Online Support

When confronted with stress in our lives we can often cope better if enriched with social support. The support provided by family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors can empower an individual to confront certain issues or dilemmas faced on a daily basis.
"Social Capital is crucial for healthy living."
When living with a health condition support helps the individual recover and/or maintain a healthier well-being.
While browsing the Internet I was able to find interesting support groups ranging from support for mental conditions to diseases like diabetes and cancer. It is also important to seek support for all aspects of our health, the mental and the physical.

ASD is an online support group of diabetics, their families and friends. The members of the site use a forum to freely share personal experiences, knowledge, hopes, successes and frustrations concerning diabetes and it's impact on their lives. There is the original forum, the newsgroup alt.support.diabetes, which was originally designed as discussion board has evolved into private and public binary (for file sharing) and non-binary forums and a chat room hosted on the Undernet IRC server.

The Paradigm of the Insulin Pump

An insulin pump can be very helpful in the regulation of blood sugar levels in diabetics.
Whether a patient has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the insulin delivery can become a crucial part of their everyday life. Individuals depending on insulin for survival can benefit tremendously with the use of an insulin pump.
According to specialists, the pump uses an physiologic insulin delivery, which mimics what a healthy pancreas would do, with more precision than any other device.
The Paradigm, can be programmed for specific insulin doses, based on factors such the time of day. More insulin, for example, is often needed in the early morning hours.
These new pumps have technology that will assist the patient in determining exactly how much insulin is needed; helping the patient recognize when and why their glucose level is too high or too low.
This new technology will measure blood glucose over 280 times a day and give the patient access to those readings anytime they choose.
Managing blood sugar levels is important in order to avoid serious diabetes-related health problems. The most common cause of kidney failure, blindness, or amputation in America is diabetes.

Summer Camp for Diabetic Children

The school year has ended, marking the begging of summer! Where can you take a diabetic child? How about to the other side of the rainbow!

The Rainbow Club, is a weeklong day camp designed for children with diabetes. It combines typical summer camp fun with diabetes education as children learn more about the chronic disease inhibiting their daily lives. They will need to understand and manage their condition for most of their lives. Campers get exercise, learn about nutrition and how to monitor their blood sugar levels and spend time talking to peers who are going through the same medical experiences.

The camp creates an environment where the children feel comfortable. The camp is a relaxing experience for parents, because conselors and nurses oversee the blood sugar level processes throught the week.

The most common form of diabetes is type 2, which can be caused by being overweight or having a high blood sugar level for an extended period, among other factors.

Poor Struggle to Afford Good Food

"There's a price to be paid for cheap food -- and it could be people's health."

It is of no surprise to me that research proves a link between poverty, poor nutrition and chronic disease.
The public health specialists say evidence shows people on low incomes are killing themselves through poor food choices. Motivated by cost and convenience, poorer families are shopping on the cheap, leaving them more susceptible to health problems including obesity, diabetes, stroke and cancer.
Dr John Coveney, an international public health specialist at Flinders University in Australia, said a summary of research from around the world showed low-income families were missing out on vital nutrients.
"People on low-incomes are spending about 20 per cent of their weekly wage on food when figures show that to have a healthy food supply, you should spend around 33% of your average wage on food."
Research showed dietary factors accounted for about 30% of cancers in industrialized countries, making diet second only to smoking as a preventable cause of cancer.
According to a article, two out of every five deaths in New Zealand are due to nutrition- related factors including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity.
Social determinants of health need to be looked when addressing public health issues. As any Public health concern education and orientation is needed; in this case individuals need to know where to get cheap nutritional foods and what can be substituted when certain foods are out of reach.
Though vital education alone will not solve the problem, community design must be part of the solution.
"Ensuring that supermarkets are accessible to low- income families, transport is accessible and housing costs aren't too high."
Here are the top ten super market foods:
CHEAP AND GOOD
Pasta, Rice, Apples, Green vegetables, Homemade soup mixes, Wholemeal bread, Trim milk, Tuna (canned), Yoghurt, and Cottage cheese.
CHEAP AND BAD
Fizzy drinks, Potato chips, Meat pies, Luncheon sausage, Cheap sausages, Cheap biscuits, Ready-made pizza, Chicken nuggets, Doughnuts and Chocolate.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle starts at the supermarket and change must occur world wide!

Childhood Obesity

Within four years, it's projected that nearly half of American children will be overweight. With excess weight comes a multitude of health problems including stroke, heart disease and type two diabetes.

With the increase in obesity more children are being tested for high cholesterol and by the time these children reach their sixties, they'll be facing multiple diseases.

Poor diet, junk food and lack of exercise play a role in type 2 diabetes.

It's a trend fueled by fast food and sedentary lifestyles. For whatever reason, kids are spending too much time inside watching TV, playing video games, on the computer and snacking on junk food.

You don't have to run five miles, just be active. Take a walk in the park, fly a kite, even play hopscotch. It is important to keep incorporate exercise as part of daily life.
If you think your child is carrying too much weight, talk to your pediatrician about what you can do. You can tackle the problem as a family and together live longer, healthier lives.

The Rise of Childhood Type 1 Diabetes

When did the increase begin?
A steep rise in the incidence of childhood diabetes occurred in many populations over the latter part of the 20th century.


The rise in childhood diabetes can be traced back to the middle of the 20th century. Although it is important not to overinterpret limited data, there is some suggestion that a rising incidence first became apparent in countries with the highest current rates of diabetes and reached lower incidence populations in a later, staggered mattered.

It is crucial to identify long-term changes in the behavior of diabetes as an evolving disease rather than try to explain why they occurred. Some implications of this analysis do however deserve brief consideration. To begin with, a rising incidence in a stable population implies an etiological role for environmental factors. Since there is also good evidence for a long silent gap between initial exposure and onset of disease, factors modulating the rate at which the disease process unfolds may also be relevant.

Genetic susceptibility will determine the probability of an unwanted outcome to the initial exposure, but additional environmental factors, possibly interacting with other genetic influences, may well modulate the rate of progression.

Many attempts have been made to explain the rise of childhood type 1 diabetes over the past 30 years. A common starting point has been the assumption that something new has entered the childhood environment, and early nutrition or infection have seemed the most promising areas of enquiry. The leading hypotheses have related to early exposure to cow’s milk or to enterovirus infection. Despite a wealth of indirect evidence, we still lack proof that either plays a major role in causation of the disease, and it has been plausibly argued that both exert their influence via modulation of the developing mucosal immune system. Breast-feeding patterns do not reflect changes in the incidence of childhood diabetes.

The alternative possibility is that protective factors have been lost from the childhood environment. The hygiene hypothesis, initially developed to explain the parallel rise of asthma and allergy, argues that exposure to a range of infective agents in early childhood is necessary for successful maturation of the neonatal immune repertoire.

Type 2 diabetes has appeared earlier in successive generations and now presents in teenagers. Although this trend mimics genetic anticipation, it is environmentally mediated, since increasing obesity within the population as a whole means that genetically susceptible individuals develop the disease earlier than they would in a less permissive environment. Has a comparable process, possibly with quite unrelated causes, occurred in type 1 diabetes?

In conclusion, the quest to understand type 1 diabetes has largely been driven by the mechanistic approach, which has tried to characterize the disease in terms of defining molecular abnormalities. Given the complexity and diversity of biological systems, it seems increasingly likely that the mechanistic approach will need to be supplemented by a more ecological concept of balanced competition between complex biological processes, a dynamic interaction with more than one possible outcome.

Children and Chronic Conditions

Though most children have health problem while growing up, some children must deal with chronic health conditions which affect their daily activities.
A chronic health condition is a health problem that lasts over three months, affects your child’s normal activities, and can often require numerous hospitalizations.

Some examples of chronic conditions include asthma, which is the most common,diabetess, cerebral palsy, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, spina bifida, longenital heart problems.

About 15% to 18% of children in the United States have a chronic health condition. It’s hard to estimate, though, because it really depends on how you define “chronconditionion".
Children with chronic illnesses may have activity limitations, and, in many cases, their families must change how they live to accommodate the child.

The way children react to diagnosis with a chronic illness depends on several factors, including the child's personality, the specific illness, and their family.

Here are some websites just for children:
Kidshealth.org
Patchworx
Club BraveKids
Teenshealth.org
Chronic Illness Resources for Teens

These websites can help provide support children need to cope with there condition and by sharing there thoughts with peers they can learn and feel empowered.

Chronic Diseases

According to the Centers for Disease Control, chronic diseases have become the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, account for 7 out of every 10 deaths and affect the quality of life of 90 million Americans. Chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems, though they also are among the most preventable.

It is a daily struggle for healthcare providers to care for patients who cannot cope with the reality of their condition, manage their medications properly, or adapt their diets appropriately. Time is a barrier for healthcare providers in providing support or advice they can provide to combat the psychological and emotional barriers to chronic disease management. A patient newly diagnosed with a chronic disease such as diabetes, will most likely be expeirence a combination of emotions and support is crucial.

Many certified diabetes educators (CDEs) say fear can often manifest patient resistance to lifestyle changes such as losing weight and quitting smoking, as well as vital medical interventions such as daily blood glucose testing or blood pressure monitoring. These individuals are isolated and overwhelmed by their conditions. As a result, they feel highly victimized by diabetes, and may either completely ignore the information, advice and recommendations of their healthcare provider or only half-heartedly follow their instructions.

There are four known stages where patients are likely to experience feelings of helplessness and vulnerability. It is at these intervention points where we may have the most impact.

When the patient is first diagnosed. Initially, the patient is in shock or emotional distress when they receive their diagnosis. It is at this beginning point, where support, advice and patience are greatly needed. However, the patient's struggle with the disease is just beginning. Often the counsel, education and instructions they receive at initial diagnosis is forgotten within weeks or months—they are simply too overwhelmed to absorb everything at the outset.
When the honeymoon is over. Sometimes the diagnosis of a chronic disease is not accompanied by actual symptoms. This can be especially true with diabetes. Once the disease begins to manifest itself as physical symptoms, patients may feel a sense of foreboding that it will only get worse. Again, at this time, appropriate counseling and advice are greatly needed for patients to feel in control of managing their illness.

When the disease progresses. As diseases progress, so does the daily impact on a patient's life. With diabetes this can mean advancing to the need for daily insulin injections, more frequent blood glucose tests or other common complications of diabetes like carpel tunnel syndrome or pain in the feet or hands. These are all opportunities for dialogue and counsel.

When the disease reveals its full potential. Once diabetes is in its most advanced stages, patients need to turn to someone to discuss next steps in care, how to alleviate pain or which procedure will best help their situation.

With nearly 21 million Americans living with diabetes and another 41 million believed to be pre-diabetic, this chronic disease has reached epidemic proportions. Yet about two-thirds of people diagnosed with diabetes are not actively seeking treatment for their condition.

To affect the diabetes epidemic and other major chronic diseases, the entire healthcare industry—professionals (including specialists and educators), payers (including specialists and educators), and the patients' network (their family and friends)—must work together to overcome the emotional and psychological issues that prevent appropriate treatment.

What You Did Not Know About Exercise!

"Obviously, exercise helps with weight loss, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and reducing risk for such things as osteoporosis and diabetes," says Fabio Comana, exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. "Those are the mainstream benefits, but there's a lot more people may not be aware of."
As summer begins -- and many contemplate a trip to the gym -- take a look at a few of the other benefits of exercise.
Good night's sleep
An active lifestyle might also mean a more restful sleep. The National Sleep Foundation reports that exercise in the afternoon can help deepen shut-eye and cut the time it takes for you to fall into dreamland. But, they caution, vigorous exercise leading up to bedtime can actually have the reverse effects.
A 2003 study, however, found that a morning fitness regime was key to a better snooze. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center concluded that postmenopausal women who exercised 30 minutes every morning had less trouble falling asleep than those who were less active. The women who worked out in the evening hours saw little or no improvement in their sleep patterns.
No studies have proven conclusively the best time to exercise, says Comana, but the benefits of "a better ability to fall asleep and a more restful sleep when you do -- there's unanimous agreement on that."
A stop to smoking
The adrenaline rush and stress relief from a brief workout can replace similar feelings smokers get from tobacco and help reduce the urge for a cigarette for those trying to quit, according to smoking cessation programs.
Interested in the effect of exercise on someone trying to kick the habit, one study in the Archives of Internal Medicine followed 281 sedentary female smokers, who were otherwise healthy, in their efforts to quit. The group assigned exercise sessions was twice as likely to quit and stay smoke-free over the nonexercise group, both at 12 weeks and a year later.
Brain boost
Regular exercisers may have to work less to jog their memory in the long run, as well as experience short-term benefits in creativity and reaction time.
One study in the journal Nature reports that sedentary senior citizens who took up walking for 45 minutes, three days a week, were able to significantly improve mental skills that decline with age. Meanwhile, Middlesex University researchers in London discovered that 25 minutes of aerobic exercise boosted scores on creativity tests that followed.
And one study "found physically fit workers were 12.5 percent more efficient at the end of the day than their nonphysically fit counterparts," Comana says.
Better sex
If a well-rested, smarter and nonsmoking self is not enough, exercise has also been linked to a better sex life. Poor general health can lead to poor sexual function, so keeping fit only helps maintain or revitalize performance and satisfaction in the bedroom.
After studying more than 31,000 men, the Harvard School of Public Health researchers reported that those who were physically active had a 30 percent lower risk for erectile dysfunction than the men with little or no physical activity.
Women reap the exercise benefits, too. One study by the University of British Columbia found that 20 minutes of exercise spurred greater sexual response in the women participants compared with no exercise at all.
And overall, people who exercise regularly feel better about themselves, feel more sexually desirable and report higher levels of satisfaction, according to a study in the Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality.
Along with these lesser-known benefits, exercise also promotes health in a myriad of tiny detailed ways, says Comana, with increased "coordination, flexibility and greater efficiency in daily activities."

Watch What You Eat!

Since I started my journey into the public health field I have become aware of the impact of our daily actions and often find myself trying to empower those closest to me.
At Health Plus, my current employment, I educate members about the benefits of the plans and empower them to seek the benefits they need and are entitled to. My interest in diabetes disease management was sparked during a training I attended in my department and then last semester during a course focused on healthcare delivery.
As a member of the Latino community I am concerned for the risk of diabetes not only for myself, but also for those close to me, especially my father. My grandmother had diabetes and she passed away very suddenly. I recently suggested that my father go for a full physical, a recommendation I give Health Plus members everyday. He had high cholesterol and hypertension. With the use of medication, combined with diet and exercise, both levels were reduced. He is currently not on any medication, but as I continue my research I cannot help to wonder what the future has for him and for myself.

What Causes Diabetes?

The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes has increased in recent years.
More than one out of every three individuals in the United States has diabetes or impaired fasting glucose, a condition that increases the risk of developing diabetes, new study findings suggest.

What causes diabetes?

Insulin can be called the master hormone of human metabolism, because it is involved in the regulation of blood pressure, the production of cholesterol and triglycerides, and the storage of fat. High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, diabetes, and obesity are disorders resulting from a disturbance in metabolism - excess insulin and insulin resistance.
There are no medications that treat excess insulin and some medications actually make matters worse by causing the body to produce even more insulin.
Patient Scenario: a patient gains weight and subsequently develops high blood pressure, for which the doctor prescribes a mild diuretic and low salt. The patient returns with better blood pressure, but now a slight elevation in cholesterol and is put on a low-fat diet. He returns no lighter, with little change in cholesterol, but now his triglycerides or blood sugar have risen, too. The progression occurs because all these disorders are related through a single disturbance (excess insulin) that is actually being aggravated by the treatment.
Heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes kill twice as many people every year as were killed in both world wars, Korea, and Vietnam combined.
How do we know that these disorders are actually caused by diet and not by some other factor or combination of factors? Just as with most aspects of medicine, some degree of uncertainty persists, but we've got a pretty good idea from data from three different research approaches - historical, current epidemiological, and direct experimental.
Many people - especially those with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or obesity in their families - have inherited a tendency for the insulin sensors on the cells to malfunction with age, illness, stress, or assault by years of high sugar and starch consumption. As these sensors become sluggish, the condition of insulin resistance develops. Because it's crucial to get the sugar out of the blood and into the cells, the pancreas will compensate by making more and more insulin to force the sluggish sensors to respond. Thus begins a vicious cycle of requiring ever more insulin to keep the system going. Finally, some people become so resistant to insulin that the amount necessary to make the sensors respond and clear the sugar from the blood is more than their pancreas can make; that person become an adult diabetic.
Excess insulin stimulates a variety of other metabolic systems: it encourages the kidneys to retain salt and fluid; it stimulates the production of cholesterol by the liver; it fuels an increase in triglycerides production; it thickens the muscular portion of the artery walls, increasing the risk for high blood pressure; and it sends a strong message to the fat cells to store income sugar and fat. Glucagon sends signals to the kidneys to release excess salt and fluid, to the liver to slow down the production of cholesterol and triglycerides, to the artery wall to relax and drop blood pressure, and to the fat cells to release stored fat to be burned for energy. When insulin levels in the blood are high, however, they overwhelm the system, suppressing glucagon's actions.
Since food is what mainly controls the production of these two hormones, we have been able to create a nutritional structure that maximizes the release of glucagons and minimizes the release to insulin, creating a closer balance between these two hormones. Under these conditions the actions of the glucagons predominate, allowing the metabolism to heal and the malfunctioning sensors to regain their sensitivity. Once this healing occur, the metabolic disturbances that insulin resistance caused improve or disappear. If elevated, your cholesterol and triglycerides return to normal, blood sugar stabilizes, and you can effectively lose excess stored body fat. All these benefits accrue not by treating they symptoms - the blood pressure, cholesterol problem, overweight, or diabetes - but the root cause, chronically elevated insulin and insulin resistance. There are no medications yet to treat this disorder - the right diet is the only remedy.
This expert was from Dr. Michael Eades' revolutionary and best selling book, Protein Power.

An Inconvienient Truth

The movie was definitely an eye opener. In my opinion, we are not fully aware of our surroundings and do not know the impact we have on our environment on a daily basis. If change does not occur quickly, we will face extraordinary conditions in the world as we know.


The presentation is very graphic and Al Gore is very confident on the topic of Global Warming.

Though the movie is mainly about a powerpoint presentation, it is exciting and Al Gore explains a complex environmental phenomena with precise clearity.

Breast Cancer

Today's blog is focused on Breast Cancer because a fellow collegue was recently diagnosed with Stage 0 Breast Cancer (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ).

Cancer is a group of diseases in which cells in the body grow, change, and multiply out of control. Breast cancer refers to the unpredictable growth and proliferation of cells that originate in the breast tissue. A group of rapidly dividing cells may form a lump or mass of extra tissue. These masses are called tumors. Tumors can either be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). Malignant tumors penetrate and destroy healthy body tissues. These cells can spread from one region of the body into another and are called metastases.
The American Cancer Society estimates that each year nearly 175,000 American women and 1300 American men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. 43,300 women and 400 men will die from breast cancer this year. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women between 40 and 55 years of age and is the second overall cause of death among women (exceeded only by lung cancer). Fortunately, the mortality rate from breast cancer has decreased in recent years with an increased emphasis on early detection and more effective treatments.

It is important to spread the word about Mammogram and Breast Self examination. Lets encourage our mothers, sisters, friends to seek a mammogram if over the age of 35 and or if there is a family history of breast cancer.

Pre-diabetes and Effects of Weight-loss

Pre-diabetes is extremely prevalent, affecting almost 12 million overweight persons aged 45 to 74 years in the United States.
Weight loss and control are key goals for persons with diabetes. Weight loss improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control, lipid profiles, blood pressure, mental health, and quality of life; moderate intentional weight loss sustained over time may be associated with reduced mortality. Several large randomized controlled trials have shown that weight loss is a vital management strategy for overweight persons with pre-diabetes, as it may delay or prevent the progression to clinically defined type 2 diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association’s recent position statement recommends that “individuals at high risk for developing diabetes need to become aware of the benefits of modest weight loss and participating in regular physical activity."

Long-term effectiveness of weight-loss interventions in adults with pre-diabetes
This particular study assessed the effectiveness of weight-loss and weight-control interventions for adults with pre-diabetes. Computerized searches were conducted of multiple electronic databases up to August 2003 and randomized controlled trials were selected. These trials examined weight-loss or weight-control strategies using at least one dietary, physical activity, or behavioral intervention, and included a follow-up interval of 12 months. Effects were combined using a random effects model.
Overall, weight-loss strategies using dietary, physical activity, or behavioral interventions produced significant improvements in weight among persons with pre-diabetes, and a significant decrease in diabetes incidence. Substantial improvements were noted in the few studies that examined glycemic control, blood pressure, and lipid concentrations. The incidence of diabetes was significantly lower in the intervention groups versus the controls in three of five studies examining this outcome at 3 to 6 years follow-up. Yet further work is needed on the long-term effects of these interventions on morbidity and mortality and on how to implement these interventions in the community setting, a problem often faced when trying to bring lasting effects through public health programs.

Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

Individuals at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes:

• usually are over the age of 40. The older you are, the greater your risk of Type 2 diabetes. If you come from a black or minority ethnic group, you are at increased risk over the age of 25.
• are more at risk if there is a history of diabetes in close family members (parents or siblings). The closer the relative, the greater your risk of diabetes. People from African-Caribbean or Asian cultures living in this country are four to five times more likely to have Type 2 diabetes than white members of the population.
• are overweight and who have a sedentary lifestyle. Over 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight at diagnosis. The more overweight you are, the greater your risk of diabetes.
• are people who have problems with circulation, including heart attack or stroke, or high blood pressure.
• are women who have had gestational diabetes, a temporary type of diabetes developed during pregnancy. Having gestational diabetes, or giving birth to a large baby (8.5 lbs or greater) can increase a woman's risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

To find out if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, answer the questionnaire located at the link below.

Risk Test

Pre-diabetes

Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they often have "pre-diabetes". Their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. In the United States there are over 40 million people, ages 40 to 74, with have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a relatively new clinical diagnosis. The term was first introduced in 2002 by the DHHS and ADA. In the past the condition was referred to as impaired glucose tolerance, but by renaming it pre-diabetes it highlights the seriousness of the condition and motivates people to seek appropriate treatment. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body may be already occurring during pre-diabetes, especially damage to the heart and circulatory system.
Through early intervention methods to manage your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.
There are many things you can do to know your risks for pre-diabetes and to take action to prevent diabetes if you have, or are at risk for, pre-diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has an array of resources for people with diabetes or those at risk for the disease.
Individuals with pre-diabetes can benefit from good nutrition and physical activity, behaviors that can be beneficial to the entire public's health.

Click for more information

There is more than one type?

Diabetes is a set of related diseases in which the body cannot regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. Glucose is produced by the liver from the foods we eat, providing us with energy. In a healthy person, blood glucose levels are regulated by several hormones, one of which is insulin. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, allows glucose to move from the blood into liver, muscle, and fat cells, where it is used for fuel. People with diabetes either do not produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or cannot use insulin properly (type 2 diabetes), or both.
High glucose levels in the blood lead to damage of cells that need glucose for fuel and destruction of certain organs and tissues exposed to the high glucose levels.

Individuals with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin or produce it in very small amounts. Type 1 diabetes comprises about 10% of total cases of diabetes in the United States. Though Type 1 diabetes can occur in an older individual due to destruction of pancreas by alcohol, disease, or removal by surgery or progressive failure of pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin it is typically recognized in childhood and adolescence. People with type 1 diabetes generally require daily insulin treatment to sustain life.

Individuals with Type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but the body is partially or completely unable to use it. They are insulin resistant. People with insulin resistance develop type 2 diabetes when they do not continue to secrete enough insulin to cope with the higher demands. At least 90% of patients with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is typically recognized in adulthood, but has recently been increasing in children due to rise in obesity. Type 2 diabetes is usually controlled with diet, weight loss, exercise, and oral medications.

Gestational dibetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during the second half of pregnancy. Although gestational diabetes typically goes away after delivery, women who have gestational diabetes are more likely than other women to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Prediabetes is a common condition related to diabetes. In people with prediabetes, the blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. There has been a focus on diagnosis for prediabetes.

Stay Tuned For More Information

Exercise

I just went to the gym and feel so much better!

It is important for diabetics to exercise in order to control their weight and lower blood sugar level. Exercise also lowers your risk of heart disease, a condition which is common in people who have diabetes. As a benefit to all individuals, exercise helps you feel better about yourself and increases your overall health.

It is important to talk to your doctor about what kind of exercise is right for you. Most doctors recommend aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, swimming, or bicycling.

Before exercising it is important to warm up and cool down when you are done by doing low-intesity exercise and stretching. For additional information click on exercise!

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal.

Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, which is the turned into energy. The pancreas, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or cannot properly utilize the insulin. This causes sugar to build up in your blood.

Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Diabetes is a condition that can be controlled through the use of medication, exercise, and nutritional management.

Twenty Things About ME!

1. I love to dance. I enjoy going for walks and exploring NYC. My favorite color is blue. I am dominican. I am first generation born in the United States. I grew up on Long Island. I enjoy reading Romance novels. I have been in NYC for a year and four months exactly! I enjoy spending time with good freinds and family. I work for Health Plus as a Community Health Education Associate. I have two brothers and two sisters. I have a sweet tooth for chocolate. I can enjoy a variety of foods. I am pursing my MPH and cannot believe I am already thinking about my PhD! I graduated from SUNY Stony Brook. I am 26 years old, though at times feel 18. I believe in God and know he has helped me throu many tough times. I hope to make a difference in the lives of many through PH. I love the changing of seasons. Though I didn't pursue the artistic field, I enjoy to painting and creating.