Insulin Pump Therapy

Insulin pump therapy delivers continuous insulin support to diabetics. The insulin pump is a small device which is about the size of a small cell phone. The device is worn outside the body and delivers insulin through a small tube.

The end of the thin tube, called the cannula, is inserted under the skin. The cannula must be reinserted under the skin twelve times a month. A reinsertion of the cannula feels like a needle prick. The reinsertions of the cannula is generally preferred to daily injections.

The insulin pump delivers the amount of insulin that the diabetic patient deems necessary. A base rate of insulin is delivered to the body. This mimics the normal production of insulin by the pancreas in those without diabetes. When food is eaten, the insulin pump user programs the pump to provide the necessary amount of insulin.

The use of insulin pump therapy eliminates the need for daily multiple injections of insulin. One of the benefits is the freedom that this therapy offers to the diabetic. Administering insulin by multiple daily injections often requires that the diabetic follow a strict schedule. With the insulin pump, the need for a schedule is minimized if not entirely eliminated. People using insulin pump therapy are reported to have more dietary freedom and less risk of complications from diabetes such as eye, kidney, and nerve disease.

The insulin pump user needs only to program the doses of insulin that are necessary to control the blood glucose level. The base rate of insulin can be adjusted in preparation of exercise or in times of illness or infection. The delivery of a base rate of insulin helps the diabetic achieve a steady blood glucose level. The cost of insulin pump therapy is higher than using insulin injections. For diabetics who have difficulty regulating their blood glucose levels, the pump may be the healthier insulin delivery method.

Diabetic Desserts

Having diabetes does not mean that desserts are off limits. Diabetic desserts can satisfy cravings for sweets without jeopardizing the diabetic patient’s health. Besides fruit, which is okay on moderation according to the patient’s diabetic diet, there are desserts that can be bought or made at home that are dietetic.

When a food label says dietetic, it means that the food fits into a special diet. The special diet that dietetic foods are created and marketed towards is usually the diabetic diet. The diabetic patient should read labels carefully, especially when selecting dessert items. Technically, a food could be labeled as “dietetic” if it fits in any special diet, including a low-sodium diet. Therefore, people with diabetes should read the labels to ensure that the food is appropriate for people with diabetes.

Recipes for diabetic desserts can be found on the Internet. Dessert recipes designed for diabetic patients often use sugar-free ingredients. It is often possible for a diabetic patient to make desserts they loved before their diagnosis by substituting ingredients high in sugar content for sugar-free versions.

Portion control is an important element of following the diabetic diet. The dietician can advise the diabetic patients on the proper portion sizes for each food group. It is just as important to follow portion control with desserts as it is with the other foods.

The dietician can make recommendations for desserts that are both healthy and satisfying. Dieticians will often alter recipes for their clients. A diabetic patient can take a recipe to the dietician and work with them to make the appropriate substitutions. Occasionally, a recipe is just too unhealthy to change to a diabetic dessert without ruining the taste. In that case, the dietician can sometimes recommend a dessert that would offer the same or similar taste without being unhealthy.

Cheap Diabetic Shoes

Diabetic foot care is crucial in diabetes care. Diabetic foot care involves taking measures to prevent injury to the feet as well as seeking prompt medical treatment for any sores that may occur. Diabetic socks and diabetic shoes are designed to help prevent injuries to the diabetic foot.

People with diabetes often have nerve damage associated with diabetes. This nerve damage, or neuropathy, reduces the diabetic patient’s ability to feel sensations from the feet. Therefore, if the diabetic patient’s shoes rub or cause pressure on the feet, it may go unnoticed.

If sores or other injuries develop, the diabetic patient may remain unaware of the problem. Due to circulation problems that are complications of diabetes, sores take longer to heal. Even a small sore can become problematic. Sores can become infected before the diabetic patient knows of the existence of the sore. A small sore that becomes infected can ulcerate and lead to the amputation of the foot.

Prevention of sores is a priority in diabetic care. Diabetic shoes are designed to help prevent sores by reducing friction and pressure on the foot. Cheap diabetic shoes can be found on the Internet. Diabetic shoes are a form of orthopedic shoes. Online retailers that specialize in orthopedics may offer cheap diabetic shoes.

Cheap diabetic shoes should retain qualities that make them a part of diabetic foot care. Certain characteristics make cheap diabetic shoes a component of diabetic care. Diabetic shoes are wider that regular shoes in order to avoid pinching the toes and causing friction. They are designed to accommodate the orthopedic insoles that diabetic patients may have from podiatrists.

Cheap diabetic shoes should have good air circulation to help prevent the buildup of moisture in the shoes. There should be no seams inside the shoes that could rub against the sensitive skin of the diabetic foot. If there are seams, they should be covered.

If the cheap diabetic shoe is too big, it could cause friction by sliding on the foot. If the shoe is too small, it causes pressure and friction on the foot. The cheap diabetic shoes must fit properly.

Diabetes Symptoms

Symptoms of diabetes can act as warning signs for the disease. These common symptoms of diabetes can let doctors know that the patient needs to be tested for diabetes. Excessive thirst and frequent urination are common initial symptoms caused by a diabetic condition.

These symptoms are both causally linked and due to high glucose levels. When the blood glucose level is too high, glucose tends to accumulate in the kidneys. The kidneys attempt to dilute the glucose by drawing water from the blood. Therefore, the person becomes thirsty due to the body’s need for more water. Frequent urination then occurs from the excessive amounts of water consumed and the kidneys’ action of drawing increased amounts of water from the blood.

Extreme hunger and unusual weight loss are diabetes symptoms. The weight loss can seem perplexing to the patient since the hunger may cause them to be eating more than usual. The patient may realize something is wrong since these symptoms would not occur together normally. Weight loss is more noticeable with type 1 diabetes.

Blurry vision can be a symptom of diabetes. Many people do not associate blurry vision with a sign of the onset of diabetes. Another symptom is tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. This is due to the onset of diabetic nerve damage, known as diabetic neuropathy.

Irritability and increased fatigue are more difficult symptoms to associate with diabetes since they can occur as symptoms of numerous illnesses. If people experience irritability and increased fatigue along with some of the other symptoms of diabetes, it can affirm the need for a blood glucose test to rule out or diagnose diabetes.

If a person experiences these signs of diabetes, they should consult their physicians. The doctor is likely to issue or prescribe a blood sugar test. The test results may indicate that the patient has normal blood sugar levels, pre-diabetes, or diabetes.    

Friends And Family Of Diabetic Patients

Friends and family of diabetic patients can be a source of support or a hindrance for the diabetic patient. Friends and family may sabotage the care of the diabetic patient by tempting the patient with food that would not be conducive to maintaining safe blood sugar levels. This sabotage is not done with evil intentions. Most likely, it is done out of a lack of education about the illness.

Diabetic patients must not only educate themselves, but also those around them. Physicians and the Internet can provide information about diabetes which can be shared with friends and family. Friends and family who are aware of the symptoms and treatment of diabetes and the possible complications of the illness can be the best support system for the diabetic patient.

Friends and family should be aware of how to act in the case of a diabetic crisis. Hypoglycemia occurs when the blood sugar level dips dangerously low. It can cause dizziness, hunger, shakiness, and even seizures. If the diabetic patient is conscious, they should consume a half cup of fruit juice, five or six pieces of hard candy, or glucose tablets.

Glucose tablets are usually available at drug stores and should be kept on hand in case of hypoglycemia. Family and friends of diabetic patients should refrain from giving them food or drink during a hypoglycemic crisis if the patient is passed out. Instead, they should call emergency medical services.

Family can also take steps to decrease their risk for developing the disease since there is a hereditary component to diabetes. When a loved one develops diabetes, it can be a motivator for the family to follow a healthier lifestyle. Healthy diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can help someone avoid developing diabetes. Creating these healthy routines can help both the family and the diabetic patient.

Diabetes Care

Diabetes care is crucial if serious complications from diabetes are to be avoided. Diabetes care consists of managing the level of glucose in the blood to prevent it from rising to unsafe levels. The management of diabetes involves monitoring the blood glucose levels, correcting the levels with insulin if necessary, and following a healthy lifestyle that encourages the maintenance of healthy glucose levels.

Monitoring the blood glucose levels is generally done periodically throughout each day. A typical regiment includes checking the blood glucose level upon waking and after each meal. The physician may prescribe a different schedule. It is important for the diabetic to work cooperatively with the doctor in order to control the diabetes.

The administration of insulin is sometimes, but not always, a necessary component of diabetes care, Insulin can be used with individual injections of insulin or with insulin pump therapy. With individual injections, the diabetic checks their blood glucose level with a monitor and takes the appropriate amount of insulin with an injection. The insulin pump provides a steady amount of insulin to the body with additional, programmed doses after meals and as needed.

Healthy living can help maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Exercise delivers more glucose to the cells from the blood. This can lower otherwise high glucose levels in the blood. Excessive stress should be avoided as it can cause problems with blood glucose levels. Exercise can help alleviate the negative impact of stress on the body.

Small, more frequent meals can aid in keeping the blood glucose levels steady, but eating like this can make it more difficult to monitor the blood glucose levels. A dietary plan should be developed with the assistance of a dietician who is experienced in working with diabetics. In an ideal situation, the diabetic patient, the physician, and the dietician work together as a team to devise a plan for diabetes care.

Diabetics Knowhow – What Diabetic Patients Should Know

Diabetic patients are likely to learn little tricks that can make their lives easier. Through their own experiences and the experiences of other diabetic patients, someone with diabetes can learn things that will benefit them as they follow a diabetes treatment plan. Here are some tips of diabetics knowhow and what diabetic patients should know.

Some diabetic patients experience pain or difficulty obtaining blood samples for checking their blood level. Difficulty getting the proper amount of blood can be especially problematic first thing in the morning or for those who have circulation problems.

Though the newest blood glucose meters require very little blood, if the patient’s meter requires more blood than is easily obtained, there are tricks to help. Squeezing the fingers to coax blood onto the testing strip is not recommended. The diabetic patient may find it helpful to run their hands under warm water before attempting to get a blood sample.

If pain is bothersome, some diabetics find it less painful to prick the sides of the fingers and avoid the fingertips. There are more nerve endings in the fingertips, so pricking them causes more pain. Alternating which finger is pricked can also help.

Sometimes diabetic patients feel limited by their diabetic diets. Eating a large variety of foods can help avoid a sense of being stuck with a specific diet. Changing the foods that are eaten can still fill the specifications of the diabetic diet and foster a sense of freedom of choice. If the diabetic patient has favorite foods, they can consult the dietician for ways to include these foods in the diabetic diet. Some recipes can be altered to make a food healthier and more acceptable.

Eating protein with starches tends to stop the spikes in blood sugar that can be caused by the starch. For example, if eating spaghetti causes blood sugar level to rise too high, eating a smaller portion of spaghetti with light sausage or black beans added to the sauce can help keep the blood sugar level at a safe level. The dietician could provide numerous tips for enjoying food that satisfies the requirement for the diabetic diet.

Diabetic Desserts

There is a myth about diabetic desserts generally not benefiting people with diabetes and people with diabetes should avoid all sugar. This is because diabetic products are expensive, high in calories and fat, may have a laxative effect and will still affect your blood glucose levels. This is may be true for some diabetic products which can be bought on the market. However, if you make your own diabetic desserts at home, then the ingredients can be controlled and healthy. It is easy to just modify your favourite recipe by reducing the amount of salt, sugar and fat, and increasing the amount of fibre.

If you are eating out and really want a dessert, choose a fruit-based pudding or sorbet instead of cakes, pastries or cheese and biscuits. If possible choose a reduced-sugar version such as sugar-free jelly. The odd dessert or meal that contains high fat and sugar is generally fine, however, if eating out is a regular thing, then you need to be more careful when selecting your food dishes.

When baking desserts at home, try to experiment and reduce the amount of sugar used. Most sponge cakes will still rise when the sugar quantity is reduced by half. Examples of recipes that can be made without sugar include tea cakes, fruit scones and fruit cakes. Instead of using butter creams, icing or jams as a cake topping or cake filler, you could experiment with chopped fruits or adding these chopped fruits to fromage frais.

The following are some examples of what you could do when thinking about making your own desserts.
Instead of using traditional sour cream or double cream, experiment with light creme fraiche. It is stable in heat and can be served on hot or cold desserts. Use fromage frais in desserts instead of Greek yoghurt or cream. Try to use oils and fats which are high in monosaturates. The use of dried fruits instead of sugar in fruit cakes and scones will provide the sweetness. Intense sweeteners may be used if necessary, for example, in custard and crumbles.

Hopes Of Someone Suffering From Diabetes

The hopes of someone suffering from diabetes are similar to the hopes of everyone. A diagnosis of diabetes doesn’t mean that the diabetic patient has to let go of their aspirations. With proper treatment, people with diabetes can live happy, healthy lives.

People with diabetes can have fear of developing the health complications associated with diabetes. The health risks of diabetes need not have a crippling effect on the diabetic patient. If diabetic patients are following a proper, diabetic diet and exercising as part of their healthy lifestyles, they should feel empowered that they are controlling the disorder. Including a routine of checking for any signs of foot or skin damage in their diabetes treatment can help prevent serious diabetes complications.

Though there is no cure for diabetes, advances in treatment have increased the freedom and effectiveness of treatment. Insulin pump therapy can provide freedom from multiple injections of insulin and more dietetic freedom. Throughout the history of diabetes management, the illness has become easier to manage.

It seems likely that progress will continue to improve the lives and alleviate the limits of diabetes. Some physicians expect that the insulin pumps will eventually be replaced with more advanced models that can not only deliver the appropriate insulin, but can monitor the patient’s blood sugar level and program the correct amounts itself. They expect that the pumps will become automatic insulin administration devices that will ensure the proper insulin treatment without any input from the patient.

People with diabetes should feel free to discuss any concerns that they have with their physicians. Some diabetic patients experience depression or sexual dysfunction. These problems should be addressed with the physician just like any other health concerns. The diabetic patient should not be content to live with health problems that can be treated. The hopes for someone with diabetes should be to live a full life without unnecessary suffering or limitations.

Diabetic Cake Mix Recipes – Diabetic Dessert

If you love cakes and have been diagnosed with diabetes, there is no need to throw all your favourite cake recipes away! As long as you eat healthily, you can start modifying your cake recipes and make your own cake mixes by reducing the amount of sugar, salt and fat and increase the amount of fibre used.

By experimenting with ingredients, you can quickly accumulate a new set of diabetic cake mix recipes.

Some tips include using lower fat alternatives (low fat dairy products and yoghurts); using light creme fraiche instead of double cream; using fromage frais instead of creams and using high monosaturate oils and fats. Some cake mix recipes will still work if you omit or reduce the amount of sugar used, so experiment! You can use the sweetness of dried fruits instead of sugar in fruit cakes and fruit scones.

If necessary, the use of an intense sweetener such as a liquid or granulated sweetener is possible in some diabetic cake mix recipes.

Further read: http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2007/02/recipe-doctor-takes-on-popular-cake.html

9 Food Regime Steps To Diabetic Freedom

Today we will talk about 9 important food steps for diabetic patients. As you probably already know, there is no fixed or standard diabetic or diabetes diet. The diet that a person with diabetes should follow to help manage his or her blood sugar levels is based on the same nutrition principles that any healthy person, with or without diabetes, should follow for well balance diet and good health.

When a diabetic patient sees a registered dietitian for nutrition counseling, the objective is to create a diabetic nutrition plan. This will help the patient manage his or her blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of heart disease and other diet-related conditions, maintain a healthy weight, as well as meet the person’s nutritional, lifestyle, social, and cultural needs.

It is therefore very important to follow a good food regime/routine especially when you are diabetic. We at DiabeticDiets has come up with a 9 food steps to freedom for the diabetics.

• Count the carbohydrates intake
• Have more heart protective fats
• Fiber to be part of almost every meal
• Keep cholesterol level low
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Do not have large meals
• Take vitamins and supplements
• Monitor your blood sugars regularly
• Exercise regularly

Hope this will benefit you, this article is taken from
9 Steps To Diabetic Freedom

Also read this free diabetic diet advice

Are You Suffering From Diabetes?

According to the American Diabetes Association, in the United States alone there are 23.6 million people, or shockingly, 8% of the population, who have diabetes. That is a very shocking figure. And most of them are diagnosed with diabetes, in the last ten years.

Could it be due to the everchanging diets of the people? Could it be genetic and hereditary? I think all of the above.

Over the years, as people got more affluent, their diets change too. Everyone starts to be more occupied with work, studies and even leisure and they started to save time on their sleeping time and meals, hence lack of exercise and fast foods has become the ideal choice, and the rest is history. No offence to fast foods but we all know that too much fast food will gradually create more health issues. No details to be mentioned.

There is a Chinese saying, “Illness starts from what goes into one’s mouth while trouble starts from what comes out of it.” So it can be true that diabetes can be caused by the horrific diets of many type II diabetes patients.

It could also be passed genetically, there is also research evidence to prove that it may run in families too. So if either of your parents has got type II diabetes, you got to really watch your diet, sugar blood level and keep fit by exercising to help reduce the chance of getting diabetes.

Further read – http://www.tasteofhome.com/Is-diabetes-hereditary–

Do You Need To Follow A Diabetic Diet?

If you are suffering from diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin on its own. This can leads to high blood glucose, or sugar, levels in your blood. All this can leads to complications if it is not treated and untreated diabetes can eventually leads to death due to the diabetes complications.  

There are several points in the treatment of diabetes and they all play a very important role.

• Regular exercising helps to strengthen your heart and may also lower your blood sugar level
• Staying in good shape maintaining a good BMI, meaning an ideal body weight for your height
• Taking diabetic medication regularly if required by doctors,
• Following strictly to a diabetic diet, which is what this blog will specifically emphasize on.

Eating healthily helps to reduce your blood sugar. It is a important part of managing your diabetes, because controlling your blood sugar can prevent diabetic complications, like diabetic retinopathy, kidney failure or diabetic neuropathy etc.

So what is a diabetic diet?

A diabetic diet is effective a diet that has got high in dietary fibre, especially soluble fibre, but low in saturated fat, lesser of carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index.

Diabetes experts suggest diabetic meal plans that are flexible and able to take your lifestyle and other health needs into consideration.

You can also read more at
http://www.endocrineweb.com/diabetes/treatment.html 
http://www.diabetic-diets.net/