What's up With Being So Tired...Sleepless in Diabetes.

As a Diabetic I find that I am extremely tired out.  I am a not sure that it is not from a couple other health issues I have but for sure I know part of it is my Diabetes.  I'm Yawning right now as I do this blog. 

I was reading a couple of forums and the answers to that very questions, "Why am I so tired all the time?"  Many different answers from a lack of exercise to coming down from the high glucose levels.
Some even going so far as to say there is a lack of vitamins B-12, B-6 etc.  The one thing it really didn't even mention was depression.  This came from several diabetics and a couple of pre-diabetics.

Depression comes along with Diabetes.  I do know though that exercise does help fight depression and so does proper diet and nutrition. 

In addition, high blood glucose can cause fatigue through inflammation. Blood vessels get inflamed by the sugar. When this happens, according to new research, immune cells called monocytes come into the brain, causing fatigue. 
Source:  http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/Blog/David-Spero/what-causes-diabetes-fatigue/

Depression, Stress, Diet are other things that have some bearing on weather or not your fatigue is actually caused by Diabetes, or if your Diabetes are causing issues with these things.

Depression is very common with diabetes. Most depressed people feel fatigued, even if they don’t feel sad. Even at low levels, depression can sap your motivation. Why get up? You can take a free test to see if you are depressed here.

Too much carbohydrate — especially refined carbs — can make anyone tired, especially with diabetes
Source:  http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/Blog/David-Spero/what-causes-diabetes-fatigue/

I'm sure by now you are realizing that there are many things related to or caused by Diabetes that can cause fatigue.  I hope that understanding some of these things will help you to understand more about why you may be feeling tired and then solving the issue of your tiredness or at least lessen it. 

I hope you will share this blog with your friends and family and that each one of us as a member of the Diabetic communities around the world can share information so that we can get healthier and feel better. 

If you are interested in being a guest blogger or if you have questions or information you wish to share please contact me @ diabetic.day2013@Gmail.com or  @DiabeticDay on Twitter or on Facebook at Gwen Johnsons Diabetic Day. 

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Making Family Understand Your Diabtic Life is Sometimes Worse Than Testing Yourself Daily

Well as you know by now I am a full fledged Diabetic with Complications.  I am sure it is no surprise that daily I am fighting with issues to keep them in check.

I wanted to write about this subject because I know that many families and friends and co-workers, bosses etc., don't understand the whole package of living with this lovely Disease, Diabetes.  I want to share with you how I feel, and what I think needs to happen for the PEOPLE in our lives to really get it.

I love my husband, I love my children, and my friends, but sometimes when things are going crazy for me they do not really get it.  I feel that I have to repeat things to them frequently for them to hear what I am going through, even then it seems like it doesn't sink in. 

My average day is filled with trying to keep my blood sugar down and I have a problem that I am constantly trying to make sure it doesn't drop to low, or it doesn't climb to high.  Either of these two problems can land me into either a diabetic coma, or diabetic shock.  To understand these things let me give you the medical definitions so you can understand better and share them with your loved ones.

Diabetic Coma: 
A diabetic coma is a life-threatening diabetes complication that causes unconsciousness.
If you have diabetes, dangerously high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can lead to a diabetic coma.
If you lapse into a diabetic coma, you're alive — but you can't awaken or respond purposefully to sights, sounds or other types of stimulation. Left untreated, a diabetic coma can be fatal.
The prospect of a diabetic coma is scary, but fortunately you can take steps to help prevent a diabetic coma. Start by following your diabetes treatment plan.
Source:http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-coma/basics/definition/con-20025691

Diabetic Shock:  severe hypoglycemia that is associated with the presence of excessive insulin in the system and that if left untreated may result in convulsions and progressive development of coma.
Source:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insulin%20shock

Signs and Symptoms: 
Diabetic ketoacidosis signs and symptoms often develop quickly, sometimes within 24 hours. For some, these signs and symptoms may be the first indication of having diabetes. You may notice:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Weakness or fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Fruity-scented breath
• Confusion

More-specific signs of diabetic ketoacidosis — which can be detected through home blood and urine testing kits — include:

• High blood sugar level (hyperglycemia)
• High ketone levels in your urine

Source:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis/basics/symptoms/CON-20026470

As I struggle constantly to explain just the regular things we have to watch I am constantly trying to explain the complications part of the disease...why?  I have them that is why.  So as everyone else goes about their daily business I live with the prospect of a serious disease that could take my life in a heart beat.

I don't really think about that aspect of the disease though, because I am trying to deal with things like diabetic neuropathy, if I get cuts or scrapes, injuries to my feet or legs, cracking dry skin, dental issues, eye sight issues, kidney issues, liver and heart issues.  These are just my regular everyday things I have to live with and deal with.  Making your family and friends understand is hard.  Especially since they don't have to deal with it in their personal physical life.

Things like stress, illness (cold, flu, viruses, infections etc..) these all affect your blood sugar, even just having a little hangnail or dry skin on hands and feet.  Pressure on your feet from shoes, and socks.  I have to check myself daily for nicks, cuts, scrapes, hangnails, burns, cracks in my skin on my feet, etc. 

I don't really feel pain in the tips of my fingers so when I am cooking if I burn myself I really never feel it.  My feet feel like I am walking on a bed of nails and there is a crazy amount of shooting pain in my toes. 

You have to watch your diet daily not to much salt, protein, fats, because all of these things can damage your heart, kidneys and liver.  Because your pancreas isn't working correctly and your liver isn't either because it is what breaks down your sugars, then your kidneys, filter out the things that make your body toxic, it also plays a part in your hormones, you must be careful of everything that goes into your body.

As a diabetic if you do not get proper sleep as well it can raise those sugar levels in your body making it hard to heal and also making it hard to balance your diabetic life. 

Scheduling a routine of good eating habits, good medicine habits, exercise habits, and sleep habits are all helpful along with good hygiene and proper shoes and socks, wearing things that will not cause pressure sores and making sure you have no wrinkles or folds in your clothing are all really important daily practices. 

So my diabetic life as many of yours is very busy and requires a lot of self care.  It is important for our families and those who are a part of our daily lives to understand what we go through and what to help us watch for.  If we act a little unusual or if we are confused, it is important to understand what could potentially lead to hospitalization and coma or even that D word, Death.

I am adding this article to this blog post so that you can share it and do some reading and remember there are support groups on line and in communities to help you stay on track and to help families to understand better about the disease.  I encourage you to all share information because this is what helps us stay healthy and informed. 

Article:  List of Complications of Diabetes.
Source:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/74433-list-complications-diabetes/

If any of you are interested in being a guest blogger on this blog or if you have any questions or comments regarding this blog please contact me Gwen Johnson at: diabetic.day2013@gmail.com or find me on twitter @DiabeticDay, or Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/gwen.diabeticday

High Ho High Ho or Low No Low No...It matters so much both ways it goes

During the day I find myself having issues both with low blood sugars and high blood sugars.  I find it most difficult to find that happy medium and I am finding for myself that I am constantly trying to adjust my foods and everything else just to control my sugars. 

Have you ever heard of what they call a brittle diabetic?  Here is a Definition of Brittle Diabetics:

Definition: Brittle diabetes is a term used to describe hard-to-control swings in blood glucose levels. People who have brittle diabetes experience frequent highs and lows in their blood sugar levels, even when attempting to control it. These erratic swings in blood sugar can cause frequent episodes of either hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), which is more common and sometimes extreme.

Also Known As: labile diabetes Source: http://diabetes.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/brittlediabetes.htm    I often have those issues.

After reading more about Brittle Diabetics  I have discovered that there are many variants that create the difficulties brittle diabetics encounter.  I my self feel that some may or may not be the cause and affects of the problem's Brittle Diabetics have. 

 

Brittle diabetes is more common in people with type 1 diabetes, but it also can occur in type 2 diabetes. Certain medical conditions may be linked to brittle diabetes, such as gastroparesis (a delay in stomach emptying, which interferes with the timing of carbohydrate absorption after meals) and some endocrine disorders, such as hypothyroidism.  Source:http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/diabetes/JohnsHopkinsDiabetesAlert_3541-1.html

 

I personally have the issue with gastroparesis.  I have an extremely slow digestive tract.  There are a few other things that also play into the issues we have as Brittle Diabetics.  They often say we should get checked out psycological as well as evaluate our environmental surroundings.  I think there are a lot of things that cause our highs and our Lows.  These could only be a few.

 

If you think you may have or be a Brittle Diabetic because your sugars are High and Low and you feel it is becoming less manageable you should contact your physician or health care specialists.  It is very Dangerous and if not taken care of can be life threatening.  Both type 1 and type 2 diabetics can be Brittle Diabetics. 

 

I hope this information has been helpful for you, and please share this with others including your own families.  It is important to know about diabetes and to inform others.  We can take control of our Disease better when we work together and share information.  I hope you will all share because we are a large community of people. 

 

If you have any questions about this information or my blog or you just wish to connect  you can find me at:  diabetic.day2013@gmail.com, #DiabeticDay Twitter, Face Book @ Gwen Johnsons Diabetic Day. 

 

I look forward to communicating with you.  Take care of yourself and help us all take care of each other.                                                                                          

Digestive Health and the Diabetic

I can't believe how long it been since I have been able to blog, but I am back with a new machine and some new information.

Somehow the thing that seems to creep up on many of us as Diabetics is the fact that we have slow moving digestive systems.  The cause well...I should say causes are varied and many.

We could attribute the fact that we have slow moving digestive systems to a lack of fiber, fruits, liquids etc.  So our eating habits can be just one of those many things we often think is just fine.

Second we could attribute it to a lack of exercise.  Depending on your Diabetic issues we may have a hard time getting out to exercise, especially if you are having feet issues and even your Neuropathy can get in the way of a good exercise even the basics like walking.

The biggest thing for me has been the difficulty with a Neuropathy but it is Gastro Intestinal Neuropathy.  It causes everything from slow metabolism to hard stools and sometimes even the need to not go to the bathroom.  Its a real pain!

The past few weeks I have been using a new natural product that I believe has helped me after having tried many others.  I have bought live probiotics, many other over the counter ones from the health food store but nothing really did it.  I paid way more money on something I thought was going to work and then didn't. 

The new product that is actually working is a product that at Walmart  cost me $6.95.  Its called Spring Valley Probiotic Multi-Enzymes with Active Acidophilus Cultures.  It comes in a bottle of 200 and you take 3 pills either before or after you eat.  Amazing that is all I can say.  It began working right away and it took only 2 days to regulate my system so it is working again.

Enzymes break down the nutritional components of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. With the addition of Probiotic Acidophilus, this formula is designed to be used as a digestive aid to promote healthy functioning of the intestinal system.

I know as a Diabetic the cost of the things we have to have can be so ungodly to our pocketbooks, we need to share these types of things so we can actually keep some of that money in our pocketbooks instead. 

I would suggest giving this a try those extra digestive enzymes are really worth taking because breaking down and absorption is the key to keeping those beautiful intestines flowing and doing their job.  They are way more important that we give them credit for.

The intestines are a long, continuous tube running from the stomach to the anus. Most absorption of nutrients and water happen in the intestines. The intestines include the small intestine, large intestine, and rectum.

Source:  http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-intestines

I hope this blog is informational and I hope you share this with the others who are in our community of Diabetics.  We can help and heal each other by sharing what we know with those around us and don't forget to include your family and friends.  A better understanding of what we live with and how we live will change our way of looking at our Diabetes. 

If you would like to contact me or would like to be a guest blogger on this blog contact me at:  diabetic.day2013@gmail.com
Find me on Facebook at:  Gwen Johnsons Diabetic Day.
Twitter at Diabetic Day

Unconventional Ideas that possibley help Diabetes

Studies in Denmark have shown that in Diabetics that the Probiotic's and Prebiotic's are imbalanced and different in those without Diabetes.  Also common is that the Micro flora is imbalanced in people who are obese as apposed to those that are thin. 

One of the things is that when you are having a more balanced and proper diet your balances in your intestinal tract will actually be much better therefore creating a more balanced blood glucose level.

As I was reading I understood that the over prescribing of antibiotics will kill off both good bacteria and bad bacteria that is inside of the Gastro Intestinal Tract.  This is also causing it harder for those with Diabetes and other Diseases to maintain health inside of their Intestines.  

In one of the articles I was reading they said,

Consider the fact that if you're eating conventionally-farmed meats, you're ingesting antibiotics with every bite, whether you know it, and approve of it, or not.

Source:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/02/diabetes-alert-your-gut-microflora-may-be-out-of-balance.aspx

After all, inside your gut is a living ecosystem, full of both good bacteria (probiotics) and bad bacteria that play a major role in your physical and mental health. So it's quite conceivable that a fundamental shift in your gut flora might make it easier to gain weight, and/or affect the delicate balance of leptin and insulin in your body.

Source:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/02/diabetes-alert-your-gut-microflora-may-be-out-of-balance.aspx


Knowing that we could make a difference if we understood the proper balance and ratio of the probiotics and prebiotics needed to assist in our insulin absorption then we ourselves would be able to help our own bodies to adjust the proper insulin proportions.

The results showed significant differences in intestinal populations of various bacterial groups between diabetics and non-diabetics. In particular, diabetics had fewer Firmicutes and more plentiful amounts of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, compared to non-diabetics.  

The problem with this is that most doctors do not prescribe this for their Diabetic Patients instead this has to be done by you or possibly your Naturopathic Doctor.  You might be scared to do this because you don't know exactly how much of what to take so you can balance that but there are solutions for that.  One way the article said was to stop consuming sugary foods.  Lower your grain intake and processed foods they said should help to build up the good bacteria to fight the bad bacteria and create a healthier gut

The article even goes further to say we should be eating foods within our nutritional type.  Wow, very interesting as I didn't even know I had a nutritional type except I was Diabetic and I needed to stay away from sugars and sugar products.

Here is a video Link that will help you to understand more about your nutritional type Watch it and be your own judge.  I am not promoting anything just bringing information to your attention.

This is only one of many ways that are unconventional in ways of treating Diabetes but if you are a person who tends to want to deal with your health on a more natural basis you may want to check out the information that Dr. Mercola has put out there on the Internet.  This is just one more piece of information that we can share and learn more about.  Anything we can do to make our Diabetes better then I say it is worth reading about. 

Don't stop taking your medicine make sure to discuss options with your doctor or health care professionals. 

Again if you are interested in being a guest blogger or would like to share something with us or have something you would like to ask about you can contact me at:  diabetic.day2013@Gmail.com or #DiabeticDay on twitter.

So whats the big fuss over Diabetics wearing shoes?

I am not one of those people who love the thought of wearing shoes all the time.  I am kind of down to earth and at heart a country girl.  I would rather be barefoot when I am home than anything else in this whole world.  That has all changed for me after being diagnosed with Diabetes.

Recently I have noticed these little skin spots on my feet that are causing me to wonder if I am not starting to have those foot issues that many of the Diabetics I know have had. I have been having little bits of skin tissue that is feeling much like a hang nail would on your fingers.  The thing is the other day in the middle of the night it kept catching on my blankets so I ripped it off without thinking maybe I should have cut it with my toenail clippers, anyway it started to hurt and so I noticed it looked a little red, I went to my medicine cabinet and I pulled out the peroxide, the tea tree oil and gave myself a good dose of both.  then I covered it with a breathable cloth bandage.  Lucky me It healed in just a couple of days, but the thought keeps crossing my mind that it could have been much worse for me.

As usual I began my research and began to gather information on Diabetic feet and the importance of the type of care they get.  I am sharing it with you and at the same time reminding you that there is so much information out there for us we just need to use it to care for ourselves better.

The problem for us as Diabetics is the nerve damage that is caused by having high blood glucose over a extended period of time.  The problem then becomes the fact that we often have less to no feeling in our feet.  If we were to cut ourselves or have some other injury, we might never ever know it because we would not be able to feel it.  This then is why we find it so important to do a self foot check ever day.

If we can not feel our sores or our injuries it could lead to infections that if not treated can cause us to get our feet and legs amputated.  Pressure sores often cause this issue, so that is why we need certain types of shoes to minimize those sore spots or pressure sores. It also helps us prevent injuries to our feet by wearing shoes. 

There are a few great websites and pages I am going to share with you regarding this subject and great plans to help us take care of our feet.

The site below is one of the best on educating us as Diabetics about our Disease and the Complications. 
Take Care of Your Feet for a Lifetime{National Diabetes Education Program}

This website is also good it is there with information that is from many different sources.
Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2/The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse

With Diabetes it is important to know that certain types of shoes can create these pressure sores on us and also the materials that we have in our shoes is important.  We need shoes that breath, not plastic or rubber.  We need enough room that our toes can move around, we need shoes that are not pointed such as high heels which also puts much pressure on our toes.  Open toe shoes are dangerous because we leave are feet open for various injuries, sun burns etc.  If you do wear high heels make sure they are for short periods of time.

The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about the shoes and also look on line there are many shoe companies available to us even shoes like New Balance, and Dr. Comfort. Many more just type in Diabetic Shoes and hit your search button.

I am learning more and more each day as I blog and when things are happening to me.  I reach out so that I can also help others in our Diabetic Communities to stay informed and be as healthy as we can be.  Share all the information you have with others and take time to learn more about what Diabetes is.

If you have any questions or would like to be a guest blogger or even just want to connect with me contact me at:  diabetic.day2013@gmail.com or #DiabeticDay on twitter.

Here is a few really good food sources for natural help with controling your sugar

This beautiful little baby is called a Tart Cherry and studies that were done at the University of Michigan show that it has some great benefits for those of us with Diabetes.  They have what is called Anthocyanins, this is what gives them there beautiful red color.  Colorful is very good for our bodies as long as we know what is non-poisonous.  Eating about a cup and a half of Tart Cherries can boost your antioxidants for approximately 12 hours.  They suggest that eating fresh ones are even better than the frozen ones because they loose their nutritional value by up to 50% when they are frozen.  So, it is a good food to take into consideration when you are eating for your health.  Diabetic Friendly!

Oh these gorgeous little fiber filled beans.  As a Diabetic you know that they recommend us to eat these little beauties.  They are high in protein and have a bunch of antioxidants once again they have an increased amount of anthocyanin pigments.

 These dark beans also contain polyphenols, which prevent cholesterol from forming plaque and clogging blood vessels, and in turn decrease your risk for diabetes-related blood vessel inflammation and heart disease.
Source:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes-pictures/colorful-diabetes-fighting-foods.aspx#/slide-3

This beautiful little Black Berry is not really a berry at all instead its really and aggregate fruit.  This means that each little seeded fruit is attached to the core kind of like corn kernels on an ear.  The great thing about Black Berries is that they are full of great things that are great for Diabetics.  For one they are full of dietary fiber and we know that fiber is great for us Diabetics, they have polyunsaturated fats which really do the opposite of most fats in that they actually lower your bad cholesterol.  They help us to have a healthier heart.
Antioxidants are another great benefit of this berry and again the  anthocyanin pigments in the berry are high as well. 
Blackberries are rich in antioxidants. They have anthocyanins, which will work to prevent the effects of aging, cancer and neurological diseases. They also help to fight diabetes and bacterial infections. The ellagic acid in blackberries can help to reduce blood pressure. Blackberries contain rutin, which is a flavonoid that works to improve blood circulation. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory and can lower the risk of heart disease. The Gallic acid in blackberries is an anti-fungal and anti-viral antioxidant that is used to help treat psoriasis and hemorrhoids. Blackberries also contain p-coumaric acid which can lower the risk of stomach cancer. Vitamins A and C work together as antioxidants to help strengthen the immune system and fight free radicals.
Source:  http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-blackberries.html

Absorbs Blood Sugar: The main trouble of diabetes is that foods that are broken down into sugar do not get absorbed into the body cells due to lack of insulin. According to a study conducted by University of Sydney, ginger helps the body's cells absorb sugar without the help of insulin. This is a revolutionary discovery that would help control diabetes without insulin injections. The gingerols present in ginger control diabetes or the high blood sugar levels of an individual by aiding the absorption of sugar into the muscles.
Read more at: http://www.boldsky.com/health/disorders-cure/2012/ginger-diabetes-benefits-030371.html

Researchers found that people who were overweight and had insulin resistance, a condition that usually precedes diabetes, improved their insulin sensitivity and decreased their risk of getting type 2 diabetes by eating blueberry smoothies for six weeks.
Source:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes-pictures/colorful-diabetes-fighting-foods.aspx#/slide-5

The team also discovered that the Beauregard variety of sweet potatoes - which makes up about 85 percent of the production in North Carolina - has essentially the same protein patterns as a commercial dietary supplement known as Caiapo, marketed to control blood glucose in diabetics. Developed by Japanese scientists, Caiapo is derived from the peel of white-skinned sweet potatoes, which have been consumed in Japan for many years as a remedy for anemia, hypertension and diabetes. 
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/magazine/winter07/diabetes.html

Testing shows that the levels of antioxidants in blue corn are even higher than those found in blueberries. Animal studies suggest that blue corn antioxidants help protect against obesity and diabetes.
Source:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes-pictures/colorful-diabetes-fighting-foods.aspx#/slide-7

There is so much more than we could ever imagine out there for us to learn about.  I think that as we learn about our food sources and the benefits that some of them have for us as Diabetics and Pre-Diabetics then we can learn more about control of our blood sugars.  Whats wrong with changing the color of our diets?  I think we may enjoy these foods just as much and maybe we can teach those out there about living a healthier life style with colorful foods. 

Let's keep this conversation going so many wonderful things to read and learn.  As we do this lets also share and talk and keep communication happening between us as Diabetics in a large community and share with those that care for us. 

If you are interested in being a guest blogger or have some information to share or an idea to share connect with me at diabetic.day2013@gmail.com or on g+ and twitter at #DiabeticDay.