Diabetes Statistics, Symptoms Types and Recipes for Healthy Living

My grandmother lived with diabetes for a long time. She proved, along with many others afflicted with this disease that, if controlled, it is treatable and does not have to adversely affect ones’ quality of life

My grandmother was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus later in life, just around retirement age. Initially, her diabetes mellitus was treated with prescription insulin but as time passed, her condition became a bit more severe. As a result, what was originally diagnosed as Diabetes Mellitus II transformed into Diabetes Mellitus I, a condition treatable only through insulin injections. Until her last days, I remember my grandfather injecting her daily in her stomach and legs.

Diabetes Mellitus is diagnosed when a body cannot properly produce or use sufficient levels of insulin to break down glucose sugars in the bloodstream. Glucose sugars are broken down by insulin normally, then stored as energy in our cells. The inability to break down glucose sugar, thus resulting in heightened levels of glucose in the bloodstream, is called hyperglycemia. That is, the blood gets “over-sugared”.

Hypoglycemia, by contrast, occurs when there’s not enough glucose sugar in the blood and is a common affliction in diabetics, like my grandmother. Low blood sugar, which is also referred to as diabetic shock or an insulin reaction, afflicts diabetics for a number of reasons: 1)too much insulin in the blood; 2)insulin was taken without food in the stomach and 3)a heavy exercise regimen. I remember that my grandmother always traveled with a can of Coke just in case she felt faint as a result of low blood sugar.

Type of Diabetes Mellitus

There are three (3) main types of diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Gestational Diabetes. My grandmother was first diagnosed with Type 2. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a less threatening metabolic condition. It is not an autoimmune condition. It is typically managed through diet and exercise, perhaps with pills taken orally. With a proper diabetic diet, Type Two diabetes can be managed. But, gradually, my grandmother’s Type 2 worsened into Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a more serious form of diabetes. It is not a metabolic malady but an autoimmune condition where the pancreas never regains the ability to produce insulin. It is treatable though as my grandmother found out with insulin injections. Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women who have never before had diabetes. There is a 4th type of diabetes but it’s referred to, not as diabetes mellitus but as diabetes insipidus. Diabetes Insipidus is caused when the kidneys cannot hold their urine. it is not related to heightened levels of insulin in the blood.

Diabetes Statistics

Since diabetes is not an ailment that can be seen, like a scratch or a broken finger, it is a quiet disease. We never would have known Mary Tyler Moore suffered from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus had she not informed the public. So, just how many people have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus? Diabetes statistics are staggering: over 21 million people have diabetes - that’s almost 7% of the American population, about 1 in 14 people. About 70% of diabetics have been diagnosed while 30% of diabetics aren’t aware that they have diabetes. In addition, diabetes seems to strike more men than women but perhaps that’s because of work-related diets and stress.

Diabetes Symptoms

Some diabetic symptoms to watch: frequent urination, frequent thirst and an increased appetite, weight loss.

Diabetes Recipes - Your Weight and Diet Will Help You to Live Longer with Diabetes

An unhealthy diet can tax the body’s organs. After a prolonged regimen of unhealthy living, it is not uncommon for the body to break down. You can do your best to avoid this by eating nutritiously and exercising. Here is a good, easy and fun diabetic recipe:
Grilled Chicken Pizza

• 1 - 10-oz cornmeal pizza dough
• 1 - tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast, diced or chopped
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat, low-sodium marinara sauce - a good healthy marinara sauce can be prepared in 10 minutes
• 2 tbp chopped onion
• 1 tbp freshly grated Parmesan/Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Once the pizza dough is prepared, bake it for 3 minutes until you see the topside puff and bottom side lightly brown. Place toppings on top then bake again for 5 minutes or until the dough is cooked through and the toppings are well assimilated into the pizza dough.

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Quit Smoking Now

It seems as though each year, more and more teens and young adults begin to smoke. While many do quit smoking, it is disconcerting to know that the ingredients of a cigarette are intended to prevent smoking cessation. Therefore, just as many begin smoking and fail to quit smoking as there are those that quit smoking successfully. There are many ways to quit smoking from nicotine patches, zero nicotine patches and non-nicotine patches to lozenges and gum, from hypnosis to quit smoking pills and capsules. There are even ebooks advising on the best strategies to quit smoking. Even some states have outlawed smoking in public venues such as restaurants. Some states are even considering the adoption of legislation that prevents smoking in any public locale - indoor or outdoor. Teach your kids that smoking is not only dangerous but that it is also addictive and that it cannot be turned on and off, like an iPod. Very few smokers are able to quit smoking cold turkey. Teens are known to question. So, give your teens an education in the ingredients of a cigarette. Show them what lungs look like after years and years of smoking. Talk to your kids friends about it. Create your own peer pressure. It will make a difference.

These are some great quit smoking references to help support you:

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No plastics in microwave. No water bottles in freezer.
No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in their
newsletters worth noting… This information is
being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center.

Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer, especially
breast cancer. Don’t freeze your plastic water
bottles with water as this also releases dioxin in
the plastic.

Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle hospital was on
a TV program explaining this health hazard. (He is
the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital.)
He was talking about dioxins and the dangers they
can cause. He said that we should not be heating our
food in the microwave using plastic containers.

This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He
said that the combination of fat, high heat and plastics
releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells
of the body. Dioxin are carcinogens and highly toxic to
the cells of our bodies. Instead, he recommends using glass,
Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, without the dioxin.

So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups,
etc., should be removed from the container and heated
in something else. Paper isn’t bad, however, there are
chemicals in paper. It’s just more safe to use tempered
glass, Corning Ware, etc. He said we might remember
when some of the fast food restaurants moved away
from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem
was one of the reasons.

To add to this, Saran wrap placed over foods as they
are micro waved with high heat actually drips poisonous
toxins into the food, so use paper towels.
Pass this on to your family, friends anyone who might
be grateful to read it.

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For those of you who watch what you eat,
here’s the final word on nutrition and health.
It’s a relief to know the truth after all those
conflicting medical studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer
fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer
fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and
suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of
red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than
Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat
lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer
heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION:
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills
you.

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