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It’s a Toss Up Between Pizza and Tacos
(by Gary Godfrey - August 11, 2010)
I need help!
I’m (kind of) in a dilemma. Ginger will be gone for a week to visit her sister in Rockford, IL. I’ve just started medicine for high blood sugar (borderline). This means it’s just me a the dog (Rosie). I’m alone, fending for myself. This could get ugly?
Just think, six to seven days with no one to answer to, but my conscience. When you’re watching your blood sugar, you can’t eat anything that taste good. The number one color is green.
I have a publisher friend, from Canada, that will eat nothing if it’s green. “You mean you won’t drink green beer during Saint Patrick day?” I inquired one day.
“I might make an exception for beer,” he returned fire.
So, there you have it. One man, one dog and an entire kitchen to myself. There’s only one rule: Wash the dishes.
It’s going to be hard to choose from pizza or tacos?
I might even try a french-fired frankfurter? Haven’t had one of those in years.
And Rosie likes anything but dog food . . .
I can always go out every night, but that gets old in a hurry. I’ll just wait for Ginger’s return, she loves eating out. “It’s easier to go out than cook for just two people,” she explains with wisdom.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes are often subtle and may be attributed to aging or obesity.
* A person may have type 2 diabetes for many years without knowing it.
* People with type 2 diabetes can develop hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome.
* Type 2 diabetes can be precipitated by steroids and stress.
* If not properly treated, type 2 diabetes can lead to complications like blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and nerve damage.
Common symptoms of both major types of diabetes:
* Fatigue: In diabetes, the body is inefficient and sometimes unable to use glucose for fuel. The body switches over to metabolizing fat, partially or completely, as a fuel source. This process requires the body to use more energy. The end result is feeling fatigued or constantly tired.
* Unexplained weight loss: People with diabetes are unable to process many of the calories in the foods they eat. Thus, they may lose weight even though they eat an apparently appropriate or even excessive amount of food. Losing sugar and water in the urine and the accompanying dehydration also contributes to weight loss.
* Excessive thirst (polydipsia): A person with diabetes develops high blood sugar levels, which overwhelms the kidney's ability to reabsorb the sugar as the blood is filtered to make urine. Excessive urine is made as the kidney spills the excess sugar. The body tries to counteract this by sending a signal to the brain to dilute the blood, which translates into thirst. The body encourages more water consumption to dilute the high blood sugar back to normal levels and to compensate for the water lost by excessive urination.
* Excessive urination (polyuria): Another way the body tries to get rid of the extra sugar in the blood is to excrete it in the urine. This can also lead to dehydration because excreting the sugar carries a large amount of water out of the body along with it.
* Excessive eating (polyphagia): If the body is able, it will secrete more insulin in order to try to deal with the excessive blood sugar levels. Moreover, the body is resistant to the action of insulin in type 2 diabetes. One of the functions of insulin is to stimulate hunger. Therefore, higher insulin levels lead to increased hunger and eating. Despite increased caloric intake, the person may gain very little weight and may even lose weight.
* Poor wound healing: High blood sugar levels prevent white blood cells, which are important in defending the body against bacteria and also in cleaning up dead tissue and cells, from functioning normally. When these cells do not function properly, wounds take much longer to heal and become infected more frequently. Also, long-standing diabetes is associated with thickening of blood vessels, which prevents good circulation including the delivery of enough oxygen and other nutrients to body tissues.
* Infections: Certain infection syndromes, such as frequent yeast infections of the genitals, skin infections, and frequent urinary tract infections, may result from suppression of the immune system by diabetes and by the presence of glucose in the tissues, which allows bacteria to grow well. They can also be an indicator of poor blood sugar control in a person known to have diabetes.
* Altered mental status: Agitation, unexplained irritability, inattention, extreme lethargy, or confusion can all be signs of very high blood sugar, ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemia nonketotic syndrome, or hypoglycemia (low sugar). Thus, any of these merit the immediate attention of a medical professional. Call your health care provider or 911.
* Blurry vision: Blurry vision is not specific for diabetes but is frequently present with high blood sugar levels.
This week’s bottom line: And I thought I was just getting old. Better stick to my diet. Green salads and green cheese. And once a year -- a green beer.
Thanks to: http://www.emedicinehealth.com
For their information on diabetes.
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