Late onset diabetes usually means that a person has too much insulin because his cells cannot respond to insulin. Too much insulin constricts arteries to cause heart attacks, and stimulates your brain and liver to make you hungry and manufacture fat.

Most people who develop diabetes in later life can be controlled so that they are not at increased risk for the many complications of diabetes such as heart attacks, strokes, blindness, deafness, amputations, kidney failure, burning foot syndrome or varicose veins with skin ulcers.

The Insulin Resistance Syndrome puts you at very high risk for a heart attack and is associated with storing fat in the belly, rather than the hips; having high blood triglyceride levels and low level of the good HDL cholesterol; and high blood pressure.

If you have any of these signs, check with your doctor who will order a blood test called HBA1C. If it is high, you have diabetes and can usually be controlled with diet and/or medication. You should learn how to avoid foods that give the highest rise in blood sugar. When you eat, blood sugar level rises. The higher it rises, the more sugar sticks on cells. Once stuck on a cell membrane, sugar can never detach itself. It is converted to a poison called sorbitol that damages the cell to cause all the side effects of diabetes mentioned above.

The foods that cause your blood sugar to rise quickly include all types of flour products: bread, spaghetti, macaroni, bagels, rolls, crackers, cookies and pretzels; refined corn products and white rice; and all sugar-added foods.

There are two type of drugs that are used to treat diabetes: those that lower blood sugar and raise insulin, and those that lower blood sugar and lower insulin also. The safest drugs are those that lower both insulin and sugar. Most diabetics should be on Glucophage (metformin) before meals, at least while you are learning to change your diet and bring your weight where it belongs. It prevents blood sugar levels from rising too high and sticking to cells and has an excellent safety record. However, eating a bagel will produce such a high rise in blood sugar that Glucophage will not be effective, so Glucophage must be used in addition to avoiding foods that cause a high rise in blood sugar. If HBA1C cannot be controlled with diet and Glucophage, your doctor will usually add Avandia 4mg or Actos 30mg. They are essentially the same and can cause liver damage, so liver tests must be done monthly, at least for the first few months.

You should be seen monthly and get either a HBA1C (which measures blood sugar control over the past two months) or fructosamine (which measures control over two weeks). Each time that your HBA1C is above normal (6.1), you should yell at your doctor to change your drugs and he should yell at you to change your diet.

If your HBA1C is still not under control, you need to take a drug that raises insulin levels. I usually start with Glipizide XL. If that doesn’t control your HBA1C, I raise the dose, and if that still doesn’t work, you will need to inject yourself with insulin. Check with your doctor.

Who is pre-diabetic?

What should a diabetic or pre-diabetic eat?

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties. For more information and hundreds of health and fitness reports, visit http://www.DrMirkin.com

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It is a common notion that there is a link between specific foods and acne. However, scientists have not found this to be the case. For example, the popular thought that chocolate causes acne is no more than an urban legend. To date no scientific link between foods that have a lot of sugar or grease and acne has been found. This does not lessen the importance of a healthy diet though. A leading medical journal wrote, “Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients”. It also found that even large amounts of certain foods thought to cause acne did not cause a measurable problem.

Foods contain many nutrients that are known to help in the overall health of a person. When these nutrients are being supplied to the body, it will be readily apparent in the overall feeling of well being and the person’s appearance. The American Academy of Dermatology states, “A healthy diet is important for improving raw materials for healthy skin”. The largest organ of a person’s body is their skin. Like any other organ, the correct nutrients should be provided to obtain peak health.

The skin and mucous membranes function as a first line of defense in the barrier to stop bacteria and viruses from causing problems such as acne. Vitamin A which is a fat soluble vitamin helps maintain helps keep the skin and mucous membranes healthy and vibrant. Beta-Carotene is the Vitamin A produced by plants. Beta-Carotene is typically found in yellow and orange fruits and in the dark, leafy green vegetables. It is important to always be aware of the fact that high doses of Vitamin A can be toxic. It must be consumed in moderation. Some common orange and yellow fruits and vegetables that contain Vitamin A are carrots, cantaloupe, apricots and yams. Some common dark, leafy green vegetables that contain Vitamin A are kale, spinach and parsley. Not to be forgotten are tomatoes which are a surprisingly good source of Vitamin A.

If a person already has acne, stress has been known to cause it to flare up. To keep stress low and keep acne in control, Vitamin B-2 has been found to work very well. Common food sources of Vitamin B-2 are eggs, fish, whole grains, milk, meat and again leafy green vegetables.

Another important factor in maintaining healthy skin is improving the circulation. Vitamin B-3 or Niacin plays an important role in this. Cholesterol levels are also reduced with the use of Vitamin B-3. An additional benefit is it helps to metabolize fat, sugar and protein in the body. Common food sources of Vitamin B-3 are avocado, lean meats, eggs and peanuts. Your mother may have been right in admonishing you to eat liver as it is also a good source of Vitamin B-3.

The most powerful antioxidant that helps protect the body’s cells from the damage caused by free radicals is Vitamin E. Air radiation, pollution and peroxides produce free radicals which are unstable molecules in the body. The body’s natural metabolism process can also produce free radicals that could lead to a variety of problems including acne. Common food sources of Vitamin E are sunflower seeds, wheat germ, almonds, peanuts and vegetable oil. Everybody’s favorite, broccoli, is also a good source of Vitamin E!

Maintaining a healthy and vibrant immune system will show in a person’s skin as well. This can be done by including foods that contain zinc in your diet. Common food sources of Zinc are nuts, mushrooms, whole grains and eggs.

Finally, everybody is different so acne varies among different people. It is a good idea to keep a food diary. There may be certain foods that help one person maintain healthy skin but do not help somebody else. Keeping a food diary will help you determine which is best for you. Maintain a balanced diet and if you are not getting enough of the nutrients in your diet that promotes healthy skin try using a supplement. Most important is to drink plenty of water each day. Water flushes damaging toxins out of the body’s system. The common rule of thumb is six to eight glasses per day.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Acne

If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you are probably experiencing many emotions all at once. You have a lot of questions that need answers, one of which is how well can you control your disease with a diabetic diet. The diet that you follow will play a large roll helping you control your diabetes instead of your diabetes controlling you.

1- There are no sets of guidelines that have been written in stone for the control of diabetes for every person. However, there are certain things suggestions for all diabetes patients, in fact, for all Americans, that should be followed to maintain a healthy life style. These suggestions are based on US dietary guidelines for healthier eating.

2- These guidelines suggest limiting fat intake, limiting dietary cholesterol, a diet rich in fiber, eat fresh fruits in moderation, limit the amount of protein that is eaten and reduce your salt intake. The goal for everyone, especially those with diabetes, is to set a goal of five servings of fruit and vegetables, six daily servings of whole grain foods and two servings a week of fatty fish.

3- When buying the food that are needed for a diabetic diet, it is important to read the labels, it is especially important since most food labels show daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. This is higher than most diabetic diets allow for. Therefore, the values given will need to be recalculated into grams and calories and adjust that into their own diet plans.

4- When measuring foods for your diabetic diet, it is important to weigh the food also to get the right amount of daily caloric intake. Every diabetic should have a food scale that can measure down to the gram (equal to about 1/28 ounce), in addition to normal measuring spoons and cups. The food should be measured after it is cooked to ensure the right amount is being served.

5- The timing of meals is also important on a diabetic diet. No meal should be skipped, the reason for this is simple, especially for those individuals who are insulin dependent. If you skip meals, you run the risk of upsetting the delicate stability that exists between the insulin and the food consumption. For a lot of diabetes patient the administration of insulin is calculated to correlate closely with the timing of meals

6- Eating between meals is also discouraged for diabetic patients. This is because if too much food is eaten at the wrong times, it can lead to weight gain and mess with the work that the insulin injections are doing to control the disease. It is very important to follow the diabetic diet that is set up for you by your doctor.

7- If there are any questions regarding your diet or your diabetes in general, do not try to answer them yourself. Call your doctor, the office staff will be more than willing to set up an appointment for you to discuss any of the concerns you may have with your physician.

John Mancini has been writing about Diabetes online and offline for a long time. Visit http://diabetics-home.info or http://diabetics-home.com to read more about matters like diabetes and diabetes supply.