According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 18 million adults in the U.S. age 20 or older suffer from diabetes, with about 1.3 million more diagnosed every year. Diabetes management requires careful attention to diet, exercise and a watchful eye for other health conditions that can develop. To help, Nature Made, America’s number one broadline vitamin and mineral brand, offers nutrition and wellness tips for people living with diabetes.

“Diabetes places extreme strain on the body and can rob it of essential nutrients needed for optimal health,” says Rachel Agnew, R.D., Nature Made consumer education specialist. “Without proper management, diabetes can lead to poor circulation, blindness, increased risk of heart problems and increased oxidative stress that makes the body susceptible to illness.”

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin - a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Agnew, who has worked personally with many diabetics, offers the following tips to help maintain health and well-being for those living with diabetes:

Keep the Skins On - Eat plenty and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and leave the skins on for extra nutrients and fiber. Also, choose whole grain products, and avoid refined and processed foods.

Move it - Regular exercise helps lower blood glucose and blood pressure levels and supports weight management. Try to exercise at least three times a week, 30 minutes a session.

Speak Up - People with diabetes should consult with their preferred health care provider to determine their optimal health regimen. Your primary care physician may refer you to a certified diabetes educator to teach you about self-care. Also consider visiting with a registered dietitian to learn more about your optimal nutrition profile.

Watch It - When blood sugars are not controlled, the rate of oxidative stress increases. As a result, people with diabetes are more prone to eye problems, including glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and retinopathy, a complication unique to diabetes that occurs when high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina.

Seek Support - To help ensure optimal health and to provide nutritional support for diabetics, consider the use of a quality supplement such as Nature Made’s Diabetes Health Pack, which was recently re-formulated to include green tea extract for metabolic support. The Diabetes Health pack also contains other nutrients shown to support diabetes health including folic acid, vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid and a multivitamin with lutein.

Agnew suggests, “People with diabetes who manage it with proper diet and exercise can decrease their risk factors for other conditions. Eating right for diabetes, including a low-fat diet with lots of vegetables and whole grains for fiber to control blood sugar levels, should help lower the risk for the disorders described above. Weight loss, if needed, and exercise also helps to improve and control blood sugars.”

For more information, see Nature Made Wellness.

Recent Entries

• Laughing is good for the heart
• Absence of critical protein linked to infertility
• Head and neck cancer research
• Vertebroplasty and fractures
• Smoking while pregnant causes finger, toe deformities
• Dogs can smell early-stage cancer!
• Understanding fatigue in chronic liver disease
• Immune substances may help antibody-based drugs fight cancer
• Asthma txt alerts!
• New depression research

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 8th, 2005 at 6:54 am and is filed under Diabetes, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.