Diabetes Guidelines

Back in the 1950’s and 60’s most people didn’t rate diabetes as a major problem. Back then, all the focus was on dealing with more prominent diseases such as polio and tuberculosis. If diabetes was thought about, it was more in the context of cutting out sugar in your coffee, rather than as a serious threat to your eyesight or your life.

That’s all changing. It’s not too much to say that diabetes is now reaching epidemic levels in most of the western world. According to the American Diabetes Association there are over 20 million diabetics in the United States alone, with a staggering one third undiagnosed.

It’s also going to get a lot worse with another 41 million Americans already showing pre-diabetic signs.

Diabetes is a disease that mostly affects blood vessels and in its extreme forms can lead to serious heart disease, stroke and kidney damage. Clearly these life threatening diabetic vascular diseases deserve priority attention, but high on the critical list for diabetics is the risk of serious eye disease and loss of vision.

Vision is one of our most critical senses and in this “need for speed” information era, over 70% of our sensory information comes through our eyes.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, diabetics are 25 times more likely to lose vision than those who are not diabetic. With diabetes already being the number one cause of blindness in the United States, it’s no wonder eye care professionals are predicting a devastating increase in vision loss as the diabetic epidemic grows alarmingly.

Newly diagnosed diabetics often have nothing more than minor vision fluctuations which settle when blood sugar levels improve with treatment. Early on it’s easy to believe everything is fine. After some years though, continuing high blood sugar can gradually damage the blood vessels at the back of the eye in the retina. This causes a problem called diabetic retinopathy and the longer you have diabetes the more likely you are to have retinopathy.

The risk increases further when there is poor control of blood sugar levels. More than 70% of diabetics develop some changes in their eyes within 15 years of diagnosis.

Retinopathy is graded as Non-proliferative or Proliferative. Non-proliferative retinopathy is the common milder form, where small retinal blood vessels break and leak. There may be some mild retinal swelling but it rarely requires treatment unless it causes hazy central vision or straight lines appear bent.

Proliferative retinopathy is the less common, but more serious form where new blood vessels grow abnormally within the retina. If these vessel scar or bleed they can lead to potentially serious vision loss including blindness. Early laser treatment can seal leaking vessels and slow the progress of diabetic retinopathy, but can’t reverse existing vision loss.

For now, there is no “magic pill” to eliminate the risk of diabetic eye damage, but you can do two important things to help prevent the more serious complications. Poor blood sugar control is one of the main causes of serious diabetic retinopathy.

The critical first step is making sure you stabilize and control your blood sugar with a healthy diet and regular exercise. The second step is to make sure you have a yearly diabetic eye examination. An experienced eye care professional can pick up subtle diabetic eye changes long before you notice any vision change, and more importantly, early enough to do some good.

If you or your family is affected by this rising sign of diabetes: take action now to reduce your risk of vision loss. Don’t be a victim!

Aron Wallad
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/two-steps-you-must-take-to-avoid-vision-loss-116552.html

The nutritional recommendations for juveniles with diabetes are much the same as the general population in this country. Children with diabetes need to eat a well balanced and healthy diet in order to keep their blood sugar levels in the normal range. Because of this need to control blood sugar they must eat foods in specified amounts depending on how they affect blood sugar levels.

Finding out that their child has diabetes can be quite shocking for many parents. One of the most challenging parts of any diabetics lifestyle change is learning how to prepare meals and snacks. This can be doubly hard for the parents of a diabetic child because following the dietary advice of the doctor and dietician can affect the entire household.

Attempting to learn what foods to feed a juvenile with diabetes can be confusing at first. There is a wealth of information in books and on websites but for most parents in can be overwhelming trying to figure it all out. The important thing for parents with newly diagnosed diabetic children to do is learn to spot the good information from the bad.

The best place to start is the American Diabetes Association where they will find the Diabetes Food Pyramid. This pyramid is much like the USDA food pyramid that everyone is familiar with with one difference. The USDA pyramid classifies food by the group they are in whereas the diabetic food pyramid groups foods based on their carbohydrate, protein, and fat content and breaks them down into the amount of servings for each. There are six groups that make up the diabetic pyramid and they include starches, proteins, fats, meats, fruits and vegetables.

If we take a look at each category we can get a better understanding of each and how they fit into a well balanced Diabetic Diet plan.

Starches and Grains: These are the primary sources of carbohydrates for everyone. These include foods like whole grains, rye, oats and the starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn. This group also includes the dry beans such as pinto beans and black eyed peas. The suggested number of serving per day is between six to eleven. This is a range and must be personalized to the individual’s needs and goals with the help of a registered dietician.

Vegetables: Vegetables should always be a part of every dietary plan. They are full of many vital nutrients, are low in fat, and high in fiber all of which contribute to good health. Diabetics should have three to five servings per day. It is important to note that the starchy vegetables are not included in this category and should not be substituted into this group of the pyramid.

Fruits: Fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber as well as carbohydrates. Serving sizes are determined by the individual fruit and suggested serving are two to four per day.

Milk: Milk and dairy products are essential in that they contain protein, calcium and many of the vitamins we need each day. Because they can contain a substantial amount of fat it is best to choose low fat or non fat versions of these products. The pyramid recommends two to three servings per day.

Meat and Meat Products: Meat and meat products are a primary supply of protein for all people. They also provide essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids the body needs to function in a healthy fashion. Choose only lean cuts and trim any visible fat to help keep the amount of saturated fat ingested to a minimum.

Fats, Sweets and Alcohol: While diabetics can partake of these it is recommended to keep their use in meal preparation and snack to a minimum. For the juvenile with diabetes this is important in that it teaches them food habits that will stay with them for the rest of their life.

The American Diabetes Association is a good place to start when it comes to learning about feeding a juvenile with diabetes. They have everything needed for healthy meal planning, exchange lists, weight control and recommended exercise programs.

Andrew Bicknell
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/nutrition-standards-for-juvenile-diabetics-140631.html