Notes from Eddie Hughes
Diabetes:
Too much sugar in your blood- glucose
Pancreas- makes insulin- tells your blood to take up the glucose. With diabetes the insulin is not working so you end up with too much glucose
Type 1- people have NO insulin made- an auto-immune disease. Born with it.
Type 2 diabetes- can be stopped if we live right and are healthy- pancreas makes insulin to control diabetes but there is still a problem because the cells in the blood aren’t taking up the sugar.
Type 2 people don’t usually have to inject if they lose weight and stay healthy- eat the right things
Risk factors- having a big puku
- smoking
The kidneys- purifies the blood.
Consequences of too much sugar
Too much sugar can damage your kidneys- but can have a kidney transplant
Your eyes can deteriorate- can go blind- this is called retinopathy- sugar affects your retina. No transplants for eyes!
Pins and needles- called neuropathy- nerves get damaged. Feet lose feeling- can be easily damaged- sometimes doctors have to amputate feet/legs.
Controlling diabetes
- test your blood-sugar level
- inject yourself with the right amount of insulin
- get plenty of exercise
- eat lots of vegetables
Preventing diabetes:
Healthy eating- “The Food Plate - the new way to describe it (instead the old “Food Pyramid”).
Lots of exercise
5+ A Day
Have 5 servings of vegies a day- eat all the colours too!
Carbohydrates
Low GI- carbohydrates such as whole grains, brown rice release energy more slowly
Sugar in Fizzy Drinks: We estimated and then found out how much sugar is in common fizzy drinks (V, Coca Cola and ginger beer)
Can of V = 6 ½ teaspoons of sugar!
Coke (600ml) = 16 teaspoons of sugar!
Ginger Beer (2L) = 25 teaspoons of sugar!
Exercise:
Try for 60 mins a day
Summary of Diabetes:
Disease where people have higher than normal blood sugar
It is caused by insulin not working properly
Type 1 : No insulin/ Type 2: insulin resistance (insulin doesn’t work properly)
Diabetes can cause problems with the heart, kidneys, nerves (of the limbs) and the eyes
Can be managed by lowering sugar levels by changing diet or having insulin injections
Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented by staying fit and eating healthy
Well-being Tests by Doctors:
Babinski test- tickle the bottom of your feet- tests for neural (brain)damage
Reflex test- a little reflex hammer knocks on the place just below the knees and on the arm at the inside of the elbow
