History of Diabetes - 4 Facts About This Diabetes

Diabetes is a complex metabolic disease. This disorder usually involves the inability of the body to produce the right amount of insulin it needs. The history of diabetes is something that many people are wondering about. In order for you to do all the necessary precautionary measures, you need to educate yourself on what the disease is and how you can protect yourself from it.

Historical Facts about Diabetes

The GLP-1 Agonists: Which Is the Winner?

With the FDA approval of Bydureon in January 2012, there will be three injectable GLP-1 agonists available for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes.

The battle of the GLP-1's will shortly be in full swing.

Each of the injectable GLP-1 agonists (Byetta, Victoza and Bydureon) are incretin-based therapies.

Incretins are hormones that are released by the gut in response to a sugar load from a meal.

Once released, the incretins stimulate insulin secretion, reduce glucagon secretion, and slow the transit of food in your gut.

The Nightmare That Is Diabetic Neuropathy

Living life as a diabetic is difficult enough. There are so many complications that can develop from a disease that has no known cure and major lifestyle changes have to be made just to cope with the many symptoms associated with the disease on a daily basis. One major risk of not closely following and controlling blood glucose levels is diabetic neuropathy, a potentially debilitating disease that is often developed by those with Type 2 diabetes.

What is Diabetic Neuropathy?

Type 2 Diabetes - Become An Empowered Diabetic!

When you first found you had Type 2 diabetes, you more than likely experienced a wave of emotions including fear, confusion, concern, and maybe even anger. In spite of this there's a lot you can do to stay healthy and improve your quality of life.

How well you do after your diagnosis is mainly up to you. Type 2 diabetes is a condition you can manage very well by making important lifestyle changes. The first clue is to empower yourself: feeling like you have power over your condition will help you cope with the diagnosis.

These tips are meant to help you feel more empowered about the knowledge you have regarding Type 2 diabetes.

First of all, make sure to learn as much as you can about the disease. The more you know, the more ammunition you have to fight it. Don't just find out you have Type 2 diabetes and then decide your life is over. That's simply not true. There are many treatments and methods available to help you reverse your condition.

When you take over control of your diabetes and do what you can to manage it, you will dramatically change your life. You get to live with Type 2 diabetes 24/7... not your doctor, you. Whether your blood sugar levels are controlled or not, is entirely your responsibility. The final decision for the foods you eat is yours, and yours alone. You are the one in control.

There is a lot of hype surrounding Type 2 diabetes...you simply cannot buy into all of it. It just isn't true you have to be on medication for the rest of your life. Many people have been successful in reversing Type 2 diabetes simply by making major lifestyle modifications. If you have decided you don't want to live the rest of your life with the effects of a potentially fatal disease, then you must be willing to make the changes to turn it around.

One way of empowering yourself is by asking a lot of questions. Ask your doctor, (and any other experts), questions you need answers to in order to improve both your health and your life. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you think they're stupid. Instead, it would be stupid not to ask questions you legitimately have.

You only have one body, you can't trade it in or buy another. Monitoring your progress is the best way to take care of yourself. Your blood sugar is affected by much:

    diet,
    supplements,
    medications,
    injury,
    stress, and
    infections

to mention a few

Regular HbA1c checks: As well as self-monitoring your blood sugar, one of the most popular blood tests doctors order for diabetics is the HbA1c or hemoglobin A1c. This is usually carried out at the laboratory. This is one of the best tests to measure how well your blood sugar is doing. A single blood test measures your blood sugar average over the previous 3 months. It's an important test as it takes into account all the hills and valleys of your blood sugar spikes and troughs. Although the American Diabetes Association recommends your HbA1c be 7% or lower, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends your HbA1c level be lower than 6.5%.

These routine check-ups are important... they're a little like having your car serviced or the oil checked.

Be sure to build a health care team around you. That means you might want to have a nutritionist, personal trainer and other types of medical professionals on your team to help you get better. Don't just go to your endocrinologist or other doctor, find out you have Type 2 diabetes and then decide your life is going to be filled with insulin injections and diabetic medication. Take your power back and make changes that will allow you to overcome the disease.

Type 2 Diabetes - Aerobic Activity Is Important For Diabetics!

Aerobic activity makes you breathe harder and helps your lungs and heart function better. It conditions you in a way that allows your body to be healthier over the long-term. Examples of aerobic activity include:

    walking,
    swimming,
    jogging, and
    biking.

For anyone diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, aerobic activity is very important not just to burn calories but to help lower blood sugar levels. Exercise benefits diabetics by reducing blood sugar, adipose fat levels, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and more. For these reasons, adding aerobic exercise to your daily regimen is critical in helping to reverse Type 2 diabetes.

The majority of experts currently recommend most people getting about 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 to 6 days a week. Has it been a while since you exercised? Then pick 2 days a week where you can fit in 10 minutes of exercise. Over a few weeks, add extra time and then days until you reach your goal of 5 or 6 days.

Of course, diabetics have other complications and issues that have to be dealt with, and more than likely you will need to work up to the 5 or 6 days. This also means it's important for you to review with your doctor your choice of exercise before you start any kind of exercise program. Some diabetics have complications that may require modifications be made to certain exercises in order to make them safe. For instance, if you already have heart disease, your doctor may want you to modify the way you work out.

One great way to get aerobic exercise is simply by taking a brisk walk. Almost everyone can do that. You can walk on a:

    treadmill,
    outside, (explore your neighborhood resources),
    even use one of the DVD walking programs you can purchase at retail stores and online.

The main idea is to get your body moving and keep it moving for a consistent period of time.

Choose an activity that is interesting... it's really important to find something you will enjoy doing. If you never liked swimming, don't enrol in a swimming group. For people who would rather have something to look forward to, you might decide to take an aerobics class or even a dance class. Dancing is definitely a great aerobic activity as long as it's something you're doing consistently. You don't want a fitness activity that stops and starts... that is more what you would call circuit training. For aerobic activity, you want something that you start doing and continue doing for at least 30 minutes.

Another great aerobic activity is swimming. Many people have joint problems or other issues that don't allow them to walk on hard pavement. Swimming can take the stress off of your joints but still allow you to get aerobic activity in.

Another option for aerobic activity is taking a bike ride. You can either purchase a bike and ride it around your neighborhood or the local park, or you can use a stationary bike and get the same effect. Place your stationary bike in the middle of one of the most used rooms in the house... the kitchen, family room or bedroom. Equipment placed in the garage or basement gets forgotten.

As you can see, there are many options when it comes to aerobic activity. You don't have to be a runner in order to condition your heart and lungs. Instead, it's about being consistent and working your way up to more advanced exercise.

Diabetes and Depression: A Silent Side-Effect

One of biggest, and most silent, side effects of having diabetes is the toll it can take on your state of mind. The fact that it is a life long condition makes it a heavy burden to carry and some days it will weigh more than others. It's thought that a lot of diabetics go through some form of mental anguish or depression at some point in their lives and dealing with this often isn't spoken about or dealt with the same emphasis that is place on blood sugar control and insulin management.

I want to start by saying I am not a mental health professional, but I have had type 1 diabetes for more than a decade and I have experienced my fair share of highs and low (both glucose and mindset based!). I feel this qualifies me to speak on this subject in the hope that my experiences may help other people with diabetes who often find it's too much of a burden.