Take Good Care of Your Feet
Managing diabetes is more than checking your blood sugar and changing your diet.Living with diabetes means being aware of how it can affect every aspect of your health, including your feet. Healthy feet do more than help you walk and move; they help keep out infections that maycompromise your overall health.
Less Feeling, Slower Healing
Highblood glucose from diabetes can lead to nerve damage and poor bloodflow to your feet. When nerves to the legs and feet are damaged, youmight not feel pain, heat or cold as you normally would. This lack offeeling is called diabetic neuropathy. In addition, poor blood flowslows the healing process, so it takes longer for a sore or infectionto heal. This problem is called peripheral vascular disease, and it ismade worse by smoking.
As a person with diabetes, you mayexperience loss of feeling in your feet, making it difficult to detectblisters or sores that need attention. Blisters and sores may gounnoticed and turn into ulcers or become infected, which could causeserious problems. Because your body’s healing process may be slower,it’s very important to seek medical attention as soon as you notice asore on your foot.
Put Your Feet First
Beingproactive about caring for your feet can make a big difference in yourquality of life, and the key is awareness every day. The following tipscan help keep your feet healthy:
• Check your feet every dayfor cuts, blisters, sores, swelling, redness or sore toenails. If youhave difficulty bending over to see your feet, use a mirror or asksomeone else to check your feet. If you see a wound or sore, try tostop further irritation to the area and see your doctor. He or she canprovide additional care if the wound is infected or requires specialattention.
• Wash your feet every dayin warm water. Make sure the water temperature is not too hot bytesting with your elbow, and always dry your feet well after washing,especially in between your toes.
• Apply lotion after washing if your feet are dry. Dry, cracked skin allows infection to get under the skin, so it helps to stay moisturized.
• File corns and calluses gently after a bath or shower. Filing too harshly or cutting at corns and calluses can harm your skin and feet.
• Keep toenails trim but not too short. Cut toenails when they are soft from washing.
• Always wear shoes or slippers– even around the house – to protect your feet from injury. Wear sockswith shoes to prevent blisters, but don’t wear tight socks that may cutoff circulation.
• Wear shoes that fit well and are supportive. Check the insides of your shoes for sharp edges or objects before putting them on.
Types of Diabetes:
Type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) occurs when the pancreas becomes unsuccessful to make sufficient insulin. It usually occurs in childhood or adolescence but can expand at any age. These patients need insulin each day.
Type 2 or non-insulin dependant diabetes mellitus occurs when body cells develop into resistant to insulin. This is more general among adults, particularly those who are overweight and over age 40. These people are able to manage their blood sugar levels through weight control, regular exercise and a well-balanced diet. Some people need oral medications or insulin injection to lower blood sugar.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Early Symptoms
Increased thirst, increased urination, increased appetite are the initial signs.
In type I weight loss is seen and in type II obesity is seen.
Additional Symptoms
Other possible symptoms are blurred vision, skin irritation or infection, weakness or loss of strength, and decreased healing capability.
Clinical lab test information reveal glycosuria (sugar in urine), hyperglycaemia, abnormal glucose tolerance tests.
If diabetes is not identified at the right time symptoms like fluid and electrolyte imbalance, acidosis, coma is seen.
Causes of Diabetes
Cause for IDDM
IDDM mostly outcome from a virally initiated autoimmune destruction of beta cells of the pancreas.
Cause for NIDDM
NIDDM is determined heritably and is expressed with age or other factors like obesity, diet and inactivity.
Home Remedies for Diabetes
1. Diabetes treatment with Bitter Gourd
Among the several home remedies that have proved helpful in controlling diabetes, perhaps the most vital is the use of bitter gourd. It has lately been established that bitter gourd contains a hypoglycaemic or insulin-like principle, designated as ‘plantinsulin’, which has been found precious in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels. It should, therefore, be included generously in the diet of the diabetic. For better results, the diabetic must take the juice of about four or five karelas each morning on an empty stomach. The seeds can be added to food in a powdered state. Diabetics can also use bitter gourd in the state of a decoction by boiling the pieces in water or in the form of dry powder.
2. Diabetes treatment with Indian Gooseberry
Indian gooseberry, with its high vitamin C content, is considered precious in diabetes. A tablespoon of its juice, mixed with a cup of bitter gourd juice, taken daily for two months, will arouses the islets of Langerhans, that is, the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin in the pancreas. This mixture decreases the blood sugar in diabetes.
3. Diabetes treatment with Jambul Fruit
Jambul fruit is another useful home remedy. It is regarded in customary medicine as a specific against diabetes because of its effect on the pancreas. The fruit as such, the seeds, and fruit juice are all helpful in the treatment of this disease. The seeds contain a glucoside ‘jamboline’ which is supposed to have the power to check the pathological conversion of starch into sugar in cases of increased production of glucose.
The seeds must be dried and powdered. One teaspoon of this powder should be mixed in one cup of milk or water or half a cup of curd, and taken two times daily. The internal bark of the jambul tree is also used in the treatment of diabetes. The bark is dried out and burnt. It will create an ash of white colour. This ash must be pestled in mortar, strained and bottled. The diabetic patient must be given ten grams of this ash on an empty stomach with water in the morning, and twenty grams in the afternoon, and in the evening an hour after taking meals. An equal amount of amla powder, jamun powder, and bitter gourd powder also makes a very useful remedy for diabetes. A teaspoon of this mixture once or twice a day would be efficient in checking the progress of the disease.
4. Diabetes treatment with Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a fine food in the diet of a diabetic patient. If grapefruits were eaten more generously, there would be much less diabetes. If you have sugar, use three grapefruits three times in a day. If you do not have sugar, but a propensity towards it and want to prevent it, use three a day.
5. Diabetes treatment with Fenugreek
The seeds of fenugreek have been found useful in the treatment of diabetes. Fenugreek seeds, when given in changeable doses of 25 gm to 100 gm daily, diminish reactive hyperglycaemia in diabetic patients. Levels of glucose, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides were also appreciably reduced in the diabetes patients when the seeds were consumed.
6. Diabetes treatment with Bengal Gram
Experiments have shown that the drinking of water extract of Bengal gram enhances the use of glucose in both diabetic and normal persons. When kept on a diet which incorporated liberal supplements of Bengal gram extract, the condition of tile patient improved considerably and his insulin requirement was decreased to about twenty units per day. Diabetes patients who are on a set diet which does not severely limit the intake of carbohydrates, but includes liberal amounts of Bengal gram extract, have shown significant improvement in their fasting blood sugar levels, glucose tolerance, urinary excretion of sugar, and general condition.
7. Diabetes treatment via Black Gram
For a milder sort of diabetes, two tablespoons of germinated black gram, taken with half a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice and a teaspoon of honey, is said to be valuable. It should be taken once each day for three to four months. A limit should be placed on the intake of carbohydrates. Still in severe cases, regular use of this combination, with other precautions, is helpful as a health-giving food for the prevention of various complications that may arise due to malnutrition in diabetics.
8. Diabetes treatment with Mango Leaves
The tender leaves of the mango tree are measured useful in diabetes. An infusion is prepared by soaking 15 gm of fresh leaves in 250 ml of water overnight, and squeezing them fine in the water in the moming. This filtrate should be taken every morning to manage early diabetes. As an option, the leaves should be dried in the shade, powdered and preserved for use when necessary. Half a teaspoon of this powder should be taken two times in a day.
9. Diabetes treatment via Parslane
The seeds of parslane are helpful in diabetes. A teaspoon of the seeds should be taken each day with half a cup of water for three to four months. It will raises the body’s own insulin and help in curing diabetes.
10. Diabetes treatment via Other Foods
Besides bitter gourd, certain other vegetables have been found helpful in diabetes. These comprise string beans, cucumber, onion, and garlic. Tea made of the pods of string beans is important in diabetes.
It is a question my teacher has been asking and he wants to know why.
Chester
The foods we eat are digested and broken down into simpler forms; most carbohydrates are broken down into sugar also known as glucose. These sugars are absorbed through the intestinal tract into the bloodstream where it is circulated through out the body to feed cells.
Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas. The pancreas is a long skinny organ that sits behind the stomach adding enzymes into the digested food. Insulin helps deliver nutrients and sugar from the bloodstream into cells where it is needed. The sugar supplies energy to various organs such as the heart and lungs; for example the heart beats and lungs breathe which keep us alive as a result of sugar’s energy supply. (2,3)
There are two classes of diabetes type I and type II. Type I diabetes is sometimes called insulin dependent, juvenile or child onset diabetes. This type usually starts at a very early age and the pancreas stops producing insulin. When the body does not make insulin, the sugar stays in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells where it’s needed. This can be fatal, so a person with type I diabetes needs a shot of insulin every day for his/her body to function properly (to stay alive).
Type II diabetes usually starts in adults and is the most common kind of diabetes in America. Most people who have diabetes have type II, that’s about 90% -95% of all diabetics in America. In this type of diabetes, the pancreas is producing enough insulin but the body doesn’t use the insulin effectively. This is called insulin resistance, cells in the body do not respond to the insulin and so the pancreas produces more and more insulin to over compensate this resistance. When blood sugar starts to raise in the bloodstream in this manner, the medical doctor (MD) will diagnose type II diabetes. Most type II diabetics need a prescription drug to lower the blood sugar because a diet change isn’t enough to control their blood sugar problem. (4)
In both cases, the blood sugar is too high in the bloodstream and will cause several problems. The first problem is cells cannot absorb sugar for energy; they starve and start to die. Secondly an excess amount of sugar in the blood leads to cardiovascular disease, hardening of the arteries, nerve and eye damage, and kidney damage.
Scientists are not exactly sure what causes type I diabetes, but they do know it has something to do with the immune system. A healthy immune system protects us from the common cold and cancer cells (cells in the body that go bad). The immune system can becomes confused and starts attacking good cells, in some cases, the healthy cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, which causes diabetes. (4)
Type II diabetes has been linked to individuals who are overweight. These overweight individuals have high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well which may also lead to this form of diabetes. Being overweight causes the body to become insulin resistant and by dropping some excess weight one could possibly reverse type II diabetes (rare).
If you think you have diabetes, you should look for the following symptoms. Type I diabetics usually have frequent urination because of the high blood sugar; the kidneys are trying to balance the body’s bloodstream. The kidneys are forced to eliminate all the unused nutrients and sugar in the blood over working the kidneys and if left unchecked can lead to kidney damage. If you experience intense thirst, your body is trying to replace the liquids lost from frequent urination. You may experience increased hunger but you will not gain weight when you do eat more. This is because your body’s cells need more nutrients, but since these cells can not absorb the insulin and nutrients the body starves.
With type II diabetes you might not notice any symptoms. Type II diabetes usually happens very gradually and the person doesn’t know about it till diabetic complications occur, then it’s too late. (3,4)
All diabetic complications are caused from high blood sugar. The longer the blood sugar goes unchecked the greater your chances of having complications. High blood sugar causes cardiovascular disease. The blood vessels begin to thicken from excess fat in the bloodstream because high blood sugar elevates the fat circulating in the blood. When the vessels thicken circulation becomes poor and with poor circulation your ability to heal is impaired. Heart attack, heart pain, and stroke are common in diabetics because of poor circulation and blocked arteries form all the fat buildup in the blood vessels.
Nerve damage is another complication of diabetes. Diabetics may notice numbness in their arms and legs because of nerve damage caused from high blood sugar. These nerves can not send signals to the brain relaying pain and touching sensations. Most diabetics will notice numbness in the feet and lower legs before other parts of the body are effected. (3,4)
The next complication is eye damage. A more sever complication because going blind is not pleasant for anyone. The eye has very small delicate vessels in the retina, these vessels help you see when light shines upon them in the eye. When blood vessels are weakened, they can hemorrhage and leak fluid into the eye. This causes swelling and blurs the vision. There is a clear gel in the eye keeping it solid and round, if blood leaks into this gel, your vision can become blurred or completely impaired. As the eye continues to get damaged, the eye will attempt to repair itself by growing new vessels. These new vessels are fragile and can burst. Scar tissue can form and cause the retina to pull away from the eye, worst case causing blindness. (3,4)
Blood vessels network throughout the entire body. Your kidneys are made up of vessels and can become damaged as well. If the vessels in the kidneys become impaired, waste cannot be eliminated from the body and a form of treatment called dialysis might be required. If blood sugar is not kept under control, damage to the kidneys will continue to the point where a transplant might be needed or daily dialysis is required to remove waste from the bloodstream. The good news is practically all of the complications that occur with diabetes can be prevented when the right care is taken.
With proper diet and nutrition one can successfully prevent diabetic complications. Along with diet and nutrition, vitamins, minerals and herbs can also help lower blood sugar and reduce the complications that may occur. The best kind of supplement is one that combines vitamins and herbs together so that they work together synergistically to effectively lower blood sugar. You might be wondering what vitamins, minerals and herbs are good for blood sugar, your in luck here is a list:
Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12, Biotin, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Gymnema Sylvestre, Bitter melon, Fenugreek seed extract, Bilberry berry extract, Bioflavonoids, and Vanadyl Sulfate. Make sure most of these ingredients are in the formula you buy. The frequency at which you take these supplements should be listed on the bottle you buy as well. As a rule of thumb they should be taken at least twice a day. Do not stop taking your normal multiple vitamin supplement; diabetic formulas are a complement to what you currently take not a replacement.
Vitamin C (ascorbic Acid) – keeps diabetics blood vessels and kidneys healthy. Vitamin C works with vitamin E to get sugar out of the blood stream and into the cells.
Vitamin E (Natural Tocopherols) – helps prevent nerve damage, helps prevent kidney damage, blindness, and heart attack. Vitamin E works with the B vitamins to help keep the pancreas healthy.
Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine HCL) – works with folic acid to help prevent nerve damage and heart attack.
Folic Acid – works with B-12 to help prevent stroke and the loss of limbs due to diabetic complications.
Vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) – works with B-6 and folic acid to help relieve neuropathic pain.
Biotin – helps insulin work better and helps keep the pancreas working well to lower blood sugar.
Magnesium (Krebs Cycle Chelate) – helps insulin work more effectively and relieves neuropathic pain.
Zinc (picolinate, chelate) – helps insulin work better and helps shuttle blood sugar into cells.
Selenium (aspartate) – helps prevent nerve damage and protects blood vessels against elevated blood sugar. Selenium mimics insulin helping blood sugar into the cells.
Copper (picolinate) – helps protect the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. Also, copper helps prevent diabetes-related damage to blood vessels and nerves, and lowers blood sugar levels.
Manganese – helps prevent damage to nerves and blood vessels.
Chromium (picolinate) – works with biotin to help bring down blood sugar and keeps the pancreas working well.
Gymnema Sylvestre leaf extract – helps balance blood sugar and may protect us from gaining weight.
Bitter melon whole fruit extract – helps pathways in the liver work more efficiently; lowers blood sugar levels.
Fenugreek seed extract – helps our kidneys and liver metabolize blood sugar more efficiently.
Bilberry berry extract – helps reduce the severity of diabetic cataracts.
Mixed bioflavonoids – helps protect vitamin C and E from becoming damaged. Helps clear and sharpen vision in diabetics.
Vanadyl sulfate – helps muscle and liver cells use insulin more effectively.
These supplements will not lower your blood sugar too much, but help bring them down to a more normal level. Diabetes is a disease that needs to be monitored daily several times throughout the day. When you start taking a diabetic supplement to help equalize your blood sugar, monitor your sugar levels more often at first so you can get a feel for where you sugar levels come down to before taking more insulin. A normal range of blood sugar for diabetics before a meal is 70 – 150 (1,2,5) and ideally 70 – 120.
The diabetic formula you may take for lowering blood sugar is by no means a license to eat any way you want. You still need to eat healthy and see your health practitioner on a regular basis. Diabetes might make you feel overwhelmed, especially if you have recently been diagnosed with it. With proper exercise, diet, and vitamin supplements you can be well on your way to a lower more manageable blood sugar level, and live a longer healthier life.
References:
1. American Diabetes Association. In the news. Available at: www.ada.yellowbrix.com/pages/ada. Accessed on December 10, 2001.
2. Guven S, Kuenzi J. Diabetes mellitus. In: Porth CM. Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott; 1998: 810-830.
3. Guyton AC, Hall JE. Diabetes mellitus. In: Textbook of Medical Physiology. 10th Ed. Philadelphia, Pa: W.B. Saunders Company;2000: .
4. Grodner M, Anderson SL, DeYoung S. Diabetes mellitus. In: Foundations and Clinical Applications of Nutrition: A Nursing Approach. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2000:540-548.
5. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Do your level best. Available at: www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/dylb/chap1.htm#e. Accessed December 31, 2001.
Debra
Thanks!
Henry
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