Has anyone ever said to you, “Don’t worry, diabetes isn’t very serious for older people?” Although they may be trying to make you feel better, it isn’t very good advice. Most people not only want to live long but they want to live well. Taking care of your diabetes and keeping your blood sugar and blood pressure as close to normal as possible lowers your risks for diabetes complications. That also means you have a better chance of being healthy and independent longer. As we get older, we tend to think more about health. We realize that we can’t take our health for granted. When we are younger, it’s easy to think that we are going to take care of ourselves “tomorrow,” but as the years go by suddenly tomorrow is here. Each day becomes more precious. Some things about aging make it harder to care for diabetes. You may have other health problems to take care of every day. It can be hard to manage everything or afford all of the different pills and supplies. Some people find that their tastes and eating patterns change. It can be hard to eat if you are alone or your spouse can [...]]]>
When people reach middle age, they often think about how to spend their Golden Years. Most of us picture those years as a time when we get to do all the things we enjoy but don’t have time to do when work, family and other day-to-day tasks keep us busy. Planning for your Golden Years is something you can do when you are having a bad day or you are feeling overwhelmed by all you need to get done. One of the ways most people plan for their senior years is by saving money so they can be secure and have financial resources to do what they want. While having the resources you need is important, most people dream about being healthy enough to do what they want to do in their Golden Years. Just like you need to start saving your money well before retirement, there are also steps you can take now to ensure your good health in the future. The Four Steps To Staying Healthy As You Age A large study showed that there are four steps to help middle aged people stay healthy as they get older. 1. Eat fruits and vegetables. 2. Exercise. 3. Drink [...]]]>
You are probably aware of possible long-term complications of diabetes: heart disease and eye, kidney and nerve damage. But you may not be aware that diabetes can increase your risk for Osteoporosis and fractures—especially as you get older.]]>
Most of us don’t think much about our brains: we count on it to do the thinking for us. But new research is helping us understand more about the effects diabetes might have on your brain.]]>
If you have diabetes or love someone who does, you are already involved in the day-to-day care of this condition. There is no way to avoid being in charge of your diabetes as you make choices, take medicines and keep track of your blood glucose readings. But as the Affordable Care Act is put into place, you may hear the phrase patient engagement.]]>
Many people do not fully understand what the instructions on their medicine bottles mean. They often take medicines more times per day than needed. Most people find that the more often they have to remember to take their medicines, the easier it is to forget. So what can you do? This article gives 5 tips that will help you manage your medicines better. It also presents you with some questions you should be asking your COSTCO pharmacist the next time you drop by to get your prescriptions filled. To read the full article of “Making Sense of Meds”, click here.]]>
Has this ever happened to you: You are using ?your meal plan and keeping your blood glucose levels in the target range. Just when you feel you have it all under control, something happens to stress you out. Almost without thinking, you ?reach for ?your favorite comfort food. You feel better for a while, but then your blood glucose levels go up. So now you feel tired, guilty and even more stressed. You can break this stress-eating cycle. Instead of getting down on yourself or thinking there is nothing you can do to change, you can learn to handle stress in a new way. Read up on the author’s advice for breaking the stress cycle?in?“Break the Stress-Eating Cycle”.]]>
When you start to lose weight, you lose some of your stored fat. That may seem like a good thing to you, but your body doesn’t always agree. We used to think fat just sat in your body and did nothing. But we now know that is not true. The fat you store makes hormones that help control your weight and hunger. Find out about the role of the hormone called Leptin and what some experts believe to be a built-in control system that?decides how much you?should weigh?in your attempts to lose some of that excess weight. View the full article on “The Skinny on Weight Loss” here. ]]>
This?Q & A article answers some of the more-commonly asked questions on Diabetes today. Some of the questions answered are: Why is diabetes so ?common today? What is prediabetes? Is type 2 more serious ?than type 1 diabetes? If nobody in my family has diabetes, why did ?I get it? To get the answers to these diabetes-related questions, click here.]]>
You may have heard about recent studies showing that people who drink diet soft drinks have a higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes than those who do not drink diet drinks. But in fact, researchers have not been able to say that the diet drinks are to blame. Most of those studies are observational, meaning they simply report what they observe. Observational studies are not designed to determine cause and effect. That requires a different kind of study. In addition, a recent study showed other differences between people who drank diet sodas and those who drank regular sodas. Overall diet, or food intake, is one important difference. Read the full article of “Diet Soda And Diabetes” to get the details of this study and what the results mean to you.]]>