Anemia: a blood condition when there are too few red blood cells or the red blood cells do not have enough hemoglobin. Red blood cells carry oxygen to your muscles and organs, so not making enough red blood cells means your body’s organs may not get enough oxygen which can cause damage.
Diagnosing anemia can be a little tricky because many of the symptoms are very similar to symptoms for other diabetes complications.
Symptoms of Anemia: Consistently feeling tired, drained of energy, weak and having problems doing your normal routine and chores. Pale skin, chest pain, irritability, numbness or coldness in your hands and feet, a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath and headache.
Do these symptoms sound familiar to red flags for heart disease, neuropathy and other diseases related to diabetes?
There is no denying that little hint of expectation in your gut as you lance your finger to test your blood sugar.
Even for people that have lived with diabetes for many years, the repetition, the calluses and the routine can’t completely mask the fact that you have to jab your finger.
So, why not get the most bang from each of your finger sticks? You know you need to test your blood sugar frequently. You can’t get away from it without having major health complications (heart disease, eye problems, nerve problems, kidney problems...), but testing strategically will maximize the information you get from those tests.
A little tough love tells you to grit and bare it because the little prick is much easier to handle than heart surgery, dialysis, amputation or worse.
Here are some methods and plans that will help you learn the most about your blood sugar. Picture yourself as a detective and your job is to deduce as much data as possible from your blood sugar readings. Here are your tools and your plan.
Do you remember those clay pots that would sprout bright green, fur-like shrubbery when watered? Chia pets!
Well, you can actually eat the seeds! The seed is called chia (Salvia hispanica) and is related to the mint plant. The plant grows in Mexico and it is said that the Mayans and Aztecs ate chia for energy and health.
Each seed has concentrated amounts of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium. In the last few years, chia has gotten more attention for the possible health benefits the seeds might promote.
However, there has not been a huge push for research on chia and the benefits.
Here's some encouragement to take care of your pearly whites and those gums! Don't underestimate the power of the toothbrush and floss.
Your smile can tell all. It can scream that you are happy or pucker that you are mad.
It can also ring warning signs if your blood sugar is not controlled or if you have heart disease. People living with diabetes actually have a greater risk of mouth infections-things like gum disease.
Bacteria in the mouth feed off of the extra sugar (glucose) and can seriously harm your gums and mouth bones.
It is important to work hard to keep your mouth healthy and happy not only for diabetes, but also because of heart disease. Your mouth condition can let doctors know how healthy your heart is too!
Pack Your Lunch to Lose Weight and to Keep Your Blood Sugar Steady
With a fast food joint on every corner and lunch deals in tons of restaurants, it is quite easy to plan to “grab some lunch” each day. Did you know that eating out at a restaurant adds an average of 500 extra calories to what you would have eaten if you prepared your meal? It seems hard to believe but take a second to think about it.
What do you add to meals that wouldn’t sitting at your kitchen table? What is the size of your plates at home versus the huge portions in restaurants and fast food places?
Do you know just how much mayonnaise or butter is slathered on that meal you’re buying? How about those extras you don’t have at home like the chips, the salad bar muffins, the free soft serve yogurt, the fries, the cokes?
Diabetic retinopathy is a disease where blood vessels in the eye tissue are damaged by diabetes.
High amounts of glucose in your blood for extended periods of time or in frequent intervals can make blood vessels leak which causes the retina to swell. Also, irregular new blood vessels can develop from high blood sugars.
Both of these problems contribute to blurry vision and vision loss.
It’s a scary thing but it can be prevented!
The number one prevention plan is to keep your blood sugars in the normal range. But doctors have been studying other ways to prevent retinopathy or at least to slow down its progression.
In the late 1990s, the American Diabetes Association finally gave the thumbs up to sugar. Although a cautious thumbs up, the ADA and diabetes health professionals as a whole agreed that sugar in small amounts is an OK option for people with diabetes.
But there are still so many different sweeteners on the market, it is hard to determine which is better: sugar, sugar alternatives, natural sweeteners?
If you control the amount and frequency of eating pure sugar, you can maintain good glucose control and have your cake and eat it too.
However, there is more to consider with some sweeteners than just the sugar content.
Let’s take a look at a natural sweetener that is getting a lot of attention: Agave Nectar.
We haven’t found the magic pill yet to completely control your blood sugars, but we have discovered that some foods won’t spike glucose in your blood and some foods will help to slow the spike.
Try to pair some of these foods with each of your meals and snacks to prevent huge spikes that leave you feeling dizzy, sleepy and nauseous (not to mention damaging to your eyes, nerves, blood vessels, tissues, etc).
The foods listed below most likely will not cause a significant rise in your blood sugar. Remember though, everyone is different and may react differently to these foods.
A bowl of fiber-filled oatmeal might cause one person to spike but another person to have great control after breakfast. When trying a new food, test consistently (before the meal, 2 hours after starting to eat, and later to check for a delayed spike) to see how your body responds.
Control Your Blood Sugars: Remember to Take Your Medications!
Your day starts out hectic and you’re running from one errand or meeting to the next.
It is easy to forget to take care of yourself when life keeps you busy and your mind is occupied with a million other things.
I definitely understand how your medication can slip through the cracks, but that doesn’t mean it is ok. Your medication is crucial to managing and controlling your diabetes.
You should make every effort you can to pop those pills just like your doctor tells you to.
Worried about the amount of food you should be eating?
Hesitant to try to lose weight on your own?
Not sure how many carbohydrates you need at each meal?
Need help understanding what to look for on food labels or on restaurant menus?
Need encouragement about eating with diabetes?
Registered Dietitians are health care professionals that are experts in how food and nutrition affects your body and your diabetes. They help you understand the details about nutrition, starting from the sandwich you ate to how the glucose and B vitamins in the bread affect your body. But they break it all down and make it simple and doable.
Dietitians are a great resource if you need help:
Choosing foods at the grocery store
Understanding how diabetes medications affect your diet
Learning how to control your blood sugars with diet and exercise
Losing weight the healthy way
Calculating how many carbohydrates to eat
Creating a meal plan
Sticking to your meal plan
…And so many more things! Use these wonderful professionals to learn how to stay healthy and live well! A dietitian is an essential member on your diabetes care team.
Find a registered dietitian close to you by using the resource at , the American Dietetic Association website.
Anemia: a blood condition when there are too few red blood cells or the red blood cells do not have enough hemoglobin. Red blood cells carry oxygen to your muscles and organs, so not making enough red blood cells means your body’s organs may not get enough oxygen which can cause damage.
