Battling Diabetes

Here’s an update on the best of the late summer and early fall releases on the topic of diabetes.

And if you are a book addict like myself some of these sites for sharing your passion and perhaps your books, might interest you.

Shelfari-Shelfari is a social networking site for readers, reviewers, librarians (authors, bloggers, publishers) and anyone who enjoys a good book.

The site enables you to build virtual bookshelves of books you are reading, want to read or have read and discuss them. These bookshelves can also be put on your own blog or webpage. Launched in 2006, Shelfari was bought by Amazon in August 2008.

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We Have Winners here at Battling Diabetes!!!

The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America’s Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health and Build Natural Vitality (January 2008)

Won by Missy !!

and the companion cookbook-

The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle Cookbook: Stop Diabetes with an Easy-to Follow Plant-Based, Carb-Counting Diet (May 2008)

Won by Mary !!!

Congratulations, ladies.

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From the Battling Books Diabetic Bookshelf, a few reading essentials.

Some of these you have seen here over the last few weeks, some are new to our shelf. If you’re like me you keep your library card maxed out and have a wish list on Amazon that is a mile long.

I confess while I read a lot of non-fiction I am a huge fiction reader. I’ve been searching for weeks for adult fiction featuring a diabetic as the protagonist. Have you read any that you’d care to recommend? I’d love a heads-up.

If not perhaps it’s time to write one.

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The Traffic Light Diet is a simple diet plan that may help adult diabetics as well as children get started on the road to healthy eating. While called a diet it is really a lifestyle plan. It is easy to follow which means long term compliance in any situation. This may be a perfect educational starter to teach newly diagnosed diabetics healthy choices.

The Traffic Light Diet or Stop Light Diet was developed by Leonard H. Epstein and colleagues for use in their family-based childhood overweight research. It has been since copied (as noted in Battling Books!).

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Diabetes Events:

Diabetes Australia will unveil their new website on July 13, 2008 in conjunction with the start of Australia’s National Diabetes Week. Diabetes Australia is committed to turning diabetes around through awareness, prevention, detection, management and a cure.

Check out Team Diabetes Canada: Since its inception, Team Diabetes Canada participants have raised vital funds on behalf of the Canadian Diabetes Association and the 2 million Canadians with diabetes that the Association serves. Team Diabetes participants not only increase public awareness of the disease, they inspire their communities to get active and involved. They create lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, while raising funds in support of the research, education, advocacy, and programming that the Canadian Diabetes Association delivers in communities across Canada. Team Diabetes participants are local heroes working to prevent diabetes at home and abroad. Team Diabetes programs allow you to walk or run in world-class marathon events in fascinating cities both nationally and throughout the World. More →

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is an endocrine disorder affecting one in ten women in the United States. Many Type 2 Diabetics have PCOS.

What is PCOS? In normal ovaries, a single egg matures and is released each month. In PCOS the follicles that develop and release eggs do not release due to hormonal imbalances causing cysts on the ovaries.

What causes PCOS? It is not known what causes PCOS. It is also not clear whether weight gain causes PCOS or PCOS causes weight gain. Many researchers correlate excess insulin levels in PCOS patients with excess androgen production.

Per the Mayo Clinic: “Doctors don’t know the cause of polycystic ovary syndrome, but research suggests a link to excess insulin, the hormone produced in the pancreas that allows cells to use sugar (glucose), your body’s primary energy supply. By several mechanisms, excess insulin is thought to boost androgen production by your ovaries. Studies also indicate that genetic factors may play a role in PCOS.”

Symptoms: It is important to note that not all women have all symptoms. Some symptoms improve with menopause and some get worse.

• Infrequent or absent menstrual cycles
• High blood pressure
• Acne
• Obesity
• Skin tags
• Pre diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes
• Cystic ovaries
• Hirsutism (excessive body hair)
• Infertility
• Thinning of scalp hair
• Dark patches of skin on armpits, neck, inner thighs, vulva or under breasts.

Could you have PCOS? Take the quiz.

Treatment can prevent the risk factors of PCOS, including diabetes, cancer of the uterus and heart disease, and will address the symptoms of PCOS.

Per WomensHealth.gov, recent studies have found that

• More than 50 percent of women with PCOS will have diabetes or pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) before the age of 40.
• Women with PCOS have a four to seven times higher risk of heart attack than women of the same age without PCOS.
• Women with PCOS are at greater risk of having high blood pressure.
• Women with PCOS have high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

Diagnosis of PCOS is made through blood tests and ultrasound.

PCOS does not go away. Treatment modalities for PCOS involve managing symptoms and is dependent upon where a woman is in her reproductive life and her personal choices. Many medications should not be taken if a woman is trying to get pregnant.

Pharmacological treatments may include:

• Metformin for managing glucose and insulin resistance
• Spirolactone for acne and hair growth
• Propecia for hair loss
• Low dose oral contraceptives to regulate menstrual cycles
• Clomid for infertility issues

Ovarian drilling may be an option to stimulate ovulation. This is a surgical procedure involving a small laproscopic abdominal incision. A surgeon uses electrical or laser energy to burn holes in enlarged follicles on the surface of the ovaries.

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Diabetes Events:

American Diabetes Association, TOUR de CURE.

Tour de Cure is a series of fund-raising cycling events held in 40 states nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association. Check out Tour de Cure to find an event in your state.

This and That Diabetes Info:

I Decided to Fight DIABETES

“Join the American Diabetes Association’s I Decide To Fight Diabetes campaign. It allows you to become a champion for the cause through personal actions and helps raise awareness of diabetes. It’s also a daily reminder that making healthier choices really does matter.

Show your support by wearing the signature “I Decide” charm or customized merchandise. Your purchase will help raise much needed funds to help prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of people affected by the disease.

Be a champion in the fight. Spread the word and rally your friends and co-workers to do the same.”

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June 12, 2008, Reuters Health: Diabetic Weight Loss Plan Yields Long Term Success. One year later. The findings of the follow up of the Joslin Diabetes Center, Why Wait? program show that the participants of the 12-week program for Type 2 diabetics resulted in an average weight loss of 24.6 pounds and good control of blood glucose levels and blood pressure.

What is Why Wait?

The 12-week program involves exercise, dietary changes, education, counseling and adjustment of diabetes medications. Participants meet weekly and the program is insurance reimbursable. There is a monthly support session fee of $25 out of pocket.

Program components per the Joslin Why Wait? site:

• Intensive and interactive medication adjustments
• Structured modified dietary intervention
• Graded, balanced and individualized exercise intervention
• Cognitive behavioral intervention
• Group education

The dietary component portion of the Joslin Why Wait? program includes meal replacement shakes for breakfast and lunch. Snacks between meals. Dinners are from 14 menu selections from the Joslin Nutrition Guidelines. Nutritional breakdown of the meals are about 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat and 30% protein.

Additional Joslin weight notes per Why Wait? site:

• A modest weight loss of one pound every one to two weeks is advised.
• Reducing daily calories should be by 250 to 500 calories; total daily calories should not be less than 1,000 to 1,200 for women and 1,200 to 1,600 for men.
• Weight loss is different for each person and should be continued until a person reaches a target body mass index, or BMI.

Calculating target body mass index or BMI:

• Fit Watch
• Target Health
  

The exercise component portion of the Joslin Why Wait? program recommends ” A minimum of 150 to 175 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity is recommended. A target of 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week is encouraged.”

The medication component portion includes working with a diabetologist to reduce or eliminate medications that interfere with weight loss. It is includes more frequent glucose monitoring. Medications are adjusted weekly based on your personal results.

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If you are having a hard time figuring out why your blood glucose levels are high and you feel you have every other area of your diabetes lifestyle under control, consider the stressors in your life.

Stress releases hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) that will increase your blood glucose levels. While this is good on a temporary basis to provide energy to deal with a threatening fight or flight situation, chronic stress keeps your glucose levels elevated which can create insulin resistance and high glucose levels.

There are however those rare individuals out there whose response to stress is a severe DROP in blood sugar.

Dealing with life is stressful. Dealing with life and diabetes is a double whammy.

How do you respond to stress?

• Do you self medicate with food?
• Road rage?
• Smoking?
• Alcohol?
• Do you exercise more?
• Clean the house when you are upset?
• Do you get depressed when you are stressed?
• Are tears your way of responding to stress?

Were your coping strategies on the list? Are they productive long term strategies? Do you consider action/response of your body when you utilize those coping mechanisms?
Like anything else, the more you feel in control the better you feel.

The basic way to manage stress is with balance: a balance of sleep, exercise and relaxation.

The experts at the Mayo Clinic say to TAKE STRESS SERIOUSLY! “If you’re stressed, it’s easy to abandon your usual diabetes care routine. The hormones your body may produce in response to prolonged stress may prevent insulin from working properly, which only makes matters worse. To take control, set limits. Prioritize your tasks. Learn relaxation techniques. Get plenty of sleep.”

Specific therapeutic tools to manage stress and get back control:

• Biofeedback. Biofeedback is one measurable tool. Biofeedback is a methodology which utilizes techniques to assist patients to control body function such as blood pressure and heart beat and muscle tension by responding to their own body reactions. The Continuum Center for Health and Healing describes biofeedback or self-regulation, this way: “…the ability to observe oneself and acquire the skills needed to make changes in one’s physiology, behavior, or even lifestyle in order to promote well-being and health.”

• Relaxation Techniques: these include meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery and yoga.

• Journaling: Journaling not only allows you to get your issues out but allows you a way to work through your problems and stressors.

• Support Groups: Consider online support groups and communities where you can openly discuss issues that are unique to diabetics.

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What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is scientific research involving people that studies the effects of a new medication, therapy or device to determine if it is safe and effective.

In the United States, clinical trials are monitored by the Food and Drug Administration.

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