Diabetes Self-Management November - December 2017

Dear Readers, SOMEHOW, THE HOLIDAYS are just about upon us. Seemingly weeks after digging out the fall sweaters and jeans, it’s almost time to break out the winter coats, seasonal decorations—and seasonally delicious diabetes-friendly recipes! Every issue of Diabetes Self-Management features the Diabetic Cooking section, and this edition offers up seasonal recipes that will satisfy everyone—whether or not they’re tracking carbohydrates. With a variety of easy-to-prepare appetizers (page 34), cheese-centric dishes (page 38), crowd-pleasing potluck picks (page 42) and festively fun cookies (page 46), you’ll find all the recipes you need to savor the holiday season. As much as we love food, the holiday season is about so much more. Spending time and really engaging with and appreciating our friends and family are really what this time of year is…

Nobody likes to be told that they have prediabetes. But such a diagnosis doesn’t mean nothing can be done. A new study from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom has found that adults who lose weight or reduce their waistlines within a year of being diagnosed with prediabetes are significantly more likely to return to normal glucose tolerance than adults who don’t. The researchers analyzed data from 817 patients with a mean age of 60 (53 percent were women). Within the group, 68 percent had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), 18 percent had impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and 14 percent had both. Both IGT and IFG are signs of prediabetes. The patients were screened for diabetes every year for five years (unless they developed diabetes before then). After one…

Experts say that there are two kinds of body fat cells—“bad” ones and “good” ones. The bad ones store energy, and the good ones burn energy. So wouldn’t it be great if researchers could figure out a way of changing bad fat cells into good ones? That’s the aim of a new startup based at Purdue University, where Meng Deng, PhD, an assistant professor in agricultural and biological engineering, has founded, in collaboration with Shihuan Kuang, PhD, a professor of animal sciences, a company called Adipo Therapeutics. The goal of the company is to develop “polymer-based nanotherapeutics” that act on fat tissue to help maintain weight loss. The techniques involve two rather arcane biological processes called “browning” and “Notch signaling.” Browning, or, more fully, “adipocyte browning,” is, as Deng explains…

How much do you know about diabetes and oral health? If you have diabetes, you probably already know that the condition affects just about every major organ and tissue in your body, and your mouth is no exception. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about how diabetes affects your oral health. 1. How does diabetes make gum disease worse? More than one answer may apply. A. It encourages bacteria to grow. B. It raises blood sugar. C. It causes infections. D. It causes plaque to grow. 2. What are some signs and symptoms of gum disease? More than one answer may apply. A. Loose teeth B. Bad breath that does not go away C. Pain in the gums or around the tooth area D. Gum recession…

Sometimes things that appear completely unrelated turn out to be anything but. A good example is a new study from Australia that found a correlation between gestational diabetes and the time of year in which a woman conceives. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and usually disappears after the mother gives birth, although women who’ve had it are at higher risk for developing diabetes later. Researchers from the University of Adelaide studied more than 60,000 births to women in the state of South Australia over a four-year period. They found that women who conceived in winter were more likely to develop gestational diabetes—6.6 percent of the pregnancies from winter conception were affected—than women who conceived in the summer. The women who conceived in winter and developed gestational diabetes were also at…

If you’re regularly testing your blood glucose levels, chances are your doctor has recommended keeping a diary to spot patterns in your numbers. Tracking your levels, eating habits, calorie intake and exercise routines is critical to managing your condition. Keeping a diary can also be helpful in other profound ways. Studies have shown that writing in a diary, or journaling, can help lower anxiety, ease stress and promote better sleep. Journal writing is a positive way to express yourself and can help people with chronic diseases achieve their health goals. Getting started is simple Certainly, there’s an endless supply of journals and notebooks at the local pharmacy. Or you might feel more comfortable using your computer or iPad to capture your thoughts. It’s recommended to find a quiet space and…