Stop the Children From Dieing

Warning: Kids with type 2 face adult complications.

"We are getting first reports of people who were diagnosed as teenagers and have had diabetes fo 10 yrs. They're now in their late 20's and are developing kidney failure, requiring amputations, dieing and going blind at a higher than expected rate" according to Dr David Ludwig, MD, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Clinic, a program for prediabetic kids at Children's Hospital Boston.

This is a horrible situation and I want to make it clear that even if you are not diabetic the rise and fall of your blood sugar or insulin levels puts you at risk for these serious complications. I have known people with kidney failure and neuropathy that do not have diabetes. A recent article I read states that recent studies have shown an increase of 51% of Stroke in boys between the ages of 15 and 34. These numbers were reported by the American Stroke Association and come from the first large nationwide study of stroke hospitalizations by age. They compared hospitalizations in 1994 and 1995 with ones in 2006 and 2007.

I want to bring your attention to Metabolic Syndrome because this is a prediabetic condition that is not always diagnosed unless your under the care of a heart doctor. Therefore a child or an adult for that matter may not ever know they even have it. The warning signs or symptoms are an expanding waist size, slightly elevate blood pressure, and low levels of good (HDL) cholesterol, increased trigylcerides, and high fasting blood sugar levels. Having 3 or more of these findings increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Metabolic Syndrome was once a disease of old age but is now starting at ages 15 or 20 or 30 and even in the preteens. Health consequences may take 15 yrs to develop which is why we are not see these first reports of devastating results in young adults.

There is nothing more important in the prevention of Diabetes and its subsequent health complications than a healthy diet.

I believe that the single most important thing leading to this epidemic is the increasing use of microwavable meals and foods that come in a box or can. We need to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean cuts of meat like chicken and fish. Eating healthier will improve your metabolism which in turn leads to more energy and exercise. The next thing we need to do is supplement. It is a known fact that are soils are becoming so contaminated that we are not getting near the amounts of vitamins from our food. Adequate nutrition is key to prevention of chronic illness and disease. According to the American Medical Association "70% of medical conditions are diet related"

It is common for people who have diabetes to have low levels of the following vitamins and therefore supplementation may be a good idea.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Chromium- "There are several lines of evidence that suggests higher doses of chromium supplements may be beneficial" says William Cefalu, MD, associate professor of medicine and clinical trials at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington. Diabetes experts say 600 micrograms a day have proven effective.
Magnesium- one in three diabetics are low in it. Experts recommend 400 milligrams.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)- there are tiny doses in spinach and meat but experts say more is needed to help relieve a common diabetes condition known as neuropathy which develops when high sugar levels damage nerve endings. Look for supplement with 600-1200 milligrams. Note: If you are on medications for diabetes talk to your doctor before supplementing as it may affect the dosage of your medications. It is common to need less medications with a healthier diet.
Selenium- an antioxidant that may lower the risk for heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and some cancers.

Here are 6 ways to reverse or prevent metabolic syndrome:

Trim a few pounds- in a Finnish study even extremely overweight people who lost just 5% of their total body weight (even if they didn't exercise) lowered their risk of diabetes by 70%.
Eat Smarter-choose foods that are low on the glycemic index. These foods digest slowly and release sugar steadily into the blood stream.
Add fish and Walnuts- this will help raise your HDL while lowering your LDL.
Walk around the Block- activity helps cut blood sugar and insulin levels by forcing blood sugar into muscle cells.
Strength Training- get some resistance bands or hand weights.
Stop Smoking- smoking boosts insulin resistance and raises the risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer even higher.

Prediabetes can dump enough glucose into your system to damage blood vessels and nerves. This sets the stage for horrific complications including blindness, kidney failure, neuropathy, infections and amputation as well as putting you at serious risk for Fatal heart attacks and Stroke.

It is sad to learn that by the time you are even diagnosed with type 2 diabetes they have had prediabetes for 10 or more years. Right now it is estimated by the Center for Disease Control that 41 million Americans have prediabetes.

One third of Americans that have diabetes do not know they have it. The key here is prevention. Whether a child or adult eating healthier reduces the risk for chronic illness and disease. Don't skip meals. Skipping meals can cause a spike in blood sugar levels. It is always better to eat more often. Smaller portions every 2-3 hours rather than waiting until your hungry getting that surge in blood sugar and then overeating.

If your child is overweight and you notice the following warning signs of type 2 diabetes schedule a doctor appointment.

Frequent UrinationExcessive ThirstExtreme HungerUnexplained Weight LossIncreased FatigueIrritabilityBlurry Vision

As a personal Wellness Coach and Herbalife Independent Distributor my goal is to reduce heart disease and chronic illness. People are dieing too long and living too short. We can improve this by getting the proper nutrients in our diet.