Author: Meghan E. Mumpower

What is Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is usually discovered in younger patients. People with Type 1 Diabetes have high levels of glucose in the blood because their bodies do not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps transfer glucose from the blood into the cell. To treat and live with the disease, a variety of treatment methods are available. Most patients can use insulin injections to help cope with the disease.

Helping Hands

To help transition into your new diet, a nutritionist or dietician can be helpful. They are trained to study food and know its nutritional value for the body.
Along with dieticians, certified diabetic counselors are the best doctors that can be seen. They are specialized to know what the patient is not only going through physically, but also mentally.
Podiatrists may also need to be seen throughout your life time. They are trained to work from the calf down and diabetics are known for these problems. Diabetes can cause a lack of blood circulation to the outer-most parts of your body (feet and hands). Swelling and pain is known to occur.

Type 1 Diabetes

Managing your Diabetes is not a science, it’s an art

American Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/types-of-activity/what-we-recommend.html

New Diet Staying Fit

Blood Sugar Monitoring

Eating healthily is a very important aspect of a diabetics life. Eating lots of fruit and vegetables as well as using protein for energy is a necessity. Since there is already an abundance of sugar in the blood stream, people are encouraged to limit the amount of carbohydrates they consume. This does not mean that they have to completely remove carbs from their diet; doing so would be unhealthy. Desserts are still allowed in diets, but should be planned around and moderated very well.

Why is it Important?
Monitoring the amount of exercise and amount of insulin taken is an important of your new lifestyle. Knowing how your blood sugar responds to exercise is very important. Having a regular fitness plan is beneficial to a diabetic because it can help reduce the medication needed along with burning calories and reducing blood pressure.
What type of Exercise is Recommended?
Aerobic exercise is the most beneficial exercise for diabetics. It helps the body use insulin more affectively. 150 minutes of this type of exercise is the most effective especially if it is balanced throughout the week.

Monitoring blood sugar is very important for diabetics. They need to know if they need to add or reduce the amount of sugar in their blood. Low blood sugar can cause a lack of energy and dizziness while high blood sugar can cause jitteriness and can even cause heart attacks. Most people monitor their blood by pricking their finger and putting their blood into a monitor, but for children that can be scary. Biomedical engineers have developed wrist bands that can detect the blood sugar level without having to extract blood from the child.

Don’t see any gluscose or activated receptors? That’s because children with type 1 Diabetes don’t make insulin so they can’t activate any receptors.