Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
What is Resveratrol? Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, a natural substance that is released by plants to protect them from fungus and other microbes, from extreme temperatures and excessive dampness or drought. It is found in small amounts in the following foods: the skin of the …
Dr. Alan H. Pressman’s extensive knowledge of health, nutrition and breakthrough medicine stems from years of professional experience as a New York State Certified Nutritionist and Dietitian, Doctor of Chiropractic, and Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition. In private practice since 1963, Dr. …
In a new release announced on April 6, 2016, WHO reports that the number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries.
Scientific Director for InVite® Health, Jerry Hickey, R. Ph states, “Diabetes is a life-threatening disease that causes your blood sugar and triglycerides to become continuously and severely elevated. This excess of circulating blood sugar is very destructive, causing inflammation in the heart and circulatory system, as well as in the eyes, brain, kidneys, and nerve tissue. Diabetes may lead to a myriad of other serious health conditions as well. Diabetes occurs when your cells become resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin for various reasons. Insulin normally stores sugar in your cells. However, long before full-blown diabetes occurs, there is a period of what is referred to as “pre-diabetes”. Your blood sugar is already modestly increased and damage to the kidneys, blood vessel walls, and eyes is beginning to take place. Perhaps it should be renamed “early stage diabetes,” as even a modest elevation in blood sugar should always be looked at seriously.”
There are three main forms of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. According to WHO, the cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown and individuals with type 1 diabetes require daily insulin administration. Type 2 diabetes is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity and is now increasingly occurring in children and young people. Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition, reports WHO, that occurs in pregnancy and carries long-term risk of type 2 diabetes. This temporary condition occurs when blood glucose values are above normal but below what is considered full-blown diabetes.
Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, explains, “If we are to make any headway in halting the rise in diabetes, we need to rethink our daily lives: to eat healthily, be physically active, and avoid excessive weight gain. Even in the poorest settings, governments must ensure that people are able to make these healthy choices and that health systems are able to diagnose and treat people with diabetes.”
For more information on diabetes and World Health Day, visit the World Health Organization’s website at http://www.who.int/en/.
How are you celebrating World Health Day? Share your feedback in the comments!
There have been many small studies in the past that have associated sitting, or being sedentary, with metabolic health outcomes. Recently, a large-scale study measured sedentary behavior among people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers used data from an extensive, population-based study, the Maastricht study, that …
Diabetes is a vicious and life-threatening disease. It is a condition where your blood sugar is continuously and seriously elevated (and your triglycerides are also). The excess circulating blood sugar is very destructive inflaming tissues in the heart and circulation, in the eyes, brain, kidneys, …
More than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes and 1 out of 4 of them have no idea.[1] In honor of National Diabetes Month this November, InVite® Health is urging you to take some time to understand the risk factors and preventative measures of this disease.
Diabetes is a vicious and life-threatening disease, where your blood sugar is continuously and seriously elevated (and your triglycerides are also). The excess circulating blood sugar is very destructive inflaming tissues in the heart and circulation, in the eyes, brain, kidneys, and nerve tissue leading to all manner of serious and life-threatening diseases.
This condition occurs due to various reasons, as your cells become resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin (stores sugar in your cells). However, long before full-blown diabetes occurs, at a stage referred to as pre-diabetes, your blood sugar is already modestly increased and the beginnings of damage to your kidneys, your blood vessel walls, and to your eyes is already occurring (perhaps it should be renamed early-stage diabetes); even a modest elevation in blood sugar should always be looked at seriously.
There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational. Type 1 occurs because the body cannot make its own insulin to regulate blood sugar. It is less common in comparison to Type 2 and is not preventable. Type 1 refers to an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas; it is much less common. People with Type 1 always require insulin. Type 2 occurs when the body does not use insulin well or cannot regulate the blood sugar levels with the insulin it has. Nine out of ten people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, a preventable, more common disease that occurs when the body’s cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. This results in elevated levels of sugar and triglycerides in the blood. The most common cause of Type 2 diabetes is truncal obesity or having an apple-shaped body instead of a pear-shaped one. New evidence indicates that an increase in the circulating levels of CRP (C-reactive protein), an enzyme tied into inflammation and heart disease, is a major indicator of impending diabetes. Gestational diabetes (GA) occurs during pregnancy and occurs when the body is not able to produce or use the insulin needed during pregnancy.
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, here are the major risk factors:
To determine your risk of developing this condition, your doctor will perform a blood test after you fast for 12 hours. If your blood sugar after fasting is lower than 99, you are likely normal. However, if the blood sugar is between 100 to 125 mg/dL you have impaired fasting blood glucose and your risk of developing diabetes is increased. You are also at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
For many individuals diet, exercise, and particular nutrients are very beneficial at this point and can help restore blood sugar levels down towards normal. Some drugs are also prescribed for this effect. If your fasting blood sugar is above 125mg/dL you are considered to have full-blown diabetes and it must be treated aggressively.
Being diagnosed with this condition means you will have to constantly be sure your body is balanced – your food consumption, activity level, medication and blood sugar levels. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to manage your diabetes on a daily basis:
Managing this condition may be tedious, but keeping a record of your treatment plans, feelings and medications could help keep it manageable. Follow your ABCs– the A1C test, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and (not) Smoking.
For more information on diabetes and how you can prevent it, visit http://www.cdc.gov/features/livingwithdiabetes/index.html.