Six Ways to Help Manage Diabetes

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Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects roughly 90%-95% of all people who have diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes is also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes because you do not need to take daily insulin shots to control it. Type 2 Diabetes can be easily managed by doing several things in your normal daily routine such as watching your diet, eating at the same time every day, and doing some type of exercise several times a week. Just keep in mind that you must take control of your non-insulin dependent diabetes and don’t let it take control of you.

There are so many different ways to manage every type of diabetes mellitus out there today. So what we are going to do here is take a look at just a few of those ways. In doing this it should help you gain a little more understanding into what you can do to help make living with diabetes just a little bit easier.

Avoid oils such as vegetable, seed, and bean that were heated during their processing. Only use cold pressed or unheated varieties such as olive oil.

Avoid any bean, seed, or vegetable oils that were heated for cooking purposes especially those that were grilled, roasted, or fired. The hotter they get the larger the amount of trans fats that will be present.

You should definitely avoid any and all fats and oils that have been processed. Some examples of these processed fats and oils are: any type of margarine, any hydrogenated fats, as well as any of the aforementioned fats and oils. This list also contains soy and canola oil.

You should use olive oil in any salads or salad dressings that require oil for the recipe. This would also include any raw food recipes as well.

You can also use raw linseed oil as long as it is cold pressed. You will find this oil packaged in dark bottles and nitrogen sealed. You should consume the contents of the bottle within two weeks of opening to gain all the health benefits.

When looking for eggs choose those that come from healthy free range chickens if possible. This may sound rough but you need to take in three or more of these daily in raw form.

Keep in mind that this is only a short list of what can be done with your diet to help you manage diabetes mellitus. So next time you put together a shopping list consider adding these items to it to help aid in smooth flowing arteries. Those hardened arteries will do nothing but cause you long term problems and can even lead to death.

Diabetes And The Long Term Dangers

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Diabetes has hidden dangers that begin before diagnosis and continue to worsen if certain steps are not taken to prevent the complications that are the true, “killers” in terms of diabetes.

Statistics show that there are around 18 million diabetics in America, both Type 1 and Type 2. It is amazing how many people, diabetics included, who have no idea what dangers a diabetic faces over their lifetime. A diabetic, all things being equal, lives almost 10 years less than their non-diabetic counterpart on average.

Why do diabetics life shorter life spans than non-diabetics? The answer is both simple and complicated. Simple in explaining in general terms, complicated in the medical sense. Without traveling the complicated route in this article, I will try to give a simple, straight forward answer to the above question. Diabetics live shorter lives than non-diabetics because of diabetic complications.

What Are Diabetic Complications?

Diabetic complications are chronic medical conditions that begin to affect the body of the diabetic. These complications are brought about mostly by a condition the medical community had named, “Advanced Glycation End products” which is simply, “excess sugar” saturating the inside of the cells of the body. This condition also called AGE for short includes coronary artery disease, vascular disease, blindness, kidney disease, retinopathy (blindness) and loss of feeling in the hands and the feet (peripheral neuropathy) among others.

Diabetes in the early stages does not produce symptoms. Unless found during a routine medical exam, it is possible for a diabetic to remain undiagnosed for years. It is during these years that the beginnings of diabetic complications can gain a foothold due excess sugar in the cells (AGE). The statistics show there is the possibility of as many as over 5 million people going about their normal lives while having undiagnosed diabetes.

Are Diabetic Complications A Certainty?

While the current consensus is that the formula for diabetic complications Diabetes Time = Complications. What this means is there is a much higher potential of a diabetic becoming diagnosed with one or more diabetic complications over time. This is partly due to how well the individual monitors and controls his/her blood sugar.

Drastic rises and falls of blood sugar can be hard on the body and the excess sugar present in the cells create havoc on the different nerves within the body as well as the capillaries, veins, and arteries. The evidence to date show that excellent control of blood sugar and an active lifestyle goes a very long way in preventing and/or slowing down the onset of diabetic complications.

The Different Types Of Diabetes

There are two types of diabetes – Type One and Type Two. Type One attacks children and young adults and is characterized by the pancreas failing to produce insulin which is a hormone that breaks down sugars and starches while converting them into energy. Type Two occurs usually later in an adult’s life and is characterized by the pancreas being unable to produce enough insulin due to several factors, obesity being one of them.

Around 10 percent of diabetics are Type One while the other 90 percent are Type Two. The major difference between the two being that Type One diabetics are completely dependent on insulin and take daily injections while the Type Two’s have both those who require insulin shots while others can rely on oral medication and/or changes in diet and exercise.

The Risk Factors Surrounding Diabetes

There are several risk factors that can push a pre-diabetic into full blown diabetes.

1) being overweight.

2) family history of diabetes,

3) lack of adequate exercise.

4) history of gestational diabetes (occurs during pregnancy and usually disappears after delivery).

5) certain ethnic groups

People over 45 years of age and has one or several of the risk factors mentioned above should be screened for diabetes each year, preferably during an annual medical exam. It has been shown that people with these risk factors comprise the majority of diagnosed cases of diabetes each year.

What Tests Help Diagnose Diabetes Cases?

There are two, main tests used for determining whether or not a person has a glucose intolerance:

1) Fasting Plasma Glucose Test

2) Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Both of these tests can determine glucose intolerance which is where blood sugar is higher than what is considered normal. This is not always an indication of diabetes however.

Can The Onset Of Diabetes Be Prevented?

People with the above risk factors can go a long way toward preventing the development of full-blown diabetes by making significant lifestyle change. What are lifestyle changes? Changing unhealthy diets to more blood sugar friendly ones, doing enough exercise to help offset increased blood sugar levels and keep the body healthy and losing weight especially if considered obese by the medical community.

If you are pre-diabetic you need to stay on a strict diabetic diet. Ask your healthcare professional for a diet that meets that criteria and limit cakes, candy, cookies, and other things made of simple sugars. Eat small, nutritious meals and eat 5 times a day instead of only three.

If you are already diagnosed with full-blown diabetes, you should follow the same diet while under the meticulous care of your healthcare professional. Keep your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar within proper limits and have your eyes checked every year.

Diabetes can contribute to blindness, kidney disease and heart disease. Complications caused nearly 70,000 deaths in 2000.

What Can The Diabetic Look Forward To?

Diabetic complications can be prevented or lessened for a longer time period by paying serious attention to lifestyle. A diabetic who eats right, keeps his blood sugar in control and within accepted limits, exercises and gets proper rest can expect to have a quality of life that is much higher in terms of the pain and suffering that diabetic complications brings into the lives of diabetics who do nothing to change their lifestyle.

What begins to occur in the diabetic who starts to develop complications because of uncontrolled blood sugars over time is a life filled with the possibility of becoming an invalid, either blind, an amputee, or suffering renal failure or a heart attack.

The above paints a rather grim picture if lifestyle changes are not adhered to. Research has shown that the diabetic that keeps their blood sugar within acceptable limits and follows a healthy, diabetic lifestyle that has been shown to be effective against diabetic complications stands a much better chance of not developing many of the complications their less than dedicated counterparts do.

There is a new derivative of thiamine (Vitamin B1) available now that is showing great promise in greatly reducing the excess sugar in the cells of the diabetic, the process known as Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGE).

Is Benfotiamine Effective Against Diabetic Complications?

Benfotiamine is a lipid soluble derivative of thiamine. Japanese researchers developed benfotiamine in the 1950′s and later patented it in the United States in 1962. No one in the US medical community paid much attention to it at the time. For the past 12 years in Europe it has been used for neuropathy, retinopathy and other uses.

The chemical name and formula for benfotiamine is: S-benzoylthiamine-O-monophosphate (C19H23N4O6PS). It wasn’t until a group of researchers in New York at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University released the results of their research in 2003 in Nature Medicine Magazine did the rest of the world begin to take a look at this substance.

Benfotiamine is unique and was reported by Michael Brownlee, M.D., as showing much promise in preventing nerve and blood-vessel damage in diabetics. Every diagnosed diabetic has been told by his/her healthcare provider that diabetic complications are the true killers in terms of diabetes.

If you are a diabetic or know a diabetic, you may find additional information about benfotiamine and view research that has been recently conducted showing the benefits of preventing diabetic complications by following the link to the website below.

Certified Medical Assistant

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Are you interested in becoming a certified medical assistant? If so, then you are going to want to make sure that you are learning as much about the field as possible. This way, you will know exactly what you are getting into and you will be able to make the most of your time in school, of your time while looking for work and while you are in the middle of your work. When you know what you are getting into, you will be able to succeed with ease.

One thing you will want to understand is that there is actually a lot of work that the certified medical assistant has to do. Within this line of work, the certified assistant can be responsible for anything from bookkeeping to answering the front desk telephone to assisting with direct patient care. What you will be responsible with will depend on your education, your experience and who you are employed by.

If you are still a little concerned about whether or not you have a clear understanding of what to expect, see if you can’t find a mentor, someone who works in the field currently or who has in the past, and see if you can’t get some guidance from them. More in likely, he or she will be able to give you all of the information you could ever possibly need when it comes to working as a certified medical assistant.

When you finally know for sure that this is the right field for you, it is time to start taking a close look at all of your options as far as schooling goes. Even though there are going to be some schools that are more advertised than others, you are really going to want to make sure that you are taking a close look at all of the options you can find. This way, you will not miss out on the perfect opportunity.

There are trade schools and there are community colleges that can assist you in getting a step closer to becoming the certified medical assistant that you want to be. There are actually two main routes to becoming certified in this field. There are the diploma courses and then there are the Associate’s degrees that can be earn. Obviously, the Associate’s degree is going to take you a little more time and it is going to cost you a little bit more money, but the end result may be well worth it. Those who have an Associate’s degree are generally able to command more money for their time and knowledge.

How a Personal Fitness Trainer Can Help

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The need for a personal fitness trainer has increased with the realization that each one of us has a different body structure and composition. If you are not happy following a fitness program that had been instituted keeping no one specific in mind, you need a personal fitness coach.

Gone are the days when only movie stars could afford to hire professional fitness trainers. In this age, you are likely to be assigned with a fitness instructor when you enroll yourself in a truly professional gym. A personal fitness coach is responsible for devising a fitness program that is suited for your body only. Each workout routine is customized and made keeping the specific needs of the client in mind.

The benefits of a professional trainers are numerous. A fitness coach will pinpoint each part of your body that has to go through strength training. They will help you distinguish the parts of the body that needs to be toned up through personal training sessions.

A physical fitness trainer will help you in choosing the right instruments you needs and the appropriate way of using them. Through personal fitness training sessions, you will be taught the correct postures.

A certified fitness trainer has complete knowledge about diet, anatomy, nutrition, and physiology. He/She will put down the apt diet chart for you and help you realize that the dream figure can be achieved only if you combine a balanced diet and an effective fitness program.

Personal training guided by a fitness coach is needed to understand which weight loss program is best suited for you. A personal fitness instructor will also motivate you and keep you passionate about the workouts through a combination of various exercises.

Fitness Accessories To Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals

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When it comes to staying fit and staying committed to your fitness goals we can do with all the support and help that we can get. When we want to lose weight we know that doing regular exercise will help us do that but we also know that it can take a lot of effort to get started and to keep going.

The reality with trying to lose weight is that it takes time as you do not see the results immediately. That is why many people fail to commit to achieving their fitness goals. When they reach their first obstacle such as their limbs hurting due to aches and pains they tend to give up. At the beginning it is easier because we are full of enthusiasm and that gives us the momentum to get started. However, as time goes on we sometimes need the support to help us to stay motivated in losing weight.

We can rely on our friends and family to help us to stay motivated by encouraging us along during the low periods. However, we cannot expect them to be there all the time. Therefore, it is beneficial to use fitness accessories that can help you stay motivated to help you achieve your weight loss goals. One fitness accessory that many people have found effective is the heart rate monitor watch. You wear these HRM watches on your wrist just like a normal watch. You also wear a chest trap and this transmits your heart rate signals to the watch and this calculates your average and maximum heart rate during your workout.

A key reason that many people find it hard to continue to stay motivated to achieve their weight loss goals is because they do not see if they are making progress. However, certain heart rate monitor watches offer features that enable you to measure the amount of calories you are burning during each workout session. For example, you can set your goals based on the amount of calories you need to burn on daily or weekly basis.

Fitness Help To Lose Body Fat Quickly

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If you want to lose body fat quickly, and get in shape, then fitness help is on the way. One of the most frustrating things is to workout hard, and not get fat loss results. Another is to have the desire to transform your body, but not know exactly what to do program wise. Rest assured your workout help is on the way.

It is no secret that the most effective way of melting away unwanted body fat is to combine exercise with a calorie reduced diet. However, what is the best way to maximize the fitness part of the fat loss, and muscle shaping equation? This article will answer that all important question.

Being a fitness professional for over 25 years I am eager to reveal some of my biggest workout tips ever in order to help you not only lose belly fat fast, but also get fit along the way.

There is a right way to do things, and an inefficient, non-productive way of putting together your fitness program. Pay close attention because the exercise fat loss tips I mention below will be of great fitness help to you.

Employ each of the principles mentioned below to maximize body fat loss, and gain the confidence that you will get fit quick in the most efficient, effective manner possible.

Now let your workout tips to melt away fat begin!

1. Add strength training to your exercise program.

When I say exercise I mean strength training, plus cardiovascular sessions. In order to lose body fat quickly you will need to incorporate both modalities of exercise.

As your body fat begins to drop, strength training will make sure you maintain as much metabolically active lean tissue as possible. By maintaining muscle you will not only boost up your resting metabolic rate, but also shape up your body.

For the best fitness help I recommend doing cardiovascular work immediately after your strength training sessions.

In order to lose body fat quickly I recommend working with weights two non-consecutive days each week for about 30 minutes a session. If done properly, with adequate progressive intensity, you will witness fantastic results.

Follow the basic 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions, and attempt to progress each fitness training session.

For every 1 pound of muscle you add to your body you will residually boost up your metabolism 6 calories per day. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but muscle is 3 times more metabolically active than fat. 1 pound of fat melts away only 2 calories per day.

2. Do cardio after strength training, and incorporate HIIT.

Fitness help is on the way, big time, with this powerful little workout tip! What you need to do for maximum fat loss is to do your cardiovascular work immediately after your strength training session. I also recommend doing it in a high intensity interval training (HIIT) fashion.

The benefits of HIIT include burning more calories, greater EPOC, or calorie burn after training, and less time invested in exercise. Also, greater aerobic capacity gains can be seen when using the HIIT cardio protocol.

When I perform high intensity intervals in a cardiovascular fashion I generally only go for 10 minutes – one minute on, and one minute rest.

3. Stick to compound strength training movements.

In order to burn more calories, and activate more muscle tissue I highly recommend sticking with compound strength training movements. It will be of great fitness help to do multi-joint exercises. You know, the exercises where more than one muscle group is working. Examples include – squat, leg press, chest press, pulldown, deadlift, shoulder press, etc.

4. Schedule your fitness program workouts on your calendar.

In order to keep focused on your workout program I always recommend writing down goals, and scheduling your training sessions on a calendar. This will help you stay on task so you won’t miss any valuable training sessions.

Another good motivation tool is to reward yourself for accomplishing mini-goals. Celebrate certain landmarks you set like losing 5, 10, and 15 pounds. Enjoy your success!

5. What you put into your mouth is the most important aspect to losing body fat fast.

Yes, exercise needs to be incorporated with a calorie reduction diet in order for quick weight loss to occur. However, limiting what you consume in calories is the most effective way of getting rid of unwanted body fat quickly.

My big fitness help advice is to be very consistent on reducing your caloric intake by at least 250, preferably 500 calories each, and every day.

Why? Because it takes a lot of exercise to burn off 250, or 500 calories. Whatever you burn off is a bonus, but calories through exercise are hard to burn off. It is very easy eating the whole pizza, and throwing down 1500 calories. How long will it take you to run that off? Hours!

Moral of the story- your caloric consumption is crucial! Limit it on a daily basis in order to lose body fat quickly. I can’t stress the importance of this variable enough.

Go ahead, and incorporate each of these fitness tips mentioned above. Doing so will bring you the fitness help you desperately need in order to not only lose body fat quickly, but also get fit fast. Enjoy your newfound results

 

How Does Fitness Training Help?

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Your body is your asset. It has to bear the brunt of your stressful life, it has to undergo intense pressure, and it has to be strong in trying times. Often people tend to take their body for granted, not knowing how important it is to take utmost care of the same. Staying healthy and fit is in your hands and you need to go all out to ensure a proper and efficient functioning of the several physical processes.

The awareness of fitness training has grown leaps and bounds in the recent times. This is because more and more people are realizing the need of maintaining a fit body to keep up with the relentless pace of life. Weight loss is no more the only thing that motivates one to exercise. Of the many other reasons, fighting with diseases and physical disorders is the most important. A sedentary and inactive life is often responsible for a host of ailments that can rob you of your life. Before it gets too late, try and include exercising in your daily routine. This will also help you to keep your muscles, bones and joints in a flexible condition even in an advanced age.

Why do you need to keep fit? In the hectic and busy life that you lead, is there time to put in hours of fitness training? Isn’t working exhausting enough to lose calories? If these are the questions that are going on in your mind, take a look at the following points. These will help you understand the importance of fitness in your life:
Exercising helps you to stay in shape. Do you want to look fat and round? Or do you want a slim and lean figure? Working out regularly under the supervision of a professional fitness trainer can help you be in shape and flaunt a good body. It also visibly reduces the signs of aging. So, you can continue looking slim, trim and attractive even when you have left your youth behind!

It helps in stress management. It increases your strength and stamina and improves personal performance.
When you look good, you feel good! Thus keeping fit can also lift your spirits and help you be in a good mood.
It has been seen that apart from physical improvement, regular exercising also contributes towards lessening mental disorders like depression.

Health and fitness depend largely on the kind of nutrition you take on a daily basis and the amount of physical activity that is included in your lifestyle. Besides general activities like walking, jogging or swimming, it’s best to take professional help when it comes to working out. There are several kinds of exercises and you may not know which one will suit you most. Having a personal trainer will help you in setting realistic fitness goals, determining what kind of exercise will be the most effective and at the same time, assist you in maintaining a track record of your progress.

Keeping fit and staying healthy have more advantages than you can probably fathom. So, without thinking more, start your fitness training today and see the kind of improvement it brings to your life!

Cardio Fitness Will Help You Live Longer

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Cardio fitness, also known as cardio respiratory endurance, is a vital part of every exercise routine, which is geared towards enhancing an individual’s health and well-being. Improved cardiovascular fitness aids in enhancing muscular endurance and allows the body to sustain various activities for certain duration of time by providing oxygen-rich blood to the lungs, heart and the vascular system. A good cardiovascular fitness helps improve physiologic and psychological health through fitness components, enhanced target rates and intense cardio workouts.

Cardio Workouts: Improving Cardio Fitness

Exercise plans that are aimed at enhancing cardio respiratory endurance are also known as cardio workouts and usually contain three general components.

Constant implementation. Most cardio workout routines need to be performed three to five times a week. Alternate your workout plans with your rest days. However, there are mild cardio exercises that can be performed everyday if it doesn’t really strain the body’s muscular or skeletal system.

Specific time duration. Most fitness plans are geared towards the improvement of the heart’s cardiovascular system and should be performed in less than twenty minutes. Longer cardio routines usually result in an increased heart and vascular endurance.

Sustained cardio intensity levels. Efficient cardio workouts would need that your target heart rate to be achieved at a certain predetermined duration of time based on desired outcomes and fitness levels.

Before starting any fitness plan, a routine physical check up and consult should be done by the physician. The physical assessment provides information pertaining to a person’s overall health, potential problems and other aspects where cardio fitness workouts and strength training can be utilized in preventing future health risks.

Cardio Adaptation in Weight Lifting

During weight lifting, your heart muscle contractions compress the blood vessels, the heart exerts more effort to supply blood to the cells of the body and there is an increased resistance to the blood flow. As a rule, the stronger a person becomes, the more muscles you develop. The left ventricle’s muscular wall also thickens so the heart is able to cope with an increased blood pressure. This is how weight lifting improves a person’s cardio fitness.

A good way to keep your heart and lungs healthy is by regularly exercising. People who are attempting to perform regular cardio fitness routines should regularly do exercises for at least thrice a week. Constantly working the lungs and heart at greater capacity levels tends to develop stronger lung and heart functions, improved oxygenation, and cell perfusion.

Some of the most common cardio fitness exercises include rowing, swimming, and running, cross county skiing, step aerobics, aerobic dance, jogging, bicycling, and so much more. Always remember that there are certain activities that could be more efficient than others could when it comes to increasing the heart rate. The use of two or more muscle groups will likely increase an individual’s heart rate faster and maintain it conveniently.

Unless contraindicated by the physician, improved cardio fitness is beneficial to virtually anyone. Start improving your cardio fitness by following an exercise routine at home or maybe at the gym.

Diabetes and Depression Can Hypnosis Help?

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Discussed in this article:

1) The Quiet Crisis Within Diabetes.

2) A Hidden Danger of Diabetes.

3) Are Physicians Aware Of This Danger?

4) Does Depression Cause Diabetes?

5) The Formation of Depression Post-Hypnotic Suggestions.

6) Summary

5) Next Issue Highlights.

The Quiet Crisis Within Diabetes

Depression is a ‘quiet crisis’ facing diabetics, their families and their health care providers. Financially and emotionally this crisis is exacting a terrible cost.

The purpose of this and following articles is to share important information about depression and how a hypnotist can responsibly and effectively help a diabetic with depression. This assistance will help to improve a diabetic’s life by (a) reducing the suffering from this painful state of mind and being and (b) thus enhance their diabetes management skills which will therefore result in a state of enhanced health.

Bear in mind the importance of your contribution as a hypnotist. You can make an incredible difference because even a small reduction in a diabetic’s long term blood sugar levels can result in a marked decrease in the likelihood of diabetic complications.

A Hidden Danger of Diabetes

A largely unknown hence, hidden danger of diabetes is that diabetics have twice the risk of non-diabetics for becoming depressed. Dr. Richard Surwit of Duke University states that: “Diabetes more than doubles the odds of suffering from depression at some point. One third of people with diabetes have been diagnosed with significant depression and 11 percent with major depression–twice the rate in the non-diabetic population (1).”

What is obvious and yet, not really obvious about the preceding statement is that being diagnosed with a major disease is traumatic. This, in and of itself, can lead to depression–never mind all the other contributing factors that are related to diabetes and depression.

For example, a contributing factor to depression in a diabetic can be their physiological state. As noted by Dr. Surwit, there is research indicating that high blood sugars cause biochemical changes in the brain that can lead to depression. (2)

Are Physician’s Aware Of This Danger?

Physicians by and large, are extremely busy and the demands on them are greater than most can imagine. It is no wonder that many of them are simply not aware that their diabetic clients are two times more likely to suffer from depression. If they knew this, they would probably be more likely to refer their diabetic clients with poor blood sugar control to someone who could help.

When appropriate, a hypnotist can help in key ways because a hypnotist is trained to be a motivational coach and stress management consultant. One way a trained hypnotist can help a depressed person with diabetes will be explained later in this article. But first, let’s look at an important question.

Does Depression Cause Diabetes?

This is an important question for many reasons. Probably one of the more compelling reasons to deeply consider this idea is because, if true to some degree, then it begs this question: Wouldn’t the validity of this concept make the majority of treatment efforts inappropriate and/or ineffective to some degree? Consider the plight of many frustrated nurses and doctors who will attest that no matter what they do for their patients, nothing seems to work.

This statement is not meant to denigrate in any way the efforts of so many. It is meant to highlight the importance of timely consideration of the depression-diabetes connection before the cost for all concerned becomes not only debilitating, but also tragically unnecessary.

Consider this: Evidence, that will be discussed shortly, shows there is a strong connection between depression and diabetes. This is important because, unless diabetes treatment programs are sculpted to target a largely unaddressed cause and exacerbating feature of diabetes, many of those at risk will only become worse. Those at risk include person’s with pre-diabetes as well as those with diabetes.

This pragmatic approach also prompts one to think about the idea that perhaps with re-targeted treatment methods, many of those with diabetes may actually experience a remission of symptoms. And, dwell on the idea of how many may be able to avoid developing diabetes.

Bear with me a moment while I explain. Untreated depression in those with diabetes is a personal tragedy for all family members but most especially children. I state this because children have no coping skills to handle the emotional burden of a depressed and diabetic parent.

Imagine being a child helplessly watching your mother (as in my case) being slowly, inexorably, taken apart emotionally and physically by the deadly combination of poorly controlled diabetes and untreated depression.

It is because of this searing pain that I am driven to reach whomever I can with my Diabetes Motivational Coaching TM training so that perhaps some little boy somewhere doesn’t have to watch his mother go blind emotionally and physically.

I realize this may sound disingenuous or dramatic to some and I understand but I make no apologies because it is true. In fact, my feelings go far deeper than what I have communicated here. You see, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and now that hypnosis has helped me to put my life on a previously undreamed of healthy course, my motivation is intensified because I think so many times: “What if my mother had been able to have access to these methods? How much better would her life be now?”

Now, to tie all this in to my point that perhaps an innovative approach can actually prevent diabetes: The challenge with current diabetic treatments is that no amount of chemical management (including anti-depressants as well as insulin, etc.) will ever ameliorate this significant cause of diabetes. (Depression) This is because these treatments do not address the root of the problem. Furthermore, no amount of medication given to one individual will ever prevent another from developing diabetes.

The last point seems odd until you consider a landmark Swedish study (3) in which it was discovered that there is a disturbingly high correlation between traumatic childhood life events (4) and diabetes-related auto-immune activity. This study involved 17,000 children born between 1997 and 1999. One of many conclusions in this study is that: “Experiences of serious life events (e.g., parental separation, serious illness, or death in the family) has been suggested to trigger type 1 diabetes(5) or the auto-immune process behind the disease.(6)”

An additional interesting point to take away from the preceding considerations is that current treatment programs treat one person. Limited efficacy and high cost. However, if a patient were to receive Diabetes Motivational Coaching TM then more than one person can receive the positive benefits because a healthier, non-depressed diabetic parent is less likely to have a precipitating influence on their child. Two for the price of one. A win-win situation from so many angles. Obviously more study is required but the premise is intriguing and the evidence it is based on is reasonably sound.

Another win-win benefit of appropriate, innovative treatment is that the exacerbating (and ultimately very costly) effects of depression on those with diabetes can likely be reduced or eliminated.

So, what can a properly trained hypnotist do? One key way a properly trained hypnotist can help is to reduce or eliminate depression in an individual (diabetic or not) by helping them to eliminate depression activating post-hypnotic suggestions.

The Formation of Depression Activating Post-Hypnotic Suggestions
A post-hypnotic response is a cause-effect belief program that powerfully dictates behavior. Another way to look at this is that when a specific stimulus becomes uniquely associated with a strong internal state, you have a post-hypnotic suggestion and effect. (stimulus/response)

For example, the physical lethargy and mental apathy that accompanies very high (or low) blood sugars can be a contributing factor to inappropriate cause-effect belief formation. To illustrate, let me share with this case: Shortly before I was diagnosed with diabetes, my cognitive functions were significantly reduced and my affect was severely depressed.

In layman’s terms this means I felt like garbage due primarily to out of control blood sugar levels that were causing me to lose my vision as well as feel awful. (What is interesting to note is that diabetes and its attendant emotional/physical affects can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years.)

Now, when a person has a strong emotional feeling, that affect state can then become associated with whatever situation and/or thoughts they are currently experiencing. I.E., uncontrolled diabetic consequences coupling with a relationship break-up, a job loss or any other stressful situation. These are common events but note that even a small, insignificant incident can also be implicated. This confluence of events is called an I.S.E. or Initial Sensitizing Event. (Please note that, as in the case of many phobias, some initial sensitizing events can have a profound post-hypnotic impact after only one learning event.)

The next stage in deepening the power of this erroneous belief programming occurs when a person is next exposed to the same stimuli that were initially associated with a powerful, negative state of mind.

The result? Generally, with enough repetition and enough time, feelings can become facts cognitively and physically. And then, a pseudo-depression cycle is perpetuated.

As a quick illustration imagine a large spider near your foot. Now, if you are a person who becomes upset when big, hairy spiders with lots of eyes and big fangs are near you, then your body will respond to some degree.

Now, imagine being unconsciously reminded (triggered or post-hypnotically influenced) to thinking and therefore feeling, many times a day that there is a nasty spider about to crawl up your leg. Ultimately, this could become a panic disorder that can even attach itself to unrelated objects and/or events. In fact, this is not uncommon.

Hopefully, this example will help to illustrate why I call it pseudo-depression. I do this because the belief syllogism is: “I feel depressed (like garbage) therefore there must be reasons.”

And, when feelings happen, a person must make sense out of their world. So, they justify this unconscious, powerful, emotional experience with a conscious understanding that usually takes the form of inappropriate cause-effect associations. I.E., “I am feeling depressed because of my job–spouse–life–” or whatever seemingly reasonable explanation is available.

In other words, one’s feelings of depression can be in part or whole, built on erroneous beliefs or, post-hypnotic suggestions. Therefore, all a depressed person may need are the tools and coaching in order to be able to disable erroneous cause-effect belief programs.

To finalize this point, please consider a quote from Breaking The Patterns of Depression, by Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D.:
“For most people, depression is the product of a hurtful way of interpreting and responding to life experiences.”

Summary

In this article I have attempted to share information that will raise awareness on a number of different levels. If you are a person with diabetes and you are hitting a ‘wall’, consult with your physician to discover whether or not you have depression.

If you are a nurse or physician and you have patients who don’t seem to want to take care of themselves, then perhaps there are hidden forces at work. And, there are alternatives that you may not have been aware of before now.

If you are a hypnotist and you wish to help those with diabetes, please remember four things:

1) You must always obtain a fully informed referral from your client’s doctor. If you suspect your client is depressed, never diagnose. In fact, if you think they are depressed, it is incumbent upon you that you suggest they see their physician for an official assessment before you can help them further. Be sure to obtain an additional referral so that you can help them appropriately with their depression if your help is suitable. If you feel you cannot help, don’t.

2) Should a physician or nurse, have time to chat with you, please remind them that if you are only allowed one approach to helping their patient, stress management alone can produce incredible blood sugar lowering benefits over time. This is attested to by an article in a January, 2002 issue of Diabetes Care in which a study done by Dr. Surwit shows that: “stress management techniques, when added to standard care, helped reduce glucose levels”. Surwit notes also that: “The change is nearly as large as you would expect to see from some diabetes-control drugs”.

3) By acting in a responsible manner as part of your client’s health care team, you can in your way, make a big difference, even if only by reducing stress. Please note that stress is a contributing factor to depression. Therefore, as your client is reducing their stress levels they may also experience a reduction in depression. This will in turn create a need for your client to reduce their diabetic medication needs . This is because there is evidence that a reduction in depressive symptoms correlates with a reduction in blood sugar. This was demonstrated in a study conducted by Patrick Lustman, a psychologist at Washington State University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

4) Finally, before helping a person with diabetes or depression, you really need to know a great deal about both subjects.

In the next article, we will discuss several things:

1) More Ways A Hypnotist Can Responsibly Help.

2) When A Hypnotist Should Never Help.

3) The Depression-Diabetes-Pain Connection.

4) Additional Interesting Ideas and Studies.

Thank you for reading this article. It is greatly appreciated and I welcome comments.

Warm Regards,

Devin Hastings

REFERENCES AND AUTHOR INFORMATION BELOW

1. The Mind/Body Diabetes Revolution, Richard S. Surwit, Ph.D. Page 43

2. Ibid. Page 44

3. Psychological Stress May Induce Diabetes-Related Autoimmunity in Infancy –Anneli Sepa, PhD; Jeanette Wahlberg, MD; Outi Vaarala, MD, PHD; Ann Frodi, PhD; Johnny Ludvigsson, MD, PHD

4. Ed. Note: It is fascinating to note that in 1684, English physician and anatomist, Thomas Willis wrote that diabetes was the result of “sadness, or long sorrow.” Apparently like DaVinci, he was ahead of his time.

5. Hägglöf B, Blom L, Dahlquist G, Lönnberg G, Sahlin B: The Swedish childhood diabetes study: indications of severe psychological stress as a risk factor for type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in childhood. Diabetologia 34:579-583, 1991

6. Thernlund GM, Dahlquist G, Hansson K, Ivarsson SA, Ludvigsson J, Sjöblad S, Hägglöf B: Psychological stress and the onset of IDDM in children. Diabetes Care 18:1323-1329, 1995

Free Pregnancy Diet Plans

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The period of pregnancy is one of vacillating emotions like tears and laughter, change in physical appearance, encountering unexpected health challenges and so on. But all of it seems worthwhile to you since you are eagerly awaiting the arrival of your child! Of course, you can expect to deliver a healthy baby only if you strictly adhere to a balanced and nutritious diet. Now that seems rather a difficult thing to do without guidance, isn’t it? Well, just enroll yourself in an online program where free pregnancy diet plans are offered!

It has become imperative for expectant mothers to look towards various sources of help where a pregnancy diet is concerned, since environmental challenges are increasing day by day. If you should go back to earlier times, food was brought straight from the fields to the dining table, ensuring that it was free of any toxins or chemicals.

Today, more and more people are opting for tinned and canned foods as they are too busy rushing here and there to find time to cook proper meals! Packaged food contains preservatives to make sure that it stays fresh and can be stored for longer periods. Therefore, to assure yourself of chemical-free and healthy meals, go in for the free pregnancy diet plans!

Were you consuming nutritious meals even before your pregnancy? Then the changes to be made in your diet will be minimal. In case you constitute one among the vast majority of pregnant women who have never bothered about health earlier, then you need to go in for drastic changes in your dietary plans! The free pregnancy diet plans offered on the Net provide oodles of information as well as certain dietary tools that regularly monitor what you eat.

The free pregnancy diet plans include- updated information about nutrition obtained from experts in the medical field, well-planned menus, tasty recipes, and the latest research sheets related to pregnancy diets. You are also made aware of vitamins which are vital for your baby’s health, as well as updated about essential minerals like folic acid, iron and calcium. The best part is that different diets are matched with the different stages of pregnancy!

Other benefits provided on these web sites that concentrate on free pregnancy diet plans, include articles on varied topics, such as-how to prevent yourself from snacking too much and putting on excess weight, how to get relief from specific symptoms via proper nutrition, recommendations regarding inclusion of vitamins in your diet and so on. There are even answers to specific questions provided.

The dietary trackers consist of-trimester calendars, worksheets to help track diet plans, food trackers, weight gain trackers, and calorie counters.

Oh yes, if you have a sweet tooth, you could go in for a dessert or sweets just once in a while. But do not overdo it! The baby’s health should count as your first priority.

So do not hesitate to turn to the online free pregnancy diet plans for help whenever you need it. After all, your baby’s well-being is entirely dependent on how healthy you are. Therefore, diet should not become a cause of stress.