If you are sick and want to know some tips on how to maintain your diabetes.  Here are a couple of quick pointers that I learned from experience and some good articles from About.com

• Stay hydrated- drink lots of water
• continue to take you medication unless your blood sugar is much lower than usual
• check you blood sugar every 4-6 hours
• test and track your ketone levels and blood sugar levels
• if you cannot hold anything down or are sick for more than 24hrs, call you health care physician

When to call your doctor; You might want to call your doctor if

• illness that last longer than 1-2 days
• fever
• severe nausea
• dehydration
• excess urination or thirst
• labored breathing
• worsening of symptoms

Here are some things that you should look for when choosing a over the counter cold and flu drugs:

Inactive ingredients that may affect diabetes:

Most over the counter drugs in the cold and flu section with have some sort of Alcohol or sugar based product in it.  Both alcohol and sugar will definitely affect your blood glucose level.  But these two things are non-pharmacological ingredients that you may be overlooking.  Look for the term “inactive ingredients” if you cannot find what you are looking for .

Active ingredients that may affect diabetes:

Pain and fever reducers: acetaminophen is used in cold and flu medications for minor aches and fevers.

• Acetaminophen can be toxic to liver and kidneys. People with diabetes who also have kidney complications should check with their doctor before using acetaminophen.

NSAIDS: (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are used to treat aches, pains and fevers associated with colds and flu.

• Ibuprofen should be used with caution by people with kidney and liver problems. It also has been proven to increase the hypoglycemic effect of insulin and oral diabetes medications.
• Naproxen should not be used for people with severe cardiovascular disease, or kidney or liver problems. It may also increase the risk of hypoglycemia with insulin and oral diabetes medications

Cough medications:

• Dextromethorphan is an ingredient in many cough preparations and at recommended doses is safe for people with diabetes.
• Guaifenesin is an ingredient that loosens mucus and makes it easier to cough it up. There are no warnings about guaifenesin and diabetes.
• There are also diabetic sugar free cough medicines that are available.

Decongestants:

• Epinephrine, phenylephrine, and pseudoephedrine are usually found in nasal sprays, but also some oral cold medicines. They work by drying up secretions in the nasal passages. It is possible that they could decrease the effects of insulin or oral diabetes medications. They can also increase blood pressure and should be used cautiously in people with high blood pressure.
• Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is a decongestant that has been recalled by the FDA as of 2005, due to an increased risk of strokes.

Antihistimines:

• Brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, and doxylamine are used in combination with other active ingredients. These antihistimines do not affect diabetes directly, but elderly people may be more susceptible to side effects. Diphenhydramine is used alone (marketed as Benedryl) or in combination with other drugs. It can cause low blood pressure in some people.
• Loratadine is a second generation antihistamine that has recently gone OTC. It does not cause the sedation associated with the older antihistimines. It does not appear to cause problems in people with diabetes.

Finding the right drug in your local pharmacy is a sometimes hard task.  But just remember that these OTC drugs will only temporarily fix your issues. If you symptoms persist for too long, you should see you physician.

It’s best to ask your doctor or your pharmacist which of these medications is right for you.

OTC cold and flu medications are not recommended for children under the age of two.

_Sources:

_{“Types of OTC Medicines and How They Work.” FamilyDoctor.org. 03/2005. American Academy of Family Physicians. 29 Oct 2007.}

There’s no one diet for diabetes. General guidelines exist, such as “eat less fat and saturated fat” and “eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.”.Your diabetes meal plan must be based on your individual needs. When it comes to what to eat and what not to eat for diabetics, advice is abundance. With so much well meaning advice from various sources, it can be difficult to determine what food you should be including as part of your diabetic diet. Instead of what we should eat, why don’t we start with the types bad food for diabetics?

Basically, a diet low in saturated fat with well controlled blood glucose levels that incorporates weight control, exercise and fewer refined sugars is recommended. Controlling blood glucose levels with diet, and in some cases medication, is the key. To keep blood sugar levels under control, a diabetic diet strikes a balance among the carbohydrates, fats, and protein you take in. In addition, a 1,500-calorie diabetic diet restricts calories and fat. These fruits helps to control blood sugar, levels. Due to their low glycaemic index, they promote a gradual increase in the blood sugar level which is highly beneficial to diabetics.

Carbohydrates encompass a broad range of foods, including table sugar, fruits and vegetables, and grains such as rice and wheat. Carbohydrates (be it potato or table sugar) typically take from five minutes to three hours to digest, whereas protein takes three to six hours and fat can take eight or more hours. That’s why different foods have different effects on blood sugar, such as why ice cream (higher in fat) raises blood sugar levels more slowly than potatoes. Carbohydrate choices should come from whole grains breads or cereals, pasta, brown rice, beans, fruits and vegetables. Increasing dietary fiber is a general guideline for the entire population rather than specifically for people with diabetes. Avoid simple, processed, and concentrated carbohydrates. Highly processed carbohydrates in packaged food such as, fast food, white bread, and white flour products, have a high glycemic index that causes spikes in sugar levels. Sugar and refined carbohydrates are undeniably linked to diabetes.

Beware of sugar-free cookies and other products made for diabetics. Even though they’re sugar-free, they may contain trans fats or have more fats than their sugary counterparts. Sugary foods are fattening. Many foods that have a lot of table sugar are very high in calories and fat. Sugar-free candy as well as as other products using the term “sugar-free” should be evaluated for total carbohydrate content. Sugar alcohols, though listed by their weight content within the food as listed in the Nutrition Facts panel, are not metabolized (broken down and used for energy) the way true sugars are.

If you have alcoholic drinks on an empty stomach, they can make your blood glucose level go too low. Alcoholic drinks also can raise your blood fats. Many people do not realize that milk can raise the blood sugar, because it doesn?t ?taste sweet?, but it does contain lactose, which will turn to glucose. One container of sugar free, fat free yogurt is also equal to one carb choice.

Eating good quality foods that are high in nutrients and fiber can help normalize blood sugars. Working with a doctor and being vigilant about diet can make a difference in the long-term health of a person living with diabetes. Eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables may satisfy sugar cravings without jeopardizing sugar levels; the fiber in fruits, vegetables, and grains can regulate how quickly sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream.

The ideal diet for people with diabetes aims to maintain a balance between sugars, fibre, fats and salt. No foods are completely forbidden but some foods, especially sugars, fats and salt need to be consumed in restricted quantities. Learning about Diabetes and making the right lifestyle changes, can help you maintain blood glucose and blood fat levels as close to normal as possible, as well as maintaining a reasonable body weight. All of these factors will help you to reduce the risk of developing the serious complications of Diabetes. Fat should be removed before cooking.

Diabetes Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

Top ten Foot Care Tips

1. Make sure you check you feet daily. Any signs of cuts, trauma, blisters, cracks, swelling, or color changes should be taken seriously and reported to your diabetic health care provider immediately. Using a mirror can be very useful if you have a hard time seeing all areas of your feet.
2. Make sure that your shoes fit properly. I remember going to the podiatrist a couple of years ago and measuring my feet. My doctor asked me what size shoes do I wear? I told him that I wore a size 13! He replied that he measured me to be a 13 1/2. That extra half an inch may seem minimal to some but that is a lot of room that you are trying to squeeze your feet into. So make sure that you have the extra inch between your foot and the end of the shoe.
3. Wash you feet everyday. Make sure that you dry them thoroughly between your toes.
4. Nail care- always cut your nails in a straight line. Do not round your cut to the shape of your toes. Because this increases the likelihood of forming in grown nails.
5. DO NOT try to perform self treatment of ingrown toenails, blisters, corns or any other signs of ware.
6. Prevent Cracking- Apply cream or petroleum jelly to feet and heels but do try to avoid the area between your toes, because cream or lotion that sits in between the toes can make your skin more susceptible to infection.
7. Keep the Blood flowing- Try not to cross your legs when you sit down, Stay active and exercise!
8. Protect your feet from extreme temperatures. Stay away from too cold or too hot temperatures while using bath water.
9. Exercise- ask your doctor about a program that is right for you. The more you exercise the more likely you will have better circulation to your feet.
10. Be preventative- Use these tips to diagnose and monitor your foot health! If something does not look right, you should report it to your doctor or physician as soon as possible!

Diabetic Videos

ClaimYourDiabetes.com does not condone any action of self treatment to your condition without consulting your physician first.

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Heart
People with heart failure have been found to have lower levels of CoQ10 in heart muscle cells. Heart attacks and strokes produce a burst of free radicals (ischemia-reperfusion) that can result in extensive tissue damage. Patients who took the CoQ10 experienced a significant improvement in functional status, clinical symptoms, and quality of life, however there were no changes in echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) or in objective markers. Heart function, as indicated by the fraction of blood pumped out of the heart with each beat (the ejection fraction), showed a gradual and sustained improvement in tempo with a gradual and sustained improvement in patient symptoms of fatigue, dyspnea, chest pain, and palpitations. Double-blind research suggests that CoQ10 may reduce symptoms related to heart failure, such as shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, and swelling.

Diabetes
CoQ10 supplements may improve heart health and blood sugar and help manage high cholesterol and high blood pressure in individuals with diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a condition of increased oxidative stress and impaired energy metabolism. Despite some concern that CoQ10 may cause a sudden and dramatic drop in blood sugar (called hypoglycemia), two recent studies of people with diabetes given CoQ10 twice per day showed no hypoglycemic response.

Age
CoQ10 synthesis decreases progressively in humans above age 21. Most people make approximately 500 mg of Coq10 daily in the body, at least up until age 21. At age 20, the heart has a higher CoQ10 level than other major organ. At age 80 this is no longer true, with the heart levels cut by more than half. This causes the degeneration of cells, which may contribute to age-related diseases and conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease and the breakdown of skin tissue. Furthermore, the average ubiquinone content of the western diet is less than 5 mg/day. Failure to supplement by the aged, ill or stressed can have serious consequences in the form of irreversible damage in the brain, other organs and mitochondria everywhere.

Doses
A typical CoQ10 dosage is 30 to 90 mg per day, taken in divided doses, but the recommended amount can be as high as 200 mg per day. Initially, doses as small as 30 to 45 mg per day were associated with measurable clinical responses in patients with heart failure. More recent studies have used higher doses with improved clinical response, again in patients with heart failure. There have been no reports of significant adverse side effects of oral coenzyme Q10 supplementation at doses as high as 1200 mg/d for up to 16 months and 600 mg/d for up to 30 months.

Clinical Evidence
At least six clinical trials have shown a blood pressure–lowering effect of CoQ10. The majority of the clinical studies concerned the treatment of heart disease and were ermarkably consistent in their conclusions: that treatment with CoQ10 significantly improved heart muscle function while producing no adverse effects or drug interactions. Results of the first placebo–controlled, multicentre clinical of CoQ10 suggest that it can slow disease progression in patients with early–stage Parkinsons disease.

We have only scratched the surface of the biomedical and clinical applications of CoQ10 and the associated fields of bioenergetics and free radical chemistry. The clinical experience with coQ10 in heart failure is nothing short of dramatic, and it is reasonable to believe that the entire field of medicine should be re–evaluated in light of this growing knowledge.

Conclusion
Although there is some evidence that Coenzyme Q10 supplementation may be of benefit, large, well–designed intervention trials are needed to determine whether coQ10 supplementation has value as an adjunct to conventional medical therapy.

A regular contributor to this website, Max Health is the founder and owner of Earthrise Foods. For more details visit:

http://www.earthrise-foods.co.uk

Submitted with Article Distributor.

Article Source: http://www.article-buzz.com
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What do I mean by “the healthy way”?

This means that your sugar levels are at the correct mg/dl. You may already know that when your sugars are all out of whack, that your weight will definitely drop too. This is because you body cannot convert the food that you consume into energy so it then starts to use your bodies stored fat as a source of energy. And that is a big NO NO!

So start off on the right track and lose weight the good healthy way!

Tips On How to Lose Weight the Healthy Way :

Cardiovascular Exercise- Running, aerobics, yoga, pilates, and Bicycling are just an example of a few things that you can do to elevate your heart rate. It has been proven that cardio and exercise can drastically improve your insulin uptake and circulatory problems. Get your blood flowing and start working out for you and your family. Swimming is also a execellent source of cardio.

Carb Watching- Low carb this and low carb that is all we hear now a days on the radio, news, and internet. But it is true that carbs are just as scary as sugar when it comes to people with diabetes. You may think to yourself ” oh this piece of bread is not that bad, at least its not a candy bar” but sometimes carbs can hit the blood stream faster than a piece of chocolate. So this may make it difficult to pin point what your issues are when you are trying to regulate your glucose levels. So I try to cut out as much carbs as I can that are in my meal plan. You will notice that you will not have to take as much insulin as you might normally take.

Plan Your Meals- Planning your meals can not only help you keep your sugar in check, but it will give you a feel of how your individual body reacts to certain types of foods. Everybody is different and learning what makes you different is a good thing. Make it a point to wake up early (if your schedule permits) and make yourself a breakfast. If you have time, make your lunch ahead of time so that you do not have to worry about what you are going to eat for your lunch break. And since you have your lunch planned out, you have the rest of your day to plan out what you want to eat for dinner. That way you don’t get bored while eating the same old stuff everyday.

If you are a newly diagnosed diabetic, setting some small goals in the beginning stages of your diabetes can help you overcome the overwhelming amount of information that you have to digest. This can help keep everything relatively simple.

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I had an old beat up meter that was begging to be retired to a box on my closet floor. My new meter has so many new features that are better than the older version. One of my favorites are the comment and flagging option. This allows you to comment or flag a certain blood sugar level to remind yourself what you did that day to make your glucose level go up or down.

Also the download feature is pretty awesome as well. This feature allows you to download your sugar readings to a form online that helps you track your monitored sugar levels. It can also be printing in a spreadsheet table so that you can give it to your doctor when you go for your next visit.

I am always interested in new technology that can help everyone better manage their sugar levels so if anybody has anymore suggestions or tips, feel free to let me know! Or just drop a comment in the comment box.

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Try not to eat too much salt: The theory behind this is that high sodium diets cause blockage in the arteries and increase your chances of developing major heart disease. Another thing that most people don’t realize about salty diets is that it makes you crave for sweets. Because your bodies natural response is to want something sweet when you have a lot of salt.

Foot Care: Your doctor is going to tell you that you need to take care of your feet and that you should wear socks and shoes all the time. Yes this is true but if you take care of your sugar early and take care of your feet, you can use sandals and open toed shoes if you want. Some things that I found really helpful are taking walks in the sand. You use much more muscles in your feet when you walk barefoot then when you use shoes. For those who have the privilege of living near a beach like me, try going to the beach and exercising your feet by walking in the sand or even swimming in the water.

Get out of the house! Getting your source of sunlight is a good therapeutic benefit that I found to be relaxing and stress relieving. The sun is truly the giver of life. Did you know that the sun is a good source of Vitamin D. Which in turn benefits the body by boosting the immune system and strengthening muscles. Make sure you keep your sunblock close.

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