Diabetes | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

Menus for Diabetics

Menus for diabetics, the phrase probably conjures up images of bland foods, with very little sugar, and nothing at all fried in order to keep the fat content of the food down. The truth is menus for diabetics are not bad meal plans, and with careful consideration those who suffer from type 2 diabetes can enjoy a good tasting and varied menu. As a matter of fact, once menus for diabetics are examined and seen for what they are it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for some of us who are non-diabetic to follow the same food regimen. One thing that menus for diabetics have in common with most menus for weight loss is control of carbohydrate intake.

The whole reason those with type 2 diabetes have to follow menu plans is because their body does not process glucose, the sugar derived from food, correctly. This puts some people under the incorrect belief that the type 2 diabetic can eat anything they like with no worries as long as there is no sugar added. This is simply not true. Many common foods, especially starchy foods like rice, potatoes, and even white bread are quickly broken down by the body into simple sugars, and if too much of this is eaten it can lead to unhealthy or even dangerous blood glucose level increases for the type 2 diabetic.

The whole goal of planning a menu for a diabetic is to control the way their blood glucose behaves by eating complex carbohydrates and proteins. One of the rules of the thumb is that unless the food is a protein, like chicken or fish, white foods are bad foods. When a diabetic carefully plans their intake of carbohydrates they can better control their amount of body fat, and keep their blood glucose levels fairly close to normal. By using appropriate menus for diabetics a type 2 diabetic may be able to effectively manage their disease with diet and exercise alone and so live a full an healthy life.

Diabetic Supply

Diabetic healthcare supplies are a big business nowadays, with companies like dr diabetic supply and other reputable distributors providing for the needs of an ever growing segment of the population. While, in recent years, the number of people afflicted with diseases like heart disease, hypertension, and even some forms of cancer have been on the decline, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise at a near alarming rate.

Of course, as the number of people afflicted with diabetes rises so does the demand for the specialized medical care supplies needed by diabetics just go about their daily life. This is where dr diabetic supply and other places really shine, as through years of experience they have determined the needs of diabetics and only offer the very best in diabetic healthcare supplies.

Most diabetics depend on a reliable glucometer to test their blood glucose levels, often many times daily, and each time the glucometer is used the diabetic must also use a test strip, an alcohol wipe to clean the area, and a lancet to draw the blood. This is quite a bit of specialized merchandise that must be used daily. Diabetics afflicted with peripheral neuropathy also often require special footwear to keep their feet healthy. Those diabetics who must use insulin must have the proper syringes and even possibly the needles for the syringes to deliver their insulin dose, sometimes many times per day.

While practically any of these items can be bought at the neighborhood pharmacy, medical supply specialty businesses like dr diabetic supply are often much cheaper and carry only the very best and most useful merchandise. So if you or someone you know is a diabetic and in need of specialty healthcare supplies, remember, the neighborhood pharmacy has what you need, but you can find what you need cheaper at places like dr diabetic supply.

Diabetic Testers

When a person is taking about diabetic testers they are generally referring to the machines that are used by most diabetics to test the sugar, or glucose, level of their blood. The technical name for the machine is glucometer. Diabetic testers, or glucometers, are rapidly becoming indispensable little machines for a growing number of people since the incidence of diabetes is rapidly rising each and every day.

In order to use diabetic testers the person who wishes to check their blood sugar not only needs the machine, but also alcohol wipes to clean the area, a special type of needle called a lancet to prick the skin, and the proper diabetic test strips for the machine that they will use.

Once the diabetic testing supplies are readied the person places a test strip in the machine, in most cases this automatically turns the machine on, then the person selects a body part, usually a fingertip, and cleans it with the alcohol wipe. After the alcohol is dried the person pricks the area with a lancet in order to obtain a drop of blood which is then placed on the test strip. Diabetic testers read the amount of glucose in the drop of blood and display the blood glucose level, which should be between 80 and 110 for the person to see.

There are many diabetic testers on the market today; most are so small that the machine and all the diabetic testing supplies needed for a whole day will fit in a little case which is easily carried in a pocket or a purse. Those who are looking at different brands of diabetic testers in order to decide which one to purchase should remember two things, more expensive does not always mean better, and the best diabetic tester to but is the one that they understand how to use and will use regularly.

Do you suffer from high glucose levels symptoms?

Do you suffer from high glucose levels symptoms? There are many symptoms associated with high glucose, high insulin levels and high diabetes what do your symptoms say about you and your health condition?

Some of the symptoms that are associated with high glucose levels symptoms can be similar to the same as high insulin levels symptoms and high diabetes symptoms which can often times lead to misguided diagnosis. Symptoms can range from sweating, frequent urination, fainting, lightheadedness or dizziness can’t get enough to drink or fluids and loss of energy.

Many times what we eat can have a great impact on our sugar levels such as foods with high sugar content, sugary snacks and sweets that have a high sugar level will lead to high glucose levels which can lead to symptoms arising.

When high blood glucose levels symptoms or high blood glucose and sugar levels stay high for long periods of time many things can happen such as dehydration, strokes, dizziness and even more serious complications can occur.

Diabetes is a very dangerous disease and can lead to many lifelong problems if it is not kept under control and watched closely or monitored. Diabetes can lead to kidney failure, strokes, heart attacks and even death.

The best way to keep a check and keep a hold of your diabetes and high glucose levels are to keep a blood glucose monitor handy which you can monitor your blood glucose frequently or on a regular basis. Most people who have diabetes check their blood glucose levels in the morning as a fasting level before they eat and then before bedtime as their food has had a chance to settle.

High glucose levels symptoms can be very dangerous, so it is a definite desire and need to keep a watch on your blood glucose level in order to stay healthy and live a long productive life.

What Are Symptoms of High Glucose Levels?

There are three classic symptoms of high glucose levels and several possible other symptoms. But, in order to understand the symptoms of high glucose levels it may be important to first understand why glucose levels become elevated in the first place. High glucose levels most commonly occur in those with diabetes.

This condition is caused when the body either does not produce enough insulin, or the cells are resistant to the insulin that is produced. While the body converts the sugars and carbohydrates that we ingest into glucose and glucose is the fuel for every cell in the body, without the action of insulin the glucose cannot enter the cell for use and remains in the bloodstream where levels build up.

This is why diabetics must take insulin or some form of medication that assists in the action of insulin. Even though glucose is the fuel for the body in high levels it becomes toxic and this toxicity combined with the fact that not enough glucose is entering the cells to power those causes the three trademark symptoms of high glucose levels.

Polyphagia is the first of the three symptoms of high glucose levels. Polyphagia is a fancy Greek word that means “eats a lot,” and refers to a sudden increase in appetite. This is due to the fact that the glucose is locked in the blood stream because there is a lack of insulin action to allow it to pass into the cell. Therefore your body is tricked into thinking that it is starving even though you are eating all the time and driving your blood glucose to new and dangerously high levels.

Polyuria is the second of the three classic symptoms of high glucose levels. Polyuria occurs because the body attempts to get rid of excess glucose through the urine. The glucose molecules in the bloodstream are so large that they attract water away from the body and cause excess water to be flushed out in the urine. This leads to the third of the classic symptoms of high glucose levels, which is polydipsia, or frequently thirsty. As the body loses water through the water molecules following the glucose molecules out of the body during the frequent urination the body responds by increasing thirst in the attempt to replace the lost water.

If you or someone you know has a family history of diabetes and/or begins to develop these symptoms of high glucose levels it is time for a visit to the doctor for a glucose tolerance test before the blood glucose rises to a dangerous level.