With obesity levels being at an all time high, the epidemic of type-2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and will only get worse.
Between 2001 and 2002, the diagnosis of diabetes went from 5.5 percent of Americans to an alarming 6.5 percent. In just one year!
Overall, twelve million Americans have been diagnosed and another 5 million Americans have diabetes and do not know it. And yet another 12 millions are on their way to type-2 diabetes because of impaired glucose levels.
Not knowing is the worst because risks of untreated diabetes puts us at a terrible risk of complications including but not limited to blindness, amputations and ultimately death.
The stickler is, that type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable. Doctor’s say eat less, eat better and exercise. The numbers show just how many Americans are currently overweight.
Statistically, people are now living longer, and it has been on the rise for years. But this will not continue if type-2 diabetes is not put under control.
We are a gluttonous society and ultimately it is affecting how we live and how long we live.
And unfortunately, the diabetes epidemic is not just a US problem. It is spreading worldwide with epidemic reports in Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
It is estimated that by 2025, the number of diabetics worldwide will rise to 380 million. And diabetes is now affecting more of the young and middle-aged population in developing countries between the ages of 40 and 59.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Diabetes
Diabetes is a growing problem in this country. With our population at an all time high in weight gain and a low in health care, the problem is only growing.
Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism. Our metabolism is what the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth.
Most food that is processed through our bodies is broken down by digestive juices into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the fuel our bodies run on.
When we eat, and our food is processed, the pancreas is supposed to produce the right amount of glucose from our blood automatically and release the right amount of insulin into our blood.
In people with diabetes, little to no insulin is produced or the body’s cells don’t respond correctly to the insulin that is produced. Therefore the glucose builds up and overflows into the urine and passes out of the body.
This is how the body loses its main source of fuel even though the bloodstream contains good amounts of the natural glucose.
There are three types of diabetes, type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. People who have type 1 are known as insulin-dependent.
This is an autoimmune disease where the body’s natural system is fighting against another part of the body. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the system attacks the insulin producing cells and destroys them.
Therefore the pancreas can produce little to no insulin. These people are in need of daily injections of insulin to live. Five to ten percent of diabetes cases are type 1 in the US.
Diabetes Symptoms
All too often we get sick but ignore the symptoms we may be feeling, shrugging them off to a cold, stress from work, or just not feeling well.
There are certain symptoms that should not be ignored if they develop. These symptoms could lead to blindness, amputation of limbs, coma or even death.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often come on suddenly and are severely dramatic. The extra stress of diabetes can lead to something called diabetic ketoacidosis.
Symptoms of ketoacidosis may include nausea and vomiting, which may also lead to dehydration and serious problems with the blood levels of potassium. This could lead to a diabetic coma and ultimately death.
Other symptoms of diabetes may include extreme fatigue. We all get tired at times, but diabetes triggers a more severe fatigue than normal.
People with diabetes also experience unexplained weight loss. This is because they are unable to process many of the calories they consume. Losing sugar and water in the urine also contributes to the weight loss.
Extreme thirst is another symptom of diabetes. Diabetes develops high blood sugar levels and the body tries to compensate by diluting the blood, which translates to our brain that we are thirsty.
With this is also excessive urination. It is another way our bodies have of getting rid of the extra sugar in our system. But this can also lead to dehydration.
One of the hardest symptoms to deal with is poor wound healing. Wounds heal slowly, if at all when the carrier has diabetes. This along with infections that aren't easily remedied can attribute to ulcers and loss of limbs.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism. Our metabolism is what the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth.
Most food that is processed through our bodies is broken down by digestive juices into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the fuel our bodies run on.
When we eat, and our food is processed, the pancreas is supposed to produce the right amount of glucose from our blood automatically and release the right amount of insulin into our blood.
In people with diabetes, little to no insulin is produced or the body’s cells don’t respond correctly to the insulin that is produced. Therefore the glucose builds up and overflows into the urine and passes out of the body.
This is how the body loses its main source of fuel even though the bloodstream contains good amounts of the natural glucose.
There are three types of diabetes, type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. People who have type 1 are known as insulin-dependent.
This is an autoimmune disease where the body’s natural system is fighting against another part of the body. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the system attacks the insulin producing cells and destroys them.
Therefore the pancreas can produce little to no insulin. These people are in need of daily injections of insulin to live. Five to ten percent of diabetes cases are type 1 in the US.
Diabetes Symptoms
All too often we get sick but ignore the symptoms we may be feeling, shrugging them off to a cold, stress from work, or just not feeling well.
There are certain symptoms that should not be ignored if they develop. These symptoms could lead to blindness, amputation of limbs, coma or even death.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often come on suddenly and are severely dramatic. The extra stress of diabetes can lead to something called diabetic ketoacidosis.
Symptoms of ketoacidosis may include nausea and vomiting, which may also lead to dehydration and serious problems with the blood levels of potassium. This could lead to a diabetic coma and ultimately death.
Other symptoms of diabetes may include extreme fatigue. We all get tired at times, but diabetes triggers a more severe fatigue than normal.
People with diabetes also experience unexplained weight loss. This is because they are unable to process many of the calories they consume. Losing sugar and water in the urine also contributes to the weight loss.
Extreme thirst is another symptom of diabetes. Diabetes develops high blood sugar levels and the body tries to compensate by diluting the blood, which translates to our brain that we are thirsty.
With this is also excessive urination. It is another way our bodies have of getting rid of the extra sugar in our system. But this can also lead to dehydration.
One of the hardest symptoms to deal with is poor wound healing. Wounds heal slowly, if at all when the carrier has diabetes. This along with infections that aren't easily remedied can attribute to ulcers and loss of limbs.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Liquid Vitamin Supplements
Most people don't realize that the body can absorb the nutrients from liquid vitamin supplements easier than from tablets. It is estimated that liquid vitamin supplements are actually absorbed at least five times better than regular vitamin pills. Of course, there are many other benefits that liquid vitamin supplements have over pills. For example, the liquid vitamin supplements are easier to swallow. This alone makes liquid vitamin supplements preferable to pills, especially for children and anyone else who has trouble taking pills of any type.
Young children are often unable to gather sufficient nutrients from the foods that they eat but it is almost impossible for them to take vitamin supplements in pill form. Liquid vitamin supplements are ideal because they can be given by a dropper, straight into the child’s mouth or even added to their regular bottle of water or juice to ensure that they receive all of the vitamins that they need to grow. For exactly the same reason, liquid vitamin supplements are perfect for anyone who is unwell and not able to eat properly.
Despite the best efforts of most people it is likely that most aren't getting sufficient vitamins and minerals from their diet and that is where liquid vitamin supplements are beneficial. The vitamins in many common pill supplements are actually packed too densely. This leads to a lot of the vitamins not being broken down and absorbed as they should do whereas liquid vitamin supplements don't have the same problem. The body is therefore able to absorb far more of the nutritional value from liquid vitamin supplements than it can from those in the traditional pill form. In fact, the body only absorbs about 10-20% of the nutrients from vitamin pills compared to around 80-90% that it can absorb from liquid vitamin supplements.
Another benefit of liquid vitamin supplements is that they often contain more than one type of vitamin and other nutrients. Vitamin pills traditionally contain only one which means that you're going to have to take a whole handful of vitamin pills to get the same benefits as you do from many of the liquid vitamin supplements. Liquid vitamin supplements offer far more convenience and effectiveness for supplying the body with the vitamins that it needs. The cost of buying the equivalent number of vitamin pills to obtain the same results is also far more than that of liquid vitamin supplements.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Young children are often unable to gather sufficient nutrients from the foods that they eat but it is almost impossible for them to take vitamin supplements in pill form. Liquid vitamin supplements are ideal because they can be given by a dropper, straight into the child’s mouth or even added to their regular bottle of water or juice to ensure that they receive all of the vitamins that they need to grow. For exactly the same reason, liquid vitamin supplements are perfect for anyone who is unwell and not able to eat properly.
Despite the best efforts of most people it is likely that most aren't getting sufficient vitamins and minerals from their diet and that is where liquid vitamin supplements are beneficial. The vitamins in many common pill supplements are actually packed too densely. This leads to a lot of the vitamins not being broken down and absorbed as they should do whereas liquid vitamin supplements don't have the same problem. The body is therefore able to absorb far more of the nutritional value from liquid vitamin supplements than it can from those in the traditional pill form. In fact, the body only absorbs about 10-20% of the nutrients from vitamin pills compared to around 80-90% that it can absorb from liquid vitamin supplements.
Another benefit of liquid vitamin supplements is that they often contain more than one type of vitamin and other nutrients. Vitamin pills traditionally contain only one which means that you're going to have to take a whole handful of vitamin pills to get the same benefits as you do from many of the liquid vitamin supplements. Liquid vitamin supplements offer far more convenience and effectiveness for supplying the body with the vitamins that it needs. The cost of buying the equivalent number of vitamin pills to obtain the same results is also far more than that of liquid vitamin supplements.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
All about Vitamin A
Vitamin A was first discovered back in 1912, by a Polish biochemist named Casimir Funk. He came up with the word vitamine, which was later given the name vitamin. Funk was the first to discover vitamins as we know them today, although vitamin A was actually the first one discovered, hence the letter “A” in the title of the vitamin.
You can find vitamin A in natural foods such as oranges and yellow fruits. It can also be found in vegetables as well, such as spinach and fats. When found in vegetables, vitamin A is water soluble, coming in the form of beta carotene. The beta carotene form of vitamin A can be eliminated from your body through natural processes, making it an excellent way to get vitamin A.
Vitamin A is required by the body on an every day basis to maintain healthy skin and keep your eyesight on track. There are many people who say that carrots provide enough vitamin A to prevent you from getting night blindness. The fact is, ancient Egyptian doctors prescribed liver in their time, which they said contained enough vitamin A to combat night blindness. Vitamin A is also known as an antioxidant, which makes it ideal to prevent cancer and anti aging. Along with these benefits, it also helps with your immune system as well.
To get the proper absorption of vitamin A, you will need to consume fat. Those of you who happen to be on a low fat or restricted diet, simply may not be getting the right amounts of vitamin A from your supplements that you may think. To get the proper absorption of vitamin A in your diet, you will need to consume a high enough level of protein. Protein combines with vitamin A to make it stronger, and help it move through your body.
On a normal day, you should be consuming around 5,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A. Depending on your health and your age, you may need to consume more or less. The safest form of vitamin A is beta carotene as mentioned above, and it can be taken in much larger doses. No matter what age you may be, you can feel safe to consume high amounts of vitamin A in the form of beta carotene.
If you do not consume enough vitamin A in your diet, you will end up with a deficiency. A deficiency is never a good thing, as it normally results in skin problems, increased infections, and even night blindness as well. A prolonged deficiency in vitamin A can put you at a risk for cancer as well, and you will also miss out on any effects of anti aging that the vitamin might have. Although you should begin taking it immediately if you have a deficiency, the effects would not be the same as they would be if you stayed up to date with the right amount on a daily basis.
On the other hand, if you're getting too much vitamin A, you will put yourself at risk for pain in your joints, abdomen, and your bones. Even though too much or not enough can cause you serious side effects, you should always get the right amount in your diet. Vitamin A is very important, and should always be included in your diet. You can find it in many foods, or take supplements that include the well needed vitamin. If you're going to take supplements, you should make sure that they provide the right amounts - with no side effects.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
You can find vitamin A in natural foods such as oranges and yellow fruits. It can also be found in vegetables as well, such as spinach and fats. When found in vegetables, vitamin A is water soluble, coming in the form of beta carotene. The beta carotene form of vitamin A can be eliminated from your body through natural processes, making it an excellent way to get vitamin A.
Vitamin A is required by the body on an every day basis to maintain healthy skin and keep your eyesight on track. There are many people who say that carrots provide enough vitamin A to prevent you from getting night blindness. The fact is, ancient Egyptian doctors prescribed liver in their time, which they said contained enough vitamin A to combat night blindness. Vitamin A is also known as an antioxidant, which makes it ideal to prevent cancer and anti aging. Along with these benefits, it also helps with your immune system as well.
To get the proper absorption of vitamin A, you will need to consume fat. Those of you who happen to be on a low fat or restricted diet, simply may not be getting the right amounts of vitamin A from your supplements that you may think. To get the proper absorption of vitamin A in your diet, you will need to consume a high enough level of protein. Protein combines with vitamin A to make it stronger, and help it move through your body.
On a normal day, you should be consuming around 5,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A. Depending on your health and your age, you may need to consume more or less. The safest form of vitamin A is beta carotene as mentioned above, and it can be taken in much larger doses. No matter what age you may be, you can feel safe to consume high amounts of vitamin A in the form of beta carotene.
If you do not consume enough vitamin A in your diet, you will end up with a deficiency. A deficiency is never a good thing, as it normally results in skin problems, increased infections, and even night blindness as well. A prolonged deficiency in vitamin A can put you at a risk for cancer as well, and you will also miss out on any effects of anti aging that the vitamin might have. Although you should begin taking it immediately if you have a deficiency, the effects would not be the same as they would be if you stayed up to date with the right amount on a daily basis.
On the other hand, if you're getting too much vitamin A, you will put yourself at risk for pain in your joints, abdomen, and your bones. Even though too much or not enough can cause you serious side effects, you should always get the right amount in your diet. Vitamin A is very important, and should always be included in your diet. You can find it in many foods, or take supplements that include the well needed vitamin. If you're going to take supplements, you should make sure that they provide the right amounts - with no side effects.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Monday, December 24, 2007
Exercise And Harm
Anytime you exercise, your brain releases chemicals known as endorphins that produce a feeling of euphoria, which is known as "runners high", which is also very easy to become chemically addicted to.
Without this rush, you will feel irritable and out of it until you exercise again. Therefore, you will go on exercising and not listen to what your body is actually telling you - which is to stop.
The main reason addicts will continue to push themselves lies in what will happen when they do not work out. Normally when they are unable to exercise, they will display signs of depression, anxiety, confusion, and be less happy with themselves.
Aches and pains
Over exercising does not only affect the mind, but the body as well. Exercise will initially do what it is intended to do, give you a fit body but once you cross the line however, it can drastic. Muscle damage, osteoarthritis, and heart problems will all be waiting in the wings if you continue to overdo it. The body has limits and if you push beyond that limit, you will do nothing but harm yourself.
Obsessive exercise tends to happen among those who are new to exercise. Therefore, if you're keen to reap the benefits of getting fit, you will tend to overstep the limits.
The initial signs of over exercise are exhaustion, which can lead to a build up of fatigue. Keep in mind; it is not only the muscles that are at risk, but the bones as well. Many people who exercise push themselves to the point of injuries such as shin splints or even stress fractures, then refuse to rest, which causes greater and sometimes even permanent damage.
Even a brisk walk in the morning does not come without risk, as walking too much can lead to osteoarthritis. When you walk, you're working against gravity. Even though you are exercising your muscles, you are also harming your knee joints as well.
Many people who walk up to an hour or more everyday end up with complaints of aches in the knees. The fact is, jogging also harms the knees, and too many sit ups can hurt as well. As with any type of exercise, moderation is the key.
You should always start off gradually, and combine several different types of workouts, which is one thing that obsessive exercisers forget to do. One of the biggest complication factors of people who get addicted to exercise is that they will tend to perform the same workout each and every day, which further increases the risk of permanent damage.
Think right
You should never work out to the point where you feel completely exhausted once you have finished. Your limit with exercise should be 45 minutes to an hour, four or five days a week. When you're finished, your workout should leave you feeling fresh and energetic. Every week should make it a point to take a day's break - as your body will need to relax and rejuvenate.
The key to achieving this completely lies in your attitude, as exercising is the way to a healthy life. If you do it only to please yourself, you will defeat the entire purpose when you stand there on the weighing machine.
If you take things one day at a time and do not over do it, you will be well on your way to a healthy body. Exercising can be a lot of fun and a way to relax, if you do not rush it. Start off slow and gradually work your way up. Before you know it, you will know how to prevent injuries before they happen and you will know exactly what you need to do to remain healthy.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Without this rush, you will feel irritable and out of it until you exercise again. Therefore, you will go on exercising and not listen to what your body is actually telling you - which is to stop.
The main reason addicts will continue to push themselves lies in what will happen when they do not work out. Normally when they are unable to exercise, they will display signs of depression, anxiety, confusion, and be less happy with themselves.
Aches and pains
Over exercising does not only affect the mind, but the body as well. Exercise will initially do what it is intended to do, give you a fit body but once you cross the line however, it can drastic. Muscle damage, osteoarthritis, and heart problems will all be waiting in the wings if you continue to overdo it. The body has limits and if you push beyond that limit, you will do nothing but harm yourself.
Obsessive exercise tends to happen among those who are new to exercise. Therefore, if you're keen to reap the benefits of getting fit, you will tend to overstep the limits.
The initial signs of over exercise are exhaustion, which can lead to a build up of fatigue. Keep in mind; it is not only the muscles that are at risk, but the bones as well. Many people who exercise push themselves to the point of injuries such as shin splints or even stress fractures, then refuse to rest, which causes greater and sometimes even permanent damage.
Even a brisk walk in the morning does not come without risk, as walking too much can lead to osteoarthritis. When you walk, you're working against gravity. Even though you are exercising your muscles, you are also harming your knee joints as well.
Many people who walk up to an hour or more everyday end up with complaints of aches in the knees. The fact is, jogging also harms the knees, and too many sit ups can hurt as well. As with any type of exercise, moderation is the key.
You should always start off gradually, and combine several different types of workouts, which is one thing that obsessive exercisers forget to do. One of the biggest complication factors of people who get addicted to exercise is that they will tend to perform the same workout each and every day, which further increases the risk of permanent damage.
Think right
You should never work out to the point where you feel completely exhausted once you have finished. Your limit with exercise should be 45 minutes to an hour, four or five days a week. When you're finished, your workout should leave you feeling fresh and energetic. Every week should make it a point to take a day's break - as your body will need to relax and rejuvenate.
The key to achieving this completely lies in your attitude, as exercising is the way to a healthy life. If you do it only to please yourself, you will defeat the entire purpose when you stand there on the weighing machine.
If you take things one day at a time and do not over do it, you will be well on your way to a healthy body. Exercising can be a lot of fun and a way to relax, if you do not rush it. Start off slow and gradually work your way up. Before you know it, you will know how to prevent injuries before they happen and you will know exactly what you need to do to remain healthy.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
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