Martha Jefferson Hospital
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Diabetes
Pre-Diabetes Prevention Tips
Continuing our discussion about diabetes from the previous blog. The number of Americans with diabetes is staggering: 26 million (that’s 8% of the population!) – and another 79 million have pre-diabetes. Those with pre-diabetes WILL develop type 2 diabetes if they don’t spring into action soon.
There are three ways to diagnose pre-diabetes:
- a fasting glucose of 100-125 mg/dl
- a glucose tolerance test at 2 hours of 140-200 mg/dl
- a Hemoglobin A1C reading of 5.7%-6.4%
Risk Factors for Pre-Diabetes:
- family history of diabetes
- personal history of gestational diabetes
- delivering a large baby
- being overweight
How To Prevent Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes:
- lose weight (at least 5-10% of your current weight)
- increase physical activity to 150 minutes/week
- eat well with a variety of healthy foods and a moderate amount of carbohydrates
$174 billion… That is the annual cost of diabetes in the U.S. Not to mention, people with diabetes are more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, loss of sight, neuropathy and amputations… It makes perfect sense to make some lifestyle changes as soon as you can!!
Diabetes Care
We talk about diabetes a lot… and we should. Over 26 million people in the U.S. (that’s 8% of the population!) have diabetes – and another 79 million have pre-diabetes. The most common type is type 2 diabetes – the form of diabetes where either the pancreas stops making enough insulin or the body becomes resistant to the insulin.
If you have type 2 diabetes, consider attending our monthly MJH Diabetes Self-Management Classes. There are 3-part series taught on Tuesday mornings (10:00-12:00 AM) and Thursday evenings (6:00-8:00 PM) and a 1-day program either on Tuesdays or Saturdays. These are great programs full of self-care information – how and when to use a meter, the best type of socks to wear, exercise suggestions, and meal planning tips. To register for an upcoming session, call (434) 654-7009.
Have a Diabetes Health Care Team on your side. Your primary care doctor is key but can only help if you keep up your appointments as suggested. A diabetes-specialist doc (endocrinologist) may be important for your care also. Two other key diabetes team members include a podiatrist for your foot care and an eye doctor. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness!
A Diabetes Nurse Educator can help you learn about the care of your eyes, feet and kidneys, as well as provide glucose meter training. A Registered Dietitian who specializes in diabetes (like me!) can help you figure out how to eat well to control glucose levels and will take into consideration your lifestyle, work schedule, food budget, and food preferences.
Remember, YOU are in charge of your diabetes. You want to figure out how to control your glucose to reduce these complications. So learn all that you can and see your Diabetes Team members when it is recommended.
Protect Kidneys if You Have Diabetes
Researchers have found ~40% of people with diabetes will eventually develop chronic kidney disease! But there are steps that you can take to protect your kidneys …
Control your blood glucose if you have diabetes…
- Keep an eye on how many carbohydrates you eat
- Take prescribed diabetes medications
- Walk every day
- Test your glucose with meter (70-100 is normal)
Keep your blood pressure under control…
- Eat lots of fruits & veggies for potassium
- Lose weight if needed
- Enjoy a daily walk
- Take prescribed medications
Avoid eating too much protein. It’s still okay to eat some protein, but
- Keep your serving of meat to the size of the palm of your hand
- Aim for a few meatless meals each week such as pasta with marinara sauce or hearty bean soup or garden veggie salad
with nuts for protein
Check kidney function (blood test and urine test) every year, if you have diabetes.
More information on protecting your kidneys at http://www.nih.gov.
Check for Diabetes
Did you know there are 25.8 million children and adults in the U.S. with diabetes? And another 79 million have pre-diabetes! At your doctor’s recommendation on frequency, be sure to have your glucose tested. The earlier that diabetes is diagnosed, the better.
Common symptoms for type 2 diabetes:
- frequent urination
- unusual thirst
- blurry vision
- fatigue
- irritability
- cuts and bruises that are slow to heal
- recurring infections of the skin, gums or bladder
Many people can successfully treat (or prevent!) type 2 diabetes without medications. Simple lifestyle changes can make a huge difference –
- healthy diet with a variety of foods
- moderate carbohydrate intake
- daily physical activity
- reaching/maintaining a healthy weight (no tummy)
To see if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, go to www.diabetesrisktest.com.
The American Diabetes Association has many excellent resources at their website – www.diabetes.org. You will also find many delicious recipes.
This navy bean salad or dip is made with fresh red bell peppers and capers! The light dressing is fresh lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. YUM!
Know Your Glucose Levels
After eating a meal or snack your blood glucose levels will rise. And depending upon how high or how sharply they rise, will determine how much insulin your pancreas will need to make. The insulin will help transport the glucose into your cells to be used as energy. No insulin – glucose levels continue to rise. This is very important for people who have diabetes.
If you have diabetes, check glucose: Before a meal AND after a meal.
How will meals raise your glucose? The goal: a 40-50 mg/dl rise.
Blood glucose goals from
- The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (diabetes docs):
Pre-meal: <110 mg/dl; 2 hours after a meal: <140 mg/dl.
- The American Diabetes Association:
Pre-meal: 70-130 mg/dl; 1-2 hours after the start of the meal: <180 mg/dl.
The stress to your pancreas comes with the blood glucose increases after meals. Your goal is to figure out which foods and portions of those foods result in a nice gradual increase in glucose, so that there is not a big demand on the pancreas. The feedback helps you adjust the type of food, or the portions. If your readings after a meal are too high, you can easily bring them down with a gentle walk or after-meal activity, like vacuuming the house.
This pasta dish features a new pasta product from Ronzoni – it is made with dehydrated spinach, tomatoes and carrots. Ground turkey and frozen veggies are healthy ingredients in this dish.
Diabetes Awareness Month
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and we need this month to remind us all that diabetes is on the rise. There are 24 million known cases in the U.S. and an estimated 220 million cases worldwide and growing!
Research continues to show that with a healthy diet and regular exercise, even if diabetes runs in the family, you can hold it off for years.
In a 4-year Spanish study of non-diabetics at risk for heart disease, there were two groups who ate a Mediterranean-style diet. In addition, one group had lots of olive oil daily and the other group had ¼ cup mixed nuts daily. A third group ate a low-fat diet. The two Mediterranean groups also ate:
- lots of fruits & veggies
- legumes frequently
- primarily fish and white meat (poultry)
- homemade sauces with olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and onions
Study participants were encouraged to AVOID butter, cream, fast food, pastries, sweets & sugar-containing beverages.
The two Mediterranean-style diet groups cut their diabetes risk in HALF!! The monounsaturated fats that they ate – olive oil & mixed nuts – may help fight insulin resistance. The high intake of fruits & veggies mean lots of antioxidants, which protect against inflammation, and may lower diabetes risk.
Further information on this study from Spain in the October 2010 issue of Diabetes Care.
The Scoop on Neuropathy
We have 100s of nerves that carry electrical messages throughout the body. Our overall health depends upon a healthy nerve system. In people with longstanding diabetes, up to 70% will develop a condition called neuropathy, a disease of the nerves. This is a troublesome problem that has many health consequences.
There are three types of neuropathy:
Peripheral Neuropathy: Pain, tingling, weakness, and/or no feeling in the legs, feet, toes, arms, hands or fingers.
Focal Neuropathy: Comes on rapidly. There is damage to a grouping of nerves, for example, to the eyes, ultimately affecting the vision.
Autonomic Neuropathy: These nerves control automatic body processes such as digestion, sexual function and bladder control. A problem might be gastroparesis or paralysis of the stomach.
People who are older or who have had diabetes for many years are at the greatest risk for developing neuropathy. But young people who don’t have good control of their diabetes are at risk also.
If you have diabetes, it is so important to maintain excellent blood glucose levels every day:
- Eat a healthy diet with moderate portions of carbohydrate foods.
- Get in daily exercise.
- Check blood glucose daily.
- Keep your doctor appointments. If you are developing neuropathy it can be picked up really early.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes, or diabetes during pregnancy, affects about 4% of all pregnant women or 135,000 cases each year in the U.S. This is most often caused by insulin resistance -the body becomes unable to adequately use insulin. So blood glucose levels creep up. Read the rest of this entry…
Type 2 Diabetes Factoids
One in three. That’s the number of kids born after the year 2000 who will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. The reason? Obesity among our youth. Tip to parents: Grow them lean and active. Read the rest of this entry…
Get Checked!
YES, diabetes is a killer – the #7 cause of death in this country. YES, it is preventable. So for the 57 million who have pre-diabetes, many can prevent diabetes from occurring in their lifetime. Read the rest of this entry…
