Lifestyle and Diet
Jun
Diabetes Mine – ‘Diabetes Monster’ App Actually Motivates!
Just launched in the U.S. for the first time on June 4, the MySugr Companion app was created a few years ago by a team of fellow PWDs (and some non-PWDs) over in Austria.
Jun
Diabetes Forecast: 35 Top Tips for Travel With Diabetes
It’s that time of the year again. You’re finally about to use those vacation days. Coworkers are listening in envy as you recount your trip itinerary. You’re stuffing your suitcase until it threatens to split. And if you have kids, they’re bouncing off the walls with excitement.
Jun
Wall Street Journal – Major Study Examines Meat-Diabetes Link
People who increased their consumption of red meat during a four-year period were more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in a subsequent four-year period, according to an analysis involving about 150,000 people.
Jun
Getting Enough Sleep Could Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Men who lose sleep during the work week may be able to lower their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by getting more hours of sleep, according to Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute
Jun
Breakfast cuts risk of diabetes, U study finds
The study found that people who ate breakfast at least four days a week had “a significantly lower risk” of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other metabolic conditions than the abstainers.
Jun
Joslin Diabetes – Are bedtime snacks, or, for that matter, any snacks required if you have diabetes?
Let’s tackle the question of the bedtime snack: If you have diabetes and have ever been hospitalized, you are probably familiar with the often unrequested delivery of the ubiquitous bedtime snack.
Jun
Diabetes Care Journal: Diet rich in unsaturated fat may up insulin sensitivity
A diet rich in unsaturated fat may increase insulin sensitivity in individuals who are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the May issue of Diabetes Care.
Jun
8 Surprising Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes
If you don’t exercise, are seriously overweight, or have a host of family members with diabetes, the odds that you, too, will develop the disease become increasingly likely. But diabetes is a complicated disease, and researchers continue to discover evidence that the risk factors are more varied and complex than once thought.
Jun
Diabetes Self-Management: Do You Meditate?
Studies show that meditation is associated with improvement in a variety of psychological areas, including stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, eating disorders and cognitive function, among others.
Jun
Experiments Question Effectiveness of Green Coffee Bean Weight-Loss Supplements
A major ingredient in those green coffee bean dietary supplements — often touted as “miracle” weight-loss products — doesn’t prevent weight gain in obese laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet when given at higher doses.
Jun
Cocoa May Help Fight Obesity-Related Inflammation
A few cups of hot cocoa may not only fight off the chill of a winter’s day, but they could also help obese people better control inflammation-related diseases, such as diabetes, according to Penn State researchers.
Jun
Following FDA clearance Glooko relaunches mobile diabetes management offering
Starting next month Medicare patients with diabetes who receive their diabetes testing supplies via mail order may or may not notice any changes, but after negotiating prices down, CMS is set to start paying the mail order diabetes supply companies about 20 cents per strip beginning July 1.
Jun
USA Today: Worried about type 2 diabetes? Walk after every meal
A study, out today, shows that moderately-paced walks after meals work as well at regulating overall blood sugar in adults with pre-diabetes as a 45-minute walk once a day.
Jun
Everyday Health – Diabetes: Healthy Alternatives to Quench Your Thirst
When you get thirsty, what kind of drink do you reach for? If you have diabetes, the instant gratification of an icy glass of sweet tea or soda can disrupt your healthy diabetes diet. The best drinks for diabetes provide hydration, and even some nutrition, but not many carbohydrates.
Jun
Diabetes In Control – Artificial Sweeteners May Affect Blood Glucose Levels and Insulin Response
Sucralose, the artificial sweetener of Splenda®, was found to have an effect on the absorption of glucose and subsequent insulin secretion in non-diabetic, obese individuals
Jun
Excessive Coffee Can Block Weight Loss
Studies found that chlorogenic acid, commonly found in coffee, failed to improve metabolic parameters in obese mice
Jun
Diabetes Self-Management: In the Moment – Zen Motivation
How can meditation help with diabetes?
Jun
BattleDiabetes – Vegetarians live longer, another study confirms
A report published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that vegetarian diets were associated with longer lives – a finding that came from analyzing the diets of more than 70,000 Seventh-day Adventists.
Jun
BattleDiabetes – Nordic diet may be good for TIIdiabetes, study finds
Adopting a Nordic diet can help lower cholesterol and decrease inflammation associated with pre-diabetes, a new study from Lund University reports.
Jun
Research: A reduction in BMI improves insulin sensitivity in obese teens
Obese teenagers who reduced their body mass index (BMI) by 8 percent or more had improvements in insulin sensitivity, an important metabolic factor related to the later development of type 2 diabetes.
Jun
Patients with type 2 diabetes or hypertension must be evaluated for sleep apnea
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is advising anyone with Type 2 diabetes or hypertension to be evaluated for sleep apnea by a board-certified sleep medicine physician.
Jun
Study suggests that night work may impair glucose tolerance
A new study suggests that night work may impair glucose tolerance, supporting a causal role of night work in the increased risk of Type 2 diabetes among shift workers.
Jun
DiabetesHealth – Looking for Mr. Good Pain (Exercise)
Whether because of age, weight, or lack of athletic chops, most type 2s-and I’m one of them-have settled on walking as their main form of exercise. It’s the simplest, easiest exercise you can do: Put one foot in front of the other, rinse and repeat.
Jun
Splenda Raises Insulin By 20%, Routine Increases Of Insulin Could Mean Type 2 Diabetes Risk
The artificial sweetener may be doing more than making things taste good. New study probes how it effects metabolism and whether raised insulin levels could lead to consumers developing insulin resistance, which may eventually lead to type II diabetes
Jun
Diabetes Care: Aggressive lowering of blood pressure may up risk of heart disease
Aggressive lowering of blood pressure may be associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in black or white patients with diabetes, according to research published online May 20 in Diabetes Care.
May
Artificial Sweeteners May Do More Than Sweeten: It Can Affect How the Body Reacts to Glucose
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a popular artificial sweetener can modify how the body handles sugar.
May
Diabetes Self-Management: Other Sweeteners to Consider: Fructose, Xylitol, and Sucanat
Last week we looked at two sweeteners that you may not be using but that are growing in popularity. This week, let’s look at a couple more.
May
Depression raises diabetics’ risk of severe low blood sugar episodes
Patients with diabetes who are depressed are much more likely to develop episodes of dangerously low blood sugars, or hypoglycemia, than are those who are not depressed, a new study has found.
May
Ask Joslin: Exercise Edition – Resistance Training and Blood Glucose
Resistance training is a form of strength training where the muscles contract against a force. The greater the force you are working against the more calories are expended and the more the muscle fibers are enlarged.
May
Diabetes Health: Are there supplements that can increase insulin resistance?
Low magnesium, also low vitamin D, can cause insulin resistance, and not surprisingly, most type 2 diabetics are magnesium- and/or vitamin D-deficient.
May
Time Magazine – Marijuana: The Next Diabetes Drug?
Toking up may help marijuana users to stay slim and lower their risk of developing diabetes, according to the latest study, which suggests that cannabis compounds may help in controlling blood sugar.
May
Research: Mediterranean diet better than ‘low-fat diet’ for brain power
A Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts seems to improve the brain power of older people better than advising them to follow a low-fat diet
May
Diabetes Self-Management – Other Sweeteners to Consider: Agave and Coconut Palm Sugar
Recently, other types of sweeteners have grown in popularity. There’s a push toward foods and food products that are less refined, that contain fewer chemicals or artificial ingredients, and that may even have less impact on blood glucose.
May
Research: Replacement of carbohydrates with unsaturated fat may improve insulin sensitivity
Results from the OmniHeart Trial suggest an alternative approach to improving insulin sensitivity by modifying the macronutrient composition.
May
Acetone: A Key to Catching Diabetes Complications
If your body isn’t getting enough glucose, it will resort to burning fat for energy. In order to break down these fats, the body produces ketones, which can accumulate in your blood and urine over time
May
Diabetes Health – Alcohol Use May Boost Food Intake
If you’re trying to drop a few pounds, skipping that before-dinner cocktail or glass of red wine with dinner might be a great first step.
May
Diabetes Self-Management: Gastric Banding vs. Bypass
A graphic comparison of gastric banding with gastric bypass (along with a third procedure, sleeve gastrectomy), including illustrations that show what each surgery entails and a chart of details and outcomes of each surgery
May
American Journal of Medicine reports that marijuana users have better blood sugar control
They found that current marijuana users had significantly lower fasting insulin and were less likely to be insulin resistant, even after excluding patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Read more
May
DiabetesHealth: Why Sticking to Treatments Is Such a Challenge
Diabetes educator Constance Brown-Riggs has heard all of the excuses. Her patients aren’t taking their medication, or they aren’t sticking to their treatment plans.
May
DiabetesHealth: Eating Well (or at Least Not Terribly) at Fast Food Restaurants
Here’s a little secret for those of you looking to eat right: Fast food restaurants don’t have to be your enemy. That’s right, those brightly lit temples paying tributes to burgers, and fries, and nuggets can actually provide healthy meals if you’re in a rush.
May
EverydayHealth: 9 Foods You Should Be Eating for Type 2 Diabetes
Healthy eating for type 2 diabetes is about losing weight and preventing dangerous spikes in blood sugar. Nutrition and health expert Joy Bauer explains how these nine foods can help.
May
Vitamin D Might Be Able to Slash Your Breast Cancer Risk by 90 Percent
Unfortunately, an astounding 80 percent of pregnant women are vitamin D deficient, and you definitely do not want to be one of them
May
Air pollution increases risk of insulin resistance in children
New research shows that growing up in areas where air pollution is increased raises the risk of insulin resistance (the prescursor to diabetes) in children.
May
Diabetes Daily – 7 Delicious Low-Carb Dessert Recipes
Just replacing the sugar in a recipe with an artificial sweetener and replacing ¼ cup of flour with ¼ cup of ground nuts can transform many recipes into a deliciously decadent and diabetes-friendly dessert.
May
Joslin Diabetes – Blood Glucose Goals for Physical Activity
Blood glucose goals around physical activity are to avoid hypoglycemia both during and after activity, and return to target blood glucose levels following activity, as well as to avoid hyperglycemia.
May
Injecting insulin through clothes may contribute to infection
Insulin injections have been associated with non-tuberculous mycobacteria cutaneous infections and cutaneous mycobacteria may have a prolonged incubation period, according to a literature review
May
DiabetesHealth – Diabetes and Your Eyes: Commit to Routine Vision Care
According to a survey by the American Optometric Association, 55 percent of people are unaware that diabetic eye disease often has no visual signs or symptoms.
May
Only one in five Americans gets enough exercise, CDC report says
The news was less disappointing for aerobic exercise, with 51.6 percent of adults getting the recommended amount, than it was for muscle-strengthening activities, with only 29.3 percent getting the recommended amount
May
More evidence adding nuts is a healthy choice
People can safely add a few nuts to their diet – or replace other foods with the high-unsaturated fat, high-fiber snacks – without gaining weight, a new review of past studies suggests.
Apr
Research: Will Green Tea Help You Regulate Glucose Levels?
Evidence has shown that green tea extract may be an effective herbal remedy useful for weight control and helping to regulate glucose in type 2 diabetes.
Apr
New Blood Pressure Guidelines: Can “Alternative Approaches” Work?
Each year, the American Diabetes Associations issues its “Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes.” Basically, these are medical guidelines that most health-care practitioners use to help better care for their patients with diabetes.
Apr
ABC News: 7 Ways to Cut Your Diabetes Risk
Defend yourself against prediabetes and diabetes type 2 by sticking to these lifestyle habits, like lifting weights and getting a good night’s sleep.
Apr
DiabetesMine: What’s a Type 3, and Knowing Your Pee
This week, Wil’s exploring the term “Type 3,” and he’s taking a look into the toilet bowl for us — errr, so to speak, as he explores urine issues with diabetes.
Apr
Research: Intermittent Fasting May Help Those With Diabetes
Now a scientific review in the British Journal of Diabetes and Vascular Disease published by SAGE, suggests that fasting diets may help those with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, alongside established weight loss claims.
Apr
One Can Of Soda A Day Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests
Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study from Europe suggests.
Apr
Diabetes Self-Management: How Important Is CoQ10?
I’m not much of a dietary supplements guy. But months of wildly irregular heartbeats will get people to try new things. A friend told me coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) had fixed her heart rhythm.
Apr
Mangoes help reduce blood glucose, inflammation
A study led by Edralin Lucas, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional sciences at Oklahoma State University, examined the effects of daily mango consumption on clinical parameters and body composition in obese subjects
Apr
Grape intake may protect against metabolic syndrome-related organ damage
Consuming grapes may help protect against organ damage associated with the progression of metabolic syndrome, according to research presented Monday at the Experimental Biology conference in Boston.
Apr
CNN Health: 7 ways to spring clean your health
Now it’s time to do some internal spring cleaning. Follow these seven steps, and you’ll be ready for a healthy and happy season.
Apr
DiabetesHealth. Altering Gut Bacteria Could Rival Bypass Surgery Effects
Obese patients hoping to slim down with bariatric surgery may soon be able to get the weight-loss effects of gastric bypass without going under the knife, according to a new study.
Apr
Research: Reducing Carbs in GDM Doesn’t Prevent the Need for Insulin
Randomized control trial looked at patients with gestational diabetes who followed a low carb diet and those who ate a normal diet, comparing the need for insulin
Apr
What Type of Bread and Pasta Should I Eat on a Diabetes Diet?
One of the common misconceptions in diabetes is that if you have this condition, you can never enjoy eating pasta and bread ever again.
Apr
Experts Examine Mediterranean Diet’s Health Effects for Older Adults
According to a study published in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, a baseline adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MeDiet) is associated with a lower risk of hyperuricemia,
Apr
Diabetes Self-Management: Walking vs. Running
To walk or to run for exercise? This is most likely not a dilemma that most people face. After all, most Americans get very little exercise, and people who don’t even walk very much — whether out of habit or because of physical limitations — are probably unlikely to suddenly take up running.
Apr
DiabetesHealth. Hank’s Healthy Habits: 13 Steps to a Joyful, Happy Life
His diabetes began some 34 years ago. He now has a health team he consults with regularly, including an endocrinologist. At present, he takes two oral medications and is on a strict diet.
Apr
Research: Factors weighing in on long-term diabetes survival studied
Those able to survive with type 2 diabetes for more than 40 years are more likely to have better glycemic control, lower blood pressure, and more favorable lipid profiles, according to a study published
Apr
CNN. Gluten: 5 things you need to know
Like many people, you’ve probably heard about the phenomenon but really don’t understand what gluten is or what, if anything, you should be doing about it. Here are five things you need to know about gluten.
Apr
CNN Health: 25 fast and easy ways to get healthier
Get going! Here are 25 ways to get healthier right now
Apr
What does the American Diabetes Association say about Alcohol?
Beyond all the health and safety concerns about alcohol, if you have diabetes and are on diabetes medications that lower blood glucose, you need to practice caution.
Apr
US News: Want to Live a Long Time? Pay Attention
The best childhood personality predictor of longevity was conscientiousness—the qualities of a prudent, persistent, well-organized person.
Apr
FoodConsumer: Organic Tomatoes, While Smaller, are More Nutritious
Tomatoes, which are actually a fruit and not a vegetable, contain a number of valuable nutrients, and according to recent research, organically-growntomatoes are even more nutritious than their conventionally-grown counterparts.
Apr
Antidiabetic Properties of Stevia Detected in Rat Models
Stevia fed rats demonstrated up to a 64% reduction compared to elevated blood glucose levels
Apr
Calorie reduction, not bypass surgery, ups diabetes control
Calorie reduction rather than the actual Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery seems to account for the improvement in glucose homeostasis in obese patients with type 2 diabetes who undergo RYGB.
Apr
DiabetesMine: Weight Watchers Points System Still Delivers
The Weight Watchers concept began in the 1960s, when founder Jean Nidetch began inviting friends to weekly meetings inside her New York City home to discuss the best methods to lose weight
Apr
Can This Healthy Food Give You Diabetes?
Fish fans beware: People with the highest levels of mercury—commonly found in seafood—were 65 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those with low levels.
Apr
New Evidence That Green Coffee Beans Help Control Blood Sugar Levels
Scientists today described evidence that natural substances extracted from unroasted coffee beans can help control the elevated blood sugar levels and body weight that underpin type 2 diabetes.
Apr
Diabetes is common cause of Charcot joint
A Charcot joint is when the joint is progressively damaged. It occurs in people with neuropathy, and diabetes is by far the most common cause of neuropathy causing Charcot joint.
Apr
Joslin Diabetes Blog. The Whole Truth: The Story Behind Whole Grains
The bran and germ contain the majority of a grain’s nutrients and fiber. Fiber isn’t digested, so doesn’t affect blood glucose or contribute calories. The different types of fiber provide a host of benefits including lowering blood cholesterol levels and preventing constipation.
Apr
Research: Higher mercury levels in humans associated with increased risk for TII diabetes
A new study found that higher levels of mercury exposure in young adults increased their risks for type 2 diabetes later in life by 65 percent. The study is the first to establish the link between mercury and diabetes in humans.
Apr
CNN Health: 7 weight loss myths (sort of) debunked
There’s a lot said about how to lose weight. As it turns out, a lot of what’s said may not be true.
Apr
Insulin Requirements Increased by High-Fat Meals for TI
A recent study, observed the effects of high fat meals on glucose levels and insulin requirements in type 1 diabetics. The study incorporated seven patients with type 1 diabetes and an average age of 55 years old.
Apr
Research: Diet As Effective As Surgery For Diabetes Patients
Patients with type 2 diabetes who follow the same strict diet required for those who undergo bariatric surgery are just as likely to see a reduction in blood glucose levels.
Apr
Joslin Diabetes Center: Too Much Calcium?
After grade school milk consumption for many Americans tapers off considerably and along with it often goes our calcium consumption.
Apr
DiabetesMine: Safe Drinking with Diabetes? Where to Go for Info
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and what better time to bring you a new resource directly from the Diabetes Online Community aimed at raising awareness about diabetes and drinking?
Apr
Chinese herbs can help cut diabetes symptoms
Conventional drugs to treat type 2 diabetes are significantly more effective when paired with traditional Chinese medicine, new research finds.
Apr
DiabetesHealth: Five Simple Ways to Lower Your Blood Sugar
Here are five simple ways to lower your blood sugar. The list doesn’t including the most obvious choices (medication) because you know them already.
Apr
Diabetes Self-Management: Keeping Skin Healthy With Diabetes
Good skin makes us attractive, maybe because it signifies health, and health is sexy. But diabetes can harm skin in several ways. What can we do to protect ourselves?
Apr
Apple cider vinegar: a diabetic’s best friend?
Pure, raw apple cider vinegar (ACV) — not white vinegar —has been shown by several studies to help lower glucose levels.
Apr
The Telegraph: Walnuts cuts diabetes risk by one quarter
Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type two diabetes by a almost a quarter, according to new research.
Mar
DiabetesHealth: Are very low-carb diets safe for children? Is it something you recommend?
It’s been shown that children with elevated blood sugars (usually due in part to high carbohydrate intake) have diminished brain volume and lower IQs.
Mar
7 ‘Must Dos’ to Improve Your Diabetes Health
A passionate diabetes patient-expert shares small but powerful changes that can help people with diabetes lead a happier, healthier life.
Mar
Fruit Flies Fed Organic Diets Are Healthier
A new study looking at the potential health benefits of organic versus non-organic food found that fruit flies fed an organic diet recorded better health outcomes than flies fed a nonorganic diet.
Mar
Study shows dietary fat can affect glucose levels and insulin requirements in TI
In a study of patients with type 1 diabetes, Joslin researchers found that dietary fat can affect glucose levels and insulin requirements. These findings, which appeared in the April edition of Diabetes Care, have major implications for the management of type 1 diabetes.
Mar
Diabetes Self-Management: On the benefits of Kombucha tea
Kombucha tea is actually made from black or green tea. Also known as the “elixir of life,” Kombucha is made by fermenting tea with a pancake-like culture of yeasts and bacteria, called the “Kombucha mushroom.”
Mar
Diabetes Forecast: Who Needs a Diabetes-Friendly Shoe?
Not everyone with diabetes needs a diabetes-friendly shoe, but everyone can benefit from a well-constructed, properly fitted shoe that works with the architecture of the foot.
Mar
Diabetes Forecast. Is Corn Syrup Behind the Rise in Type 2?
High-fructose corn syrup may be a factor behind the rise in type 2 diabetes, according to a study of data from 43 countries.
Mar
Diabetes Forecast. Mediterranean Eating Is Tough on a Tight Budget
Experts agree that the Mediterranean diet gets a gold star when it comes to keeping people healthy, but a study found that following it is difficult for low-income people.
Mar
DiabetesHealth: Can you please explain the dawn phenomenon, and how best to manage it?
Dawn phenomenon is the situation where the liver removes insulin from the blood in the morning hours, which causes morning blood sugars to go up, even if breakfast is skipped.
Mar
Diabetes Self-Management: No Starches, No Sugars — Then What?
People around the world are eating low-carbohydrate diets to treat their diabetes. But all plant foods, other than seeds, are carbs. So what can you eat? Is it all animal products, or are there other options?
Mar
DiabetesMine: Animas’ Hypo-Hyper Minimizer Aims for Diabetes “Cruise Control”
Someday, technology being developed in the Johnson & Johnson family of companies will provide help in actually preventing those out-of-range blood sugars by intervening before they hit.