Oral health and diabetes

Often neglected by patients with diabetes, oral health is an important indication of poorly managed blood sugar. According to Diabetesmonitor.com, people with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely than person without diabetes to have destructive periodontal disease such as periodontitis. Also, uncontrolled diabetes can decrease saliva flow which can cause drying of mouth that may lead to infections, sores, or even ulcers and tooth decay. For people with diabetes who smokes, there is a high chance of oral thrush and periodontal disease. Smoking also decrease or impair blood flow to the gums which will greatly affect wound healing.

Dr. Bu, a friend of mine started his website to share his knowledge on how to properly maintain our oral health. In his website, www.bu.buenazedacruz.com, he will give you more informations about oral health and how to take care of our teeth.

Remember, Brushing your teeth is a daily routine for us. For you to continue this routine, maintain a good blood sugar level through exercise, healthy eating and proper intake of your medications. Smile! :)

Source:
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/oral-health-and-hygiene/diabetes-and-oral.html and http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-dental-care-diabete

I prefer Minute maid pulpy orange than Softfrinks

I just drank a bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy. They say it’s got ‘no preservatives added’. Aw, c’mon…It’s bottled juice. Is that even possible? So I thought maybe... Minute maid pulpy is directly extracted from oranges! cool!

I didn’t believe it the first time I heard it’s got no preservatives added. So I read the ingredients (even the fine print) and everything checked out! It really has NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED! That means it doesn’t have ingredients that may turn out to be allergens, or worse...carcinogens! Whew! Now that’s healthy goodness that tastes so good, I... love minute maid! It can also boost up my immune system because orange juice contains vitamin c!

So okay, it’s got no preservatives added. That’s really good, right? Not just because it doesn’t have those icky, harmful ingredients, but it also means... it's purely made from extracted orange juice! Yeh, it can quench my thirst too! I love it when it's freezing cold!



So far, anyone who still has a hard time believing that Minute Maid has got no preservatives added - meaning it's THAT natural, it's almost like it's plucked straight from the tree, it's just as Mother Nature wanted your orange juice to be, it's got nothing but the good stuff yes, none of those potentially toxic stuff that can harm your brain, kidneys, heart; cause tumors aargh- the list of preservatives' bad effects just go on!!! Anyway, just to prove a point on just how good Minute Maid Pulpy is 'cause it's got NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED, I'm gonna share this to my friends, patients ( yeh, cause I'm a nurse), family and community. Minute maid pulpy orange drink suits my need and my patient's need for a healthy drink!



Feels good to know about the real pulpy deal, right? C’mon show me a smile on the comment box, and you might win yourself a Really Pulpy Deal! (That’s a chance to win a Minute Maid gift pack simply by commenting. Sweet! C'mon you just might be picked as the lucky 'commentor'!)

Love,
Michael Eijansantos, RN
Diabetes Nurse Educator

The Benefits of exercise for people with diabetes

Long ago, when man starts to walk the face of the earth, there were no elevators  so man climb trees to to eat its fruits, there were no car to transport you from one place to another so man walks a kilometer to reach its destination, there were no groceries so man should toil the soil to plant crops and man needs to hunt for food. Therefore, long ago there was no diabetes because men and women were physically active.

Exercise is the best way to lose weight. Exercise also promotes good blood circulation in our body.  Recent studies proved that exercise makes your insulin more active and can reverse insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes may be prevented. Exercise like brisk walking for 30 minutes a day five times a week is the best way to lessen your risk of having type 2 diabetes.

This Thai commercial explains some of the benefits of exercise.



I encourage you guys to become physically active. Also encourage your family, your loveones especially your children.  Our body is designed by God to be active in life!

Diabetes December habit

My experience as a diabetes educator gives me a lot of opportunities to talk with different patients in different clinics where I do my diabetes education. Recently, a pharmaceutical company launches it's pilot project on diabetes education as a way for patients to comply on their medications. It's a big step on the Philippine Diabetes education because Pharmaceutical companies are starting to open their doors on investing not only on Doctors but also on diabetes educators which works hand in hand with doctors in managing their diabetes patients.



Two weeks ago I started my lay diabetes education on 10 diabetic patients. All of their concerns pertains to one thing, The holiday season. Every first quarter of the year, diabetes patients increases by 80% on clinic's population count. Diabetes Patient's Exodus I should say, yet patients blame it on the holidays. As a diabetes Educator, it is our job to inform and educate patients and their family members about the impact of healthy eating in their management of diabetes. The problem with Filipino's about their notion " Christmas naman Eh!" ( It's Christmas! it's ok), is that it came to the point that it's becoming a habit for us until it embeds in our mindset. We, Diabetes Educators does not encourage patients not to eat this or that, but we tell our patients that they must know their limits or ask the question to their selves, is it worth it to eat this Crispy grilled pig skin ( Lechon), or this Crispy pata ( deep friend pig hind legs).

We can't prescribe change, but we can empower patients to change their lifestyle and live healthy for their own benefit and their family's benefit.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Diabetes Nurse educator

Education, a vital part in our selves as an individual. We need to be educated on a lot of things. We need to become updated on our professions to add value in our career. Diabetes education is very important in managing diabetes because  letting people know what diabetes is helps them to maintain their blood sugar level and decrease their risk of having complications.

Diabetes Education accounts 70-80% of success in fighting diabetes. In my practice as a diabetes nurse educator, being passionate about educating people with diabetes helped me open a lot of opportunities for my self. One of those opportunities is our DiabEcare Service clinic, a diabetes wellness clinic made to help patients with diabetes to be more aware leading them to a healthier life. Established last January, 2010, we already educated and empowered  people with or with out diabetes to maintain their healthy lifestyle and continue their battle against diabetes.

This site will help people know what diabetes is all about and will let people be more concern about their lifestyle because all us are at risk of having DIABETES.



DiabEcare Service Clinic Corp. located at room 4020, 4th floor, Lung Center of the Philippines Quezon City.

Tel no. 703-9046

ABC's you need to know about diabetes

We thought that fasting blood sugar is a way to determine if your blood sugar is okay. that's long time ago. Now, we need to watch for the A,B,C of diabetes. Dr. Samuel Abbate came up with this idea to help patient easily remember long list of recommendations. (Clinical Diabetes published in 2003).

A for Hemoglobin A1C- it is the patient's average blood sugar for the past 3 months. the target goal is to let the patient have a result of normal or near normal reference range of less than 7% for American Diabetes Association (ADA), or less than 6% for Institute for the Study of Diabetes Foundation (ISDF).  The HbA1C test is currently the best way to see if your blood sugar is in control. it is taken quarterly or every 3 months because the hemoglobin in our blood usually change every 3 months. see www.diabetes.org for more info's.

B for blood pressure- Blood pressure should be monitored regularly. Patients with blood pressure more than 130/80 and confirmed on a separate day to be more than 130/80 is diagnosed to have hypertension and should be treated accordingly. This is crucial for patients with diabetes and hypertension.

Imagine this, your blood consistency is to thick to flow to your bloodstream because of the high blood sugar then add hypertension, it makes your blood stream constrict causing blood flow to slow.Constricted blood vessels which affects the flow of the blood which will lead to high blood pressure plus your blood consistency is thick because of high blood sugar equals COMPLICATIONS! (check complications of diabetes in google.)

C for cholesterol levels- You need to monitor also your lipid profile, your blood cholesterol levels such as Low density lipoprotein (LDL), this is the bad cholesterol, High density lipoprotein (HDL) the good cholesterol, your triglycerides and your cholesterol. If the values of this lipid profile is beyond the normal range, this will lead to diabetic dyslipidemia and can lead to series of complications. this may cause blockage to your blood vessels.

Again, imagine this, you have a thick consistency of blood, constricted  blood vessels and blockage due to cholesterol equals COMPLICATIONS!



TIP: Lifestyle modification is the best way to control your ABC's of diabetes. Exercise, Proper diet/ healthy eating and proper intake of your prescriptions will help you improve this blood chem results. It is simple as 123 and ABC.

Understand diabetes

Diabetes, an epidemic, a killer, a lifestyle disease and you can have it soon. In this video by AnswersTV.com, find out what diabetes is all about, how it can affect you, what are the types of diabetes, etc. It's just five minutes of your time to watch the video and you'll be equipped with knowledge about diabetes: