addition to making him or her physically fit. Daily exercise also would make a diabetic person less susceptible for a heart attack and nerve damage from diabetes.

Exercise improves blood sugar control

Exercise provides great benefits to diabetics and it plays an excellent role in controlling the blood sugar. A properly designed exercise schedule in combination with a healthy diet is the recipe for success for a person with diabetes. When you do physical activity your muscles take up the glucose from the blood circulation and use it for the muscular activity thus maintaining a normal blood glucose level. Exercise also increases the tissue sensitivity to insulin making the effect of insulin more effective thus further helping to reduce the blood glucose level.

Exercise reduces weight

Exercise is also helps people with diabetes to reduce weight. Weight gain is closely associated with type-2 diabetes. Exercise decreases the fat stores and thus decreases the extra demand that is put on the already compromised beta cells.

Exercise decreases the need for diabetic medication

Exercise reduces insulin resistance of the tissues and makes body tissue more responsive to the action of insulin. If you have only mild diabetes, a combination of exercise and dietary control may be the only form of intervention needed for your diabetes control. Even in persons who have more severe degree of diabetes exercise would decrease the need for diabetic medication because of decreased insulin resistance.

Exercise improves circulation

Most of the complications that are associated with diabetes are related to impairment of circulation that is caused by diabetes. This is especially true for those who develop diabetic foot as a complication of diabetes. Exercise improves circulation especially to arms and legs and thus may prevent development of diabetes related complications.

Exercise improves cholesterol level

Heart attack (myocardial infarction) is one of the major causes of death in people with diabetes. Exercise would increase the good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) and lower the bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol). Exercise also reduces the triglyceride levels. By improving the cholesterol values exercise provide increase protection from heart attack diabetic patients.

Exercise lowers blood pressure

Diabetic patients are highly prone to complications of high blood pressure. Regular exercise would lower blood pressure and thus may protect diabetic patients from hypertension (high blood pressure) and its complications.

It is clear from the above discussion that exercise is a very crucial component in the life of a person with diabetes. Regular exercise, in combination with a healthy diabetic meal would prove to be of significant benefit for a people with diabetes.

Sean
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/diabetes-take-control-with-physical-activity-248836.html

Exercise is an integral part of life for everyone. This becomes especially true in the case of a person with diabetes, in which case it is part of the treatment of diabetes as well. For a diabetic exercise should be a daily routine. Daily exercise would help a diabetic person to have good blood sugar control in addition to making him or her physically fit. Daily exercise also would make a diabetic person less susceptible for a heart attack and nerve damage from diabetes.

Exercise improves blood sugar control

Exercise provides great benefits to diabetics and it plays an excellent role in controlling the blood sugar. A properly designed exercise schedule in combination with a healthy diet is the recipe for success for a person with diabetes. When you do physical activity your muscles take up the glucose from the blood circulation and use it for the muscular activity thus maintaining a normal blood glucose level. Exercise also increases the tissue sensitivity to insulin making the effect of insulin more effective thus further helping to reduce the blood glucose level.

Exercise reduces weight

Exercise is also helps people with diabetes to reduce weight. Weight gain is closely associated with type-2 diabetes. Exercise decreases the fat stores and thus decreases the extra demand that is put on the already compromised beta cells.

Exercise decreases the need for diabetic medication

Exercise reduces insulin resistance of the tissues and makes body tissue more responsive to the action of insulin. If you have only mild diabetes, a combination of exercise and dietary control may be the only form of intervention needed for your diabetes control. Even in persons who have more severe degree of diabetes exercise would decrease the need for diabetic medication because of decreased insulin resistance.

Exercise improves circulation

Most of the complications that are associated with diabetes are related to impairment of circulation that is caused by diabetes. This is especially true for those who develop diabetic foot as a complication of diabetes. Exercise improves circulation especially to arms and legs and thus may prevent development of diabetes related complications.

Exercise improves cholesterol level

Heart attack (myocardial infarction) is one of the major causes of death in people with diabetes. Exercise would increase the good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) and lower the bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol). Exercise also reduces the triglyceride levels. By improving the cholesterol values exercise provide increase protection from heart attack diabetic patients.

Exercise lowers blood pressure

Diabetic patients are highly prone to complications of high blood pressure. Regular exercise would lower blood pressure and thus may protect diabetic patients from hypertension (high blood pressure) and its complications.

It is clear from the above discussion that exercise is a very crucial component in the life of a person with diabetes. Regular exercise, in combination with a healthy diabetic meal would prove to be of significant benefit for a people with diabetes.

Sean
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/diabetes-take-control-with-physical-activity-248836.html

These days, in Canada, more than 800,000 seniors have Type 2 diabetes and this number will increase each year. For this people the diagnose will come with a restriction of what they can and can’t eat and they will need to plan a diabetic menu for their meals. Diabetic menu planning at home isn’t that difficult, but what if you love to go out for dinner?

For a lot of people eating out is one of life’s pleasures and it doesn’t have to stop because you are diagnosed with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has made a list of guidelines you can use so you can still enjoy a nice restaurant meal and still keep a good eye on your diabetes. It all comes down to making the right choices. Ask what you need to know and balance your restaurant meals out with healthy meals at home. Remember, diabetes is a condition that you can keep under control, you just have to put your mind to it.

Because not everyone with diabetes has the same nutritional goals you should seek help with a registered dietician or diabetic educator. They can help you sort out what to do when dining out. The first choice that can help you is picking a restaurant that offers a great variety of choices. The more you can choose from, the more chance you have in finding appropriate foods. You can always phone ahead and ask what is on the menu. You should make a reservation as this will avoid waiting and ensure that you can eat on time. If you use insulin, this is very important. When you make your reservation, you could also mention that it is important to be able to eat on time, because of your insulin. Most restaurants will make a note of this next to your reservation, so your table should be ready on time.

How to order:

- Ask what is in a dish if you don’t know for sure, they will give you the information you need.
- Check if the food has been prepared with liquid oil rat her than solid fats.
- Choose a meal that is prepared with a minimal amount of salt, no extra sauce or butter.
- Don’t choose a fried meal, rather pick a broiled, grilled or steamed one.
- Don’t overeat, try to eat the same portion as you would at home. If it’s a large serving take the extra food home.
- Ask if your sauce, gravy or salad dressing could be brought “on the side”.
- Order the baked potato, you can top it with a teaspoon of low-calorie yoghurt or sour cream and vegetables from the salad bar.
- Limit the intake of sugar, caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks.

And remember, enjoy the time you spend in the restaurant. It’s not because you have diabetes, you can’t enjoy life’s little pleasures. Having to live on a diabetic menu doesn’t mean you can’t life you live to the fullest.

Leslie Bogaerts
http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/dining-out-with-diabetes-673535.html