Diabetic Seniors

The most common form of diabetes in America is Type 2 or insulin resistant diabetes mellitus, which is described by the American diabetes Association as a form of diabetes in which the body cannot absorb the insulin produced by the body. It is more common in adults over the age of 40, but is not uncommon (especially in minority groups) to be diagnosed as early as age 10. In many instances, insulin resistant diabetes can be controlled by diet and exercise; however, insulin resistant diabetes mellitus may ultimately lead to needing oral medications or daily insulin injections.

“What are the causes of diabetes?” you ask. There are a variety of things that can contribute to insulin resistant diabetes mellitus. These risk factors are: being overweight or obese, having had gestational diabetes, having family members with diabetes, and problems like high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol and high blood pressure. The older you are, the higher your risk for insulin resistant diabetes mellitus as the body becomes less tolerant of sugar as you get older. Insulin resistant diabetes can run in families, but researchers do not yet understand how or have tracked down a specific genetic factor. They have, however, found a number of symptoms associated with insulin resistant diabetes. These symptoms are-

• Excessive thirst and hunger
• Dry mouth
• Nausea and occasional vomiting
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• Weak, tired feeling
• Blurred vision
• Numbness or  tingling in extremities
• Frequent infections

Once you have been diagnosed with insulin resistant diabetes there are several changes that you will need to make. These changes include, but may not be limited to:

• A healthier diet
• Losing weight, if necessary
• Getting more exercise
• Regular blood glucose test
• Taking prescribed medication(s)
• Quitting smoking
• Regular doctor’s visits—especially to have you hemoglobin A1C test

As an insulin resistant diabetic your most important goal is to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible. By working on the items listed above, this is an achievable goal.

Insulin Resistant Diabetes and Healthy Eating

Being a diabetic is a series of daily choices, and often one of the most difficult is dealing with the dietary needs. However, it is important to note, that a diabetic diet is simply eating healthy, and that is great for the whole family. Here are a few tips to make the adjustment to healthy eating habits less intimidating.

• Replace one high fat food with a low fat food per week.
• Serve your meal(s) on a salad plate to make it look bigger.
• Ask for a “to go” box before you start eating and set aside half your meal.
• Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before each meal as this will help you eat less.
• If you are still hungry after a meal, wait 20 minutes—in most cases you won’t feel the urge to eat after that.
• Don’t eat in front of the television.
• Talk to your dietitian about creating meal plan that works for you.

By following the advice of your health care team, you can live a normal life with insulin resistant diabetes. Decide to focus on your successes and ask for help with goal meeting. By including others—family, support group ,your health care team– in your treatment plan you are sure to be successful in living with insulin resistant diabetes mellitus.

Tags: insulin resistant diabetes, insulin resistant diabetes mellitus, Type 2 diabetes, type II diabetes, Types of Diabetes