Diabetes FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.

com / What does it mean to have diabetes? If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes, you are not alone! Over 17 millio n Americans have diabetes, and each day approximately 2,200 new individuals are diagnosed. Having diabetes means that your body's hormone, insulin, is not doing its job. I nsulin is needed to properly use the food that you eat for energy. Most of the f ood that you eat is broken down into glucose and other simple sugars. Normally, as newly arrived glucose enters the blood stream; your body releases insulin fro m the pancreas, and puts the glucose into your cells to use as fuel. If you lack insulin, or your insulin is unable to function properly, the newly a rrived glucose cannot be stored and will remain in your blood stream. Your blood glucose levels (also referred to as blood sugar levels) will then become elevat ed. These abnormally high levels, left untreated, can eventually cause damage to your eyes, heart, nerves and kidneys. What are the different types of diabetes? Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / There are several types of diabetes. The most common are type 1 and type 2. In t ype 1, the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Individuals with type 1 need ins ulin shots in order to stay alive. Type 1 can occur at any age, but is usually s een in children and young adults. With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces some insulin, but the amount is eith er not enough or is not effective, because the body's cells are resistant to it. Some individuals with type 2 diabetes need insulin to regulate their blood gluc ose, while others respond well to diet therapy and exercise alone, or a combinat ion of diet, exercise and oral medication. Type 2 can occur at any age, but is m ost often seen after age 40. What causes diabetes? The exact cause of diabetes is unknown. Heredity may play a role in developing b oth types, but is most often associated with type 2. Eating sweets does not caus e diabetes, but must be limited to help control it. Being overweight, certain me dications (ex: thyroid hormone, glucocorticoids, etc.) and emotional and physica l stress related to medical conditions such as pregnancy, illness and surgery, c an play a role in its development. Also, for reasons not yet known, certain ethn ic groups such as Native Americans, Hispanic Americans and African Americans ten d to have a higher incidence of type 2. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / What are the most common signs and symptoms of diabetes? The warning signs of diabetes include: Frequent urination Blurred vision Unusual thirst Numbness or tingling in hands and feet Intense hunger Frequent infections Extreme fatigue Irritability Slow healing cuts/bruises If you have any of the above symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Can diabetes be cured? If treated properly, your blood glucose can go down to normal levels, but diabet es will always be part of your life. Millions of individuals live healthy and ac tive lives with diabetes, and you can too! Make an effort to be involved in your treatment and learn all that you can about diabetes. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / How is diabetes treated? Diabetes is a serious condition. Although not curable, it is treatable. Those wh o do best are the individuals who take an active role in their own treatment. It

is important to know how to manage your blood glucose levels. Treatment include s special diets, exercise, regular blood glucose testing and sometimes insulin i njections and medication. What makes for a diabetes-friendly diet? There are no bad foods. For many years, individuals with diabetes were told to a void foods containing sugar. Fortunately, we now know more about how diabetes wo rks and today's diabetic diets are creative, healthy and allow for great variety . Many people can keep their blood glucose within a target range using diet alone. Even if you need to take oral medication and/or insulin to control your blood g lucose levels, diet will always be an important part of your treatment. What you eat, when you eat it, and how much food you eat, affects your blood glucose lev els. The closer that you can keep your blood glucose levels to normal, the lower your risk of developing serious eye, kidney and nerve damage. Let's take a look at how different foods affect your diabetes: Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Carbohydrates Starches (pastas, rice, bread, cake, potatoes, corn, etc.), fruit and milk are h igh in carbohydrates. Once in your body, they break down into your cells' prefer red form of energy--glucose. Insulin is needed to help your cells take in the gl ucose. With diabetes, your insulin cannot do this task properly. A diabetic diet helps you schedule your carbohydrate intake so that your cells can get the gluc ose that they need. Consuming too many carbohydrate-containing foods can raise your blood glucose wa y above normal; eating too few, can hurt your body by denying it the high qualit y energy that it needs. Balancing your carbohydrate intake is an important part of your diabetes treatment. Protein Protein is found in milk, meats, cheeses, eggs and nuts and tofu. It builds and repairs muscles, skin and cells in your body. During digestion, protein breaks d own into amino acids which can, if necessary, be converted to glucose. Your body 's cells, however, prefer using glucose from carbohydrates for energy. Fat Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Fat (oils, margarine, butter, lard, etc.) supplies needed energy, carries fat-so luble vitamins A, D, E and K in your body, and helps to maintain healthy skin. I t adds to the flavor and texture of food, but should be limited. Fat is high in calories and too much fat in your diet can increase your risk of heart and blood vessel disease. What special eating habits should diabetics practice? The timing of your meals is at least as important as what you eat. The more that you eat at one meal, the more insulin you will need to utilize the energy from the breakdown of those foods. If you eat smaller portions throughout your day, y ou will not need as much insulin to bring down your blood sugar. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Here are some recommendations: 1) Eat at least 3 times during your day. Many people enjoy 3 small meals and two snacks. 2) Eat each meal and snack at about the same time every day. 3) Eat the same amount at every breakfast. All lunches should be similar in size , and dinners should be similar in size to all other dinners. 4) Do not skip meals. Carry some food with you if you think that you will be del ayed. There are many types of diabetic diets. Some require a lot of measuring; some do n't require any measuring at all. All are planned to provide you with the proper balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat, along with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients needed to keep you healthy. A registered dietitian (RD) is

specially trained to design a diet that best suits your medical needs and lifest yle. Exercising with diabetes: are there special considerations diabetics should take ? Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Exercise is a powerful tool for controlling your diabetes. It helps your cells t ake in glucose and aids in keeping your blood sugar at normal levels. Ask your d octor about the types of activity that meet your physical needs. It is recommend ed that you exercise for at least 20 minutes, 3-4 times each week. Remember to b egin slowly if you haven't exercised in a long time. Even 5 minutes each day can make a big difference in your health and your blood glucose levels. The whys and hows of measuring blood glucose levels Testing your own blood glucose levels help both you and your doctor see if your treatment plan is working for you. It is very simple to do. All you need is a dr op of blood from your finger. Place it on a special test strip and insert the st rip into a glucose meter. The glucose meter will then measure your blood glucose levels. Your doctor will specify when and how often to do the blood testing. Most health care insurance plans cover the purchase of blood testing equipment, as will Medicare and Medicaid. For assistance with purchasing supplies for testi ng, check the glucose meters, control solutions, and test strips sections of thi s website. The normal range for blood glucose is 70 - 115 mg/dl (3.85 - 6 mmol/L). Blood gl ucose levels will go up immediately following a meal, but should return to norma l levels within 2 hours. Blood glucose levels of 126 mg/dl (7mmol/L) or higher, are diagnosed as diabetes. See the section entitled "Problems" for ways to treat blood glucose levels that are not within the normal range. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / What is the purpose of urine testing in controlling diabetes? With diabetes, your blood sugar can go way too high. This can occur if you overe at, take too little insulin, become sick, or are under significant stress. Under these conditions, your cells become starved for food and will begin breaking do wn fat for energy. The byproducts of fat breakdown are chemicals called ketones and can be extremely dangerous. They can make you throw up, have difficulty brea thing, become extremely thirsty, and put you into a coma. To detect the presence of ketones, you should test your urine. Test strips for t his purpose are available from Diabeticsupplies.md. Be sure to test your urine i f you experience the symptoms listed above and/or have a blood glucose level of over 240 mg/dl (13 mmol/L). If you find that your urine tests positive for keton es, call your doctor immediately. What role do oral medications play in managing diabetes? You may need to take diabetes pills as part of your treatment plan. These pills work best when used with a healthy diet and regular exercise. There are many typ es of pills available and they work in a variety of ways. Some inhibit the relea se of glucose from your liver, slow the absorption of glucose in your gut and en hance the absorption of glucose in other parts of your body. Others stimulate yo ur pancreas to produce additional insulin and help your cells respond better to available insulin. Your doctor will prescribe the ones that are best suited to y our needs. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / All about insulin In certain types of diabetes, there is not enough insulin available. Insulin sho ts must then be taken which help glucose enter into the cells. The thought of gi ving yourself a shot can be a tough one, but know that millions of individuals a re now giving themselves insulin shots with great ease. Insulin attaches to the outside of most of your body cells and allows glucose to enter. Currently, it must be injected and cannot be put into pill form; your di gestive enzymes would destroy it before it could begin to lower your blood gluco

se levels. Research, however, is ongoing regarding new ways to take insulin. Sev eral companies have had some success with an inhaled form of insulin which the F DA has yet to approve. What are the different types of insulin? There are several types of insulin. They are classified as rapid-acting, interme diate-acting, and long-acting. You may be asked to combine these types depending on your needs. Rapid-acting and short-acting insulin begin to act very quickly after you inject them and last a short time. They are usually taken to prevent a n abnormal rise in glucose levels following meals. Intermediate and long-acting insulin have a gradual and longer lasting effect on blood glucose levels. There are two popular kinds of insulin--purified pork insulin and human insulin. Purified pork insulin acts much like the insulin made by the human body. Human insulin is not actually from humans, but is developed in a laboratory and is con sidered the most pure. What is the proper way to handle insulin? Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Insulin should be stored in a refrigerator, but once opened, can be stored at ro om temperature for easy access and comfort. Room temperature insulin usually fee ls more comfortable when injected and remains stable for 30 days after opening. When traveling, do not check your insulin with your bags. Luggage can be lost, a nd storage compartments are often extremely cold. Inspect the expiration date on your insulin. Do not use it beyond this date. Exa mine your insulin before using. Do not use it if the color appears abnormal or t he insulin does not mix well. It is recommended that you dispose of your needles in a sharps container made especially for this purpose. Your doctor will decide which type of insulin is best for you and make sure that you learn the correct techniques for using it. What the most common problems diabetics run into? High blood glucose (hyperglycemia): There may be times when your blood sugar (gl ucose) levels go too high. This can happen when you are ill or under stress, eat too much, or have too little insulin in your blood. High blood glucose can caus e headaches, blurry vision, frequent urination, increased thirst, and dry itchy skin. Ketones: Test your urine for ketones if you experience a blood glucose reading o f over 240 mg/dl (13 mmol/L) are sick, or have any of the symptoms listed above. Be sure to drink lots of water if you are urinating often. It is very dangerous to become dehydrated. If your urine tests positive for ketones, contact your do ctor immediately. (See section on urine testing) Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Low blood glucose: There may also be times when your blood glucose will be too l ow. This can be caused by taking too much insulin, not eating enough, drinking a lcohol on an empty stomach, or exercising for an extended period. When your bloo d glucose is low, you may become shaky, feel tired, experience intense hunger, a nd become confused or nervous. It is important that you treat low blood glucose immediately. Test your blood glucose if you feel that it is too low. If it is less than 70mg/ dl (less than 4 mmol/L) follow the 15/15 rule: eat or drink something with the e quivalent of 15 grams of carbohydrate and then wait 15 minutes before retesting your blood sugar. The following servings contain 15 grams of carbohydrate: cup apple or orange juice, or - 3/4 cup regular (not diet) carbonated beverage, or 5 Lifesavers candies Infections: Infections are common in people with diabetes. The first sign of an oncoming infection may be elevated blood glucose. Other signs of infection inclu de: pain, swelling, fever, redness, a feeling of warmth in a certain area, and a discharge. They can be very serious and can occur without any open cut or injur y. Call your doctor if you suspect that you have an infection.

Circulation: High blood glucose levels over an extended period of time can affec t your blood vessels. This may lead to sexual problems such as impotence, cause kidney and vision problems and encourage the development of skin ulcers which, i f left untreated, may lead to amputation. Individuals with diabetes are also at greater risk for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. Be su re to see both your physician and eye doctor regularly. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Dental problems:When your blood glucose is high, it is not unusual to get a mout h infection. High blood glucose levels encourage bacterial growth. Brush your te eth at least two times each day. Be aware of any bleeding or gum soreness. Sched ule regular dental exams and be sure to tell your dentist that you have diabetes . Try to schedule your dental appointments after mealtimes to lower your risk of low blood sugar caused by limiting your food intake following dental work. Foot Problems: Decreased feeling in your feet can make it difficult to know if y our feet have been injured in any way. Early treatment of any foot injury can pr event serious complications, such as infection which can lead to amputation. To prevent foot problems, make certain that you wear shoes and socks that fit prope rly and change your shoes at least once during the day. Check your feet every ti me you remove your shoes. Look for redness, which can occur when shoes do not fi t properly. Also look for cracks, cuts, bruises, etc. Discuss with your doctor o r podiatrist the best way to care for your feet, cut your nails, and treat callu ses. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com / Conclusion Fortunately, many of the complications of diabetes can be reduced or avoided if you take good care of your health. Diabeticsupplies.md's newsletters and educati onal columns provide valuable updates on treatments and issues related to diabet es. Bulletin boards offer a terrific forum to share concerns with others who hav e diabetes. Eating properly, exercising regularly, and following your prescribed treatment, can help you stay healthy and enjoy all that life has to offer. Diabetes Diet and General Help guide on http://www.reversingdiabeteswithdiet.com /