Diabetes and Your Eyes

Diabetic Retinopathy

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Are you diabetic? If you have diabetes, you may get a condition called diabetic retinopathy. This eye disease happens when high levels of blood sugar damage blood vessels in a part of your eye called the retina. This can cause vision problems. For people with diabetes, it’s the most common cause of vision loss and blindness. Read the article HERE.  

Driving With Diabetes: How to Stay Safe

First, if you take insulin or medications called sulfonylureas or meglitinides to manage your diabetes, your blood sugar might go to low, called hypoglycemia. That can make it hard for you to concentrate on the road and react to what’s going on around you. You might not be able to see clearly, and you could pass out behind the wheel.

If you’re not sure whether your diabetes medication can cause low blood sugar, ask your doctor or pharmacist. (Sometimes very high blood sugar can make it unsafe for you to drive, but it’s not as common. Ask your doctor how high is too high to be on the road.)

Second, over time diabetes can cause other health problems that can affect your driving. Nerve damage in your legs and feet can make it hard for you to feel the pedals. Diabetes can also hurt your vision by damaging blood vessels in your eyes or making you more likely to get cataracts.

Read the entire article HERE.   Read more HERE.

Brain-Blood Sugar Connection

The Brain Health–Blood Sugar Connection You Need To Know About

David Perlmutter, M.D.

By David Perlmutter, M.D.December 18, 2018 — 8:00 AMAlzheimer’s is the fastest growing epidemic in America. Not too long ago, experts started referring to this disease as type 3 diabetes because of its intricate connection to diet and lifestyle factors like lack of exercise and sugar intake.  The studies describing Alzheimer’s as a third type of diabetes began to emerge in 2005, but the link between poor diet—notably a high-carb one—and Alzheimer’s has only more recently been brought into sharper focus with newer research showing how this can happen. Read the entire article HERE.

Meds Raising Blood Sugar?

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Are Your Meds Raising Your Blood Sugar?

If you have diabetes, you probably know some of the things that cause your glucose to go up. Like a meal with too many carbohydrates, or not enough exercise. But other medicines you might take to keep yourself healthy can cause a spike, too.  Here are some possibilities:

  • Drugs that treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers and thiazide diuretics
  • Statins to lower cholesterol
  • Adrenaline for severe allergic reactions
  • High doses of asthma medicines

Check with your doctor about all medications you take, both prescription and over the counter. Don’t forget supplements, too! Read the entire article here.

Are You Eating Breakfast?

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https://www.yummly.com/recipes/breakfast-burrito

Are You Eating Breakfast?

According to the website WEbMD, the basic formula for breakfast is to pair carbs with proteins. The carbs give your body energy to get started and your brain the fuel it needs to take on the day. Protein gives you staying power and helps you feel full until your next meal.

“Eating breakfast helps keep your blood sugar steadier throughout the day, whether you have diabetes or not. For people with normal glucose test results, this might help you avoid insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes. Drops and spikes in your blood sugar can also affect your mood, making you more nervous, grumpy, or angry,” they write.  If you have diabetes, “Don’t skip breakfast,” says Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD, with the Joslin Diabetes Center. He says when people with diabetes miss their morning meal, they’re more likely to get low blood sugar, also called hypoglycemia. Read more HERE.  Get high protein low carb recipes HERE.   Get breakfast burrito recipes HERE.

Health: Diabetes

More to Think About: Diabetes

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 You think you know About Type 2 Diabetes? Take a quick quiz here.

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WHAT YOU CAN DRINK, BESIDES WATER, WHEN YOU HAVE DIABETES

No doubt: Water is the perfect drink. It doesn’t have calories, sugar, or carbs, and it’s as close as a tap. If you’re after something tastier, though, you’ve got options.  Click HERE for more information. My favorite – low fat chocolate milk!

Diabetic Foot Care

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credit: https://www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org/projects/india-wdf15-941

Diabetic Foot Care

If your toes are tingly, cracked or sore, if your feet are numb, cold or prone to infection, you could have diabetes-related foot problems. One study found that as many as 50 percent of people with diabetes have nerve damage to their feet.

  • Inspect your feet
  • Protect them from extreme temperatures
  • Wear comfortable, well fitting shoes
  • Prevent blood sugar spikes

Watch the slideshow here.