Type 2 Diabetes - Breastfeeding After Having Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes associated with pregnancy and the form of diabetes doctors test the pregnant mother for at around four months. Mothers who have this form of diabetes and their children are at risk for developing full-blown Type 2 diabetes as well as several birth defects, so it is important to prevent or control the condition. According to researchers at Kaiser Permanente of Northern California and the University of California at Davis, United States, breastfeeding can also be problematic in women who were diagnosed with Gestational diabetes.

Their study, reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in November 2013, included 883 women who had Gestational diabetes and whose blood sugar levels returned to normal 6 to 9 weeks after delivery.

• 1/3 of the women were late starting to produce milk for their babies.
• obese women were 56 percent more likely to start late than healthy weight women.
• women treated with insulin for Gestational diabetes were more than 3 times more likely to have delayed onset of milk production.

From these results it was suggested new mothers with obesity or Gestational diabetes, be given extra support learning to breastfeed their newborn baby.

Breastfeeding has advantages over formula for both mothers and their infants.

• mothers who breastfeed lower their risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
• breastfeeding can also help with weight loss and with helping the uterus to return to its normal size and shape after pregnancy.
• it is an ideal time for the new mother to take a break and for important mother-child bonding.

As many pediatricians put it, "Cow's milk is for baby cows." Babies fed breast milk get more whey, the healthful kind of protein produced by human mothers, and less casein, the less healthful (for human children) kind of protein produced by cows.

When babies are fed from a bottle and stop feeding, there is a tendency to look at the bottle, see that it is still half full, and put it back into the baby's mouth after he or she is no longer hungry. This obviously does not happen when baby stops sucking breast milk, and he or she does not learn early the bad habit of overeating because it is there.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a website at Womens Health.gov. Comprehensive information from how milk is made - to how to hold your baby - to measuring how much milk baby is getting - and making sure the amount is adequate - are all included.

Doctors and midwives can recommend consultants and classes on breastfeeding. Many hospitals also have consultants available to help new mothers and their babies get off to a good start.

Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. By making simple changes to your daily routine, its possible to protect your heart, kidneys, eyes and limbs from the damage often caused by Type 2 diabetes, and eliminate many of the complications you may already experience.

Type 2 Diabetes - Diabetes Hand Syndrome

People who have been diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are often concerned with the possibility of developing diabetic neuropathy of their feet and legs. But few seldom think about the likelihood of a condition that affects their hands called diabetic hand syndrome, or diabetic cheiroarthropathy. This condition can occur in individuals with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetic hand syndrome, also called stiff hand syndrome, is similar to Dupuytren's contracture in that it affects the ability of the fingers to become fully extended. If diabetes or more precisely, blood sugar levels are allowed to run unmanaged, the excess sugar begins to damage the skin. As a result, the skin becomes waxy and begins to thicken and harden. Over time, the skin is not flexible enough to allow the fingers to flex and open as they should and the diabetic's fingers will not be able to fully extend. The condition is often confused with scleroderma which is also characteristic of hands not able to open fully.

One way to determine if you have diabetic hand syndrome is to place your hands together in a praying position. Those with the condition will not be able to make full contact from their hands all the way up to the tips of their fingers. Since there are several conditions which can display this same characteristic it is important for you to be seen by your doctor to determine which condition you are experiencing.

Fortunately, the outcome for those who suffer from diabetic hand syndrome is not the same fate as those with diabetic foot neuropathy. Left untreated, foot neuropathy can eventually lead to amputation of the foot due to the loss of blood flow and the subsequent death of tissue. But diabetic hand syndrome sufferers will only experience decreased flexibility in their fingers. Amputation is not necessary.

Treatment for diabetic hand syndrome:

1. The course of treatment for diabetic hand syndrome is a two-fold process. The first half of the process involves getting the diabetic's blood sugar levels under control. If this is not accomplished, the individual will only see their condition continue to worsen.

2. The second half of the process is to have the diabetic undergo physical therapy. This involves flexing and rehabilitating the hands to encourage movement and flexibility. This can be a long and daunting process. The length of the therapy depends on how severe the condition is, how out of control the individual's blood sugar levels are and how quickly the levels can be reversed and brought back into normal range.

Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. By making simple changes to your daily routine, its possible to protect your heart, kidneys, eyes and limbs from the damage often caused by diabetes, and eliminate many of the complications you may already experience.

For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body.

These Weight Loss Myths Sabotage Success

People have a lot of opinions about how to lose weight. But as the New England Journal of Medicine discovered  earlier this year during a research review, many of these opinions are based on myths. And these myths may be actively sabotaging your weight loss progress.

Myth #1 – Eating More Fruits & Vegetables Leads to Weight Loss

Eating more fruits and vegetables, especially if they are cooked or processed, does not lead to weight loss. Weight loss comes from running a calorie deficit. So if adding fruits and vegetables causes you to eat fewer calories, then it can lead to weight loss. But if you are eating calorie-dense vegetarian curries rather than a lean meat dish, then the increase may contribute to weight gain.

Myth #2 – 3,500 Calories Is Not a Pound of Weight Loss (or Weight Gain)

It is true that a pound of fat is roughly 3,500 calories. But it is not true that eating 3,500 fewer calories leads to a pound of weight loss. The body is more complex than this. As renowned obesity expert, Dr. Arya Sharma, is fond of saying that weight loss is “not physics, it's physiology!”

The body has a lot of systems in place to hold on to weight if you eat fewer calories and to avoid excess weight if you eat too many. So if you want to lose weight, you may need to cut out more calories per day or increase your exercise more than a simple math suggests. What worked a month ago may stop working as your body adapts to changes that you made. (This is frustrating to hear, but also explains why you can reach a lower weight and stay there even when you eat meals with extra calories.)

Myth #3 – It’s Better to Lose Weight Slowly

This myth came about in the 1960s. Dr. Sharma explains that early weight loss diets with very low calories did not include enough protein, so followers rapidly lost lean muscle and started burning fewer calories per day. “In contrast, today’s low-calorie formula diets are generally high in protein and nutritionally balanced (except perhaps for fibre) and have in fact been shown in some cases to preserve lean body mass compared to simply eating less.”

The evidence now shows that people have the same ability to maintain weight loss regardless of how quickly they lost it. So it may be worthwhile to try a dramatic change to kickstart your weight loss. But once the weight is off, it is important to find sustainable ways to balance your calorie intake with your energy needs or you will gain weight regardless of how quickly or slowly it came off.

Myth #4 – Exercise Is Key to Weight Loss

Long-term studies have found that the benefits of exercise for weight loss are minimal, especially compared to the impact of eating fewer calories. If you seek to lose 5% or more of your body weight, reducing calories is essential.

However, for maintaining weight loss, exercise can have a major impact. So it’s a critical part of long-term success, just not necessarily the major factor in determining how much weight you will lose.

Myth #5 – You Must Be Ready to Lose Weight

There was a school of thought that said “readiness for change” was an important predictor of success. But it turns out that this is not the case. Contemplating change is not nearly as important as taking action. As Yoda says, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

Fact: Talk to Your Doctor

Before beginning a diet or exercise program, please talk to your doctor. You want to rule out any underlying causes, for example a thyroid issue or other health condition, that might be causing the weight gain. In a future post, we will look at how diabetes treatments impact weight loss.

Type 2 Diabetes - Beating Diabetes Before It Starts

The number of new Type 2 diabetes cases is increasing at an alarming rate. But what is even more alarming is the fact that Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. So why does its occurrence continue to spread all over our planet? Because not enough emphasis is being placed on preventing it before it has a chance to occur.

Here are some ways that can help you to avoid diabetes before it's too late...

1. Lose weight. It sounds simple enough, right? Yet, obesity is consuming society almost as quickly as Type 2 diabetes. But losing weight should not only be used as a tool to ward off developing prediabetes or full-blown Type 2 diabetes. It holds many other benefits, as well. Maintaining a healthy weight is good for controlling:

• heart disease,
• stroke,
• high blood pressure,
• cancer

and a host of other medical ailments that cripple and dramatically shorten our lives.

2. Avoid the fads. When many people think of losing weight, they immediately want some type of magic pill, drink, supplement, food or medicine to help them do so. But fads are not meant to be a long-term fix. Besides, many are notoriously dangerous, too. The ONLY way to effectively lose weight in a healthy manner is to eat right - period. Fad diets might allow you to drop some weight in the beginning, but it will never keep it off. If you are going to commit to losing weight, change your lifestyle so the effects will stay with you.

3. Exercise. Although this often accompanies weight loss, this is recommended whether an individual has excess weight to lose or not. Exercise is an excellent way to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The good news is you don't have to act as if you are training for a marathon in order to reap the benefits derived from exercise. Simple, low-impact exercise will do just fine.

4. Eat the right foods. People don't typically put on and hold onto excess weight because they are over-indulging in broccoli or green leafy vegetables. Extra weight is put on due to making poor food choices - either having the wrong foods or too much of it. Adopting a healthier eating plan will not only allow you to drop excess weight, but it will also benefit you in many other areas of your life. You will be able to sleep better, feel more rested throughout the day, think clearer and have more energy for other things - such as exercise.

Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. By making simple changes to your daily routine, its possible to protect your heart, kidneys, eyes and limbs from the damage often caused by diabetes, and eliminate many of the complications you may already experience.