The Pool Is Open

I was over at my son’s house over the weekend, they opened the pool and we had a great time. Even though there were not any small children around, I thought back to when they were small, and we would always have to be on guard constantly whether we were at home, at a public pool or on vacation around the Ocean.

So remember to stay safe, active, and healthy when it’s hot outside.

Drowning is a leading cause of death in infants, children and adolescents. Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) so you can act quickly to prevent drowning.

Stay Active without over doing it. There are many ways to stay active and beat the heat.

Here are a few:
Go to a gym for a nice, cool environment with a variety of activities.

Use the equipment, work out with free weights, or whatever turns you on, but remember to pace yourself. Listen to your body, and it will tell you when enough is enough.Visit your favorite local swimming hole or take swimming lessons at a pool.

Start a walking group with your friends at the mall. It’s another way to stay connected, focused and motivated.

Take up an indoor sport, such as racquetball, basketball or volleyball, or taking an aerobics class.

Go ice skating. Yes they are open in the Summer also.

If you are outside when it’s hot and humid, wear light, comfortable clothing and work out in the early morning or late evening. Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If you experience symptoms, stop exercising and cool down immediately by dousing yourself with cold water. You may need medical attention.

Heat exhaustion can progress quickly to heat stroke, which can kill you. Learn about hot weather and cardiovascular disease and the symptoms of heat exhaustion and stroke.

Fire up the grill Keep these tips in mind to help you grill “fat-sensibly” this summer.Try grilling fish. The healthiest types include salmon, trout and herring, which are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Buy chicken breasts instead of the fattier dark meat (legs and thighs). Remember to remove the skin before eating or try grilling chicken or turkey burgers using breast meat and add diced onions for more flavor.

Choose “loin” and “round” cuts of red meat and pork. Look for “choice” or “select” grades of beef instead of “prime.” While these have the least amount of fat, don’t forget to trim the fat when you get home. Use a rack so the fat drips away from the food.

If you wonder about a need to supplement your diet, Here are a few things to think about.

There is no one single pill that will supply all your daily requirements, but multiple vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other supplements are readily available in tonic, pill, and many other forms.

But what do you really need to be healthier? And how much do you need? And how can you make sure that you are getting it?

For starters, WebMD compiled an expert-approved list of the top five healthiest nutrients and how to get them. Go there and browse the site for yourself. Here is the short version.Calcium Hands down, calcium, which comes from foods including low-fat dairy products and supplements, is essential for a healthy body. How do you know? Consider that an 8 oz glass of milk or calcium-fortified juice or a cup of yogurt contains about 300 mg.

So, take a look at what you are normally eating, and if you are not in the range, consider a supplement.

Magnesium The Daily Value (DV) for magnesium is around 400 mg. However, most magnesium researchers say we need two to three times this amount, especially for people who have magnesium-deficient conditions including heart disease, muscle cramps, headaches, and muscle pain.

Magnesium deficiencies are seen in a host of conditions including asthma, diabetes, kidney disease, and even migraines. Magnesium also helps with calcium absorption, so you need it to help build healthy bones. Magnesium is harder to get through foods, so supplements are usually necessary.

Magnesium-rich foods do include almonds, peanuts, brown rice, and cereals like oat bran and shredded wheat.

Vitamin B which includes B-6, B-12, and folate (folic acid) are key to overall health.According to the American Heart Association, homocysteine is an amino acid that has been linked to an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and other major diseases. It may damage the inner lining of arteries and promote blood clots, but researchers are still not sure exactly how it affects disease risk.

However homocysteine levels are strongly influenced by diet, and several studies have found that higher blood levels of B vitamins are related, at least partly, to lower concentrations of homocysteine. The Daily Values for the B vitamins are: folate, 400 micrograms or more; B-6, 1.5-2 mg; and B-12, 2.4-3 mcg.

Today, cereals, breads, and other grain products are fortified with extra folate. Also fruits and vegetables like spinach, oranges, broccoli, and asparagus have high levels of folate. Check your multivitamin to see how it stacks up with B-6 for body function, and B-12 for energy.

Vitamin D, or the sunshine vitamin because your body makes it in response to sunlight, is often overlooked today. More people are staying out of the sun and as a result are becoming deficient in vitamin D and setting themselves up for fractures.Vitamin D helps your bones properly use calcium. Normally 15 minutes of sunlight per day with sunscreen is a good idea.

Dairy products including milk yogurt and cheese all are fortified with vitamin D. Aim for 600 IU for vitamin D.

Multi vitamins One way to make sure that you get at least the minimum amount of all your vitamins and minerals is to take a Multi Vitamin every day. There is quite a bit of evidence that multivitamins are important for general health, immunity, and well-being. Vitamins were traditionally useful in preventing deficiency disease which we don’t really see so more in this country.

Today vitamins are used to support normal organ and body functions, enhance immunity, improve cardiovascular function, and even prevent cancer.

Enjoy It!

Vitamin B For Nervous System Health

Yesterday, a friend of mine told me her Doctor recommended a B-Complex as a supplement for the tingling she has been experiencing in her hands, working in the computer lab all day.

Here is what the “book” says about Vitamin B.Vitamin B:

These vitamins are also known as Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Panthothenic Acid, Pyridoxin. Folic acid, and Cobalamin.

They all dissolve in water and perform important functions in our body such as metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in body and thereby energy production.

They are also responsible for the maintenance of the health of various body parts such as skin, hair, eyes, and liver.

They can be found in liver, meats, pork, kidney, chicken, brown rice, whole grain, cereals, and peanuts.

Vitamin B deficiency can cause diseases such as beriberi, anemia, dry and scaly skin, nervous system disorders, and heart diseases.

Diabetes Can Ruin A Perfectly Good love life

Any man can experience erectile dysfunction (ED) ongoing trouble getting or keeping an erection that’s firm enough for intercourse. But, men with diabetes are especially at risk. In fact, between 35 percent and 50 percent of them have ED. They also develop the condition about 10 to 15 years earlier than those without diabetes.

The good news is that ED is treatable. So, if it’s cause for concern, talk with your doctor.

There are chambers filled with spongy tissue, smooth muscle, veins and arteries. Nerves help control whether blood flows in or out of these chambers. An erection occurs when the spongy tissue fills with blood, making it expand and harden.Diabetes can interfere with sex in at least two ways:

Nerve damage: Which can stop signals that help trigger an erection.

Blood vessel injury: Also caused by diabetes may slow blood flow to the penis.

But, you can help lower the risk of ED and other diabetes complications. Here’s how:

If you smoke try to stop: Like diabetes, tobacco smoke also injures blood vessels.

Be proactive in keeping your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control.

Start up an exercise program, but make sure to talk with your doctor before increasing your physical activity big time.

Get to and then maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight makes it harder to control diabetes. It also increases the risk of high blood pressure, which can damage blood vessels.

If you think you might have ED, your doctor or a urologist can diagnose it. If you are not already diabetic or have heart disease, ask about your risks of having these diseases, too. There may be links between all three conditions.Prescription medicines in pill form are among the many treatments for ED. Discuss options with your doctor. Sildenafil, vardenafil or tadalafil, for example, can help men have an erection when taken an hour before sexual activity.

These days there are a number of herbal supplements on the market similar to Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis that promise the same results for less cost. You can Search for them online.One last thing to consider is that men with heart conditions should talk with a doctor before using an ED drug. Taking ED medicines with heart medicines like nitrates could cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

Get Down On Triglycerides

Supplementing lab rats diet with lipoic acid had a significant effect in lowering triglycerides, which along with cholesterol levels and blood pressure are one of the key risk factors in cardiovascular disease.

A recent study found that lipoic acid lowered triglyceride levels up to 60 percent. If this holds true for humans, it would be a greater impact than found with other dietary supplements, and similar to the effects of some prescription drugs.

This study was just published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. , a professional journal. “The extent of triglyceride reduction was really dramatic, we didn’t expect it to be this profound.” Regis Moreau, an assistant professor with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University said “The potential is good that this could become another way to lower blood triglycerides and help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. It’s pretty exciting.”

Lipoic acid is a natural compound found at low levels in some foods, including red meat and green leafy vegetables. A powerful antioxidant, it’s been of considerable research interest in recent years for its apparent ability to reduce mitochondrial decay in cells and perhaps slow the process of aging. And it’s been used in Europe for decades as a treatment for the neuropathic complications of diabetes.

Until about 10 years ago, high blood levels of triglycerides, which is basically fat , were not thought to be as significant as cholesterol at predicting atherosclerosis and heart disease. That view has changed, and most experts now see triglycerides as a third important risk factor for atherosclerosis, along with levels of “good” HDL and “bad” LDL cholesterol.

In this research, it was found that supplements of lipoic acid appeared to affect triglyceride levels through two pathways. After eating, lipoic acid supplementation increased the rate of disappearance of triglycerides in the bloodstream. And supplements also reduced the genetic expression of enzymes in the liver that synthesize triglycerides.

Lipoic acid supplements have in various studies been shown to be an appetite suppressant, but control groups of laboratory animals were used in this research to ensure that lower triglyceride levels were not the result simply of less food intake.

The rats used in the experiment were obese to begin with, and developed higher triglyceride levels as the experiment proceeded and they aged – but the animals given lipoic acid fared much better. As they grew from five weeks of age to nine weeks, the blood triglyceride levels doubled in rats given the supplement, but went up more than 400 percent in the other group not given supplements.

The amount of lipoic acid supplementation used in these laboratory experiments would equate to about two grams per day for a 150-pound person, researchers said. Lipoic acid has been used by some people for years as a dietary supplement and found to be safe, Moreau said.

“We believe that a novel means of controlling triglyceridemia in this animal model has been revealed,” researchers wrote in their report. “Given its strong safety record, lipoic acid may have therapeutic applications for the treatment or prevention of hypertriglyceridemia and diabetic dyslipidemia in humans.”

Survey Sez Supplements Help Diabetes Sugar Control

Every time we read about a new study for diabetes the same supplements seem to be beneficial for helping with blood sugars. Natural ways to help blood sugar health and diabetes include fiber, vitamin B-1, CoQ10, chamomile tea, exercise, addressing depression and L-Carnitine. Now a new study re enforces previous findings that calcium and vitamin D help with blood sugar health.

Since diabetes affects over 24 million Americans it is an important condition to get under control. As we already know this disease can lead to permanent disability, and numerous health complications like heart disease, stroke, blindness, chronic kidney disease, and amputations.

In the latest study, researchers analyzed calcium intake and vitamin D levels of 888 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and 1385 healthy women from the Nurses' Health Study who ranged in age from 40 to 75. They also looked at levels of a protein called C-peptide, since it is believed to be associated with insulin resistance, diabetes, and other chronic diseases that are in part related to diabetes and insulin resistance, including colon adenoma and pancreatic cancer.

In women, the researchers found that those with a total calcium intake greater than 800 mg per day had C-peptide levels that were 11% lower than those with a total calcium intake less than 500 mg per day. No associations between calcium and C-peptide were seen in men. But men had 20% lower C-peptide levels with vitamin D levels of 88 millimoles per liter compared to 38 millimoles per liter. No significant associations were seen between vitamin D levels and C-peptide in women.

But when both calcium and vitamin D intake were looked at together, they found that men with the highest intakes had 35% lower C-peptide levels than those with the lowest calcium/vitamin D intakes. Women with the highest intakes had 12% lower C-peptide levels than those with the lowest intakes.

When looking at how calcium and vitamin D affect insulin function, they cite research showing insulin secretion to be dependent on calcium and that calcium is essential for insulin function in that it affects the sensitivity of muscle and fat cells to insulin. For vitamin D, the researchers suggest it may improve insulin sensitivity by controlling calcium levels both in and out of cells, thereby influencing insulin levels.

For the researchers, "The results suggest that calcium intake or vitamin D [blood levels], after adjustment for intake of dairy products, is associated with decreased insulin secretion."

Select supplementstogo.com for calcium, vitamin D and all of your other nutritional supplement needs.

Insulin What Is It Anyway?

If you are a diabetic you probably already know what insulin is, but if you don’t have it chances are that all it means to you is that it has something to do with a diabetics blood sugar or it causes you to gain weight. Have you ever wondered what it is and how it works, and why people with diabetes try to control it. I’ll make this a condensed version.

First off insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas. When your blood glucose or sugar level rises, this is a signal for the pancreas to begin producing. Its whole function in the body it to regulate purpose is to regulate the metabolism of glucose and other nutrients. Metabolism is the process where the energy from the things we eat is released for use by the body or stored in body tissues, especially the liver, muscles, and body fat. This is a never ending process for all living things. If it stops, the organism dies.

When you don’t eat for a while you start to feel a sensation called hunger, which usually makes you crave carbohydrates. These carbs get converted to sugar in the blood, which then causes the release of insulin.

Then the insulin lets the sugar leave the blood and get absorbed into the cells of the body; the effect this has on the brain chemistry generates a feeling of satisfaction. Over the next few hours the insulin/blood sugar ratio changes the brain chemistry again and causes you to feel hungry again.

Armed with this knowledge we can modify our diet to help the regulation process. The pancreas secretes the most insulin faster overnight around 0600, so if a diabetic takes a morning shot of insulin, it will reduce glucose 40 percent more than an afternoon one.

Since insulin carries nutrients to the cells, if you are diabetic and exercise then eat, and you don’t have enough insulin your blood sugar would remain high (called hyperglycemia), and the nutrients could not pass through the fatty cell membrane. Eventually the blood glucose would be passed through the urine and the benefits of the exercise and the meal would be wasted.

A high fat diet is not necessarily bad, provided it contains a sufficient proportion of essential Fatty acids (EFAs). Also a low fat diet is not always good if it doesn’t have enough essential fatty acids.

The key is a balanced proportion (two parts of omega-6 to one part of omega-3). Therefore we need to reduce the omega-6 oils, except GLA, and increase omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA (DHA is plentiful in cold water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring and tuna that feed on DHA-rich micro-algae).

Exercise is the other element that affects insulin levels. It has been shown by a number of papers that resistance training for insulin resistance is better than aerobic training. There are a variety of other reasons too. Resistance training is referring to muscular exercises. If you just do a biceps curl, you immediately increase the insulin sensitivity of your biceps.

Just by exercising you are increasing the blood flow to that muscle. That is one of the factors that determine insulin sensitivity. It has been shown conclusively that resistance training will increase insulin sensitivity.

It has been found that several months of resistance training leads to a much greater increase in insulin sensitivity than seen in patients who engage in aerobic training. This is attributed to an increase in glycogen storage.

It has been shown that bodybuilders, who traditionally employ a high volume style of training, favorably alter glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

So to make a longer story shorter this is why we need to pay attention to insulin levels while keeping the Big Picture in focus. It can be done but like a tripod all three legs need to be leveled in order to succeed. Lower Insulin levels with diet and exercise.

Do You Keep Tight Control Of Your Diabetes?

If you can keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible it can be a lifesaver. Tight control can prevent or slow the progress of many complications of diabetes, giving you extra years of healthy, active life.
But tight control is not for everyone and it involves hard work.

Your physician will tell you that means you need to get between 70 and 130 mg/dl before meals, and less than 180 two hours after starting a meal.

In real life, maintaining a normal level all the time is not practical. And it's not needed to get results, but everything you can do to lower your blood glucose level helps to prevent complications.

It is unknown why high sugar levels cause complications in people with diabetes but research has proved that if people keep a tight rein on their glucose levels they lower their chances of diabetic eye disease, kidney disease, and nerve disease, and also far fewer people who already had early forms of these three complications got worse.

If your goal is to live a healthier life with this disease you must pay more attention to your diet and exercise, measure your blood glucose levels, and if you take insulin, change how much you use and your injection schedule.

In intensive therapy, you provide yourself with a low level of insulin at all times and take extra insulin when you eat. This pattern mimics the release of insulin from the normal pancreas.

What many people choose is multiple daily injections of insulin while others choose an insulin pump (both work fine).

With multiple daily injection therapy, you take three or more insulin shots per day. Usually, you take a shot of short-acting or Regular insulin before each meal and a shot of intermediate- or long-acting insulin at bedtime.

With an insulin pump, you wear a tiny pump that releases insulin into your body through a plastic tube. Usually, it gives you a constant small dose of Regular insulin. You also have the pump release extra insulin when you need it, such as before a meal. Your health care team will set this up with you.

When you first begin to get things under control it’s kind of exciting. but overwhelming also. The trick is to be like the Energizer Bunny and keep going and going. Start out with your goals in mind and take things a step at a time.

Start slowly. Start by looking at yourself honestly. If you are still angry and depressed that you have diabetes, you’ll have to adjust to the changes you will have to make in your life.

Keep your goals realistic. No matter how hard you try, your blood glucose readings will not be perfect every time. If they are often too high or too low, talk to your doctor, but if "wrong" levels happen only sometimes, that's falls under the category of things happen, you’ll get better over time.

Doctors believe that tight control can also prevent complications in people with type 2 diabetes.

One way is to lose weight. Shedding excess pounds may bring your glucose levels down to normal. The key to losing weight and keeping it off is changing your behavior so that you eat less and exercise more.

Even if you don't need to lose weight, exercise is helpful in controlling your blood glucose levels. It makes your cells take glucose out of the blood.

If exercise and good eating habits are not enough to keep your glucose under control, you doctor may prescribe pills. And if these don't work, you may need to take insulin.

Watch Your Mouth … It Might Get You In Trouble

We hear a lot about proper nutrition, weight loss and exercise in taking care of ourselves if we have diabetes. But did you know your mouth can get you in trouble just as easy, if you don’t also take care of your oral hygiene?

It seems that gum disease and diabetes do not play well together. A study in the Journal of Periodontology found that poorly controlled type 2 diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease than well-controlled diabetics are.

If your sugars are high they permit germs to grow in your mouth, and this can lead to gum disease. If your gums get inflamed that can lead to insulin resistance, which in turn makes your blood sugar levels go high. The bottom line is that this trend needs to be stopped if you want to stay healthy.

So what we need to keep an eye on is any bleeding when you brush or floss, your teeth may seem longer or the roots may be exposed if you have receding gums. Another sign of infection is pus between the teeth and gums, or you may have loose teeth or cavities. If you already have gum disease, treatment with antibiotics can help reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar levels.

A little care goes a long way to help prevent or reduce the risks of gum disease. If you have any symptoms get to a dentist, and have regular exams every six months or so.

Brush and floss every day to remove bacteria and plaque from the hard to reach places between teeth and below the gumline. You might also consider a vitamin C supplement with antioxidants to help the immune system fight off infections and promote health.

As always work with your physician to keep your blood sugar under control.

Worried About ED? Go Easy On The Frosties.

Some recent survey data from Australia shed some interesting observations on the effects of alcohol on Erectile Dysfunction. What was interesting was the findings that if you drink alcohol it increases the rate of ED in men. Actually light or moderate use of alcohol may increase sexual performance. Heavy drinkers however had high rates of ED.

The rates of erectile dysfunction were about 30% lower among men who drank within NHMRC guidelines, (which is no more than four standard drinks per day over a five day period) and even among binge drinkers as compared to ex-drinkers. So if you have ED, it’s not necessary to give up or cut back usage of alcohol if you are a casual drinker. If you are not a drinker at all it also isn’t necessary to start because for some it is not a good choice at all.

If you are among the group who likes to have a cocktail or an occasional frosty, it’s all good. Other studies have also shown that a little alcohol is good for your heart and may help to lower the risk of erectile dysfunction.

From other data gathered in this study on cigarette smoking, smokers and former smokers were shown to have significantly higher odds of ED than people who never smoked.

If you have other factors like diabetes, that doesn’t get you off the hook for eating a healthy diet, losing weight and exercising though. But if you are into a weight loss program, here is an idea that we all might be able to put into practice.

With Super Bowl Sunday just around the corner, do you know about one of the best alcoholic drinks for those on a diet? Bacardi Rum and Diet Coke has only 10 calories. If a lite-beer is 90 calories the Bacardi and Diet Coke saves you 80 calories per drink. The next time you want to party or go out on the town you don't have to wreck your diet in the process.

Eat Your Broccoli

There was an interesting abstract in the 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research about a new study dealing with Broccoli. Greg Arnold a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA commented on the possible health benefits of an antioxidant found in vegetables that may keep lungs healthy.

Many vegetables that contain health benefits, and some of the best are called cruciferous vegetables. These include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, turnip, and radish. What sets them apart in promoting health are antioxidants called indoles .

An antioxidant in broccoli called sulfurophane has been shown to benefit prostate health and blood vessels in diabetics, but another antioxidant called Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) has been found to benefit overall cell health, infant health, detoxification, bladder health, and heart health.

Recently a new study has found that I3C may help keep lungs healthy. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In the US, 215,020 new cases and 161,840 deaths were estimated in 2008, which accounts for 15% of cancer diagnoses and 29% of all cancer deaths. Cigarette smoke, which contains more than 60 carcinogens, is the cause of 90% of lung cancer cases.

Two of the most potent carcinogens in cigarettes are NNK and BaP. In the study, mice were fed a diet consisting of doses of I3C in varying amounts, or a placebo for one week. During this time, they were exposed to the NNK and BaP carcinogens.

Compared to the placebo group, those in the I3C group had less tumor growth. The lowest effective dose they used was equal to 800 mg per day of I3C in humans.

This led the researchers to say the results indicate the potential of I3C for lung cancer chemoprevention in current and former smokers.

Of course it is too soon to say with certainty that when your mom told you to eat your Broccoli because it’s good for you, that she could see into the future, but it sounds good.

Will The Economy Fatten Us Up?

I subscribe to my health central on the internet and one of the recent articles posed the question: Will Americans put on recession pounds?

There is speculation among health experts that as we spend less on food while the economy is in a downturn we may pick up weight in the process. They point to a number of studies that link unhealthy eating and weight problems to low income. One place to cut expenses is on more costly items like fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish, and load up on starches, sugars and saturated fats.

Now that is an interesting proposition. This struck a chord within me as I remembered my childhood, and beginning life on my own. I recall as a child, that my parents were on a tight budget and I remember that many of the weekly meals consisted of the staples of meat and potatoes, and an ample supply of fillers, or starches to supplement the vegetables. We weren’t allowed to have a lot of sweets, because that was a luxury item.

I remember when I left home to attend College, Five of us pooled our resources and rented a house close to school. I worked at a grocery store at the time. In the morning when the store rotated the stock, we would have to get rid of the outdated bread and pastry. It would be loaded into a shopping cart and the employees could buy it for a few dollars a basket.

It was my mission to make sure that I was in line first, and to “Be the bread winner” for the house. When times were really tight, that became the groceries for the week, and we were glad to have it. Someone else would pick up the PBJ or lunch meat, and we thought we were rich.

Going out for dinner meant dining at one of the finer restaurants in the city named “Whytie Castilles”. I do not recall the exact spelling of the establishment, but I do remember the prices were within our budgets.

The research at the University of Washington in Seattle has highlighted the link between income and obesity. The obesity rate is 5 times more in the low-income zip codes around the area, and studies in California suggested that a 10 percent rise in poverty translates into about a 6 percent increase in obesity among adults.

In the past 10 years new diabetes cases have increased by around 90 percent and nine of the 10 states with the highest rates of new cases of diabetes were in the South, a region with huge pockets of poverty and glaring income disparities.

We already lead the world in obesity, and if more people fall on tough times, they will tend to eat as cheaply as they can.

Eileen Kennedy of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy commented that when your income is limited, the first area you address is having enough calories in your diet, and cheap sources of calories tend to be high in total fats and sugars.

So I am agreement that it is entirely possible that more we could conclude that poverty translates to obesity, but I also believe that it doesn’t have to be that way. There are other ways to supplement our diets, and remain in good health. We need to keep in mind during the tough times to balance diet, exercise and nutrition in order to maintain our health.

It is possible to eat healthy and still be affordable by remembering how things were back in the 1930s.

Consider affordable but nutrient-rich foods like ground beef, beans, milk, nuts, cheese, carrots, potatoes, canned tomatoes, soups, and rice, As an adjunct to those staples there is a wide range of nutritional supplements available online that can help pick up the slack.

Diabetes Demands Your Attention

If it is time for your periodic physical check up, or have some symptoms associated with diabetes, get yourself tested. If blood sugar levels remain out of control they will gradually wear down important body cells. Control is the number one goal in caring for diabetes.

When first told of diabetes, I remember saying “My diabetes isn’t serious, I only have to take a pill” and “My sugar is just a little high, I’m borderline diabetic” I didn’t take this serious disease as seriously as I should have, until I went to some diabetes educational sessions.

I quickly learned that diabetes is a chronic disease that demands attention, and if you are unconcerned or in denial, it will not minimize the potential devastation on your bodies systems.
A little extra sugar every day, year after year wears down vital body cell functions. That’s why they call it a silent killer. If you fine tune your levels on a daily basis, it really does help slow down and prevent long term complications.

Your body should be valued and respected, and maintained. It requires maintenance just like your house, car or other important equipment, if you want it to last.

When routine maintenance is neglected breakdowns occur no matter whether it is an object or a person. Steven Covey calls it maintaining the P-PC balance, or Production versus Production Capability.

Glucose levels need to be monitored and controlled on a routine basis. You need to know where they should be and keep them there so you can prevent or delay complications. Diabetes won’t go away but some hard work and dedication will give you a healthier life now and down the road also.

Pre-Diabetes is when the fasting glucose is between 100 and 125 mg/dL, or if two hours after eating its between 140-199 mg/dL If you are in these ranges over a few days and don’t know why, call your healthcare provider

If you wonder what symptoms to look for here are some guides and tips:

High Blood Glucose called (hyperglycemia) can be caused by too much food, not enough insulin, or diabetic pills, stress or illness. The symptoms include extreme thirst, always hungry, need to urinate often, dry skin, blurred vision, sleepy, or cuts or wounds take a long time to heal.

In the morning before breakfast (called fasting level) if your level is 126 mg/dL or higher for two occasions.

Random blood sugar test is 200 mg/dL or more for two occasions.

An oral blood sugar test is 200 mg/dL or more for two occasions.

Low Blood Glucose called (hypoglycemia) can be caused by too little food, skipping meals, too much insulin, or diabetic pills, or more active than usual The symptoms include shakiness, fast heartbeat, sweating, dizzy, anxious, always hungry, blurred vision, weakness or fatigue, headache, or irritable.

If you have diabetes and can’t check your levels right away, treat the symptoms by eating 3-5 pieces of hard candy like peppermints, or 3-4 glucose tablets, or drink about 4 oz of fruit juice or even ½ can of regular soda.

These symptoms can come on quickly, and initially can be frightening. If you get some quick energy they go away within about 15 minutes or so. If they don’t, call my doctor right away.

Are You A Sugar Junkie?

I read a newsletter article this morning in MyDiabetesCentral that talked about sugar addiction. There was a recent study done at Princeton on rats that concluded that the chemical changes that go on in the brain are just like what happens in people who use cocaine, heroin or other substances.

When I think about how I feel about how sugar affects me, I have to agree with their results. I have always had what society refers to as a sweet tooth, but I never thought of it as an addiction until now. As much as I try to avoid sweets, I find that I still crave them, which is understandable because they are all around me.

If you read food labels you begin to realize that it’s in most of the processed food you buy at the grocery store. Enriched flour, potatoes and rice all turn into sugar also. Also check out the salad dressings and soft drinks. Alcohol is on the list too. It’s like that old punch line “Everything I like is either, illegal, immoral or fattening.”

Diabetics have a harder time dealing with sweets and salty snacks, because they mess with your insulin level. The sugar makes your body produce more insulin which makes your bold sugar drop and then you crave more sweets. Salty snacks like chips, pretzels, etc. are refined carbohydrates which cause your body to react the same way.

So if you just have to have just one more cookie … you might be a sugar junkie. I have been trying to wean myself off of the stuff for years and tried to go for the naturally sweet things like fruit and honey.

One product for sweetening that has come along more recently and I like is Stevia. It is hard to find sometimes, but I found you can get it online also. This is actually a herb that is very sweet. I use it in coffee and on cereal. They even have cookbooks that show you how to use it.

For me eliminating sugar completely is really hard to do, but I have found that the longer I keep away from it, the easier it is to stay off of it. I don’t have the cravings I used to have when I was younger, and that is a good thing.

Procrastination Will Not Help Prevent A Second Heart Attack

None of us ever set out to have a heart attack, but thinking I’ll Get ARoundToIt, catches up at some point. How many of ua said things like, "Someday I'll stop smoking, start exercising and lose weight," for months or maybe years. Then, one fateful day, a heart attack issues a wake-up call.

There's a silver lining in that dark cloud though. For many of us who have survived one, we get a second chance to live a long and productive life afterwards. The facts are that most people can have a full recovery, and if you change your habits and actively work to control on your risk factors, you can help prevent a second heart attack.

After I got out of the hospital, I was centered on my heart, and it had my complete and undivided attention. My cardiologist talked with me about a cardiac rehabilitation program and how to reduce my risks going forward:

I wasn’t a smoker to begin with so I didn’t have to be told to quit smoking, but he did caution me about second hand smoke. If I did smoke I know that there are many programs and ways to stop smoking, including nicotine-replacement products and other medicines.

One of my biggest challenges was to manage my weight. My body mass index (BMI) was 30 and waist circumference was 36. My goal was a BMI of less than 25 and a waist circumference of less than 40 inches, a woman aims for a 35. At 5”10 and 212 lbs I still had a way to go. I had to lose weight, exercise, cut back on salt, increase fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. I now have more greens, 1% milk, and low fat cottage cheese, in my diet.

Another goal of rehab is regular exercise. I exercised six days a week for an hour for the first two months. Most people should get 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, five to seven days a week. Include resistance training twice a week. Examples include working out with weights or doing sit-ups or push-ups. While in rehab I had a team of nurses to monitor my progress before I would increase my routine.

Another area of concern for me was managing my diabetes. I still have to work constantly to keep it under control. My goal was and is to keep A1C levels, which is basically a 3 month average of blood sugar levels, to less than 7 percent. Right now I am at 8.6

My blood pressure also needed to stay low. This goal was to stay under 130/80 mm Hg. If I didn’t have type II diabetes it would be 140/90.

My cholesterol had to be controlled also. My LDL, or what I refer to as "lousy" cholesterol, needed to be less than 100 mg/dl. If your doctor looks at your overall risks, they may recommend an even lower goal. To do this I had to watch how many saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol I ate, and increased my fiber. I started taking Lipitor along with a weight loss program and exercising 6 times a week.

Finally, my doctor recommend taking a daily 85mg aspirin, and a flu shot every year to lower your risk of pneumonia and other flu-related complications.

The point of all this is that old proverb “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you could do today”

Don't Fly Away Yet!

Having worked in the Airline Industry, here are a few words to those who are planning a trip for the holidays that will require an extended airline flight. First of all, Have A Nice Flight!

Now, if you're going to be in the air for many hours, you might want to consider taking one small precaution, other than Dramamine, that could help prevent considerable pain, and might even save your life.

There is a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is a blood clot that can form in the legs or pelvis when a person is confined to a constricted space for a long period. Besides being painful, it could be dangerous or fatal if pieces of the clot dislodge and travel to the lungs where they can trigger a pulmonary embolism.

Airline passengers who are sitting for hours during a long flight are particularly susceptible to developing DVT. Some estimates have speculated as many as 100,000 airline passengers may die from complications associated with DVT every year.

One important thing to keep in mind is that it can strike healthy people who have no previous cardiovascular problems. In fact, people who exercise regularly are at somewhat greater risk of DVT complications because they tend to have low resting pulse, which may help prompt DVT during long periods of inactivity.

Others who may be at greater risk of DVT include:

If you experienced DVT in the past, or have a family history of DVT .
Have experienced trauma to the legs.
Had recent surgery on the legs, feet, or in the abdominal or pelvic areas.
Have diabetes, heart, liver disease, or certain cancers, like colon, ovarian, stomach, liver, pancreatic, or lymphatic
Are Obese
Are over the age of 40.

The Journal of Clinical Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis detailed a study conducted by a team of Italian researchers who examined the occurrence of DVT and the far less threatening, but painful superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) on a long-haul air flight.

This trial also examined the effects of Pycnogenol on about half of the nearly 200 subjects, which is a natural anti-inflammatory extracted from French maritime pine bark.

All of the subjects in the Italian study were monitored for DVT and SVT before and after their flights, which averaged a little more than eight hours. Those in the treatment group received 200 mg of Pycnogenol two to three hours before their flight, another 200 mg six hours later, and 100 mg the following day.

Researchers noted some slight vein inflammation (phlebitis), but no DVT or SVT among subjects who received Pycnogenol. In the placebo group, one subject experienced DVT, while SVT was reported in four subjects. There were no adverse side effects reported.

These results similar to a trial that appeared last year in the journal Angiology. In that study, a product which contained Pycnogenol and a soy enzyme called nattokinase was tested on about 200 subjects during long-haul flights. The legs of everyone were measured before and after the flights, and ultrasound was used to detect blood clotting.

Results showed that none of the subjects in the group had evidence of blood clots, none experienced any leg swelling, and 15 percent actually showed a decrease in swelling. But in the control group, 5 subjects developed DVT, 2 had superficial thrombosis, and leg swelling increased in 12 percent of the group.

Other than pycnogenol, one doctor recommends 1 tablespoon of cod-liver oil daily, along with 400 IU of vitamin E to help prevent blood clots, including those that might be triggered by DVT.

It's also important to avoid dehydration. Alcohol and coffee are diuretics and tend to dehydrate the body, so don’t drink too much before the flight, and remember to hydrate. And if you do have a greater risk of forming clots, consider wearing a pair of compression stockings.

After a long flight, DVT warning signs to be watchful for include: muscle pain, swelling or tenderness in the legs, and discoloration in a painful area. Sometimes these symptoms don't occur until many hours after you've arrived at your destination.

Airline flights that last only a couple of hours should not present a problem for most people. But if you're planning a particularly long flight, a few simple precautions can help prevent a hospital stay and even death. Double check with your doctor also.

Exercise Tips For Diabetics

One of the things that I learned in diabetes education sessions was to exercise more. It was, and still is sound advice, not just for diabetics but for everyone. As I begin my routine there are some extra things that I have to be conscious of.

I have an old workbook from The American Diabetes Association and I underlined a few of the points to remember when starting to exercise:

When I first began I had to know how my sugar levels ran, so I was told to check before and after I exercise. Because I am hypoglycemic, mine are usually on the higher side when I start, and afterwards, are generally lower than when I start.

Each person needs to check this for themselves of course, because I have heard of cases where after exercising levels go up.

The next thing I am cautious of is pushing for too long, or doing too much. I have to keep moderation in mind. The end result of too much of a good thing leads to low blood sugar and this is no fun either. If you start to feel really weak or light headed, let up and get a quick snack.

That brings me to something else to remember while exercising. When at home I have water, and a snack close by just in case. Carbohydrates are best. If I am away from home I take my water, and glucose tablets. As an extra safeguard I have my cell phone along also.

If you have low blood glucose when you are ready to exercise, try having a snack before you begin, or ask your doctor about adjusting your medication.

One more good idea is to exercise with someone else if your levels vary a lot. It’s more fun that way and if you have trouble, someone is there to help.

Can Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Benefit Your Heart?

What characteristic does every cell in the human body share? They all contain substantial amounts of coenzyme Q10. Without an ample supply, our body simply can’t function at its’ best. As an active contributor to all aspects of cellular function, CoQ10 has become universally regarded as one of the most vital nutrient supplement available. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) as a powerful antioxidant, is thought to be beneficial to heart health.

It helps the body convert food to energy, and its antioxidant ability protects us from free radical damage, similar to that of vitamin E. Co–Q10 is present in the foods we eat. Rich dietary sources include almonds, ocean salmon, sardines, spinach and certain meats. Research has shown that "soft gel" versions of CoQ10 supplements work better than dry powdered versions.

It is widely accepted that CoQ10 levels decrease with age, and are low in people with chronic diseases such as heart conditions, muscular dystrophies, Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.

Potential heart health benefits include:

Reducing blood pressure Low blood levels of CoQ10 have been found in people with hypertension.

It may reduce some of the adverse effects associated with statin therapy for treating high blood cholesterol, including reduced heart function.

Reduce angina and may improve exercise tolerance in people suffering with angina.

This antioxidant may also help in reducing lipids in coronary arteries. But at present we do not have enough scientific evidence to recommend for, or against, its use.

Preliminary studies have suggested that CoQ10 may have protective effects in patients with acute myocardial infarction if administered within 3 days of the onset of symptoms.

Are You Taking Your Meds?

In talking to some friends, I learned that they are trying to get by on less prescription drugs. Being on a fixed income, they have to balance between food, housing, other necessities, and sometimes their prescriptions have to wait. Personally, I always take my insulin, but I have also been known to stretch a 30 day supply of my cholesterol pill to 35 days or so.

I heard about other data showing that for the first time in around ten years, this is happening country wide. Some people stopped taking their Lipitor and other cholesterol medicines because they were so expensive. Pfizer reported that their sales were down 13% which bears this out. Other studies indicated that compared to last year, overall prescription drug sales are lower by about 1%. They had been rising each year until now. It might not be all negative, because some believe we are overmedicated as a society.

What is causing this? Some of the possible causes for decreasing prescriptions may be due to drug safety concerns, more drugs being available over the counter, or might be related to the higher out-of-pocket drug co-payments that insurers are making consumers to pay, but I would think it’s more likely due to individuals cutting back due to economic pressures.

For older Americans, in 2006 Medicare drug coverage gave more seniors coverage, and initially helped spur growth in the nation’s overall number of prescriptions, but now a downside is a possible coverage gap in each recipient’s yearly benefit (the so-called Part D doughnut hole) means that many Medicare patients are without coverage for part of the year.

Recent IMS Health figures showed that prescription volumes declined in June, July and August, backing up studies from last year suggesting that prescription use begins to drop at about the time more Medicare beneficiaries begin entering this doughnut hole.

If this trend continues it could have some important consequences. If enough people try to save money by not taking their prescription drugs, conditions which can be controlled could escalate into major medical problems. That could eventually raise the nation’s total health care bill and lower the nation’s standard of living.

For myself, I have supplemented my nutritional and immune system requirements by getting some over the counter assistance for diabetes and cholesterol control. I didn’t realize how many people do the same thing until I started paying attention to those around me. The more people I talked to, the more it seemed like a low cost alternative to prescriptions costing $60 or more.

ED And Diabetics Not A Recreational Issue

There have been a number of articles recently concerning Erectile Dysfunction being connected to Diabetes and Heart Health and the information is worth summarizing and passing along.

Findings from two studies of men with diabetes add to the evidence that erectile dysfunction can be a powerful early warning sign for serious heart disease. There's a physical connection between male sexual failure and heart disease, involving the effect of diabetes on the nervous system and the blood vessels, said Dr. E. Scott Monrad, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

Another article advised telling your Doctor about it, but make sure that they don’t ignore the importance of recognizing this connection with your heart. According to Dr. Geoffrey Hackett from Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham (UK), patients show up at a doctor and bravely share their suffering with erectile dysfunction, hoping for a cure, and the doctor misses the fact that ED can be a serious warning sign for heart disease.

Many times there may be a couple of years before there are recognizable heart disease symptoms. This could lead to being more aggressive about lifestyle change, in diet and exercise, plus looking at risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol, to lower the risk of a heart attack, or stroke, but unfortunately it is often missed.

Some experts feels that ED is still mainly considered a "recreational or lifestyle issue" rather than a true medical event with serious health connections and implications. Dr. Hackett in the UK finds it amazing that the government has pledged to lower the death rate associated with heart disease and stroke, but has not implemented an ED screening process, especially in diabetic patients, whose ED plus diabetes can signal an imminent heart event.

So maybe we as patients need to bring it up. Something like, "hey doc, I’m having some trouble in the erection department and while we are checking on that, can you see how the old pump is working?" That should start things off.

Learn more about ED from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Is A Daily Aspirin Helpful For Reducing Heart Attack

I have recently seen a number of articles on Aspirin that seem to go against what I thought I knew. A new trial finds that aspirin does not reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke for people with diabetes or peripheral arterial disease.

If you have already had a heart attack, or stroke however, Aspirin clearly is effective in secondary prevention, said study author Dr. Jill Belch, a professor of vascular medicine at the University of Dundee in Scotland. Her report was published in the online issue of the BMJ.

People who had not yet suffered a heart attack or stroke but were at high risk because they had diabetes or peripheral arterial disease (partial blockage of leg arteries), did not benefit from daily aspirin.

Advertisements urging people to take aspirin to benefit the heart are accurate for those who already have had an event, both Belch and Hiatt said.

"It works if you've already had a heart attack," Belch said. "But there is no proof for primary prevention, no proof at all."

"The evidence is solid that aspirin should be given to people with known heart disease, but the evidence for people who have risk factors for heart disease is different." said Dr. William R. Hiatt, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, who wrote an accompanying editorial.

Before I had a heart attack, I had a recommendation from the American Heart Association and my family Doctor to take an 81mg. aspirin daily because of a family history of heart attacks and diabetes.

There are some who think that in the future the recommendation may change, but until it does, I think I am glad that I erred on the side of caution, and took my morning aspirin. I still believe it may have helped in lessening the effects when I had my event, and I am convinced that it is right for my situation.

Risks and possible benefits of aspirin for the heart are reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.