The best way to understand diabetes during pregnancy is to first understand what non-pregnancy diabetes is.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by unusually high blood sugar, or glucose, levels and by erratic metabolic function. High blood sugar levels are caused either by low levels of the hormone insulin or by resistance to the effects of insulin, combined with insufficient levels of secreted insulin. Symptoms of diabetes sufferers include excessive urination, excessive thirst, increased fluid intake, and blurred vision.

Why Does Diabetes Occur During Pregnancy?

Every pregnant woman knows that hormones go crazy during pregnancy. The placenta, which nourishes the developing fetus in the womb, creates hormones that help the baby grow and develop.

Insulin is also a hormone, and the hormones created by the placenta can sometimes interfere with the pregnant woman’s ability to use insulin. As the pregnancy progresses and the placenta increases its hormonal production, the pregnant woman’s pancreas loses its ability to create insulin. As a result, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, and diabetes during pregnancy results.

Risk Factors

Pregnant women can assess risk factors to see if they are likely to get diabetes during pregnancy. Some of the risk factors are having a family history of diabetes, being overweight, having had a previous stillborn birth, having had a previous baby with a birth weight of greater than nine pounds, and being over 25 at the time of the birth. The African-American, Hispanic, and Native American races are all more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy.

Testing For Diabetes during pregnancy

A doctor should test a pregnant woman for diabetes during pregnancy as part of the normal prenatal care. Two tests are used to detect diabetes during pregnancy: a blood glucose test and a glucose tolerance test. A blood glucose test involves the patient swallowing a glucose solution and waiting one hour for a blood test to be taken. If the blood glucose level is above a certain level, the doctor will recommend the second test, the glucose tolerance test.

During the glucose tolerance test, the patient follows a special diet for three days, followed by eight hours of fasting. A blood sample is taken, and then a glucose drink is consumed. Blood samples are taken hourly for three hours straight. If the blood glucose reading is abnormal, diabetes during pregnancy is diagnosed.

Testing for diabetes during pregnancy is an important part of every woman’s prenatal care. Any pregnant woman who is concerned that she may develop diabetes during pregnancy should consult her physician.

Post from: Diabetes Natural Remedies

Diabetes During Pregnancy Natural Remedies

The Details Of Diabetes

There are three different types of diabetes that a person can develop. Type 1 and type 2 are the two main types of diabetes. Then there is the gestational diabetes which only pregnant women can develop. Not all do, but many pregnant women develop gestational diabetes during their second or third trimester, but typically the condition will be gone after the baby is born.

The situation is more critical when a woman is dealing with gestational diabetes as there are two lives at risk. Doctors need to pay close attention to the woman and her unborn child and make sure that everything is okay and that both are in good health.

Now with the type 1 diabetes, this is an autoimmune disease in which the pancreas in the body produces little or no insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes that people develop, and one of the most serious for sure. Doctors are actually not aware at this point as to what exactly is the initial cause of type 1 diabetes but there are several different risk factors that are taken into consideration such as obesity.

Then there is the type 2 diabetes, which is the form of diabetes that is more closely associated with old age, family history and even a previous history of gestational diabetes.

It will depend on the specific type of diabetes that you have in terms of what treatment is going to be used. It is important that all diabetics take the signs of diabetes as seriously as they need to be, and make sure that they are working with their doctor so that they can manage their diabetes properly and ensure that they are not going to be putting themselves at any risk.

Diabetes is always a challenging condition to deal with, but one that you can handle and keep under control as long as you watch what you eat and are regularly exercising. A person is able to manage his diabetes properly if he has control on his lifestyle.

Post from: Diabetes Natural Remedies

What Is Diabetes?

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic medical condition where the patient has unusually high blood sugar levels and an erratic metabolism. The blood sugar levels may be caused either by low levels of the hormone insulin or by resistance to the effects of insulin, combined with insufficient levels of secreted insulin. Symptoms of diabetes sufferers include excessive urination, increased fluid intake, and blurred vision.

Symptoms of diabetes can be improved by exercise and by following a carefully controlled diabetes meal plan.

Daily Menu Plan

Studies have suggested that a vegan diabetes meal plan, free of all animal products, may help diabetics lose weight and control their blood sugar with less medication than diabetics who eat meat, dairy products, eggs, and other animal-based products. A plant-based diabetes meal plan provides a balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates while adding vitamins and minerals and following the basic principles of a diabetes meal plan.

Of the three major nutrients, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, carbohydrates have the greatest effect on blood sugar. Planning a consistent amount of carbohydrates is essential to a diabetes meal plan. The diabetes meal plan deals with the concept of exchanges, which standardize foods for easy meal planning.

Breakfast: For breakfast, diabetics may eat:

One fruit exchange, consisting of 60 calories or 15 grams of carbohydrate. This exchange is equivalent to one small piece of fresh fruit or ½ cup of fruit juice.

Two starch exchanges, consisting of a total of 160 calories or 30 grams of carbohydrate. An example of one starch exchange is one slice of bread, ½ cup of cooked pasta, or 1/3 cup of cooked rice.

One fat exchange, consisting of 45 calories and 0 grams of carbohydrate. An example of a fat exchange is 1 tablespoon salad dressing or 1-1/2 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise.

One milk exchange, consisting of 15 grams of carbohydrate. For vegans, the milk exchange is met with 8 ounces of soymilk, rice milk or hemp milk, containing zero grams of cholesterol.

For lunch, the recommended exchanges are two starches, two fats, one vegetable, one protein, and one milk exchange. For dinner, two proteins, one fat, one vegetable, two starches, one fruit, and one milk. A typical daily diabetes meal plan also includes three snacks, each consisting of one starch and one protein. Vegan proteins include tofu, cooked beans, and nut butters.

A vegan diabetes meal plan may be the best way to control your diabetes. Consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Post from: Diabetes Natural Remedies

Diabetes Meal Plans Guide

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, commonly called diabetes, is a disorder where the patient has unusually high blood sugar levels and an erratic metabolism. The high blood sugar levels are caused either by low levels of the hormone insulin or by resistance to insulin’s effects, plus insufficient levels of secreted insulin. Diabetes symptoms include excessive urination, excessive thirst, increased fluid intake, and blurred vision.

Timeline Of Diabetes History

According to the timeline of diabetes history, the history of diabetes begins shortly after the birth of Christ.

First century B.C. Ancient Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia coins the term diabetes, meaning “one who straddles” or “siphon.” Both terms are appropriate for a disease where patients must pass excessive amounts of urine.

Ancient times Ancient Indians call diabetes “sweet urine disease,” and observe whether ants are attracted to urine as a test for diabetes.

1425 The word diabete is first recorded in English in a medical text.

1675 English physician Dr. Thomas Willis adds the word mellitus, Latin for “honey,” to the term diabetes, due to the sweet taste of diabetic urine.

1900 Based on animal resesarch, Drs. Joseph von Mering and Oskar Minkowski discovered that the pancreas plays a role in diabetes.

1910 Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer dubs the chemical produced by the pancreas insulin.

1922 The first diabetic patient is treated with insulin injections, resulting in the treatment team’s receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923.

1936 Type 1 diabetes is distinguished from type 2 diabetes by Sir Harold Percival Himsworth.

1942 The first sulfonylureas are identified.

1977 The radioimmunoassay for insulin is discovered by Rosalyn Yalow and Solomon Berson.

1988 Dr. Gerald Reaven identifies metabolic syndrome.

1990s Thiazolidinedione is identified as an effective insulin sensitizer.

2007 A trial of 15 newly diagnosed patients treated with stem cells raised from their own bone marrow showed that most of the patients no longer required insulin treatment for extended periods of time.

By studying the history of diabetes, science may finally be able to find a cure for this devastating disease.

Post from: Diabetes Natural Remedies

History Of Diabetes And Treatments

What Is Diabetes?

A simple definition of what diabetes is describes this disease as a chronic inability of the body to use sugar. Although many professionals in the medical field question the possible causes of diabetes, there has not been set forth a definitive reason why some people develop this illness. However, all agree that diabetes is what makes the specialized cells in the body to decrease or completely stop producing insulin. With the body unable to properly manage glucose levels, a wide range of complications may result. Since diabetes affects many vital organs in the body, it’s important to get medical help to manage this disease.

What Are the Symptoms?

Recognizing the symptoms of diabetes and seeking early medical help will minimize or stop certain complications of this disease. Common symptoms include excessive thirst with accompanying increased urination, weight loss and lack of energy. However, these signs may also be present in other illnesses, which is why a complete checkup with blood and urine analysis is in order. Although diabetes may manifest these symptoms, there are occasions where the disease is silent. If you have a family history of diabetes, it’s recommended that you have regular physical exams to determine if the disease is present or even if you are in a pre-diabetic stage. Conservative estimates say that for every person who has received a diagnosis of diabetes, there is another person who has this disease but is unaware of it.

Good News

Now that you understand what diabetes is and the possible complications, you may be feeling overwhelmed. Dont’ despair; there is good news to tell. When the blood sugar level is kept at near normal figures, this will result in a major, positive effect on the body. The main problems associated with this illness, like eye, kidney, heart and nerve damage can be successfully prevented. Currently, there are a wide variety of methods and medications that can cause a diabetic to have a healthy life. But the first step is getting diagnosed early. After that, seek to understand what diabetes is, and how it affects every part of your body. This knowledge should give you the motivation to manage this disease successfully.

Post from: Diabetes Natural Remedies

What Is Diabetes And The Consequences