“Trying to manage diabetes is hard because if you don’t, there are consequences you’ll have to deal with later in life.“

Bryan Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, producer, actor and photographer. Best known for hit singles including “Summer of ’69“, “Run To You“, number one single “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” and “18 Til I Die“.

Diabetes is becoming more common in the United States. From 1980 through 2011, the number of Americans with diagnosed diabetes has more than tripled (from 5.6 million to 20.9 million). Do you know how much it is costing in our country?

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death, but people with diabetes, working together with their support network and their health care providers, can take steps to control the disease and lower the risk of complications.

There are 2 types:

Type 1 diabetes was previously called insulin-dependent mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes. This type of diabetes happens when the immune system ends up destroying beta cells in the body that come from our pancreas and they are the only cells in the human body that make the hormone INSULIN the regulates your glucose. Insulin allows glucose to transfer into the cells and tissues of our body to give them their energy to do their job in the body and nutrition to work properly=sugar-glucose. To live with this diabetes the person must have their insulin delivered by injection or a pump. This form of diabetes usually occurs in children or young adults but can occur at any age.

Type 2 diabetes was called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. In adults, type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90-95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. It usually begins as insulin resistance, a disease in which the cells do not use insulin properly due to the pancreas not making enough or the pancreas not secreting the correct form o of insulin to do its function. Ending line the insulin isn’t working properly. As the need for insulin rises, the pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce it.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with older age, OBESITY, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity and race/ethnicity.

Gestational diabetes is a form of glucose intolerance diagnosed during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes occurs more frequently among African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and American Indians. It is also more common among obese women and women with a family history of diabetes. During pregnancy, gestational diabetes requires treatment to optimize maternal blood glucose levels to lessen the risk of complications in the infant.

Other types of diabetes result from specific genetic conditions (such as maturity-onset diabetes of youth), surgery, medications, infections, pancreatic disease, and other illnesses. Such types of diabetes account for 1% to 5% of all diagnosed cases.

Treating diabetes

Diet, insulin, and oral medication to lower blood glucose levels are the foundation of diabetes treatment and management. Patient education and self-care practices are also important aspects of disease management that help people with diabetes lead normal lives.

• To survive, people with type 1 diabetes must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump.
• Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a healthy meal plan and exercise program, losing excess weight, and taking oral medication. Medications for each individual with diabetes will often change during the course of the disease. Some people with type 2 diabetes may also need insulin to control their blood glucose.

Self-management education or training is a key step in improving health outcomes and quality of life. It focuses on self-care behaviors, such as healthy eating, being active, and monitoring blood sugar.

Criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes:

• A fasting blood sugar level ≥126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) after an overnight fast, which is just taking the finger stick right when you wake up before breakfast OR
• A 2-hour blood sugar level ≥200 mg/dL after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), OR
• An A1c level ≥6.5%.       (The A1C test is a simple lab test that measures average blood glucose levels over the past 3 months. A small blood sample to check your A1C can be taken at any time of the day=simply a blood test)
• Pretty simple isn’t it.

Diabetes is not only common and serious; it is also VERY COSTLY! Let us take a look:

The cost of treating diabetes is staggering. According to the American Diabetes Association, the annual cost of diabetes in medical expenses and lost productivity rose for $98 billion in 1997 to $132 billion in $2002 to $174 billion in 2007.

One out of every 5 U.S. federal health care dollars is spent treating people with diabetes. The average yearly health care costs for a person without diabetes is 2,560 dollars; for a person with diabetes that figure soars to $11,744. Much of the human and financial costs can be avoided with proven diabetes prevention and management steps.

Turn into PART 2 tomorrow and learn what the symptoms and complications are of Diabetes with how to decrease your odds of getting Diabetes with knowing what measures to take to better control your Diabetes, with your doctor’s approval.

REFERENCES for Part 1 and Part 2 :

1. Center for Disease (CDC) – “National Diabetes Fact Sheet”
3. NYS Dept. of Health –Diabetes
5. Diabetic Neuropathy.org   “All about diabetic neuropathy and nerve damage caused by Diabetes.”
6. Copyright 2002 – 2013.

4.) NIDDK “National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases”

5)National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NIDC) – U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services. “Preventing Diabetes Problems: What you need to know”

“ 4TH MOST COMMON: Neurological disorder after migraine, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Epilepsy Foundation  Eastern Pennsylvania.

Than their is the epilepsy that is diagnosed with a IDIOPATHIC cause – meaning unknown cause and the patient could grow out of it in childhood depending on the type of seizure disorder or not–in where the condition becomes chronic (for life).

Although heredity has been known since antiquity to cause epilepsy, the progress to date in identifying the genetic basis of epilepsy has been limited primarily to the discovery of single gene mutations that cause epilepsy in relatively rare families. For the more common types of epilepsy, heredity plays a subtler role, and it is thought that a combination of mutations in multiple genes likely determine an individual’s susceptibility to seizures, as well as the responsiveness to antiepileptic medications.

Epilepsy can be caused by genetic factors (inherited) or acquired (a etiology—cause) , although in most cases it arises in part from both. The neurology and neurological sciences of Stanford Epilepsy Center Dr. Robert S. Fischer Ph D. presents in the article Genetic Causes of Epilepsy.

He also presents in this article our genes are the instruction set for building the human body. Genes reside on chromosomes.

Going to the basics is every person has 46 chromosomes, carrying a total of about 30,000 genes. We get half our chromosomes from our mother and half from our father. While genes determine the structure of our body, they also control the excitability of our brain cells. Defective genes can make hyperexcitable brain cells, which are prone to seizures.

In recent years, several epilepsy conditions have been linked to mutations in genes, but the matter is complicated by the fact that different genes may be involved in different circumstances.

In general, the most common epilepsy conditions, including partial seizures, seem to be more acquired than genetic.

Gene testing will soon be able to identify predispositions to epilepsy, allowing doctors to help a patient get treatment and to assist with family counseling. One day, doctors may simply be able to swap a patient’s cheek, test his or her genes, and predict response to various epilepsy medicines, eliminating much of the trial and error in medication choice that goes on today. Eventually, we may even be able to repair or replace defective genes that predispose a person to epilepsy, a process called gene therapy.

Lastly, Dr. Robert Fischer Ph D presented in his article, that I found very interesting, the general population has about a 1% risk of developing epilepsy.  Meanwhile, children of mothers with epilepsy have a 3 to 9% risk of inheriting this disease, while children of fathers have a 1.5 to 3% risk of inheritence. Still, the actual risk is upon the specific type of epilepsy. For example, partial seizures are less likely to run in families than are generalized seizures. In any event, with the usual forms of epilepsy, even if a parent does have the condition, there is more than a 90% chance that their child will not. So most epilepsies are acquired than inherited.

Clearly, genes determine a great deal of who we are, including our possible risk for epilepsy but slim versus a actual cause. But what happens to us in life and what we do is still the larger part of the risk for epilepsy.

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A person given this diagnosis in the 1970’s, or before  and even up to the early 1990’s was quiet about ever letting people know about this since in the 1970’s and back with lack of knowledge, information to the public and definitely technology than versus now.  Epilepsy is much more an accepted disease in the overall community compared to 20-25 years ago and back.  Heck in the 1970’s and back these patients when having a seizure episode were characterized as “Freaks”. This was due to ignorance and lack of information but due to the past 20 to 25 years with the computer used more as a must in our lives with media, television and even our government they all have made it possible for society everywhere in the world to learn and understand diseases with acceptance in wanting to help those, particularly the US, but we still need a healthier America. It will take time to get there with the many multicultural lives that all live in the U.S. which practice differently on how important or where a healthy diet with exercise balanced with rest and stress well controlled is on their priority list in living.

For a person diagnosed with or without a cause of epilepsy these steps in learning about the disease with higher technology and continuous research with medications over the years has allowed them to be able to live a completely healthy life doing the same things other people do without the disease but only if the patient is UNDER COMPLETE CONTROL  which includes being COMPLIANT; this does exist in America.

Compliant meaning taking their medications everyday as ordered by their neurologist with yearly or sooner follow-up visits with blood levels of the anti-seizure medications there on.  This is the only way one with chronic epilepsy is guaranteed that living this way MAY stop the seizures from occurring (inactive epilepsy you can call it — meaning you’ll always have the disease but can put the seizure activity in a remission by medications preventing the seizure.)

The purpose for (follow up) F/U visits is for the neurologist to see how good of a therapeutic drug level your anti-seizure med is in (you get the blood test before the F/U visit).  Possible do a EEG (electroencephalogram); the only test to decipher if you have spikes in your brain waves indicating you had a seizure (a 26 lead to wires on the brain, which is painless).  Go to the expert for keeping you on the right track.  Its just like based on the principle why a person gets a check up on there car by seeing the mechanic (the car’s doctor).

Types of seizures whether with a etiology or unknown:

I-Partial seizures (seizures beginning local)

1-simple partial seizures-(the person is conscious and not impaired).  With motor symptoms, autonomic symptoms and even psychic symptoms.

2.)-Complex partial seizures-(the person is with impairment of consciousness)

II-Generalized seizures-(bilaterally symmetrical and without local onset).

3.) Tonic clonic seizures – Grand Mal

Took make your life one without seizures occurring putting your life on HOLD you need to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! That is all up to you the patient diagnosed with it.

“The general population has about a 1% risk of developing epilepsy.  Meanwhile, children of mothers with epilepsy have a 3 to 9% risk of inheriting this disease, while children of fathers have a 1.5 to 3% risk of inheritence.” Based on genes research

Dr. Robert S. Fischer Ph D. Stanford Epilepsy Center http://neurology.stanford.edu/epilepsy/patientcare/videos

Most people with epilepsy are otherwise healthy; as long as it is controlled like most other diseases.  A seizure is a physical manifestation of paroxysmal and abnormal electrical firing of neurons in the brain.  Think of it as numerous voltage (hyperexcitability of neurons) going throughout the brain meaning brain waves going in all directions with the brain saying its too much activity.  In simpler terms the brain is saying I don’t know what to do, too much brain wave excitability for the organ to register in what to do and freaks out causing the brain to go into a seizure.

When the seizure occurs there is a decrease in oxygen since the brain isn’t capable to send messages during the seizure.  If the seizure continues to repeat one right after another the person is in status epilepticus and if the seizures do not stop the person can lead to a neuronal death;  like John Travolta’s son who died of this for example.

The term seizure disorder may refer to any number of conditions that result  in such a paroxysmal electrical discharge.  These conditions could be metabolic or structural in nature.

For example, if metabolic this could be “Canavan disease” which is primarily a disease of demyelination.  Your myelin sheath that protects and insulates the nerves is being destroyed and can cause a seizure as one of the symptoms.

*Another example being metabolic is thought to be caused by brain acetate deficiency resulting from a defect of N–acetylaspartic acid (NAA) catabolism (meaning breakdown is occurring).  Accumulation of NAA, a compound thought to be responsible for maintaining cerebral fluid balance, can lead to cerebral edema and neurological injury, like a seizure as one symptoms of the disease.

*A structural condition to cause a seizure could be a tumor in the brain.  Than there is just idiopathic, unknown cause for the epilepsy which if starts in childhood can resolve by the child growing out it, like in petite mal seizures but it not it goes into motor/focal or grand mal that is permanent the individual needs Rx for life.

Remember, etiology (the cause) of Epilepsy can be generally a sign of underlying pathology involving the brain–knowing the cause.  To find this out diagnostic tooling be a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy is the best resource to go to.  The epilepsy may be the first sign of a nervous system disease (ex. Brain tumor), or it may be a sign of a systemic or metabolic derangement.  Where the treatment may be able to resolve the seizure symptom completely where this wasn’t a seizure disorder or epilepsy but just a symptom due to another disorder that may be 100% cured, like a operable tumor removed surgically from the brain.

Metabolic and Systemic Causes of Seizures:

a.) Electrolyte Imbalance=In the blood having acidosis, heavy metal poisoning, Hypocalcemia (low Ca+) , Hypocapnea (low carbon dioxide), Hypoglycemia (low glucose), Hypoxia (low oxygen), Sodium-Potassium imbalance, and than Systemic  diseases (liver, renal failure, etc…).  Then their is also toxemia of pregnancy, and water intoxication.

b.) Infections like meningitis, encephalitis, brain abcess.

c.) Withdrawal of sedative-hypnotic drugs=Alcohol, Antiepileptic drugs, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines.

d.) Iatrogenic drug overdose=Theopylline, Penicillin.

Other causes of epilepsy can be Trauma, Heredity.

Structural causes of epilepsy:

Head trauma/Degenerative Disease like Alzheimer’s or Creutfeldz-Jacob or Huntington’s Chorea or Multiple Sclerosis or Pick’s Disease. There is also tumors or genetic disease or Stroke or Infections or Febrile seizures.

“People with high blood pressure, diabetes – those are conditions brought about by life style. If you change the life style, those conditions will leave.”

Dick Gregory (born October 12, 1932) is an United States”American Comedian”

High Blood Pressure – what is it?

High Blood Pressure or Hypertension affects 80 million Americans and nearly half of the people in the UK between the ages of 65 and 74, and a large percentage of those between the ages of 35 and 65. One of the problems associated with high blood pressure is that you will probably not even know you have it until you happen to have your blood pressure taken during a routine physical examination.

Upon diagnosis, you may wonder why you never saw it coming. Most people don’t. Only those with severe high blood pressure experience any warning signs at all.

These signs can include headaches, impaired vision, and black-outs.

What is blood pressure ?

It is the measurement of the force that blood applies to the walls of the arteries as it flows through them carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body’s vital organs and systems. Naturally, our blood is under pressure as it rushes through our arteries. Even those with blood pressure in the normal range will experience an increase in their blood pressure during rigorous physical activity or during times of stress. It only becomes a problem when the blood continues to run high. This condition of blood pressure is known as hypertension or high blood pressure and in 95% of the cases, the cause of it is never known. However, we do know the factors that set a person up to develop hypertension.

Factors influencing High Blood Pressure

They are as follows:

NON-MODAFIABLE RISK FACTORS ARE 4: HEREDITY-HIGH B/P RUNNING IN THE FAMILY

AGE-THE OLDER, THE HIGHER PROBABILITY YOU WILL END UP WITH B/P DEPENDING ON YOUR HEALTH AND HOW GOOD YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

SEX-MALES VS FEMALES

RACE-HIGHIER IN AFROAMERICAN AS OPPOSED TO WHITE.

MODAFIABLE RISK FACTORS=FACTORS YOU CAN CONTROL IN YOUR LIFESPAN.                                                                                                                                                                                                   v Obesity – those with a body mass index of 30 or more                                                        v Drinking more than 2 – 4 alcoholic drinks a day                                                                               v Smokingv High cholesterolv Diabetesv Stress and anxietyv Excessive salt consumption

Possible causes of High Blood Pressure

Sometimes the cause of a person’s high blood pressure is determined, but this happens in only 5% of the cases. When a cause is found, the person is diagnosed with secondary high blood pressure [hypertension]. In most of these cases, the cause can be linked to an underlying illness such as kidney disease, adrenal gland disease, or narrowing of the aorta. Contraceptive pills, steroids, and some medications can also cause secondary high blood pressure [hypertension], though instances of this are not all that common.

High Blood Pressure and the important numbers

We hear the numbers, but do we really know what they mean? Since your blood pressure numbers can help you to understand your overall health status, it is important that you keep track of it. By knowing where your numbers are right now, you can head off such serious high blood pressure complications as angina, heart attacks, stroke, kidney damage, and many others that might surprise you – like eye problems and gangrene.

Medical professionals generally provide your blood pressure to you in terms of two numbers – a top one and a bottom one. For example, if your blood pressure is 120/80, they may say that you have a blood pressure of 120 over 80. Here is a definition for these numbers:

The top figure– this is your systolic blood pressure. It measures the force of blood in the arteries as your heart beats. The top number means the pressure is reading your heart at work.

The bottom figure – this is your diastolic blood pressure. It is the pressure of your blood when the heart is relaxed in between the times when it is pumping. Means the pressure is reading your heart at rest.

Your blood pressure requires monitoring when you have a systolic blood pressure of 140 or over and/or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 or over. Those with diabetes must maintain a lower blood pressure that those who don’t have the condition. Diabetics should maintain a blood pressure of less than 130/80.

Monitors for measuring High Blood Pressure

It is wise to monitor your blood pressure at home in addition to having it taken at your doctor’s office. This will allow you to provide your doctor with readings that have been taken over time, providing a more in depth look at your personal health condition. This will help him or her to prescribe the right hypertensive medication and treatment for your specific condition.

The best blood pressure monitors are those that take your measurement from the upper arm. Those that provide readings from the wrist or finger are not as reliable. You’ll also want to make sure that the blood pressure monitor you are considering has been proven in clinical trials. Trusted name brands include those made by Omron, LifeSource, Mark of Fitness, Micro Life, and A and D Instruments. There are other brands available – the important thing is to do your research.

“People who care about animals tend to care about people. They don’t care about animals to the exclusion of people. Caring is not a finite resource and, even more than that, it’s like a muscle: the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.”

Jonathan Safran Foer (born February 21, 1977) is a writer. … nonfiction titled Eating Animals While Foer’s works have been released to … 21 KB (3,107 words) – 02:35, 23 September 2013)

You want to know if this can be prevented? Well YES, it can!

The good news is that the effects of this normal declining or atrophying in the muscular system when getting older can be decreased in the severity by exercising regularly. The sooner you get in a regular plan of doing it the easier it will be as you grow older. By staying active always in your years of living you will continue to be muscle toned and build new muscles as well as keep your muscular system happy and healthy with not allowing it to become atone (loose in tonicity of the muscle=little strength if any).   So you don’t have to be 15 or 20 or 30 or 40 years old to start this. The longer you hold off on some form of exercise (mild to moderate to intense) the longer it takes to tolerate it and adapt to this being a part of your daily living. Like anything else for most; it may not be easy at first but in time whatever exercise you choose 3x, 5x, or even daily the sooner you will love it and want it in your life. It can range from belly dancing, to gym workouts, to fast walking, to racquetball, to swimming or hiking. Anything beats sitting most of the day or sitting behind a desk for work hours than coming home for dinner followed by TV than sleep.

 According to the American College of Sports Medicine, most individuals should be doing moderate aerobic activity four or more days a week for at least 30 minutes at a time. Aerobic exercise can be defined as that which engages your heart and lungs, so a leisurely walk won’t do it. Keeping your muscles healthy aerobically should also be fun and can be done with others. Hiking is a great example of such an enjoyable activity since walking hills force both big and small muscles to optimally utilize oxygen. It is much easier than you think.   If you are overweight think about getting into your therapeutic body mass index of weight that can take 6 months to even less or for some take a year up to two years. Whatever time it takes to get in your therapeutic range it’s worth the while in getting yourself at a weight that allows you to start exercising=being active. When you reach that point in life it allows you to do so much more with your life than sit on the side lines but instead play on the field with a big view of more enjoyment and activity. Anyone can do it; you just need to have the power and perseverance. The ending results are worth it for one person only, YOU but it will give people around you a positive impact as well. If you have a condition that doesn’t allow you to do the types of activity that I mentioned earlier there is always home remedies from treadmills, using dumb bells in light weight lifting (2.5lbs. to 20lb.), sit ups, just walking around the yard or block or using the pool you may have doing laps. You can figure it out with the help of asking your doctor (For people with any disease/illness or condition it is recommended to go to the physician first to get clearance in getting activities that you’re allowed to do). Always a health fitness coach could give direction but not replace a doctor for clearance in activity).

The foods that will help your muscular system in staying healthy: Eating well on a consistent basis is also essential in maintaining healthy muscles. The National Institute of Heath recommends you should eat 6 small meals a day. All meals being at the same level of calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and sugars (fairly low) excluding your one meal out of the 6 meals being high in protein (lean meats and more green vegetables primarily. These meals are 3 hours apart. By doing this you keep your sugar level at a steady rate (no peaks in sugar level). Keeping your glucose (sugar) level steady you prevent fat storage occurring. When we have too much sugar left in the bloodstream, that we got after digestion of a meal, first we use up any sugar that was transferred into our bloodstream as fuel but by absorbing it into our tissues for the energy but when we have used all the sugar we needed at that point and still have extra glucose (due to a large meal) the extra sugar in the blood gets stored somewhere in the body equaling fat storage that equals weight gain. Eat 2 or 3 moderate to large meals a day you’ll always run into this problem (extra sugar being stored in your body). To prevent this from happening you eat 6 small healthy meals a day which are lower in calories, carbs, fat and sugars including the portions, that’s the logic. Know that all carbohydrates, all sugars (calories) with certain fats when entering the stomach after eating break down into further simple or complex sugars. Than they transfer into the bloodstream when digestion is done in the stomach=more sugar than just the amount that is present on the back of the container, regarding the food that you’re eating at that time. The 6 healthy meals a day are not saying 6 big macs or small whoppers. I am talking about healthy foods eaten by the 4 food groups. In making your muscles healthier begin to make better choices with each meal. Seek to replace saturated fats and refined sugars with healthy fish (high protein) but not daily (have it 2 to 3 times a week) and fiber based foods (daily). Other suggestions include eating your first meal of the day within 30 minutes after waking up. Lastly and very important drink water (at least eight glasses a day or if possible 2 to 3 liters a day). Drinking this much helps your muscles in doing their function better, they move easier (think of the fluid helping the muscle in not drying out which allows the muscle to function better in range of motion).

Health habits are important. Unhealthy habits that have that an impact on your muscles is:

-Stress, which can be brutal for your entire body systems including your muscular system. Having emotional stress places an inordinate amount of demand on your muscles. Ways to conquer the stress is relaxation therapy (ex. Next time you have an emotional stress (angry to sad) focus and sit back with take 10 deep breaths, tired after work go to bed earlier about ½ hr. to an hour and play soft music to fall off to sleep, still not working than do EXERCISE-it tires your stress and eat healthy foods not junk).

-Poor diet: To build muscle and lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats properly portioned for your meals. Eating a protein helps build and maintain your muscles. It also helps fat loss because protein has a higher thermic effect than carbohydrates or fats.

There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to perform that will keep you healthy, there are choices. Come onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, it will just let you check us out to look further in understanding how to take a shape for your life with Dr. Anderson and even myself as your health coach in helping you learn what a healthier diet is using with all 4 food groups in 6 meals, with knowing the exercise right for you and what healthier habits are for a better muscular system and overall life.   It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding what to eat (diet), exercise/activity, and what healthy habits you want to add in your life. We just provide the information and healthy foods in your diet and you decide if you want them. I happen to eat them 5 times out of the day with one meal being my meat or fish (high protein) and vegetable (lean and green). You make all the choices, like I do. Wouldn’t you want to be stronger, more active, with less disease/illness for yourself and for even others throughout the nation including the future generations? Well than click on over to healthyusa.tsfl.com and take a look with what Dr. Anderson and myself can provide for you. I have been in the health care system over 25 years as a Registered Nurse and I know you or anyone will benefit from this information (I lost over 20lbs. so far). Take a peek.