The Temporary Tattoo That Tests Blood Sugar

A painful prick of the fingertip reveals a mountain of medical information for many diabetes patients. But health professionals have long struggled to find a reliable and painless way to gather blood sugar measurements. Just last year, Google announced that it was developing contact lenses that measure glucose levels in its user’s tears. But now, nanoengineers may have found an even easier way for diabetes patients to monitor their vital levels: temporary tattoos.

Amay Bandodkar, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego, has created a flexible sensor that uses a mild electrical current to measure glucose levels in a person’s body. Measuring blood sugar levels multiple times a day is vital for diabetes patients because it shows how well their body is managing their disease as well as the dose of insulin they require, if they need any at all. But because many people find needles unpleasant, they tend to avoid measuring their levels, which puts them at risk of developing serious medical complications. The new device is painless—It contains electrodes printed on a thin tattoo paper that patients can even dispose after use. “Presently the tattoo sensor can easily survive for a day,” Bandodkar said in a statement. “These are extremely inexpensive—a few cents—and hence can be replaced without much financial burden on the patient.”  

The tattoo has already provided accurate glucose measures for seven healthy patients, the team reported in a recent issue of the journal Analytical Chemistry. The patients, all non-diabetics between the ages of 20 and 40, wore the tattoos before eating a sandwich and drinking a soda. Following the carb-rich meal, the tattoo recorded the spike in each patient’s glucose levels as accurately as a traditional finger-stick device. The tattoo is a few steps away from providing the numeric value of glucose levels, so scientists have to remove and analyze it in order to retrieve its measurements.

 Eventually, Bandodkar said the tattoo will have “Bluetooth capabilities to send this information directly to the patient's doctor in real-time or store data in the cloud.”

The researchers hope the tattoo will eventually be used to monitor levels of other compounds in the blood, like metabolites, medications, or alcohol and illegal drugs. Whatever the application, the fewer needles the better. 

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How do I learn to avoid the complications of diabetes?

How do I learn to avoid the complications of diabetes?

You've probably heard the saying that diabetes is not dangerous by itself, but its complications are. What distinguishes a person with diabetes from healthy one? Why complications develop and can we avoid them? Let us remember what is diabetes? Diabetes - chronically elevated blood sugar. This is the only difference in terms of a healthy person and a patient with diabetes.

By following the tips below, you can live a full active life and avoid the complications

1. Plan your "carbohydrate" menu  

If you have diabetes - that does not mean you have to completely abandon the carbohydrates. You just need to give preference to products that contain carbohydrates that are slowly digested. Products containing whole grains, legumes, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables - this is what you need!

read this : Diabetes : 6 Foods that lower your blood sugar

Expert advice from health professionals on dieting for diabetes patients

2. Lose weight if you are overweight

Even if you lose couple of kilos, it will improve the body's ability to use insulin. Reduction of body weight will help regulate blood pressure, will help to reduce cholesterol levels and blood sugar.

read this : Life style with Diabetes

3. Get enough sleep

The fact that you are sleeping too little or too much may increase appetite and craving for foods high in carbohydrates. This can lead to excess weight gain and the development of cardiovascular diseases. Healthy recommended sleeping duration last for 7-8 hours a day.

4. Be physically active

Walking, dancing, cycling and even walking in place while you're talking on the phone, help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, reduce cholesterol and keep weight and blood pressure are normal. Performphysical activity at least half an hour a day - it will help you relieve stress and may even reduce the number of medications taken for diabetes.

5. Check daily blood sugar

This check will help you avoid complications. In addition, you'll see how different products and physical activity are affecting you sugar levels.

6. Control your stress

In diabetes, stress can induce an increased concentration of glucose in the blood. Avoid stressful situations and discover relaxation techniques. Breathing exercises, yoga and meditation can be especially effective in diabetes.

7. Say "no" to salt!

Reducing salt intake can help lower blood pressure and protect the kidneys. Sometimes it is not enough just to decrease salt in food, because a lot of salt is contained in the baked meat. Try, if possible, to prepare their own meal. Try to partially replace salt and spices.

8. Heart disease and diabetes

The cause of the serious complications of diabetes can be a cardiovascular disease. To prevent such complications you should:

·         Determine average blood sugar levels every 2-3 months

·         To keep blood pressure at 130/80 on average

·         Maintainblood cholesterol at 100 mg / dl, HDL - above 40 mg / dl and triglyceride - less than 150 mg / dl.

9. Watch out for trauma and bruises

Diabetes increases the risk of infection and slows healing of wounds, so you should take seriously the cuts and scratches. In case of injury, you must respond immediately: clean the wound and treat with antibacterial bandage. Consult your doctor if the wound doesn’t heal in few days. Regularly check the feet for cuts, blisters, redness or swelling.

read this : Endocrinologist tips : how to prevent losing your leg to diabetes ?

What is diabetic neuropathy? and how to prevent it

10. Do not smoke

Smokers with diabetes are twice as likely to die prematurely. Quitting smoking will positively affect the lungs, heart and lowers blood pressure, reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and nerve damage and kidney disease.

11. Pick the right diet

Carefully study the labels on the products. Avoid consumption of saturated fats and trans fats. Instead, give preference to products containing mono- and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil. It is useful to have as a fish in it contain omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. Eat more vegetables, fruits and salads with leafy greens.

      Statistics show that a person with diabetes, but with controlled levels of glucose and taking regularly vitamins, is much less likely to suffer from severe complications of diabetes. Each component of the vitamin complex provides the patient's body protection from deterioration and severity of the disease.

read this : What to eat and what not to eat when you are diabetic

12. Visit a doctor

Be sure to go to the doctor 2-4 times a year. If you are taking insulin, you may need to visit the doctor more often. Once a year, go through a full examination of the body, in particular, examination of condition of the eyes, kidneys and nerves. Visit a dentist twice a year.

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Diabetic’s superfood : the Foods That Improve Diabetes

Diabetic’s superfood

1.   ALMOND (increased glucose metabolism)

Nuts undoubtedly have huge benefits on human health, they contain large amounts of nutrients and minerals.

Almonds are able to normalize blood sugar levels. It is low in carbohydrates, and with large amounts of magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral that is involved in many processes in the body. In particular, in the regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure

Scientists were able to learn that people with diabetes have low magnesium in the blood. Clinical trials have shown that a sufficient amount of magnesium in the body has increased insulin response and reduces blood sugar level.

2. Dark chocolate (improves insulin sensitivity)

It would seem the enemy of all diabetics is chocolate? This is not true. Chocolate made from the cocoa, one of the active ingredients is flavonoids, which remain in the cocoa powder after its production.

Ongoing clinical studies have shown that cocoa helps to improve insulin sensitivity, especially in case of Type II diabetes. The increased sensitivity to insulin, your body will become more effective at moving the sugar from the blood into cells, it will give you extra energy.

Dark chocolate can be beneficial to your health, but there is one thing. Your chocolate should really be black, and contain at least 85% cocoa.

20 grams of 85% chocolate contains 120 calories (500 kJ), 9.2 g carbohydrates, of which 4.8 grams of sugar. The lower the percentage of cocoa, the higher calorie and sugar.

3.   Coffee (reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes)

Studies have shown that those who have a cup of coffee everyday have a lower chance of developing diabetes. The risk of diabetes is reduced by 18%.

The exact cause of what is the reason is not known, most likely reason is the polyphenols, which in large quantities found in coffee. Polyphenol compounds possess antioxidant properties.

Also coffee contains many minerals such as magnesium, which is associated with increased sensitivity to insulin.

4.   Green coffee (reduces the absorption of sugar)

Green coffee is very different from the roast. Coffee beans contain large amounts of chlorogenic acid, the active ingredient, bringing great benefits to health.

Studies have demonstrated that chlorogenic acid limits the absorption of glucose in the blood, which in turn reduces the level of blood sugar.

5.   GREEN TEA (improves glucose control)

Coffee is good, green coffee is even better, but green tea is best.

The main active ingredients of green tea are polyphenols which are involved in glucose metabolism. Polyphenols gnawed antioxidant properties, they protect cells from premature aging.

Use of green tea reduces the risk of developing Type II diabetes by 28%.

6. Apple cider vinegar (may improve glucose metabolism)

Since ancient times vinegar was used for various health problems. The most popular and best vinegar is apple cider vinegar. Studies have shown that vinegar reduces blood glucose by 34%.

There are many studies conducted on animals and humans, which indicate that the vinegar improves glucose metabolism in one form or another.

7. CINNAMON (can reduce the absorption of sugars and significantly improved insulin sensitivity)

Cinnamon is a great seasoning and spice, it is used since ancient times, and it is one of the most popular spices of ancient Egypt and China. Even in ancient times people have been known beneficial and healing properties of cinnamon.

Some compounds in cinnamon reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes, which slow down the absorption of glucose. As a result, less sugar enters the bloodstream after ingestion of food. Clinical studies suggests a daily dose of cinnamon extract significantly improves insulin sensitivity in patients with Type II diabetes.

The daily dose, which has antidiabetic effect of 2 - 6 grams, it is best to eat carbohydrate foods with cinnamon.

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Diabetic neuropathy and pain relief

Diabetic neuropathy and pain relief

Diabetes can literally get on your nerves. Burning, numbness, tingling, sharp pain, electric vibration - so often describe the sensation in hands, feet and the fingertips of people who have diabetic polyneuropathy (a complication of diabetes). If you ignore the illness, it is with a considerable degree of probability will be developed. However, together with your doctor and with the help of modern medicine, you can put the pain barrier.

Why does it hurt?

Neuralgia develops gradually. The longer the time pain exist, the stronger pain. It causes serious damage to the nerve cells and eventually lead to their extinction. Since the nervous system may lose the ability to control the painful feeling

Medication against pain

For those who barely perceptible to pain, low potency anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen are very suitable. But if the patient experiences severe pain, it makes no sense to start with low-level drugs. The emergence of non-narcotic drugs, most of which belong to the family of antidepressants and anticonvulsants, changed the approach to the treatment of pain in diabetic neuropathy.

Topical treatment

Local analgesics in the form of a cream or gel can ease tingling, numbness or aching pain in the extremities.Capsaicin have a positive effect, butits not easy to use for people with a burning pain, because Capsaicin itself burns and pricks - as a result, the pain only increases.

Unlike capsaicin, lidocaine anesthetics are applied to the skin in the form of an elastic adhesive (LIDODERM), which does not irritate the skin. The patch can be applied for pain relief to the most affected areas not more than12 hours.

Preventing pain

It is easier and cheaper to prevent pain than to treat it. In addition to careful control of blood sugar. There are three ways to prevent the occurrence of nerve pain: 

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Diabetes and hearing loss

Diabetes and hearing loss

It may seem surprising, but studies have shown a link between diabetes and hearing loss. Scientist’s analyzed data from a study found that 21% of surveyed patients with diabetes had hearing loss, compared with 9% in non-diabetics. By analyzing the data further, they found that people with hearing loss are also more likely to report that they have diabetes. This was true regardless of age, except for those from 60 to 69 years. Based on these data, the researchers found that there was a 28% incidence of at least a minor hearing loss in people with diabetes. The researchers also found that the association was stronger between diabetes and high-frequency hearing loss than between diabetes and low or medium frequency hearing loss.

Physical changes caused by diabetes

Diabetes can cause many changes in the hearing mechanism.

The ability to hear is dependent on the blood vessels and nerves located in the inner ear. Maintaining a high level of glucose in the blood over an extended period of time facilitates damage to nerves and blood vessels, which leads to the development of deafness.

People with diabetes often have less keratin. The reduced amount of the protein can result in hearing loss.

In addition, the eighth cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve) - one branch which carries audio signals from the cochlea to the brain - may also experience damage to the insulating sheath that protects nerve fibers (demyelination), resulting in sensorineural hearing loss. Also affected tissue in the ear canal, affecting hearing.

Cochlea may be experiencing thickening of their walls, or loss of hair cells. Diabetes can even lead to damage to the nerves associated with hearing; higher levels of sugar in the blood cause a chemical change that affects the ability of the nerves to carry audio signals. Capillaries inner ear may also be densified, causing similar results.

What to do with diabetes?

Due to the abundance of evidence linking hearing loss with diabetes, diabetics must test their hearing regularly, in addition to control of blood sugar. This is important because some experts say that the prevalence of hearing loss in patients with diabetes may be higher than is actually known.

In diabetes prevalent sensorineural hearing loss, which cannot be cured, but unpleasant symptoms can be eliminated through the use of hearing aids. Modern hearing aids are able to make a sound not only louder, but also clearer. They also have an automatic volume control function and eliminate background noise.

Do not be afraid to use hearing aids. Currently, these devices are so compact that will not be noticeable gaze of others. Patients suffering from hearing loss, likely to develop depression and fencing themselves from the real world. Control of the disease and the use of hearing aids allow patients to lead a full life .

Common symptoms of hearing loss are:

1. frequent requests to repeat the statement;
2. Complexity in the perception of the conversation, which involved more than two interlocutors;
3. the impression that others are very quiet;
4. problems of speech recognition in public places;
5. difficulty recognizing voices of women and children;

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Defeat diabetes by staying positive after being diagnosed

Defeat diabetes by staying positive after being diagnosed

If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes and feeling like its end of world now as you can’t live the way you used to be, then you are at right place as there are some awesome tips to stay positive and live with your condition full life.

You are not alone

There are more than 380 million people around the world with diabetes right now and it predicted that number of diabetics will increase by 30% till 2030. So you are the only one. It translates to that many people around the word are dealing with this condition which in turn increasing the interest of many health experts and organizations to work to find best ways to care and cure this disease. But remember, till now, there is no cure for diabetes and don’t fall for advertisements which clam to totally cure it.

Present time is rather very favorable

This era is of technological revolution which is not leaving medical development alone. As a big portion of global population is affected by diabetes, many big players are trying to develop new drugs and methods to treat. And as diabetes is rather not an old disease, we have hundreds of research work done already on it. So medical specialists are in very good position of dealing with diabetes a on the basis of data generated during last decades.  

You don’t have to turn your lifer upside down

You don’t have to follow a military workout regime or starve you self to that tasty treats. As mentioned earlier we have a lot of research done already and it shows that even losing couple of pounds gradually can decrease blood pressure and improve glucose metabolism, that’s why the primary treatment of diabetes type 2 is losing weight, just couple of pounds. As changing your life style is difficult but once you made these small changes and will stick with them, you will see very positive improvement in your health.

Look for proper guide from specialists

You can’t control of things which you don’t understand, that’s why look for an educator, more precisely, diabetic educator. Yes that’s a profession and these professional can help you understand yourself, set a health goal and help you achieve that goal.

Look for fellows who are in same sip as you

Be a part of social media revolution and utilize its powers to connect with the people who also diabetics on global level. There are a lot of online support groups on Facebook, twitter and other platforms which are quite good to keep you up to date with new development, personal experiences and support.

Stay more active during your day

Make small efforts to be more active in daily life, like don’t use remote control to change your TV channel rather move from sofa and change it, go to the shop at corner of block by walk instead of walk and keep a 30 minutes daily light workout habit. By staying active will increase you sleeping quality, decrease blood pressure, mobilize cholesterol in your body and burn extra fats.

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Top Power Foods for Diabetes : Diabetes Diet

Diabetes is on the rise, yet most cases are preventable with healthy lifestyle changes.
Living with diabetes doesn't have to mean feeling deprived . We'll help you learn to balance your meals and make the healthiest food choices.

To help manage your diabetes, your meals need to be:

• Regular and spread evenly throughout the day
• Lower in fat, particularly saturated fat
• If you take insulin or diabetes tablets, you may need to have between meal snacks

Fat

Fats have the highest energy (kilojoule or calorie) content of all foods. Eating too much fat can make you put on weight, which may make it more difficult to manage blood glucose levels. While it is important to try and reduce fat in your diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight, some fat is good for health.

Beans

Beans have more to boast about than being high in fiber (plant compounds that help you feel full, steady blood sugar, and even lower cholesterol; a half cup of black beans delivers more than 7 grams). They're a not-too-shabby source of calcium, a mineral that research shows can help burn body fat. In ½ cup of white beans, you'll get almost 100 mg of calcium—about 10% of your daily intake. Beans also make an excellent protein source; unlike other proteins Americans commonly eat (such as red meat), beans are low in saturated fat—the kind that gunks up arteries and can lead to heart disease.

Herbs, condiments & drinks

You can use these following foods to add flavour and variety to your meals.
Herbs, spices, garlic, chilli, lemon juice, vinegar and other seasonings.
Products labelled ‘low joule’ (e.g. low joule/diet soft drinks, low joule jelly).
Tea, coffee, herbal tea, water, soda water, plain mineral water.
Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink

Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away -- specifically the cardiologist. A 2012 study at Ohio State University published in the Journal of Functional Foods found that eating just one apple a day for four weeks lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol by 40 percent. The professor leading the study explained that not all antioxidants are created equal, and that a particular type of antioxidant in apples had a profound effect on lowering LDLs, a contributor to heart disease. The study was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Apple Association, among other supporters.

Sugar

A healthy eating plan for diabetes can include some sugar. However, it is important to consider the nutritional value of the foods you eat. In general, foods with added sugars should be consumed sparingly (manufacturers sometimes use fruit juice or other sources of sugar to avoid using table sugar). In particular, high energy foods such as sweets, lollies and standard soft drinks should not be consumed on a regular basis.

Some sugar may also be used in cooking and many recipes can be modified to use less than the amount stated or substituted with an alternative sweetener. Select recipes that are low in fat (particularly saturated fat) and contain some fibre.
Alternative sweeteners

The use of intense sweeteners by people with diabetes is preferable to use of natural sugars.

Tuna

Another amazingly healthy fish, a 3-ounce piece of tuna contains 1,300 mg of omega-3s and a respectable amount of vitamin D to boot. But tuna can be high in mercury, a compound that may cause neurological problems in huge doses. To be safe, buy canned light tuna instead of albacore and limit your tuna intake to 12 ounces a week.

Asparagus

Based on taste alone, asparagus is a favorite food for many. But you'll really love that it's a nonstarchy vegetable with only 5 grams of carb, 20 calories, and almost 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving. It's especially high in an antioxidant called glutathione, which plays a key role in easing the effects of aging and many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Oats

Like barley and beans, oats are a diabetes power food because of their fiber content—a half cup of instant oats provides 4 g. Research shows that oat lovers can also lower total and "bad" LDL cholesterol and improve insulin resistance. All the soluble fiber oats contain slows the rate at which your body can break down and absorb carbohydrates, which means your blood sugar levels stay stable.

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