How to Live With Diabetes Without Sacrificing Your Quality of Life

By: Carrie Spencer

How to Live With Diabetes Without Sacrificing Your Quality of Life. It’s often said that diabetes is a silent killer. In many cases, there are no noticeable symptoms until a threshold is reached and it suddenly sneaks up on you. It’s no wonder, therefore, why a whopping 4.9 percent of Australia’s population has diabetes—with millions more who are yet to be diagnosed.

Indeed, diabetes can be a grim diagnosis. However, it is far from hopeless when it can, in fact, be managed for life. So if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you can still expect to live a quality life, as long as you take it seriously, take the time to educate yourself, and, above all, take action to keep the disease at bay. The Diabetic Friend explores the ways you can do exactly that.

Change your lifestyle for the better

Following a diabetes diagnosis, you will likely find yourself inundated by advice to change your lifestyle. This is sound advice that you definitely should not ignore. In fact, Mayo Clinic notes effective diabetes management hinges quite heavily on your ability to make healthy decisions in just about every aspect of your life. It’s a tall order, yes, but an undeniably necessary one at that.

Probably the most important lifestyle change you need to take on is to adopt a healthy and balanced diet. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t necessarily mean eschewing certain foods altogether, but rather, learning to control portions and count carbs and calories. No doubt, it doesn’t sound so simple for a novice, but it is much more convenient nowadays thanks to ready-made, healthy food kits you can have delivered to your door.

Your living environment is equally important to a lifestyle change, and you want to make sure you set yourself up for success. So be sure to keep plenty of filtered water, healthy snacks and anything that provides an extra boost for overall health and wellness.

Not too far behind from diet’s boon is its companion; exercise. The importance of regular physical activity simply can’t be overstated, especially for people with diabetes. Not only does it help you control weight, but it’s also been found to boost insulin sensitivity and lower blood glucose levels. People with diabetes who do moderate exercise like walking for just four hours a week lowers their risk of developing heart disease by as much as 40 percent. It’s easy to lose heart when starting and sticking to an exercise regimen, so stay motivated with your favorite upbeat music or motivational podcast streaming to your smartphone.

Of course, it goes without saying that if you have diabetes, you need to stop smoking. Smoking, in itself, already causes several problems, which can be a lot worse with diabetes. Ditto with more than moderate alcohol use, which also comes with potential consequences for diabetics.

Pay more attention to your body

It’s very important to note that diabetes will take a toll on your body, if left unchecked. For this reason, you also need to pay close attention to how high blood sugar affects various parts of your body, which can be just as important as making the right lifestyle changes. Douglas A. Callow, D.D.S., explains that uncontrolled diabetes can cause oral health problems. These, however, can be well-prevented by keeping your blood sugar levels as normal as possible, as well as by practicing good oral hygiene.

 Your feet will also be greatly threatened when you have diabetes—so much so that even a small cut could have dire consequences. This is because diabetes causes nerve damage and reduces blood flow to your extremities, making it harder to ward off infection or heal an injury. Needless to say, you really have to give your feet TLC when you have diabetes. It’s simply non-negotiable.

Check in with your mental health.

Lastly, don’t overlook your mental health. It can be all-too-easy to succumb to depression and anxiety following a diabetes diagnosis. Add to these, the stress that comes with the responsibilities of diabetes management, and you could find yourself struggling more than you should. But the fact is, you really don’t have to go it alone. So consider connecting with groups for support and inspiration and even to help keep you accountable for your lifestyle changes.

You can also incorporate different techniques that can make it easier to manage stress. For example, identify your triggers and cultivate a healthy response. This can be in the form of deep breathing exercises or taking a walk. It’s also wise to recognize that stress is an inevitable part of life, so finding ways to manage it is easier than trying to get rid of it altogether.

Suffice to say, diabetes is not a death sentence. Rather, it can be a new lease on a healthier, more active, and more mindful life. As long as you make key lifestyle changes, stay aware of your health, and just keep going, diabetes will simply have no effect on your quality of life.

If you were recently diagnosed with diabetes, be sure to bookmark The Diabetic Friend today. With a wealth of resources, recipes and insight, we can help you and your friends better understand how to manage this disease.

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By: Lala Jackson

COVID-19 Vaccines for kids and teens with diabetes. If your child with Type 1 diabetes is age 5 or above, you can now get them vaccinated against COVID-19! For what to expect, we checked in with pediatric endocrinologist and fellow person with diabetes Dr. Dan DeSalvo, who let us know that the COVID-19 vaccines should be safe and effective in youth with T1D. “Getting the vaccine is not only key to personal health, but also a selfless act to achieve herd immunity and end the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

While important to remember that having Type 1 diabetes itself does not seem to put anyone more at risk for contracting the novel coronavirus, diabetes care itself can be made far more complicated after contracting COVID-19 and protecting anyone with diabetes from getting the virus is our ultimate goal.

Additionally, as kids and teens head back to school or other in-person social activities, their risk of carrying COVID-19 with or without symptoms, then possibly spreading the virus to others who have not yet been able to get vaccinated, increases as well. Ensuring everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated does so keeps more people safe. That’s why we encourage everyone with diabetes to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Are The COVID-19 Vaccines Safe For Kids And Teens With Type 1 Diabetes?

In May 2021, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was granted an EUA (emergency use authorization) by the FDA and the CDC for people aged 12 through 15. In November 2021, it was also granted an EUA for ages five through 11.

These approvals followed vaccine trials that specifically focused on how the immune systems of youth ages five to 11 and 12 to 15 would handle the vaccine, with trials for those ages six months to four years underway.

Ages five to 11 receive a much smaller dose of the vaccine than those who are older — 10mcg instead of the normal 30mcg. This dose was shown to provide a similar robust immune response for their age group. In each clinical trial, the vaccine was proven to be safe and effective, protecting all individuals from severe symptoms or outcomes of COVID-19, while having minimal and typical vaccine side effects.

Important to note is that children do not seem to be more likely to contract coronavirus or have severe outcomes from the COVID-19 disease. However, a very small number of children who did contract COVID-19 then ended up with a condition called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C), a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Ensuring your child does not contract COVID-19 is the best way to prevent the possibility of MIS-C.

Additionally, as we’ve seen throughout the pandemic, disparities are abundant. Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaskan Natives, and Hispanic children have experienced significantly higher rates of infection than their peers. Non-Hispanic Black children with T1D who contract COVID-19 are four times more likely to also experience DKA.

So while generally children are less likely to contract the coronavirus, it is important to remain vigilant and continue practicing measures to protect everyone – like wearing a mask and social distancing – to keep everyone safe until we’re all safe.

Finding A Vaccine Appointment

You can find a COVID-19 vaccine appointment near you at vaccines.gov. You can also text your ZIP code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you. Each of these resources is endorsed by the CDC.

Every vaccine taken decreases the risk and prevents the spread of COVID-19. The more people who get vaccinated quickly the better, as it means better protection for everyone and a faster road toward “back to normal.”

Managing Vaccine Side  Effects:  They Are Normal!
Because of the mild symptoms experienced by some, it is important to stay vigilant about blood sugar levels for the first 24 to 48 hours after receiving the vaccine. These side effects are very typical to every vaccine and include fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, and injection site soreness.

The symptoms may also impact blood sugar levels – sending them slightly high or slightly low – so check levels frequently, stay hydrated, and be familiar with your sick day routine. The mild symptoms your child may experience after the vaccine are significantly safer and more easily managed than potentially getting COVID-19 itself.

What About Kids Ages Four And Under?
In September, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said to expect data on the COVID-19 vaccine for ages two to four “before the end of the year.” The company is also currently running trials for ages six months to two years, but have not yet announced an expected timeline for this age group.

Until full approval comes, continue to practice safe measures that protect you and your loved ones from COVID-19, including doing your best to keep tight control of blood sugar levels. As Dr. DeSalvo shared with us, “for those who have not been able to get the vaccine, it remains important to wear a mask at school, work, and any indoor event.”

What Should I Do If My Child Gets COVID-19 While Waiting To Be Able To Get The Vaccine?
While most children who do contract COVID-19 do not experience severe symptoms or outcomes from the disease, it is important to remain vigilant and seek help if symptoms begin to get severe, blood sugar levels start to get unmanageable, or ketones are persistent. Remember that ketones can be in the system and DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) can happen even if blood sugar levels appear normal.

As shared by Dr. DeSalvo, “as with any intercurrent illness, vigilant sick day management is key to preventing DKA with COVID-19. This should include frequent ketone and blood glucose monitoring (ideally with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) if available), hydration, and insulin delivery.

“DKA is most likely to occur if you stop taking insulin in the context of illness, so don’t stop taking your insulin — you may need to drink carb-containing fluids like Gatorade for glucose levels under 180 mg/dL so that you can continue taking insulin. Hydration and insulin are key in clearing ketones. Know how to reach your diabetes care team and call them with any questions or concerns regarding sick day management. Review your sick day plan at your clinic visit so you can be prepared.”

For the latest on COVID-19 or the Omicron Variant please check The National Institute of Health or The American Diabetes Association.

Lala is a communications strategist who has lived with Type 1 diabetes since 1997. She worked across med-tech, business incubation, library tech, and wellness before landing in the T1D non-profit space in 2016. A bit of a nomad, she grew up primarily bouncing between Hawaii and Washington state and graduated from the University of Miami. You can usually find her reading, preferably on a beach.

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Insulin Pumps and Surgery

By M.E.Welch AS, CPhT

Recently I was admitted to a VA Hospital to undergo a vascular procedure that would restore blood flow to my leg. The procedure was needed as I had a shattered heel bone. The Achilles tendon had ripped the bone apart.  The feeling of the pain was not dissimilar to being hit by a pro hockey players slap-shot striking the back of my foot. Being a T1 diabetic complicates the process of surgery, especially as I wear an insulin pump and a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). With Insulin Pumps and Surgery, unexpected problems can arise. My surgeon was concerned about hypoglycemia.

The relevancy of this is that my surgeon did not seem to know the first thing about an insulin pump, or how it functioned. The ramifications when it came to Insulin Pumps and Surgery, specifically performing surgery on a patient in this case  seemed to perplex him.  He spent a good deal of time looking at my pump and seemed quite concerned about its function(s) and how it might complicate the surgery he was about to perform.  I am not an Endocrinologist, however; I do know that the pump is essential to my well being. I was also wearing a CGM (Constant Glucose Monitor) that seemed to cause him even more concern.

The physician decided to turn the pump off before surgery which absolutely left my Endocrinologist aghast post surgery. There was no consult between the Surgeon and Endocrinologist before the surgery’s commencement and there obviously should have been. Prior to the surgery; during the pre-op it became well disclosed that I was a type-1 diabetic and reliant on my insulin pump. When is concerns Insulin Pumps and Surgery consults should be mandatory if the surgeon has not been properly trained concerning insulin pumps and CGM’s.

Where did the questions/problems first arise and why?

I have discussed this with my Diabetes Doctor (Endocrinologist) at length and we both came to the agreement that a large part of the confusion leading to problems  is a lack of furthering education within the medical professions involved. Not only the Surgeon, but the pre-op personnel such as General Practitioner, Anesthesiologist, Nurses and other staff that a patient passes through before hitting the cutting table. All of these people should raise a flag that the patient is wearing an insulin pump and a CGM monitor. Consultations should become mandatory at that point if the surgeon has any questions or concerns before picking up the scalpel.

If my story causes you alarm it probably should and you would not be alone. Most non-diabetes specialists may have encountered  users of insulin pumps but how many know how to handle the situation properly. I fear that some are simply taking their best guess. This may not be good enough and could lead to dire consequences for the patient under their charge.

Things are slowly changing for the better. My Endocrinologist is now planning to go to her department head with this situation and the recommendation that furthering education is not only needed but should be required. I agree.

Furthermore, as in a lot of cases, the US can lag behind when it comes to certain issues including the medical field although the NIH (National Institute for Health) seems to be catching up. It surprises me that the manufacturers of these insulin pumps were not leading the charge for professional education sooner and it is still lacking, even with new graduating physicians.

Towards Optimal Management of Diabetes in Surgery 1st ed. 2019 Edition

This book addresses key principles in the optimal management of diabetes to facilitate smooth and safe anesthesia and surgery with the best possible outcomes. It addresses a range of topics, including: diabetic emergencies, glycemic control in emergencies, the routine perioperative setting, preoperative evaluation in routine and emergency surgery, intra- and post-operative management for neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, gestational diabetes, bariatric surgery and other major surgeries.

Below is an excerpt from The Royal College of Physicians, London, England, UK, ET AL dated June, 2013.

Pump patients and surgery

There are national guidelines for the peri-operative management of diabetes, but because there are few data on the use of CSII during surgery, recommendations for pump users are based on expert opinion. Fasting is not usually a problem when on CSII; therefore, being ‘nil by mouth’ does not necessarily mean removal of the pump or the need for IV insulin, especially if the starvation period is likely to be short.

References

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PTSD Treatments Lower Diabetes Risk

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By: Katie Schmitz
Introduction By: Mark E. Welch, AS, CPhT

COVID-19: Families and Diabetes. Recently, a family member may have contracted COVID-19. This young woman and mother is a nurse living in Sweden. Waiting for the test can be just as nerve racking as the actual day of diagnosis. Making things even more stressful is that her baby girl  has been diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes and is on an insulin pump. COVID-19 is already known to complicate people with diabetes due to immune system issues and other serious problems. None of which are good for a young diabetic that is not two years old yet let alone a worried mother that is concerned for herself and that of her family.

The year 2020 has certainly thrown all of us a curve ball! Since the introduction of COVID-19, from directions to shelter-in-place, wear masks in public, and remain socially distant from others, to local toilet paper shortages, we’ve experienced more than most of us could have ever imagined!

COVID-19: Families and Diabetes. While much of what’s happening with the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented, the fundamentals of diabetes self-management still ring true. Finding ways to be active, eating healthfully, and working towards achieving diabetes goals is arguably more important than ever. While having diabetes alone is not known to put a person at higher risk for contracting COVID-19, people with diabetes are at higher risk in general for having less optimal outcomes if they become infected¹. On a positive note, having well managed diabetes is likely to lower the risk of severe illness^1,2,3.

Here’s what you should know about COVID-19.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

The list above was last updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)⁴ on May 13, 2020 and may continue to change as the medical and scientific community works to study the disease. Click here to review the most up-to-date information from the CDC.

Strategies to Decrease Risk of Contracting a COVID-19 Infection:

• Follow the recommendations of the CDC for how to stay healthy.
• Follow the recommendations of your healthcare team, particularly in the event they have more strict recommendations than the CDC. They know your complete medical history, including what other diagnoses you may have and the medications you take. These are important considerations when looking at an individual person’s risk.

What Can You Do NOW to Minimize the Severity of Illness Should You Contract COVID-19?

• Continue routine diabetes care and don’t skip appointments.
  • If you’re uncomfortable with in-person visits, check with your healthcare team to see if virtual appointments may be an option.
• Try to maintain an active lifestyle and healthy diet.
• Seek guidance from your healthcare professional if you experience unexpected changes to your glucose or if your Time in Range is less than 70% (or the individualized goal Time in Range your healthcare professional has recommended for you). This may be a sign you need to make some changes to your diabetes management.
• Ensure you maintain a supply of all your diabetes essentials, including ketone strips (unexpired!), insulin, blood glucose test strips, reservoirs, infusion sets, batteries, quick-acting carbohydrates to treat lows, and anything else you may need.

It’s more challenging to manage diabetes during illness because the body releases hormones in response to an infection or illness⁵. Some hormones

promote the release of glucose into the blood stream, and others change the way your body responds to insulin. While every person and situation can be different, most times people become more insulin resistant when the body is fighting an infection. This means you may require more insulin than you would expect during an illness. In addition to high blood sugar levels that may result from the stress of illness, some medications may also contribute to high blood sugars. The most common are steroids, which may be used to treat diseases, including COVID-19⁶. Therefore, close communication with your diabetes healthcare team is important during illness and when new medications are added to your plan to ensure your glucose levels and insulin doses are assessed and modified appropriately.

Keep in mind, the topics and suggestions in this blog do not take the place of medical advice or guidance. Be sure to remain in communication with your healthcare team if you have questions or concerns about your diabetes management or the way COVID-19 is impacting you personally.

COVID-19: Families and Diabetes. Let’s continue to forge through the global pandemic and find new ways to thrive together!

References:
¹American Diabetes Association (n.d.) . How COVID-19 impacts people with diabetes . Retrieved August 5, 2020, from https://www.diabetes.org/coronavirus-covid-19/how-coronavirus-impacts-people-with-diabetes

²Ho, C., Ng, N.B.H., Lee, Y.S. (2020). Caring for pediatric patients with diabetes amidst the Coronavirus disease 2019 storm. The Journal of Pediatrics, 1097-6833.

³Erener, S. (2020). Diabetes, infection risk, and COVID-19. Molecular Metabolism, pp. 101044; doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101044

⁴Centers for Disease Control (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Retrieved 7/19/2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

⁵Kitabchi, A.E., Miles, J., Umpierrez, G.E., & Fisher, J.N. (2009). Hyperglycemic crisis in adult patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care, 32, 1335-1343. doi: 10.2337/dc09-9032

⁶Wicaksana, A.G., Hertanti, N.S., Ferdiana, A., & Pramono, R.B. (2020). Diabetes management specific considerations for patients during coronavirus disease pandemic: A scoping review. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 14, 1109-1120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.06.070

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Why Wound Healing is Slow for Diabetics. When you have diabetes, a number of factors can affect your body’s ability to heal wounds.

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Chances are, you don’t think much about your digestive tract, unless it’s giving you trouble. Continuing pain in the abdomen could mean trouble. It probably is not just a simple tummy ache. 

What is diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is when some of the people with diverticulosis develop infections or an inflammation in these little sacs that protrude out. Only a small number of people with diverticulosis have diverticulitis.

The symptoms of diverticulitis are usually abdominal pain. Usually in the left, lower part of the abdomen. Pain, sometimes you can have fever, and tenderness; which means if you push on the abdomen you have pain with the pushing on it. These are the most common symptoms.
If it becomes very severe then it requires putting the patient in the hospital for treatment.  Only a small number of people with diverticulitis have perforation, which is a serious condition where there’s a small little hole or a tear in one of these little sacs that leaks the contents of the bowel into the abdomen. That is a serious condition that usually requires surgery.

Diverticulitis, most cases of diverticulitis are acute. It’s a sudden attack, the patients know about it. But a small number of patients have recurrent, acute diverticulitis. They have recurrent episodes of these attacks. A small number of them can develop chronic diverticular disease, which is kind of a low grade degree of diverticulitis with some mild and chronic low grade discomfort. So it is possible for diverticulitis to become chronic to some extent.

One of the most prevalent signs of diverticulitis is a pain in the abdomen on the left side of the body that lasts longer than several days. It is not nearly as common on the right side of the body, but that does not mean it will not ever occur on the right side. Ethnicity, diet, and other factors play a significant role in the development of diverticulitis on the right side. If this pain lasts longer than a day or two, it is more likely a symptom of diverticulitis than a more common issue such as an upset stomach or constipation.

Coping With Diverticulitis: A Diabetic Dilemma – Diabetes and Diverticulitis

So, you have spent the last couple of days in the hospital, in pain as they pumped anti-biotics into you and probably an MRI. Then, your Doctor comes in and tells you, you are doing great and being sent home. He babbles along about diet, etc. It all sounds great, however your mind is mostly set on getting home.

Once home and the hugs and kisses are done it finally hits you. What Now? That paper included in the discharge papers is difficult to understand at best and was copied of a very crappy copier.

You remember something about diet, fiber, and being careful when eating.

Most patients return home confused and not sure how to proceed. And, being a diabetic makes the experience down right freighting.

Video help:

This link has some great videos that can help. However, discussing diet is vital if you want to stay away from another flare up that could land you back in the hospital.

Diet: What can I do?

The best way to prevent diverticulitis is to modify your diet and lifestyle.

Here are some tips for Coping With Diverticulitis: A Diabetic Dilemma

• Bulk up your diet by adding an over-the-counter preparation containing psyllium, derived from the plant Plantago psyllium. You can also try ground psyllium seed: Once a day, add 1 teaspoon ground psyllium seed over any cold liquid and drink within a few minutes of preparing, before the mixture gels.
• Drink plenty of fluids (at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day) if you increase your intake of fiber.
  Avoid refined foods, such as white flour, white rice, and other processed foods.
• Prevent constipation by trying over-the-counter stool softeners. However, don’t use suppositories or laxatives for constipation on a long-term basis without consulting your doctor. Prunes, prune juice, and psyllium seed are all good natural laxatives. Specially formulated teas to fight constipation are available in health food stores, but some may be very strong, so use them only as directed. Avoid products containing senna (Cassia senna), which is an especially strong herbal laxative and can be habit forming. Also, senna can cause staining of the lining of the colon, which may result in a condition called melanosis coli. Polyethylene glycol (MiraLax) is a useful laxative for short-term use in constipation.
• Eat more fiber by adding whole-grain breads, oatmeal, bran cereals, fibrous fresh fruits, and vegetables to your diet. However, take care to add fiber gradually. A sudden switch to a high-fiber diet can cause bloating and gas.
•  Lastly, a regimen of drinking pure aloe vera juice can do wonders for diverticulitis as well as your entire health.

You can always request a referral to see a Nutritionist. Your diabetes specialist (Endocrinologist) can also be of invaluable information to help you. Especially if you need to change your medication. Using your entire diabetic team will help you!

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Considering The Benefits of Aloe Vera, it is worth noting that this plant allows you to regulate blood sugar levels, which is essential in the treatment of diabetes. It is also essential in helping patients afflicted with colonic diverticulitis.

The history of the use of aloe for the treatment of this disease spans more than a century. Nowadays, experts thoroughly analyze this topic in the framework of various studies and confirm the assumptions about the benefits of this plant in the treatment of diabetes.
There are different types of diabetes, each of which involves a specific kind of treatment.

One of the essential healing properties of aloe vera is that this plant can reduce blood sugar levels. It is of great benefit to people with diabetes.

What Is The Relationship Between Aloe Vera And Diabetes?

The lifestyle of modern society and many other factors have a severe impact on human health. Today diabetes is one of the common diseases in the world, which affects millions of people.

Undoubtedly, this situation is of great concern to doctors: every day the number of people with elevated levels of glucose in the blood becomes more and more.

If we look at the habits and nutrition of a modern person, then the increase in the number of people with diabetes will not cause much surprise.

Considering the danger of this disease to human health, physicians strongly recommend people to be attentive to their diet and to reconsider some habits. Also, do not forget the benefits of certain natural products, such as aloe vera:

I) Aloe vera helps reduce blood sugar levels naturally. The juice of this plant interacts with glucose, which is in human blood, which leads to an improvement in well-being in patients with diabetes.

II) Regular use of aloe vera strengthens the health of the kidneys and the large intestine, organs that are primarily affected by diabetics.

III) A person who often uses aloe vera and excluded carbohydrates from his diet can stop the development of the disease without resorting to medications.

IV) Only two servings of the juice of this plant (5-15 ml) per day can lead to a significant decrease in blood sugar levels.

The Benefits of Aloe Vera: Seven Reasons To Use Aloe Vera For Diabetes

1. Aloe vera contains glucomannan, soluble fiber, which is an essential element for lowering blood sugar levels. This element refers to hemicelluloses, which can achieve a significant reduction in blood glucose levels.
2. Aloe vera substances such as anthraquinones, organic phenols, and lectins also play an essential role in regulating blood sugar levels.
3. In just two months of treatment with aloe vera, you will feel the result: the level of sugar in the blood during this time may drop by 50%.
4. This plant helps to cleanse the human body from accumulated toxins and slags. It also leads to a decrease in blood glucose levels.
5. In addition to diabetes itself, aloe vera will also help in the treatment of other diseases caused by diabetes, such as ulcers and skin sores, infections. In addition to the high content of antioxidants, this plant has anti-inflammatory drugs.
6. Regular use of aloe vera stimulates insulin production, which is important for people with type 2 diabetes.
7. Aloe vera is a natural remedy, its use for the treatment of diabetes does not cause any side effects.

How To Include Aloe Vera In Your Diet?

If your goal is to reduce the level of sugar in the blood, it is recommended to use pure and fresh juice of this plant. To do this, you need to take a stalk of aloe and extract the pulp from it. It is necessary to take a teaspoon of aloe pulp every day. Gradually, you will get used to this treatment and will be able to increase the dosage to three teaspoons per day. This will achieve a more significant effect.

Another good idea:

Try using aloe vera pulp as an ingredient in natural juices and smoothies. It goes well with other fruits and vegetables.

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Does Sugar Really Suppress the Immune System? I’m here to help you sort food facts from fiction, separate the good information from the bad, and to make eating healthy just a little bit easier – and a lot saner.

Eating sugar may put your white blood cells into a temporary coma. But there’s a lot more to the story of how sugar affects our immune response.

As you may be aware, we are celebrating a Decade of Diva this year as the Nutrition Diva podcast approaches its tenth anniversary. You might think that after ten years of weekly podcasts, I’ve said just about everything that can be said about nutrition. No danger of that! Our understanding of how food affects our bodies is constantly expanding and evolving. Sometimes, that means modifying or even reversing our positions in light of newer evidence.

Case in point: when I started doing the Nutrition Diva podcast, calcium supplements were widely recommended to post-menopausal women as a hedge against osteoporosis. Since then, there’s been a steady drip of research suggesting that high-dose calcium supplementation after menopause does little to reduce the risk of bone fractures and may actually increase risk of other problems like kidney stones, colon polyps, and even heart attacks. High-dose calcium supplements are no longer the standard prescription. In fact, the US Preventive Services Task Force now recommends against calcium supplementation for most post-menopausal women.

That doesn’t mean that nothing can be done to strengthen your bones. For more on what you can do, see:

• Diet for Healthy Bones
• Are you getting Enough Calcium?
• Eat More Protein for Stronger Bones
• 12 Reasons to Lift Heavy Things 

How Sugar Affects Immune Function

How sugar affects the body was another topic that I covered in the early years of the Nutrition Diva podcast. In 2010, I enumerated some of the ways that diets high in sugar can negatively impact your health. One of the things I mentioned was that sugar suppresses the immune system.

“When you eat a big dose of sugar like a bottle of Coke or a candy bar,” I wrote,  “you temporarily tamp down your immune system’s ability to respond to challenges. The effect lasts for several hours, so if you eat sweets several times a day, your immune system may be perpetually operating at a distinct disadvantage.” This widely held belief was based largely on research done in the 1970s in which study subjects donated blood before and after consuming a large dose of sugar. The blood was then placed in a petri dish and inoculated with a common strain of bacteria. Under a microscope, researchers could see that after a dose of sugar, certain white blood cells called neutrophils were far less aggressive in gobbling up the bacteria.

It was a vivid demonstration that served as a powerful cautionary tale about the harmful effects of sugar. But it’s striking that in the intervening 50 years, this study was never replicated or built upon. There is no research showing that consuming more sugar makes you more susceptible to colds or flu, for example.

But the immune response is a very complex system. Sending a neutrophil to gobble up an offending pathogen is just one of many different ways that the body defends itself.

Move Over, J. Edgar Hoover

There are arms of the immune system that function like beat cops, roaming around and arresting (or gobbling up) suspicious looking characters. But there are other arms that function more like the CIA, surveilling and keeping dossiers on known criminals so that they can be quickly apprehended should they attempt to strike again.

Once identified, our immune system also has many methods for detaining, disarming, or destroying these criminal elements. We can heat them up, beat them up, poison them, dismember them, isolate, immobilize, or deport them.

Different threats activate different arms of the immune system and elicit different responses. To look at a petri dish full of neutrophils in a sugar-induced coma and say that “eating sugar suppresses immune response” is a bit of an over-simplification.

Other departments of the immune system aren’t that good at spotting or apprehending offenders but instead react to signs of criminal activity, dispatching first responders to secure the area and deal with the wounded. Different threats activate different arms of the immune system and elicit different responses.

So to look at a petri dish full of neutrophils in a sugar-induced coma and say that “eating sugar suppresses immune response” is a bit of an over-simplification.

A couple of years ago, there was an interesting study done in rats showing that sugar’s effect on the immune response depends on what sort of bug you’re fighting. Consuming sugar seemed to help the animals recover from viral infections but hinder their ability to fight off bacterial ones.

Obviously, there’s a lot more to the story of how sugar affects our immune response. However, we do know that there are many other downsides to over-consuming sugar, everything from weight gain to diabetes to tooth decay.  So, while I think we may have been guilty of over-simplification and over-interpretation of a single, small study, I still think the advice to limit your intake of added sugar is good advice.

But, as I pointed out in my earlier article, there is a potential loophole for those of you with a sweet tooth. Sugar consumed after exercise is taken up very quickly by your just-worked muscles. Plus, exercise sensitizes your cells to the effects of insulin, the exact opposite of the desensitizing effect that chronic sugar intake has. In other words, if you want to enjoy a little treat, use it as your reward after a good workout.

The post Does Sugar Really Suppress the Immune System? appeared first on The Diabetic Friend.

Jennifer Shine Dyer MD, MPH, Diabetic Pediatric Specialist

Pediatric Endocrinologists: The Best Care For Children. If your child has problems with growth, puberty, diabetes, or other disorders related to the hormones and the glands that produce them, a Pediatric Endocrinologists For Children may treat your child.

Hormones are chemicals that affect how other parts of the body work. For example, hormones decide how a child grows and matures. Endocrine glands, such as the pituitary gland, release hormones into the bloodstream. Endocrinology is the science that studies these glands and the effects of the hormones.

Problems seen by pediatric endocrinologists are often quite different from those commonly seen by endocrinologists who care for adults. Special training in pediatric conditions as they relate to growth and development is important. Hormonal problems are often present for life. Pediatric endocrinologists deal with hormone disorders at all stages of childhood and the teen years.

What Kind of Training Do Pediatric Endocrinologists Have?

Pediatric endocrinologists are medical doctors who have had

• Four years of medical school
• Three years of pediatric residency
• Three or more years of fellowship training in pediatric endocrinology

What Types of Treatment Do Pediatric Endocrinologists Provide?

Pediatric endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and manage hormonal disorders including the following:

• Growth problems, such as short stature
• Early or delayed puberty
• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
• Underactive or overactive thyroid gland
• Pituitary gland hypo/hyper function
• Adrenal gland hypo/hyper function
• Ambiguous genitals/intersex
• Ovarian and testicular dysfunction
• Diabetes
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Obesity
• Problems with Vitamin D (rickets, hypocalcemia)

Where Can I Find A Pediatric Endocrinologist?

Pediatric endocrinologists practice in a variety of medical settings including children’s hospitals, university medical centers, large community hospitals, as well as private offices throughout the country. Your pediatrician can help you find a board-certified endocrinologist.

Pediatric Endocrinologists — The Best Care For Children

Children are not just small adults. As growing individuals they have special needs related to growth and development. In addition, their psychological needs are different from those of adults. Hormone problems affecting growth or sexual development can have significant effects on a child’s physical and emotional well-being. Pediatric endocrinologists are sensitive to these issues.

A pediatric endocrinologist cares for your child in a setting that is appropriate for children and teens. Support personnel, including nurses, psychologists, pediatric diabetes educators, and nutritionists, are all attuned to the needs of children and teens.

Children with special needs require that pediatric endocrinologists work closely with primary care pediatricians to provide coordinated and comprehensive care. Pediatric endocrinologists have extensive training and expertise in dealing with children and in treating children with endocrine disorders and hormonal problems. If your pediatrician suggests that your child see a pediatric endocrinologist, you can be assured that your child will receive the best possible care.

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