[HensyQ]

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar. Sugar is the basic fuel for the cells in the body, and insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems- Right away, your cells may be starved for energy, Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart. Having type 2 diabetes increases your risk for many serious complications. Some complications of type 2 diabetes include: heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy). Learn more about these complications and how to cope with them. Make it a priority to take good care of your body. The time you spend now on eye care, foot care and skin care, as well as your heart health and oral health, could delay or prevent the onset of dangerous type 2 diabetes complications later in life. Plus, some of the best things you can do for your body are to stop smoking, and reduce the amount of alcohol you drink. When you are sick you should test your blood glucose levels every two to four hours. It is very important that you continue to take your diabetes medication. High blood glucose levels often happen during flu season. Many cold remedies and cough syrups contain sugar – try to pick sugar free products. The pharmacist can help you make a good choice. For more information you can refer:
http://www.hateweight.com/obesity_and_health_risks.html
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content...ct/291/10/1213

[tiadesai]

thats very interesting piece of information
diabetes is a killer in itself
my father suffers from it and now he sometimes sees double vision
his muscles in one eye have gone weak and he can barely open that eye
however the doctor said that with some treatment he will be able to open it completely after a month.
he takes sugar free for his tea and also Diabeta

[irishgal63]

I found out a couple of years ago,that I have hypoglycemia !
I have to use the bathroom frequently, I have to 'snack' every
3-4 hours etc.!
The doc said my pancreas makes too much insulin !(hypo) !
My exercise is riding my bike,walking my 2 dogs , I never was
into jogging. I don't drink soda or anything alcoholic,I don't
smoke---I want to live as healthy a life as possible !

In ILL.
Lori Weis

[Right_Writer]

Lori, how scary to be diagnosed with hypoglycemia. At least you have a firm grip on it and take great precautions to stay healthy. Do you have to take meds, too or can you just watch your diet and exercise?

[irishgal63]

Thank God for small miracles---I do not have to take insulin !
I'm very sqeamish about needles and it is expensive !
I hope I NEVER reach that point !
I prefer to go the 'wholistic ' route---living without meds as
much as possible ! (finding other alternatives)!
Suzanne Somers did it with her fight against breast cancer
(2yrs.ago), and she seems to be doing very well !
I'm sure there are others out there who have done it also---
we just haven't heard of them---they prefer to keep low
profiles !

Love fresh air/big blue skies!
Lori Weis

[cocotbo]

Originally Posted by HensyQ

Many cold remedies and cough syrups contain sugar – try to pick sugar free products. The pharmacist can help you make a good choice.

I just noticed that Robitussin now has sugar-free versions of their cough medicine on shelves. What a breakthrough!

[RobertSRister]

I can certainly understand why anyone would be squeamish about taking insulin--you not only have to give yourself shots, you have to poke your finger for blood tests to make sure you're getting the right amount--but if you've just found out you have diabetes, type 1 or type 2, taking insulin is something you should ask your doctor about.
That's because most of the older medications for type 2 diabetes, like Diabeta or Diabinase, work by stimulating the beta-cells in the pancreas to make more insulin.
The additional insulin lowers blood sugars (provided you don't start eating more sugar because it also stimulates your appetite). But putting your beta cells in overdrive so they can make more insulin has a really bad side effect.
They tend to burn out. The medical term is "beta cell depletion."
You need more and more of the pill to keep your blood sugars controlled until eventually, usually in 5 to 10 years, you need insulin anyway.
But if you start your diabetes program by taking insulin shots--and that's a huge adjustment in your life--you may be able to give your pancreas a chance to recover so it makes insulin normally again. You'll need to be very careful not to ever let your sugars get too high. Every time you do, beta cells die. It also helps to lose weight by eating less. But there are people who go into remission from diabetes by taking insulin, diet, and exercise--if they start with insulin, not pills.
It really helps to ask your doctor about this option. It is hard to get used to pricking your finger and getting blood on a test strip, but at least the newer test strips work with blood from your forearm (doesn't hurt to draw) and they don't need very much.
And that's a lot better than sticking your veins for dialysis 20 years from now.
I'm one of the new health bloggers for families.com. I'm the author of eight books on natural health, including Healing without Medication (Basic Health Publications). I've also written several thousand articles on health and done about 100 radio shows, including Healthy Talk Radio.
Doctors and medicines can save your life. I have nothing against good medicine, nothing at all. My point is, however, that the right medicine with the right changes in your lifestyle can make you healthy again.