Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2023 i Diabetes Self-Management

Dear readers, It’s a winter wonderland! Now is the season for skating and sledding, building a snowman, spending quality time with family and friends, and snuggling up by a crackling fireplace. But with the cold weather and shorter days, for many, it’s also a time of year when the hankering for carb-heavy comfort food hits. Fortunately, there are ways to satisfy these cravings and keep your blood glucose levels in check. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or cooking a weeknight dinner, you’re likely to find the tips and one of the tasty recipes in “Low-Carb Comfort Foods” (page 34) a good fit! Speaking of glucose levels, between holiday meals, reduced activity levels, and extra stress, this is a time of year when many find they have more difficulty staying…

Traveling can be a source of both negative and positive stress for everyone, and especially for those living with diabetes. But it does not have to be a negative experience, and diabetes should not stop you from taking trips. Yes, there are some extra precautions that you must take, but it is well worth the additional planning to have safeguards in place. And along with its other benefits, traveling is a great opportunity for you to improve your sense of control when it comes to living with diabetes. How much do you know about traveling safely with diabetes? Take this quiz to find out! 1. People with diabetes should refrain from crossing time zones when traveling, as it makes managing medications too challenging. ○ True ○ False 2. A common…

A combination of lifestyle factors may dramatically reduce the risk of developing dementia in people with diabetes, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology. For the study, researchers were interested in looking at how a combination of lifestyle factors could affect the risk for dementia. To do this, they created a lifestyle scoring system on a scale of 0 to 7, with one point awarded for each of seven healthy lifestyle factors: not currently smoking, consuming alcohol in moderation, getting regular physical activity, following a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, a low level of sedentary behavior, and frequent social contact. The study participants were 167,946 people ages 60 and older without dementia at the beginning of the study, who took part in a large general health assessment…

A keen sense of balance is especially important if you’re a surfer or tightrope walker, but it’s also important for mere mortals who like bike riding, paddleboarding, or just walking around without falling and breaking a hip. Like most athletic skills, good balance is something that comes with practice. Some health clubs and personal trainers offer specific classes in balance, but classes in yoga, tai chi, and Pilates can also help to improve balance. Balance can also be improved through a variety of other exercises. It’s best to start with the easier ones and gradually move to more challenging ones as your balance, coordination, and confidence improve. Exercises to improve balance Walking a “tightrope.” In other words, find a straight line on the ground or the floor and, with your…

It’s probably fair to say that almost everyone loves cheese! Cheese on pizza, sandwiches, a burrito, or simply eaten as-is always makes food taste better. Cheese is so popular that, in 2020, the average American consumed 40.2 pounds. While no one can argue that cheese is delicious, the downside of this favorite food is the tendency for many types of cheese to be high in saturated fat and sodium, factors that can increase the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, respectively. Fortunately, there’s a cheese that can fit almost everyone’s nutrition and health needs. There are even plant-based cheeses for people who choose to follow a vegan eating pattern or who are intolerant of or allergic to milk products. Label reading for any type of cheese is a…

Have questions about diabetes? You’ve come to the right place! This primer contains information about all the basics of the condition. Diabetes overview Diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose (sugar) is too high. The body uses glucose from food as a source of energy, much like a car uses gasoline for fuel. Insulin, a hormone that is made in the pancreas, moves glucose from the bloodstream into cells to be used for energy. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin (or stops making insulin altogether) or doesn’t use its own insulin as well as it should. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood and can’t get into cells to be used for energy. Diabetes causes There are various types of diabetes. Type…

When most of us hear about or see a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for the first time, the thing that pops into our heads is, “Cool! Now I don’t have to make my finger bleed every time I want to know my glucose level.” And for the most part, that’s true. Except for the occasional calibration or verification, finger-sticks have become a rarity for most CGM users. And you have to admit … it’s pretty cool to just look at a tiny display and know what’s going on inside your body. No blood, no pain, no used test strips embedded in car seats and couch cushions. But as with most things, the novelty wears off after a while. We become less interested in seeing the numbers and may only spot-check…

5 Deep breathing can help rid the lungs of stale air, increase oxygen levels, and help improve the function of the diaphragm, says the American Lung Association. Lowering blood pressure, reducing muscle tension, and possibly reducing hot flashes are additional bonuses of this practice. Another benefit of deep breathing? Relieving stress and promoting relaxation, which can help with managing blood glucose levels. Take a deep breath and head over to “Just Breathe” (page 50) to get started. 4 Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 37.3 million Americans, or 11.3% of the U.S. population, are living with diabetes. Roughly 1.6 million people ages 20 and over, or 5.7% of all diagnosed adults, have type 1 diabetes. About 283,000 children and adolescents under 20 are diagnosed…

Getting Your A1C to Target Lowering A1C often takes a multi-pronged effort and typically involves a combination of medication and lifestyle factors. Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved in getting your A1C to target. bit.ly/3Cbbr06 How Diabetes Can Lead to Dry Eye If your eyes burn or sting or constantly feel uncomfortable, you may have dry eye. Find out more about this condition, including what you can do to treat it, as well as how dry eye is linked with diabetes. bit.ly/3SUuz9l Master Holiday Health Pitfalls The holidays are upon us, which can spell danger for those who are trying to lose weight and stick with a healthful eating and activity routine. This year, make a plan to master those holiday pitfalls so you’re on track with your…

Taking a combination of drugs to treat pain from peripheral neuropathy tends to provide more pain relief than taking a single drug, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet. There are many treatments available to relieve pain from diabetic peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage, usually in the feet and legs, caused by elevated blood glucose levels over time. For the latest study, researchers randomly assigned 130 participants with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy to at least one course of treatment (some participants dropped out of the study before more than one course of treatment could be evaluated). Each course of treatment lasted 16 weeks, with participants starting on a single drug for six weeks and then adding an additional drug for 10 weeks if the original drug didn’t provide…

In a development described as “unprecedented,” researchers recently presented the results of a trial in which a person with type 1 diabetes (T1D), after a single investigational treatment, was able to entirely discontinue using insulin. The report was given at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association. The subject was a 64-year-old man who’d had type 1 diabetes, along with a host of complications, for 40 years. In the year previous to therapy, he had experienced five severe episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). The patient was given a single half-target dose of a treatment known as VX-880, which was developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. VX-880 is what’s known as an “allogeneic” therapy, which means the procedure uses healthy stem cells from a donor to replace the patient’s own…

If you’ve had diabetes for any length of time, you’re likely familiar with many of the standard tools of the trade—blood glucose meters, lancets, insulin vials, needles, CGMs, and so on. But for those looking to expand their horizons a bit, there are many other products available that can help improve health, from simplifying kitchen prep to increasing foot comfort to helping users breathe a bit easier and beyond. Here, we explore some of the top items that caught our attention in recent months. Maty’s Simply Breathe Nasal Ointment If you think allergies only strike in the spring, think again! Allergies can occur all year long, which is why you need relief all year long, as well. To soothe a dry, irritated nose and open up those stuffy nasal passages,…

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to keep diabetes out of the bedroom? Unfortunately, about half of all people with diabetes are likely to develop a sexual complication that interferes with their ability to participate fully in intimate activity. The good news is, there are many effective treatments that can help. The issues Men. According to the landmark Massachusetts Male Aging Study, men with diabetes are three times more likely to develop erectile dysfunction (ED) than other men. That’s the persistent inability to achieve and/or maintain an erection adequate for penetration. The study also noted that men with diabetes are more likely to develop ED 10 to 15 years earlier than those without diabetes. Additional common male issues include reduced sexual desire, lower self-esteem, performance anxiety, and…

Many people who rely on insulin believe that taking this life-saving medicine automatically leads to weight gain or makes it impossible to lose weight. But while needing to take insulin can add a layer of complexity to weight-loss efforts, losing and maintaining a healthy weight while on insulin can absolutely be done. It does, however, take some additional strategies and know-how. Curious? Read on. Safely optimizing doses The first and most important point to know is that safely decreasing the amount of daily insulin taken will lead to weight loss—with the focus on safely. Insulin only leads to weight gain if a person is not taking the proper amount. So, before starting weight-loss efforts, it is important to focus on your diabetes management and optimize your insulin dosages. Too many…

Snacking may be one of Americans’ favorite pastimes. We snack when binge-watching our favorite shows, we snack for comfort, and we snack when that midday energy slump sneaks up. According to a Mintel survey, close to 95% of Americans eat at least one snack every day, and 50% snack two to three times a day. While snacking can be a great way to boost your nutrition, it can also backfire. Choosing high-calorie, high-carb snack foods, such as potato chips, cookies, candy, and soda, can lead to weight gain and, if you have diabetes, higher blood sugars. Can and should people who have diabetes eat snacks? Read on to find out! Why snack? Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health defines a snack as “any food eaten between main meals.” And…

Metformin, one of the most popular medications used in the front-line treatment of diabetes, appears to improve mitochondrial function in people with diabetes, reports a new study from researchers in Spain. Mitochondria are what are known as organelles. Organelles are components of body cells that have a specific function to perform, such as storing genetic information or producing chemical energy. Sometimes mitochondria are referred to as the “powerhouses of the cell” because they help turn the energy contained in foods into energy that body can utilize. It’s estimated that mitochondria produce 90% of the energy required by the human body. Sometimes, however, mitochondria fail to do their work properly, often because of a disease, resulting in a condition called mitochondrial dysfunction, which is known to contribute to type 2 diabetes.…

The hand disorder known as trigger finger is more common in people with diabetes who have a higher A1C level (a measure of long-term blood glucose control), according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care. As the study authors noted, diabetes is known to increase the risk for trigger finger—a painful disorder in which a person’s fingers lock in a bent position. But it wasn’t previously known whether good blood glucose control reduces the risk for trigger finger—just as it reduces the risk for many different potential complications of diabetes. Trigger finger develops when the protective membrane of the flexor muscles, which are engaged when you curl your fingers, becomes overgrown. Experts believe that this tissue becomes overgrown due to long-term exposure to elevated blood glucose levels,…

Q My wife has type 2 diabetes and moderate dementia. She only takes oral medication for her diabetes and has a good A1C. My concern is about spikes in her blood sugar (glucose) after breakfast. She loves potatoes and mini pancakes at breakfast with an egg and some avocado. She looks run-down and tired after breakfast when her blood sugar shoots up. What can I do to reduce the spike? A Kudos to you for tending to your wife’s diabetes on her behalf. Research has shown that uncontrolled glucose contributes to dementia, so your efforts are helping her in multiple ways. Managing postmeal spikes after breakfast is a challenge for many people. Potatoes and pancakes are certainly spike-makers, so if you can reduce the portion or substitute additional eggs/avocado, that…

Are you stuck in a recipe rut? It’s time to end mealtime boredom! Let’s explore some simple, nutritious, palate-pleasing options to help make your meals marvelous. Managing diabetes requires flexibility and adaptability as well as on-the-spot decision-making around medication adjustments, physical activity, food, and countless other factors throughout the day. When possible, planning your menu ahead of time can help lighten the decision-making. Start by creating an easy-to-follow meal plan with a variety of nutrient-dense and delicious foods that will bolster your enjoyment of delightful cuisine, expand your usual menu choices, and help you stay within your budget. Top tips and strategies for refreshing your meal-planning skills Kitchen inventory is key. Do you know what’s in the back of your freezer? Take a deep look at what you already have…

If you have diabetes, you’re likely aware of the risk of certain complications, such as heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney problems. What you may not be aware of is another complication: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Learn more about this lesser-known diabetes complication, along with steps you can take to avoid or even reverse it. Liver 101 The liver is amazing, considering everything it does to keep the body healthy and running smoothly. Sitting in the upper right abdomen, it’s one of the largest organs in the body. Here’s a brief rundown of what the liver does: • Detoxifies drugs, alcohol, and poisonous chemicals• Produces proteins that help blood to clot• Breaks down fat for energy• Makes bile (which is needed for fat breakdown)• Stores glucose in the form of…

In the midst of the ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, new concerns about war and inflation are pushing stress to higher levels, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2022 “Stress in America” survey. Add this to the usual demands of running our daily lives, and it is easy to understand how things can become overwhelming. The stress-health link While stress in itself doesn’t cause diabetes, research shows there may be a link between stress and the risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Although stress is a natural part of life, it becomes problematic when your lifestyle doesn’t allow you to recover from it. This is partly due to the way our bodies respond to stress. In the 1920s, American physiologist Walter Cannon was…