Diagnosing Diabetes and Learning About Prediabetes

There are several ways to diagnose diabetes. Each way usually needs to be repeated on a second day to diagnose diabetes.

Testing should be carried out in a health care setting (such as your doctor’s office or a lab). If your doctor determines that your blood glucose level is very high, or if you have classic symptoms of high blood glucose in addition to one positive test, your doctor may not require a second test to diagnose diabetes.
- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diagnosis/#sthash.2haL6LTW.dpuf

Prevention of Diabetes

When you think of managing blood sugar, odds are you obsess over everything you can't have.

While it's certainly important to limit no-no ingredients (like white, refined breads and pastas and fried, fatty, processed foods), it's just as crucial to pay attention to what you should eat. We suggest you start here. Numerous nutrition and diabetes experts singled out these power foods because 1) they're packed with the four healthy nutrients (fiber, omega-3s, calcium, and vitamin D) that make up our Diabetes DTOUR Diet, and 2) they're exceptionally versatile, so you can use them in recipes, as add-ons to meals, or stand-alone snacks.

1. Beans

Beans have more to boast about than being high in fiber (plant compounds that help you feel full, steady blood sugar, and even lower cholesterol; a half cup of black beans delivers more than 7 grams). They're a not-too-shabby source of calcium, a mineral that research shows can help burn body fat. In ½ cup of white beans, you'll get almost 100 mg of calcium—about 10% of your daily intake. Beans also make an excellent protein source; unlike other proteins Americans commonly eat (such as red meat), beans are low in saturated fat—the kind that gunks up arteries and can lead to heart disease.
How to eat them: Add them to salads, soups, chili, and more. There are so many different kinds of beans, you could conceivably have them every day for a week and not eat the same kind twice.

2. Dairy

You're not going to find a better source of calcium and vitamin D—a potent diabetes-quelling combination—than in dairy foods like milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt. One study found that women who consumed more than 1,200 mg of calcium and more than 800 IU of vitamin D a day were 33% less likely to develop diabetes than those taking in less of both nutrients. You can get these nutrients from other foods, but none combine them like dairy does. Stick to fat-free or low-fat versions of your favorite dairy foods—"regular" has a lot of saturated fat.
How to eat it: Drink milk with some meals instead of soda or sugary juices, have yogurt or cottage cheese as a snack or dessert, and use milk to make oatmeal or thicken certain soups.

Source : prevention.com/health/diabetes/diabetes-prevention-healthy-diabetes-diet-foods

Type 1 diabetes cure

Researchers are beginning to get excited again that a cure or near-cure treatment could come as early as within the next decade or two. A diabetes vaccine diabetes vaccine is consistently being investigated to provide a true biological cure for type 1 diabetes.

The aim is for a vaccine to be created that stops the immune system from attacking the body's insulin-producing beta cells.

Another cure prospect gaining momentum is islet cell encapsulation, with stem cells used to create insulin-producing cells that can work without immune system interference.
Type 1 diabetes vaccine

Research into a diabetes vaccine is being made on several fronts, with Selecta Bioscience, a clinical bioscience company, developing a Synthetic Vaccine Particle (SVP) as an immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes.

The vaccine is expected to reprogram the immune system to prevent inflammatory responses to insulin cells, with Selecta currently trialling SVP on mice courtesy of funding from JRDF, a leading global organisation funding type 1 diabetes research.

Elsewhere, the Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital is currently leading a human clinical trial program to test the efficiency of their Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine. Positive results have already been reported from their Phase I study.

An arthritis drug, abatacept, has also shown it can delay type 1 diabetes progression a year after treatment has been discontinued, with studies again funded as part of JRDF’s Restoration program.

Source :diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-cure.html

A Documentary on diabetes

Cures for both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes have not yet been discovered, but progress is being made to prospectively cure type 1 diabetes in this generation.

As studies continue, the root causes and mechanism behind both forms of the disease are becoming more clearly understood all the time.

People with type 2 diabetes can go into remission, but while a cure is still elusive for type 1 diabetes, research from major angles is contributing towards a potential cure.

Insulin Therapy For Diabetics

Insulin therapy is often an important part of diabetes treatment. Understand the key role insulin plays in managing your blood sugar, and the goals of insulin therapy. What you learn can help you prevent diabetes complications.

The role of insulin in the body

It may be easier to understand the importance of insulin therapy if you understand how insulin normally works in the body and what happens when you have diabetes.

    Regulate sugar in your bloodstream. The main job of insulin is to keep the level of sugar in the bloodstream within a normal range. After you eat, carbohydrates break down into sugar and enter the bloodstream in the form of glucose, a sugar that serves as a primary source of energy. Normally, the pancreas responds by producing insulin, which allows sugar to enter the tissues.

    Storage of excess glucose for energy. After you eat — when insulin levels are high — excess glucose is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. Between meals — when insulin levels are low — the liver releases glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of sugar. This keeps blood sugar levels within a narrow range.

If your pancreas secretes little or no insulin (type 1 diabetes), or your body doesn't produce enough insulin or has become resistant to insulin's action (type 2 diabetes), the level of sugar in your bloodstream increases because it's unable to enter cells. Left untreated, high blood sugar can lead to complications such as blindness, nerve damage (neuropathy) and kidney damage.

Source : www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-treatment/art-20044084

Has your doctor told you that you need to take insulin? You'll want to get familiar with what it is and how you use it.

Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar. There are many types of insulin used to treat diabetes. They include:

    Rapid-acting insulin. This starts to work within a few minutes and lasts for a couple of hours.
    Regular- or short-acting insulin. It takes about 30 minutes to work fully and lasts for 3 to 6 hours.
    Intermediate-acting insulin. This takes 2 to 4 hours to work fully. Its effects can last for up to 18 hours.
    Long-acting insulin. It can work for an entire day.

Your doctor may prescribe more than one type. You may need to take insulin more than once daily, to space your doses throughout the day, and possibly to also take other medicines. Your doctor will tell you exactly what you need.

Source : www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/overview

List Of Foods To have Or not to have on Diabetes

Are you constantly asking yourself, "What can I eat?" It's time to stop worrying! Living with diabetes doesn't have to mean feeling deprived. We'll help you learn to balance your meals and make the healthiest food choices.

Once you get the hang of eating a healthy diet, you can relax and dig in to a wide variety of delicious meals and snacks.

Source : diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/

When you've got diabetes, your food choices matter a lot. Some are better than others. To help you choose the best and worst foods from major food groups, use this guide.

Foods that are in thxdxasdase "worst" group can be occasional treats. In general, however, it will be easier to manage your diabetes if you choose most of your foods from the “best” lists.

Your body needs carbs. But you want to choose wisely. Use this list as a guide.

Best Choices

    Whole-grain flours, such as whole wheat flour
    Whole grains, such as brown rice
    Cereals containing whole-grain ingredients and little added sugar
    Whole-grain bread
    Baked sweet or white potato or baked steak fries
    Whole-grain flour or corn tortillas
    Corn, popcorn or products made from corn

Worst Choices

    White flour
    Processed grains, such as white rice
    Cereals with little whole grain and lots of sugar
    White bread
    French fries
    Fried white-flour tortillas

Vegetables and Diabetes

Most vegetables contain fiber and are naturally low in fat and sodium (unless they are canned or frozen in sauces). Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn, aren't included in this category. They are considered part of the breads, grains, and other starches group.

Best Choices:

    Fresh vegetables, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled
    Plain frozen vegetables, lightly steamed
    Low sodium or unsalted canned vegetables
    Lettuces, greens, kale, spinach, arugula

Worst Choices:

    Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium
    Vegetables cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce
    Pickles (if you need to limit sodium; otherwise, pickles are okay)
    Sauerkraut, (same as pickles; limit only if you have high blood pressure)

Source : webmd.com/diabetes/diabetic-food-list-best-worst-foods