Medical News

Smoking retains it’s popularity in the United States despite all the Surgeon General’s warnings and tobacco company lawsuits. Roughly a quarter of all Americans are still smoking. In many parts of the United States, smoking is as part of the mainstream culture as baseball and apple pie. Why does this past-time enjoy such esteem in today’s day and age? That is a great question and one that has a pretty good, if not complicated answer.

Currently, there are many stop smoking aids, methods or products on the market. Everything from electric cigarettes to lasers. But when you get past the hype and look at the science of smoking cessation, you are left with a very stark reality. Let’s first look at what’s called the front line methods for smoking cessation.

The first category can be called non-pharmacologic means. This includes quitting cold turkey, behavior modification, and support groups/counseling. Quitting cold turkey, although the preferred method of quitting by most smokers, offers the lowest success rate at 3%. Group counseling and behavior modification has the highest success rate, right around 20%.

The second category would then be pharmacological interventions. Here is where you see nicotine replacement therapy, like nicotine gum, the patch, the nasal spray, etc. You’ll also find Zyban and Chantix in this category. The success rate found with nicotine replacement is about equal to what is found with Zyban. This rate is basically double that of quitting cold turkey. Chantix on the other hand, boasts a success rate above 20%. However, Chantix has been required by the FDA to place a warning label on each box dispensed. The label basically warns the consumer that some who take Chantix, have experienced erratic and bazaar behavior. Many who want to quit smoking may not be willing to take that chance, in spite of the potential upside in success. The last member of this group is the placebo medication. This is where someone takes a legitimate medication with a real medical use and offers it up as a stop smoking aid in an “off-label” manner. In other words, they may take some benign medication used to dry up secretions, and market it as a stop smoking shot. So it is no longer being used for the purpose stated on its label, but rather is now being used off-label. The consumer then receives this medication thinking they are getting some new smoking cure, and this idea is so powerful, it creates a very real placebo effect in their mind. The success rates for off-label or placebo medications is about equal to quitting cold turkey.

The final category is labeled alternative methods. This sort of catch-all group is where you find hypnosis, acupuncture, lasers and herbal or natural remedies. These methods might have a basis in non-traditional science and certainly have helped people to stop smoking. But there is sometimes no rhyme or reason as to whether it will or will not work; which, I suppose, doesn’t make them much different than any other method. There are no studied success rates with these methods and there are no clinical studies to quote statistics from. There is a segment of the population that will find success by using one of these methods, but most experts would agree it’s similar to or less than that of quitting cold turkey.

After looking at these success rates, it becomes easy to see why smoking is still so prevelent in our society. Many believe the success rates remain low because people are unwilling to make the necessary behavioral changes and/or are not really serious about quitting. Many are fed misinformation when they search for “easy ways to stop smoking” on the Internet. Too often people buy into a product or method because it offers them a “magic bullet” to stop smoking. However, they are not emotionally or mentally prepared for the grind that is about to take place in their brain.

How do we improve our results then? Many believe that quality information is what smokers need. Only then can they connect the dots between behavior, treatment and committment.

Smokers need to have realistic expectations that don’t fall flat after a couple of days without nicotine. They need to understand their nicotine addiction profile to know what methods might be the right for them. Would someone who smokes two packs a day and suffers from withdrawal symptoms be successful with nicotine gum? Probably not, although it’s not beyond the realm of possibility, but they might be better served using a combination approach under the direction of an expert. Simply put, knowledge has to be the driving force. The better informed someone becomes, the more sound their expectations will be and the more success they’ll have.

Imagine what it would be like if you could treat your yeast infection at home, without an embarrassing doctor visit. Shortly you will discover how to do just that. I’ll explain the natural remedies for yeast infection that truly work and you be the judge!

Many people develop a yeast infection everyday. Why is it that they happen? Well there is a basic explanation, it is because our bodies bacteria are disturbed in some way. Let me explain. We have two types of bacteria on our bodies; good bacteria and bad bacteria. These two types live in harmony when everything is healthy. When the delicate balance is disturbed in some way is when a yeast, or candida, infection will begin. Now, there are many different things that can upset this balance.

• Hormonal changes, like what happens during pregnancy, or from taking the birth control pill.
• Medicines-like antibiotics that you might take for a different infection, such as sinus or an UTI.
• Underlying medical condition that affects the immune system-like diabetes, HIV, cancer or AIDS

Stress

You see our bodies are very sensitive to changes we introduce to them. When our bacteria are effected by one of those factors I listed, it doesn’t take long for the ‘bad bacteria’ yeast to become an overgrowth. This is what a yeast infection is. The bad bacteria becomes too numerous and overtakes the good bacteria.

What makes perfect sense is to bring that bacteria back into balance, therefore eliminating the infection. The medicines that the doctor prescribes are anti-fungal medicines. These can be either oral or as a cream. Now what these do is kill off the bacteria causing the yeast infection.

Sounds like it makes perfect sense huh?

Listen to this, in addition to killing off the yeast or candida, these medicines also kill off the good bacteria. This sounds to me like a cycle starting. If a yeast infection is caused by an upset in the balance, then wouldn’t killing off the good bacteria along with the bad be upsetting the balance also? I think you are intelligent enough to figure that out.

What I found is that Natural Remedies for Yeast Infection are by far the better choice. These treatments will only kill off the bad yeast fungus overgrowth and leave the good bacteria alone. Now you tell me what makes more sense? Exactly, the natural remedies.

One of the best remedies for these types of candida albicans infections is vinegar. Now it sounds strange I know but the effects are amazing. It will put an end to itching and burning almost immediately. Another one is yogurt, and there is also tea tree oil.

Which natural remedy to use is dependent on the location of your infection. For instance, you may not want to use vinegar for thrush (oral yeast infection). That might not taste too good!

Depression is an illness that affects many people and should to be acknowledged as such. It is no reason to be ashamed. Sometimes the reason people fail to seek help for their depression is that they feel ashamed. This is actually one of the feelings which is associated with depression anyway and so it makes the illness difficult to acknowledge.

If you have a constant feeling of being particularly low, some well-meaning friends might tell you that you should “snap out of it” or even start to get irritated by your mood.

However your feelings of depression may feed off all this negativity and you may start to wonder why you just can’t “snap out of it” as you have been told to do.

You then may start to feel that there is probably something wrong with you because it really should be so easy and it’s definitely “not right” that you feel so terribly bad all of the time.

Well, you are quite correct… it is not right, and there is something wrong with you. You have what is known as a medical condition and you deserve the same treatment in the same way as any other patient does.

Try seeing it this way… If you had a head cold for six months or more would you ignore it and hope it would go away? No, of course not, you would dose yourself up with appropriate treatments and you would go see a doctor to find out if there is an underlying reason for it lasting such a longtime.

Depression can be described as sadness that lasts for too long. It is true that everyone gets sad at some point but depression is much more than that. It is a feeling that you are weighed down and can’t bring yourself up from the depths of despair, and perhaps inn the end you may even consider that it’s time to give up trying.

You might notice that people start to avoid you after awhile. Then you might start feeling worse. You must try to find external help to treat the problem in the same way as you would if your head cold was to last 6mths or more. You might like to try herbal remedies – you may find some in your pharmacy or health care store – or you could see your doctor. Don’t for get there may even be an underlying physical cause for your depression.

If your doctor is not able to help you, they may refer you to a specialist or for counselling. Don’t give up on counselling because you don’t feel comfortable with your first choice of practitioner. In everyday life you will normally find that you get on with some people and clash with others, so it is good advice to seek another counselor if you don’t get along with the first. Be sure that it is a personality clash and not just that you don’t agree with what they are saying. It’s a good idea to go with your instincts, so that if you like the person and seemed to get on well with them in the first couple of sessions then stay with it because they might just have touched on the root cause of your problem and be able to help you more than realise at the time.

It is possible that in some cases, acknowledging your depression may be difficult because you have lived with it so long that you don’t know whether it is depression or not.

If you have perhaps grown up with depression, sometimes it is possible not to realise that you are actually depressed because you have no real experience or concept of how normal people should feel. You may be feeling angry all the time, or you may feel like going to the middle of an empty field and screaming at the top of your voice. Or you may even feel somewhat anxious, or have trouble sleeping or even find that you sleep too much.

If you are feeling any or all of the above then you really should consider talking to someone about your depression, even if it is a good friend or a family member to start with, they may be able to advise you where to get help and encourage you to seek professional assistance.

Once you have acknowledged the possibility that you have depression please remember that it is a medical condition and can be cured. You don’t have to feel this way for the rest of your life. Nobody really actually thinks of you the way you think they do, so try not to worry about that. Talk to someone about your feelings, it may be hard at first, but it will certainly be worthwhile. Seek and accept help from people you trust, and you will find that there is a different way of seeing life, a much happier and fulfilling way.

Poor eyesight often leads to severe physical and psychological complications. A pair of graded eye glasses is usually used by a person who has a problem with his or her eyesight for him or her to normally cope with the demands of his or her environment. Appropriate lighting, sharp bifocals, magnifiers and other form of visual aids are used as an alternative way to help individuals who have vision problems.

However there are several cases of eyesight problems that require a surgical operation to save the probability of having a normal vision. Cataract is an example of this kind of condition. It needs an immediate treatment to prevent chronic complications. It is the only option left for those who have impaired visions. It is very much painless on the part of the patient and the operation happens for a very short period of time. A patient must stay still during surgery; however sedatives are occasionally used when patients refuse to cooperate such as children.

Cataract surgery is often done by a certified surgeon. Throughout the surgery, the surgeon gets rid of the affected area of your lens. After removing the clouded part of your eyes he or she then substitutes it with a crystal clear inorganic intraocular lens. Cataract surgeries are popularly known to be the safest and most effective way of restoring your eyesight. Once a cataract is eliminated it does not return anymore. On the other hand as a patient you must not forget to monitor your eyes after the surgery for safety purposes. There are noted cases of successful surgeries that lead to serious eye problems due to infection.

Several studies were conducted to identify the causes of cataracts. Lifestyle plays an important role in determining the natural sources of cataracts and how can this be effectively treated. Exposure to air pollution such as cigarette smoke and fumes are proven to cause severe eye irritation.

Strong ultra violet rays from the sun during summer when not managed properly can also cause eye cataract. It has a strong impact on your eyes and it usually cause dryness when exposed for a long period of time. Sore eyes usually occurs when your eyes can no longer stand the too much heat of the sun, although it is only a minor problem it will lead to serious complications such as cataract when neglected.

The most common way to maintain a healthy vision is to protect your eyes from the unnecessary elements of your own environment. You should wear your sunglasses during day time to protect your eyes from the excessive glaring heat of the sun. You should refrain from reading books when there is no appropriate lighting. Your eyes need enough light for it to work properly. You should avoid doing activities that may put your vision into great danger such as playing barbecue sticks or object with sharp ends. Sometimes accidents occur and it is usually caused by carelessness.

Diabetes, officially called Diabetes Mellitus, is one of the present day’s biggest causes of death around the world. Ranked number seven on a list of chronic diseases, people who have diabetes will suffer from one form of it or another. If the pancreas is unable to produce or use insulin in the proper way, diabetes is the result and must be treated accordingly.

Sugar is ingested with every meal taken, since a part of it is converted to sugar. After that the sugar makes its way into the bloodstream where it enters the cells by way of insulin, which is a hormone made by the pancreas. Normally the pancreas makes enough insulin to handle the amount of sugar present in a persons system. Diabetes causes a persons pancreas to either produce little or no insulin, or the cells won’t respond as they should to insulin. This will allow sugar to build up in the blood that presents even more problems. It passes unused through the urine of the affected. As time goes by, the high blood sugar levels can cause eye damage that will lead to diabetic retinopathy and blindness if not properly cared for. Since diabetes compromises vascular health, strokes, myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), and peripheral artery disease are all associated with diabetes. Diabetes has also been found to have a connection with impotence and digestion issues.

Type 1 (insulin dependent) and Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) are the two main types of diabetes. Type I diabetes, known as insulin dependent, usually affects younger people under 20 years of age whose pancreas doesn’t produce insulin. Type II, known also as non-insulin diabetes, has a reduced amount of insulin produced by the pancreas or cells that no longer respond or both.

Known to be genetically based, Type I diabetes is coupled with an abnormal immune response. Medical experts believe that Type II diabetes is caused by genetics, its causes are still mostly unknown.

The symptoms of Type I diabetes are usually obvious. Symptoms of Type II diabetes is opposite of Type I. A lot of Type II diabetics don’t know they this illness until they need help for heart problems, blood vessel ailments, stroke, go blind, skin outbreaks, kidney issues, nerve irritation or sexual problems.

A person can take steps to improve the chances of avoiding diabetes but there is no foolproof way to prevent diabetes. It means doing such things as exercising, managing weight, eating right, not smoking, and not drinking alcohol to excess.

ANATOMY:

External Nose:

The external nose – the part of the nose that you see – is there for more than just to make you or your child beautiful. Those cartilage and bone structures are there to keep the nasal airway open. Think of the boxer with the pulverized nose who can no longer breathe through his nose. Anyone who has ever broken their nose – elbow during basketball, softball to the nose, whatever – knows that having those structures intact helps keep your nose open, helps keep your breathing clear, open and smooth.

Nasal Cavities:

Where all the action takes place, your nose functions as:

• air conditioner – humidification, warming or cooling incoming airstream
• filter the incoming airstream of microorganisms and pollutants
• immune function – preventing infection by airborne microorganisms
• olfaction – sense of smell
• voice quality – affects voice resonance

Nasal Septum: divides the nose into right and left halves. If the nasal septum is deviated (born like that or acquired from trauma), obstruction can result. If severe enough, septal deviation may warrant surgery (septoplasty) to improve nasal airway.
Turbinates:
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3 swellings along the side wall of the nasal cavity. Their function:

• create turbulent airflow – this aides in sense of smell, and helps mucus trap microorganisms and pollutants in the airstream (a good thing)
• cover the openings to the paranasal sinuses (why, we don’t know)
• alter voice resonance? (we’re pretty much speculating here)

Adenoids:

The Adenoids lie in the nasopharynx at the very back of the nose. The adenoid tissue is lymphoid tissue. It looks well, pretty gross. It is involved in killing microorganisms that are captured by the nasal secretions. Those secretions are swept to the back of the lose by cilia motion. This is the area where the nose, sinuses, adenoids and tonsils, and the openings to the Eustachian tubes (to the middle ears), all connect.

Therefore, in a way, the adenoids are sort of a key to keeping everything here (nose, sinuses, eustachian tube and middle ears) healthy.

Unhealthy adenoids – acute or chronic adenoiditis – can be a cause of major nose, sinus, and ear problems.

If you look at the picture below, taken through the mouth using an angled endoscope, looking forward toward the front of the nose, the top of the palate is at the bottom, you can see the nasal septum in the middle, the nasal turbinates attached to either side of the nose, the Eustachian tube opening on the right side is visible (there is one on the left also), and the adenoids at the top of it all.

If the adenoids are too big, they can block the nose – nasal obstruction. The result is difficulty breathing through the nose, and probable rhinitis and sinusitis.

Paranasal Sinuses:

Air-filled cavities within the bones of the face, connected to the nasal cavities. There is great variation in sinus shape and size between people. Have uncertain role; some speculate that they help lighten the facial skeleton, sort of like hollow bird bones make them lighter.

The sinuses consist of four paired cavities each of which is named after the bone in which it is located. The four sinus pairs:

1. the Maxillary sinuses – in bones of cheeks, one on each side. May grow to be as large as 15ml (could hold about 3 tablespoons).
2. the Ethmoid sinuses – usually 6 – 10 per side, situated between the orbits (eye sockets), up to the skull base. Responsible for more complications from sinusitis than other sinuses, usually involving the orbits (eye sockets) and tissues around the eyes. The Ethmoid sinuses are small and irregular, sort of like the “nooks and crannies” that you see when you cut open an English muffin.
3. the Sphenoid sinuses – 1 or 2 lie in the very middle of the head, surrounded by the pituitary (part of the brain), optic nerves (from the eyes), internal carotid arteries – all important structures. Rarely a source of sinusitis complications, but due to location, complications can be life-threatening (meningitis, brain abscess).
4. the Frontal sinuses – situated in the eyebrow area of forehead bone of the skull. Usually one each side, but one or both are absent in about 5% of us. Due to the fact that the brain is just behind the frontal bones, sinusitis complications in the frontal sinuses can be serious (meningitis, brain abscess); fortunately this is rare.

HISTOLOGY:
The lining of the nose is our first line of defense against airborne microorganisms and pollutants. This task is handled by the epithelium through mucociliary clearance (more detail about this in another post).

The nasal epithelium functions to:

• Acts as a physical barrier to inhaled foreign materials
• Entraps and clears foreign material by…
• Mucus secretion (snot) and
• Cilia activity

Is an active part of our immune response – contains enzymes and antibodies

Helps condition the air we breathe in: warm it, cool it, moisturize it

Nasal (and sinus) epithelium: is comprised of

• cells with cilia
• cells without cilia
• goblet cells, and
• basal cells
• transient immune cells – lymphocytes and mast cells

The ciliated and non-ciliated cells help create most of the physical barrier as they form a tightly-connected sheet that lines the nasal cavity. This “tight junction” that is formed between these cells, effectively keeps foreign materials – pollutants and microorganisms- from getting into our tissues and bloodstreams. A breakdown in this barrier can be dangerous.
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The goblet cells produce mucus – snot. Nasal mucus, in the proper viscosity (thickness, stickiness) and amount, is the key to the system of mucociliary clearance working normally. Mucociliary clearance is the holy grail for healthy sinuses. Achieve this, you achieve respiratory health.

Cilia:

The most important feature of the respiratory epithelium, are the cilia.

Cilia of the ciliated epithelial cells work together to sweep out the mucus that contains any adherent foreign material, including microorganisms and pollutants.

In order to work normally, these cilia need a certain level of humidity. They are also VERY sensitive to airborne pollutants. These include toxins that are in cigarette smoke, in common air pollution, and various volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). VOC’s are all around us in our synthesized, plasticized, man-made world. They come out of our cleaning agents, out of adhesives, and out of all that plastic. These toxins prevent the cilia from working properly.

If mucociliary clearance does not function, we can expect chronic respiratory illness, and life-threatening infections can result. These cilia are on the respiratory epithelial cells that line the upper and lower respiratory tract, including the nose, the sinuses, and the middle ear, as well as the trachea and bronchioles. So, if they don’t keep these areas swept clean, the result can be infections in those areas: rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis (ear infections), bronchitis, and pneumonia.

The basal cells are progenitor cells – baby cells – that will divide and grow to replace the other cell types when they grow old or are lost due to a toxic environment. The immune response of the nasal epithelium helps us fight off attacks from various microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, mold), but if it goes haywire, can contribute to allergic rhinitis.

Immune Function:

Finally, the mucus contains special antibodies and enzymes that:

• prevent viruses and bacteria from sticking to the epithelial lining
• help our white blood cells to recognize viruses and bacteria as invaders and to kill them

Sorry for the dry, boring anatomy lesson, but it is important to have some idea of how the sinuses relate to the nose and rest of the upper airway, how it all fits together and how it works, if we are to succeed at keeping it all healthy. Thanks for visiting.

Introduction

What is cellulitis skin infection? How can we prevent that kind infection? What are the most often causes? How do we get this skin infection? These and many other questions worry a lot of people every day. I will try to explain some basics with the intention to reduce initial shock, present at the beginning of this very common and very unpleasant skin infection. This type of skin infection knows no gender or age, it affects all age groups, from the youngest to the oldest people. It is not difficult to recognize the infection if you know the main symptoms. Symptoms can be divided into local and systemic. Local symptoms are reflecting the place affected by this disease, while systematically symptoms can affect any part of the human organism.

Symptoms and signs

In most cases symptoms are:
1) inflammation and redness of affected region,
2) sensitivity and pain to touch the skin,
3) warmth of infected skin to the touch and of course,
4) swelling of affected skin area.

About causes, diagnosis and treatment

This type of infection is usually caused by changes of normal skin flora or exogenous bacteria types, inflammation generally starts at the point where skin was previously broken (cuts, blisters, burns, cracks in the skin, surgical wounds, sites of intravenous catheter insertion etc.). Diagnosis for this skin disease usually consists of three important steps. First step contains examination of patient medical records and medical history, after that follows most important step in diagnosis process – the physical exam. Process of diagnosis usually ends with certain blood tests in order to confirm presence of bacterial disease. If diagnosis process confirm presence of infection, it is very important that treatment process start as soon is possible. In this circumstance antibiotics are usually the best solution to heal this type of infection. Antibiotics are used orally or intravenous depending of severity affected skin area. In case of recurrence of the disease, treatment with antibiotics may last up to several months.

Conclusion

Cellulitis is a common infection that affects people of all ages and can occur on any part of the body. Main cause of infection is bacteria (staph or strep) and treatment should be start as soon as possible. This type of disease is very rapid and uncontrolled spread. If is not treated, that kind of infection can cause serious damage to human organic structure.

Losing your hair can be really hard psychologically and you can have a very hard time accepting it. It really doesn’t help that a lot of people will tell you that it is just a natural part of life and that you should accept it. What most people do when they find out that they have started losing their hair is to start looking around the internet in order to figure out which of the hundreds supplements and treatments on the internet for hair loss they should go for.

Usually this will lead to getting even more confused as all these supplements claim to give you the best results possible in the shortest amount of times. When you however read the online reviews, they are very mixed and a lot of people don’t get anywhere near the results that are claimed by these products.

There is only too FDA approved types of medication available for hair loss, with one being the topical solution Rogaine and the other being Finasterid, also called Propecia. Rogaine has had great results in tests and has been shown to be able to stop hair loss, however it doesn’t work for everyone and you have to remember that the moment you stop taking it you will immediately revert back to your old situation.

A lot of people say that Rogaine is okay as a temporary solution but that you should go for Propecia instead if you are looking for a long term solution.

Propecia has a lot of raving reviews on the internet and it has been proven to work in both stopping hair loss and also regrowing hair. As an added bonus it also minimizes risk of prostate cancer by up to 30%. However Propecia can have side effects and this is what keeps a lot of people away from using this particular product. In rare cases it will lead to developing gyno (female breasts) and impotence. However, if you really want to stop your hair loss desperately it might be worth a shot to see how you react to these products.

I will definitely recommend you to start off with the milder Rogaine and see how you react to it. If you get really great results with Rogaine after a couple of months it means it works for you and you should just stick to it. If not, it can be worth a shot trying Propecia and seeing whether you get some of the dreaded side effects or whether your body can handle the medicine perfectly.

Some people can find it difficult to discuss with others how they feel, especially about sensitive subjects that leave the person tired, frustrated and upset. Anxiety is not healthy – it can leave us feeling sick, shaky, dizzy and faint. In severe cases it can even lead us to pass out and have panic attacks.

We all have our share of worries that come and go – but how can we cope when we are feeling down? If we all make a conscious effort to try and communicate our feelings, then we can help ourselves manage our emotions. By communicating, we can confront our anxieties.

Personally, I like to write things down – if I can see them in front of me, then my worries become clearer. I can then see exactly what my problem is and I can think of ways to get rid of it. I keep a diary so that I can see how things develop.

Some people prefer to talk to someone about their issues so that they can offload on to someone and air their feelings out loud. If this is an option you think would work for you, then pick a trusted person to talk to. Choose someone who is not involved in your anxiety so they can give you an outsider’s point of view.

If you want to communicate with someone but cant quite find the words, why not try writing them a letter? They might find it easier to respond to this method. Try to stay calm and focus on the things that are good in your life and remind yourself of these things when you are feeling down. We have to take the bad with the good and try and learn from all experiences that we have.

It may sound strange, but there is never been a better time to have diabetes. Gone are the days when a doctor handed you a list of what you could and couldn’t eat-the same list he gave to everyone else who came in the door. New evidence has significantly altered the one- size-fits-all dietary approach to this condition.

For example, even though it is best to eat sugar in moderation (and not just if you have diabetes), for most people with diabetes it is no longer forbidden. Some may be advised to cut back on fat and eat more carbohydrates; others will be told just the opposite.

In fact, it is not unusual these days for two people with diabetes, even if they are the same age, same weight, and same overall condition, to have totally different diets for controlling it.

Yet one aspect of diabetes has stayed the same. Diet-what you eat, and in some cases, what you don’t-is at the heart of any treatment plan. Along with maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular exercise, eating right helps keep blood sugar and fats at steady levels, which is the key to keeping problems under control.

Understanding the problem first

Before seeing how you can use food to treat or prevent diabetes, here’s a quick look at what this condition is. The fuel that keeps our bodies running is sugar. Doctors call it glucose. Soon after we eat, glucose pours into the bloodstream and is carried to individual cells throughout the body. Before it can enter these cells, however, it requires the presence of a hormone called insulin. And therein lies the problem.

People with diabetes either don’t produce enough insulin or the insulin they do produce doesn’t work efliciently. In either case, all that glucose in the bloodstream isn’t able to get inside the cells. Rather, it hovers in the bloodstream, getting more and more concentrated as time goes by. Not only do individual cells go hungry, which can cause fatigue, dizziness, and many other symptoms, but all that concentrated sugar becomes toxic, eventually damaging the eyes, Kidneys, nerves, immune systems heart, and blood vessels.

The healing power of food

Experts have long recognized that what you eat can play a critical role both in preventing and controlling Type II diabetes.

• Perhaps the best way to understand the effects of diet on diabetes is to look at two similar groups of people who differ primarily in what they ear.

Consider the Pima Indians. Researehers discovered that Pimas who live in Mexico and eat a lot of corn, beans, and fruits are seldom overweight and rarely develop diabetes. By contrast, the Pima Indians in Arizona eat an Americanized diet that is high in sugar and fat. They commonly develop diabetes by age 50.
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• Just as a bad diet can help cause diabetes, a good one can help control or even prevent it. The diet consists mainly of high-fibers a high-carbohydrate food such as taro, poi, greens, and fruits and includes plenty of fish is extremely effective

• Carbohydrates, which are found in most foods except meat, fish and poultry, are the body’s main source of energy. There are two types. Complex carbohydrates, called starches, include Foods like rice, beans, potatoes, and pasta. Simple carbohydrates, called sugars, include the natural sugars found in milk, fruits, and vegetables as well as white table sugar and honey. The body turns both complex and simple carbohydrates into glucose, which is either immediately converted into energy or stored until needed. Most people with diabetes should eat a diet that’s higher in carbohydrates, particularly the complex kind, than was formerly believed. While your doctor, dietitian, or nutritionist will determine your personal need for carbohydrates, most people should be getting approximately 50 percent of total calories from carbohydrates.

• A helpful way to plan your meals is to use a system called carbohydrate counting. Once you know how many grams of carbohydrates you’re allowed, it’s up to you to decide how to “spend” them. For example. It’s fine to enjoy an occasional candy bar or cheese Danish, as long as you count it toward your daily carbohydrate total, just as you would a plate of pasta or a cup of rice.