Diabetes Pharmacist : Diabetes Pharmacist Blog : Focus Express Mail Pharmacy : Insulin Pumps, Diabetes Supplies and Information

So So there's been a study that shows that people who live in neighborhoods where there are more fast food restaurants have higher rates of diabetes and obesity. Is it me or is that a no brainer?And, what's more, this rate increase goes across all racial lines, all ethnic lines, AND all income lines! 

The study found obesity rates to be 20% higher in neighborhoods with five or more times as many fast-food outlets as produce vendors, compared with those with three or fewer and Diabetes rates were 23% higher! That's quite significant. It's been suggested that all restaurants post caloric and nutritional content for all of their food like what New York was just mandated to do. That's ok but I have a better idea. Why doesn't someone set up a MAXIMUM healthy caloric content figure per sandwich, snack, side order, etc and if a food goes over that, a CAUTION NOTICE must be posted and/or printed on wrappers or boxes of take out food saying the following:

CAUTION: THIS FOOD IS OVER THE RECOMMENDED CALORIC INTAKE LEVEL PER MEAL AND REPEATED INGESTION MAY LEAD TO OBESITY AND/OR DIABETES.

Kind of similar to a label on a package of cigarettes. Nah, it won't work.

People still smoke and that can lead to CANCER!

(Picture from http://www.obesity-experts.com/Fast-Food-Obesity.html)

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Researchers are now investigating the strong blood sugar reducing capability of Bitter Melon, a vegetable commonly used in Asia for medicinal use.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

It's a connection that wouldn't surprise Dr. Ulysses Magalang, a sleep expert with Ohio State University Medical Center. He says that depriving your body of oxygen often takes its toll.
"We do not know whether sleep apnea actually causes diabetes. What we do know is that patients with sleep apnea have an increased insulin resistance, which is a hallmark of patients with diabetes," says Magalang.

Dr. Magalang also says that  "obesity is a common risk factor for both diabetes and sleep apnea, and fat cells seem to function similarly in both. Studies have shown that wearing airflow masks at night can prevent problems with those fat cells. The problem is, getting patients to wear them."

Research will continue to see if, in fact, there is a direct link between sleep apnea and diabetes.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 It seems like everyone I know goes to a gym or participates in some type of regular exercise program. For most of us, that just means doing a little stretching and then off you go to the weight room,  treadmill,  elliptical etc. But for those people with diabetes, a lot of thought and preparation should be done before exercising. Exercise will lower blood sugar, and since insulin is more effective during exercise, a dangerous drop in blood sugar can occur.

The University of Michigan Health System offers these tips for people with diabetes to maintain healthy blood sugar levels when exercising:

1. Check your blood sugar before and after exercise -- and during if you can -- and record your results.
2. If you are going to exercise strenuously, make sure you eat a meal first.
3. Keep snacks -- especially some with sugar -- on hand when you exercise.
4. Talk to your doctor about possibly adjusting your insulin dose for exercise.
5. Don't inject insulin into a part of the body that will be strenuously used during exercise, as it will absorb more quickly. For example, if you will run, inject your abdomen instead of your leg.

And here's a tip from me: if you're just starting to exercise, don't overdo it. Gradually increase your time on cardio equipment and gradually increase your weights for weight training. Good Luck!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link