Battling Diabetes

The dairy cow knows the value of Vitamin D.

And now so do researchers.

Study participants were given Vitamin D supplements (typical infant multivitamins) from birth on and after a tracking period of 15 to 30 years it was found that they were 29% less likely to develop type 1 diabetes than those infants who did not receive the supplemental Vitamin D. (Archives of Disease in Childhood) You can read the entire story here.

Low levels of Vitamin D apparently leads to insulin resistance.

Sources of Vitamin D:

• Vitamin D is synthesized in the human skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet light
• Fortified milk
• Swiss Cheese
• Beef Liver
• Fish (mackerel, tuna, sardines)
• Eggs
• Cod liver oil

And according to this associated article from USA Today News: June 14, 2008, Vitamin D Tests Soar As Deficiency, Diseases Linked—more doctors are testing for Vitamin D deficiency related diseases than ever before as more than 35% of adult Americans are found to have low levels.

How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?

Per the Mayo Clinic:

“You’re unlikely to get too much vitamin D from the food you eat, and prolonged sun exposure doesn’t seem to cause vitamin D toxicity. Over time, however, megadoses of vitamin D supplements can cause

nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss. More seriously, excessive doses of vitamin D can raise the level of calcium in your blood — which can cause confusion and changes in heart rhythm. Generally, the upper limit for vitamin D is 2,000 IU a day.”

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I hope you’re having a great weekend, where ever you are in the world. Here in Denver, we are now post Democratic National Convention. There is a nice breeze in the foothills and we have a three-day holiday weekend.

Diabetes Events From Around the World and Coast to Coast:

Enter the Walk in Nick’s Shoes Sweepstakes-Nick Jonas and The Bayer Diabetes W.I.N.S Sweepstakes

Meet Nick in Los Angeles on November 1st

Winners get to meet Nick in L.A. Flights and hotel included. And the opportunity to be part of Team Jonas at the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. Plus, you’ll receive your own personal diabetes coach for 1 year who will help you simplify your life with diabetes through one-to-one support.

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I spend a lot of time reading and surfing and hanging out at my library.

I am plethora of trivial information. If only I could find a way to market all the strange and RANDOM stuff floating around my brain.

Today I’m going to share some of the RANDOM diabetes things I have found on the net with you, thus freeing up my gray matter for other things…

And because this is RANDOM, there is NO particular order.

Feel free to share any RANDOMS you have found.

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The results of the Shanghai Women’s Health Study conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center and published in the January 2008 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, were that consumption of legumes ( peanuts, soybeans, and other legumes) reduced the risk of diabetes by over 40 percent.

Those who consumed more soy beans had the greatest reduction in risk–up to 47 percent.

What is a legume?

High in protein, iron and B vitamins legumes or Leguminosae, have seed pods that, when ripe, split along both sides.

Types of legumes:

• lentils
• peas
• soybeans
• peanuts
• beans

And oh those wonderful beans, pinto, lima, kidney, butter, garbanzo, string beans, snap beans, green and yellow wax beans!

While high in starch beans can be incorporated into your diabetic meal plan.

Try tossing some into your salad or an omelet. Need inspiration? Here are a few legume recipes to get you started.

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Learning about your diabetes doesn’t have to be scary and in fact can be a fun and educational process for kids.

And check out these products that can make compliance cool.

The Cadex Pediatric Alarm Watch with these features:

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Hope your weekend is great. Here’s what is going on in the world of diabetes.

The Diabetes Action Team is running to conquer diabetes.

By joining the Diabetes Action Team, you can participate in any event you choose and gain the satisfaction of knowing you did it not just for yourself, but to help prevent, treat, and cure diabetes.

The Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation is committed to the prevention and treatment of diabetes and to the funding of innovative, promising research aimed at finding a cure for diabetes and diabetes related complications.

The focus of The Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation:

• Alternative and complementary research
• Grants for nutritional research
• Promising research to find a cure for diabetes
• Innovative research to prevent and treat diabetes
• American Indian diabetes prevention and treatment programs
• International medical assistance
• Children’s camp scholarship program
• Education and prevention programs

The Diabetes Action Team will be participating in the Marine Corps Marathon October 26, 2008.

The Marine Corps Marathon, or The People’s Marathon, is the 4th largest marathon in the United States. The course moves through Washington, DC, past monuments, the Capitol, and the National Mall, and finishes in front of the Iwo Jima Memorial where a Marine will place your medal around your neck.

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Diabetic neuropathies, or nerve damage, can be a serious health issue for diabetics and in fact affects up to 50 percent of all diabetics, because it can involve nerves of any organ of the body.

Per the Mayo Clinic:

“Diabetic neuropathy has no known cure. Treatment for diabetic neuropathy focuses on:

• Slowing progression of the disease
• Relieving pain
• Managing complications
• Restoring function

Consistently keeping blood sugar within a narrow target range can help delay the progression of peripheral neuropathy and may even cause an improvement in symptoms you already have. In some people, intense glucose control may reduce the overall risk of diabetic neuropathy by more than 60 percent.”

The most common type of diabetic neuropathy is Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

DPN is nerve damage that causes numbness, tingling and pain and or a burning sensation in the extremities.

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse defines DPN:

Peripheral neuropathy, also called distal symmetric neuropathy or sensorimotor neuropathy, is nerve damage in the arms and legs. Your feet and legs are likely to be affected before your hands and arms. Many people with diabetes have signs of neuropathy that a doctor could note but feel no symptoms themselves. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may include

• numbness or insensitivity to pain or temperature
• a tingling, burning, or prickling sensation
• sharp pains or cramps
• extreme sensitivity to touch, even light touch
• loss of balance and coordination

These symptoms are often worse at night.

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Having one of those days? Diabetes Down Days?

No matter how much you educate yourself, how much you prepare for battle in every way; there will still be down days. Days when you feel like giving up.

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For diabetics and non-diabetics the basic translation of hypoglycemia is low blood glucose levels.

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Weekend Diabetes News for August 16 and 17, 2008.

Rain in Denver with a chance of snow in the high country.

Here’s what’s happening in the world. Feel free to share news from your corner of the globe!

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