Diabetes Awareness in Urban Community

Community Outreach on Diabetes Awareness aim at The youth and Women within Abuja, Federal Capital Nigeria with my Partner in Diabetes Concepts. The Harvest is plenty but the workers are few, We are waiting for you to join us.

DIABETES CURE AND REDUCTION IN BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL, DOES IT MEAN THE SAME THING?

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Diabetes mellitus has been with humans for a longtime. It is a metabolic disorder characterized by abnormal blood sugar levels and other hormones.

As the years go by, several attempts has been made by scientist to bring about better understanding of this abnormally and find out possible remedy or cure. Fredrick Banting and Charles Best in the early 20’s came up with the discovery of Insulin which has been a life saver for over 100 years with great innovation in the various Insulin presentation and purity level increased with advance in technology.

   Efforts  has been ongoing in providing relieve from botanical source with the advent of studies into Pharmacological properties of plants. Medicinal plants have been used for centuries but few are actually scientifically evaluated. The World Health Organization Committee on diabetes mellitus recommended that further research into medicinal plants with potential anti diabetic properties should be sought. Biological properties of pancreatic beta cells involved in synthesis, storage, release of insulin, the peptide hormone regulating carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism – may be affected directly by these herbal medicinal products which contain flavonoids, alkaloids and other compounds which possess hypoglycaemic, hypolipedemic, hypotensive, immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects especially when tested in animals induced to have diabetes with alloxan or streptozotocin.  Pharmacological properties of plants like Achiliea santolina L., Commelina communis L., Gentiana olivieri L., Galega officinalis has been known for years to include anti hyper glycaemia, anti lipidemia amongst others. Indeed the knowledge base of Diabetes is constantly on the increase as the years roll by. However, it is important to note that as good information are being churned out on a daily basis in journals, scientific papers and reviews, so does information that are half truths about diabetes especially cure are also released daily.

   The person living with Diabetes therefore is left in a pool of confusion on what to believe and what to do. It is even more dangerous if this information meets an illiterate or half educated individual, it could be disaster. The main challenge we come across frequently as Diabetes Educators are group of people who believe they have been cured of diabetes simply because their blood sugar levels reduced from previous value to present normoglycaemic values. Blood sugar values are not constant values; they fluctuate based on various conditions like, Diet, Exercise level, emotional state and certain hormone levels. Recipes from plants which are mostly considered as supplements has been known to bring about marked improvement in metabolism and therefore help control blood sugar values, however, they still remain add-on therapy in majority of cases. There are some people living with Diabetes that depend on Diet, Exercise and Education to manage their condition without conventional drugs, this confirms the knowledge that management of Diabetes is individualized but based on four major principles: Diet, Medication, Exercise and Education.

   My interaction with notable Physicians and Diabetologist confirms that Diabetes can indeed be managed. Reduction of blood sugar is possible using some supplements especially those derived from plants, however reduction of blood sugar is not the same thing as Diabetes Cure though a mark sign of cure is reduction of blood sugar to Normal ranges. Normal blood sugar range for fasting is 4 to 6 mmol/L for purpose of management, ignoring the decimals which are mainly of academic significance.

  Whatever supplement you are presently taking that is helping to reduce your blood sugar level is good to review with your health care team instead of throwing your regular medications away that you have been cured.

  Organizations like the International Diabetes Federation and others are working round the clock and around the world to bring about cure for this age old condition called Diabetes mellitus, let us join hands to find a universal cure and pass the right and correct information to our teeming population especially those with low literacy levels who tend to believe and accept everything.

Caring for the Mouth and Teeth

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DIABETES EDUCATION: DIABETES AND SLEEP ( 1)

This weekend, we shall take a look at the relationship that exists between Diabetes and sleep.

The awareness programmes carried out by various groups working in Diabetes must be appreciated and commended and I will like to further call on the Government to provide support to champion this noble initiative of reducing the prevalence rate of diabetes in our dear Country Nigeria.

Sleep can be defined as a state of natural physiological narcosis, a condition second to death. It is a natural process that the Lord almighty introduced to calm the system of a living being, however, a situation exists whereby people tend to work towards cheating nature by avoiding sleep. For you reading this article, you may have avoided sleep sometimes in your life either by refusing to sleep or use of certain enhancers or teas, the reality is what extent of damage are you causing the body when you avoid sleep and how much have you invited diabetes with your actions?

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by increased blood sugars. The lack of insulin or insulin resistance is capable of causing this abnormally. Research has shown that lack of sleep leads to insulin resistance, which is one of the primary factors for weight gain because it implies the body requires more insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and the resultant effect will be increase in weight gain due to insulin’s fat storing capabilities.

It’s been observed that just four days in a row of inadequate sleep can make the fat cells in the abdominal area insulin resistant and reduced total body insulin sensitivity, all these points to the results of several research that shows consistent sleep deprivation leads to weight gain.

HOW DOES LACK OF SLEEP AFFECT BLOOD SUGARS?             

From our discussion in the previous paragraphs, lack of sleep leads to insulin resistance which results in increase in blood sugar levels due to the body being insensitive to the actions of glucose regulatory hormone like insulin and this result from over production of a hormone called Cortisol. The body of a healthy human produces about 25mg of cortisol daily but under any kind of stress, the body will produce more in an effort to reduce inflammation in the body and the buildup of cortisol leads to insulin resistance and abnormal blood sugar levels especially in people living with Diabetes.

THE BENEFITS OF GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP

For  a person who is staying up too late and require to get up earlier than he would naturally like to, it’s important to know that the body responds by building up the level of cortisol which in the long run would lead to insulin resistance, a precursor in developing type 2 diabetes. It is therefore advisable to start going to bed on time, watch less T.V at night and build a habit of going to bed at least 2 hours earlier than usual. Also staying up late often leads to overeating. For parents with school age children, it is good to inculcate the habit of going to bed early enough to help the child develop well and avoid building up high levels of cortisol which can predispose the child to type 2 diabetes resulting from insulin resistance.

Until I come your way next week with other interesting article, I urge you to get in touch with me with your comments and contributions and endeavor to get enough sleep to keep healthy.

                   Sleep is good for the Body’s metabolic system

DIABETES AND CONSTIPATION

DIABETES EDUCATON- DIABETES AND CONSTIPATION
  Welcome to another great weekend with us at the Diabetic Concepts, I like to thank you for your comments and questions that you sent via the usual means, I urge you to continue to write to enrich the column as many persons are gaining from the information in this site. This week we shall take a close look at a condition that disturbs many persons living with Diabetes especially when uncontrolled, characterized by persistently high blood glucose levels, Constipation. Constipation is difficulty of passing stools or the infrequent passage of hard, dry stools as a result of food moving slowly through the large intestine.
 Most people experience constipation from time to time however, it appears more common in people living with diabetes with poor blood glucose control. Usually, lifestyle changes and better eating habits can aid relieve the symptoms and prevent recurrences. Constipation, gastro paresis, erectile dysfunction amongst other are forms of autonomic neuropathy that affects persons living with diabetes and the management of autonomic neuropathy has evolved over the years. However, there is no consistently effective treatment for diabetic autonomic neuropathy. The symptoms are handled as the present. There is a need to see a specialist instead of handling this condition alone by a person living with Diabetes should it persist. Constipation mostly arises from insufficient amounts of fiber and fluid in the diet. Fiber can be obtained in plants based foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Water soluble fibers are soft textured and helps soften the stools. Water insoluble fibers passes through the intestine largely unchanged and adds bulk to the stools, these helps to stimulate bowel contractions. Other factors that can cause Constipation: a. Inadequate exercise b. Advanced age c. Muscle disorder d. Structural abnormalities e. Heavy consumption of junk foods f. Poor glucose control in people living with Diabetes g. High level of calcium and low level of thyroid hormone can cause constipation. Constipation can be very uncomfortable and it is especially inconvenient in persons living with Diabetes and can give rise to many different ailments: - Bad breath - Appendicitis - Body odour - Coated tongue - Depression - Fatigue - Gas - Headache - Hemorrhoids (Piles) - Hernia - Indigestion - Insomnia - Obesity etc. Constipation has been observed to be involved in some forms of colon cancer. Regular bowel movements are an important mechanism for removing toxins from the body. Recommendations on How to Handle Constipation: A. Eat high fiber foods such as fresh fruits, raw green leafy vegetables, whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice daily. Soluble fibers: Beans, Barley, Oats, Bananas, Peaches, grapes Insoluble fibers: Cereals, seeds, wheat bran, whole grains and skins of many fruits and vegetables. B. Drink more water at least 2 to 4 liters daily. C. Eat a low fat diet and avoid fried foods. D. Avoid foods that stimulate secretions from the mucus membranes example, dairy products, fats and spicy foods. E. Do not consume dairy products, soft drinks, meat, white flour, highly processed foods, salt, coffee, alcohol or sugar. This is because they are difficult to digest and have little or no fiber. F. For quick relieve of constipation, drink a large glass of water every ten minutes for half an hour to flush out toxins and relieve constipation. G. Use of laxatives H. Exercise: physical activity speeds the movement of waste through the intestine.
Until I come your way next weekend with another interesting discuss, I urge you to watch what you eat to prevent constipations in other to enjoy a great weekend.

Diabetes aids, articles, financial matters etc: The Pains of getting Insulin by People with Diabet...

Diabetes aids, articles, financial matters etc: The Pains of getting Insulin by People with Diabet...: New! Diachieve Brand Diabetic Supplies & Health Products EasyHits4U.com - Your Free Traffic Exchange - 1:1 Exchange Ratio, 5-Tier...

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The Pains of getting Insulin by People with Diabetes In North East Nigeria( WAR ZONE)

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Insulin is a must for any body living with type 1 Diabetes and for those living with Type 2 Diabetes, it is used by physicians for control.
 In Nigeria, which reflects what happens in other sub saharan African Countries, Insulin is very expensive and in most places not available.
 My heart bleeds when i think about the plight of those living in North East Nigeria who require insulin for survival, with the presence of insurgents, drug delivery system has collapsed and getting insulin is a very difficult task. I urge NEMA(National Emergency Management Agency) to do all they can to make insulin readily availlable to reduce casualty from complications for those living with Diabetes.
 If you are touched by this write up, share it.
 sincerely,
 Isaac Akogu
 Diabetes Conversation MapExpert Trainer
Nigeria.