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Overcoming Complications of Diabetes
Overcoming Complications of Diabetes
by Debbie Judd, RN
In the early 14th century the deadly Bubonic Plague took the lives of over 25 million people-over—one-third of Europe's population. In the last quarter (1980's) of the 20th century, the HIV virus has taken the lives of over 22 million people. Today, in the 21st century, over 18 million people in the United States alone have diabetes; another 5.2 million have it but are undiagnosed; and as the sixth-leading cause of all deaths, it takes over 200,000 lives each year from complications of the disease.
Diabetes is a disease of inflammation and typically what ignites the fire is a lifestyle created from a high dietary intake of refined carbohydrates, an abundance of "bad" fats, a low level of physical activity, smoking and stress. Diabetic complications are health problems caused by the disease—a disease of improper utilization of glucose in the body. Chronic high levels of blood sugar (glucose) cause a hormonal cascade of events that ultimately leads to damage of many areas and systems of the body.
Heart Disease and Strokes
Diabetics are two to four times more likely to suffer from heart-related diseases or strokes. High blood sugar levels accelerate hardening of the arteries and the loss of elasticity—atherosclerosis. This in turn leads to smaller openings inside the arteries causing pressure against every beat of our heart—high blood pressure. The platelets (a component of red blood cells) become sticky causing the blood to become thicker, leading to increased clotting—strokes and heart attacks.
Nerve Damage
Chronic high blood sugar levels cause damage to nerve tissue making it difficult for vital messages to be sent to the brain and other parts of the body—neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy can cause you to lose feeling or have a painful tingling sensation in your feet and legs, and cause loss of function in your stomach, intestines, bladder, joints, heart and muscles. Foot sores that become infected and in serious cases lead to amputation of the foot are not an uncommon problem with diabetics. People with diabetes should check their feet daily for cuts and bruises.
Eye Problems
Damage to the part of the eye that is sensitive to light and enables you to see (retina) can be caused by high blood sugar levels—diabetic retinopathy. The affected delicate blood vessels leak fluid causing swelling to the eye, leading to blurred vision. Late-stage retinopathy can lead to blindness by causing the retina to detach from the back of the eye. Annual eye exams are recommended for diabetics.
Kidney Damage
The kidneys filter out waste from our body and high blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels to the kidneys—diabetic nephropathy. Combined with high blood pressure, the risk for nephropathy is increased. Protein in the urine is one of the first signs of damage to the kidneys. Prolonged damage may lead to the need for dialysis—a treatment that helps eliminate wastes from the blood. Routine urine checks for proteinuria are important in the early detection of nephropathy.
Steps to preventing diabetic complications
Keeping your blood sugar levels as close to normal is insurance for preventing diabetes and its complications. DineWise is committed to diabetic prevention by offering diabetic-friendly meals to its customers. Properly portioned choices of a variety of foods introduce the mixture of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants needed to balance blood sugars and keep oxidative stress at a minimum.
DineWise has made it easy for you to stay on your diabetic meal plan by offering a variety of tasty, restaurant-quality meals and meal plans which are quick and easy to prepare and literally at your fingertips. These meals are individually packaged and can easily be taken to work with you.
7-Grain Waffle with Yogurt and Blueberry Compote or Scrambled Eggs and Bacon on an English Muffin with Cinnamon Apple Sauce for breakfast, Potato-Crusted Pollock with Macaroni and Cheese and Stewed Tomatoes or Grilled Chicken with Bean and Cheese Burrito for lunch, and Diabetic Beef Sirloin with Morel Sauce Meal or Stuffed Pork Chop with Baby Carrots and Broccoli for dinner, just to name a few. DineWise Diabetic Friendly Meal Plans are also great way to insure that you are eating proper foods and portions that fall into the diabetic-friendly category. When the thinking and planning of the day's meals are already done for you, as they are in these meal plans, it becomes much easier to adhere to your diabetic lifestyle.
Just because these meals are so convenient and easy to prepare doesn't mean you will be sacrificing flavor. You'll enjoy a great-tasting variety of delicious meals and meal plans to choose from, as well as DineWise Extend Bars, which were specially created for diabetics to help the body maintain a consistent blood sugar level, without spikes. Choose from these delicious flavors: Chocolate Delight, Mixed Berry,and Peanut Delight.
Healthy fats, lower sodium-content meals and minimal processing are part of the DineWise commitment. For further information about steps for proper diabetic eating, visit DineWise for Diabetics as well as Diabetic Lifestyle FAQs for answers to commonly asked questions about the Diabetic Lifestyle.
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