Foot Exercise and Foot Care for Diabetics

Many people believe in a  wrong notion that they are doing exercise in the course of their daily life. They call, for an instance, their walking daily to and from work, school or office , as a form of exercise. They regard climbing the long and winding stairway, walking the runway, the busy pedestrian lane, an exercise. They believe that they are giving their body its much-needed exercise by doing strenuous household chores like cleaning house, gardening, etc. To these people, any locomotor activity that induces them to perspire is exercise itself. Others would philosophize that we exercise to sweat it out and have our skin pores cleansed., so any activity that makes us perspire is exercise. Most people engage in strenuous activities that aren't regarded as exercise, if at all.

What Is Meant by Exercise?

Wikipedia defines physical exercise as any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness. Regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. People who are active live longer and feel better. Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can delay or prevent diabetes.

It is wise to note along this characterization that we all need to take advantage of some forms of exercise, those we can relatively engage in  early in life and be proficient in them until we grow old. Healthy people are usually those who treat their bodies with respect through exercise- to tone their muscles, help their bodies  maintain normal functions.


Diabetics are most likely to suffer nerve damage in their feet and lower limbs, hands and arms. If you belong to a family with history of diabetes, you are predisposed to this illness especially when you are over 40 years of age. On the basis of this knowledge of your own medical condition with family history, it is best to seek advice from your doctor. Good exercise decreases the risk of heart disease, helps control weight, and maximize the effect of our natural body insulin.

To avoid impending problems with your feet, protect your feet. How ?

photo by wharman

Daily Foot Care For Diabetics

1. Check your feet everyday for redness, sores, swelling, blisters, numbness, pain, tingling sensation.

2. Wash your feet daily with lukewarm water and mild soap.

3. Dry your feet well, pat gently with soft towel, especially between the toes to prevent fungal growth, don't rub.

4. Apply cream or lanolin lotion to dry skin of your feet especially on your rough or cracked heels, and to  keep the skin, heels, soles supple.

5. Dust your feet dry with nonmedicated powder before putting on socks and shoes.

6. Seek for a podiatrist's advise before treating calluses, corns or bunions.

7. Cut toenails straight across to avoid ingrown toenails, soak toenails in warm water to soften before cutting, file edges of toenails carefully.

8. Don't let your feet too hot or too cold.

9. Don't go barefoot, unless required by a form of foot exercise, and done in safe  confinement.

10. Wear comfortable leather shoes that allow the skin to breathe at the same time  fit well with well-padded socks or stockings, cotton socks are better as synthetic material can cause perspiration, always keep your feet dry. Examine shoes daily for cracks, pebbles, and any roughness.

 Recommended Foot Exercises for Diabetics


Gross neglect of  a diabetic's feet often results  to foot problems,  major of which is limb amputation. To prevent this to happen, there are long lists of practical and easy foot exercises one can search online, like Google.

Brisk Walk 

1. Take a brisk walk daily of about a half to one hour.
2. Try to increase duration every week.

Tiptoe exercise

1. Hold both hands to a chair.
2. Raise and lower your body on your toes alternately.
3. Repeat 20 times.

Leg Swing

1. Hold on to a table with one hand, the other on your hips.
2. Stand with one leg on a raise platform as on a directory book, with the other  leg slightly raised forward.
3. Swing the raised leg to and fro 10 times.
4. Repeat the same procedure on the other leg.

Calf Stretch

1. Lean with the palms of your hands on the wall.
2. Keep your feet flat some distance away from the floor.
3. Bend your arms 10 times keeping your back and knees straight without raising the heels.
4. Sustain the stretch for 10 seconds.

Knee Bend

1. Hold on two hands to a chair.
2. Do deep knee bends keeping your back straight.
3. Start with 5 times and increase gradually to 10 times.

Ball Rolling

1. Sit on a straight-backed chair, with one foot on a rudder ball.
2. Grip the ball with your toes, relax your hold and roll the ball with foot.
3. Repeat the same procedure with the other foot.
4. Do this for 10 seconds.

All of the above are suggestions from reliable sources like Google and the Philippines  Family Health Guide, 1997 edition. Now you are ready to find the right exercise for you. Have fun to keep you motivated.

Diabetes and the Restless Leg Syndrome

The legs of a person are said to be restless when they itch, prickle or burn, jerk or twist involuntarily. It affects 5-10 people including those with diabetes. This  is caused by slow drainage of blood  from the lower limbs. Other causes include an excess of caffeine, withdrawal from alcohol, tranquilizer dependence, and deficiency in iron and Vitamin B. I'm a diabetic suffering from twitching legs and toes, burning legs, and occasional painful leg cramps.

Restless leg  is an ailment itself that needs attention. First, we have to identify what the problem is, and second, we have to look for remedies to treat the problem and keep it at bay.

Dr. Caroline Shreeve,  author of my source, Home Remedies: A Guide to Symptoms and Cures, has this to say about restless legs, their symptoms and cures.

What are the symptoms of the restless legs syndrome? 

•  Inability to keep legs still after retiring for the night
• Lower legs thrash about or jerk uncontrollably
• Prickling, crawling sensation just under the skin of legs
• A burning sensation although skin may be cool to the touch

What are the cures?
  
Naturopathy  -  a system of primary health care that uses natural measures, particularly diet, to restore and promote the body's self-healing process. Several naturopathy approaches are as follows:

A. Relevant lifestyle measures

1. whole food diet
2. weight reduction
3. daily exercise (going barefoot)
4. wear open sandals to encourage toes to grip naturally

B. Hydrotherapy (treatment with the use of water)

1. leg and foot baths
2. cool compress
3. warm bath or shower

C.  Aromatherapy-  treatment with the use of essences

1. Add 4 drops of clary sage and 3 drops each of chamomile and orange essence to 1 tbsp(15ml) sweet almond or grape oil following  a warm bath or shower.
2. Use the essences to massage the legs in an upward direction from the soles of the feet to the knees until it is absorbed.
3. Lie down for at least 20 minutes with the feet propped on a pillow.  

 Dance therapy

1.  Used beneficially especially the type that involves slow, strong leg movements that utilize relevant muscles.  

Vitamins and  Minerals

1. A whole food diet but with additional emphasis upon foods rich in iron (red meat, offal, black treacle, cheddar cheese, egg yolk, wheatgerm, seaweed, nuts, and lentils)
2. The B Vitamins (brewers'  yeast, wholewheat flour, beef kidney and liver, sunflower seeds, and cashew nuts)
3. Vitamin C with bioflavonoids are extremely important, too (found as the brightly coloured natural nutrients in the pulp, peel (and pith) of citrus fruit, green peppers, paw paw,  and cherries.
4. Specific dietary supplements are the whole range of antioxidants, especially the bioflavonoids with naturally occurring Vitamin C, folic acid, and Vitamin E.

Medical Treatment

1. Exercise, weight reduction, and possibly dietary advice would be the typical treatments offered.
2. Medication takes the form of paroven, containing rutosides, which are a form of bioflavanoid.

Caution

1. See your doctor about all involuntary movements.
2. Take any medication exactly as prescribed.
3. Seek further advice.

How can we prevent restless legs syndrome? 

1. Prop legs up while resting during the day.
2. Exercise regularly to maintain good circulation.
3. Avoid being overweight.
4. Massage legs nightly before retiring in bed.

For diabetics, a healthy control of blood sugar level may lessen the problem of the restless legs.

Good News For Diabetics On Choosing A Valentine's Day Diet Plan

Normally, diabetologists will tell you this, as my own doctor does, "I'm not telling you not to eat", that is, after he discovers that you have an increased level of  blood sugar reflected in the results of your check-up. And it is normally followed by, "Eat with moderation", "Eat a balanced diet". 

However, even  this face-saving advice doesn't take away our fears because we simply don't know how to choose a varied diet. Did I hear, too, that diabetics themselves, find it nearly impossible to eat balanced diet everyday? That's true! Pressures of everyday life, the frequent occurrence of social gatherings, special occasions like this approaching Valentine"s Day celebration where the common treats are taboos for a diabetic, can play havoc with diet plans and mealtimes.

But I have a good news! I came across a bit of thoughts in one of my readings which you might welcome as I do. Studies have shown that it can be just as healthful to eat the right balance of foods over a course of 3 to 4 days, as on a daily bases. Take note! According to the study, if you overindulged in fast foods or chocolate, or any sugar-filled, calorie-laden food one day, you can spend the next couple of days avoiding sugary desserts and following a diet that is low in fats and rich in grains, vegetables, and fruits. Isn't that great?

Well, nobody is going to tell me now not to dip my spoon in that ice cream cup or pick a chocolate candy or two to nibble at, as I watch my favorite shows on TV. That's an enjoyable prospect of relaxing the limit to these sweet foods. In a way, I can spend just 3 or 4 days to wash out whatever I put in my guts afterwards.

I didn't stop looking for  some down-to-earth justifications though that I would be all right after my planned overindulgence. And voila! I got hold of this edition of my favorite Reader's Digest, and chanced upon the answer to my quest.

Astrid Van Den Broeck's Cut Calories, Boost Health (Reader's Digest, March, 2009), has this timely recommendation to  "Trim Down Your Calories". Indeed, smart swaps or food exchanges can help us prevent excess fats and sugar in our diet that put us at risk of life-threatening diseases like heart disease and diabetes. So, it seems that if we can't follow a strict 100 percent standard diet for diabetics, we can do a little circumnavigation this Valentine's Day when every sweet and sugary, fatty foods are common treats.

She said, we can trim our everyday calories to 100 this way:

1. Whip that margarine with a blender to incorporate air into your spread so you end using less.
2. Choose light beer, it has about 100 calories compared to a regular beer with 150.
3. Choose a honey doughnut with 210 calories instead of medium-served french fries with 380.
4. Have a fresh orange fruit rather than a fruit juice packed  with high calorie punch.
5. Spread sugar-free jam on your toast or sandwich, 2 tablespoons are only 20 calories compared to 250 in the traditional jam with 100.

 We can trim 250 calories this way:

1. Use egg white, instead of whole egg,  and skim milk for your french toast, cooked in a non-oiled, non-stick pan.
2. For your spaghetti, simmer your paste sauce with ground chicken or turkey instead of ground lean beef.
3. Buy a veggie burger instead of a beef burger.
4. Try a kid's meal of chicken nuggets rather than a regular fast food meal. 

And we can also trim 500 calories this way:

1. Dip your fried chicken in water rather than beaten eggs and coat it with cornflake crumbs instead of bread crumbs.
2. Indulge in a scoop of sherbet or gelato instead of a cheesecake.
3. Order a glass of water with the McDonald's burger and skip the 360-calorie Coca Cola.
4. Get a low-fat waffle for only 70 calories compared to a large bagel of 360.
5. Have a grande Coffee Frapuccino Light Blended Coffee at Starbucks instead of the Mocho to save you 250.
6. Select a thin-crusted pizza with half the cheese and doubled vegetables instead of the thick one.
7. Make your own breakfast sandwich with an English muffin, 2 slices of multi-grain bread, poach an egg, microwave it, then add a small size of fat-free cheese.

These are some healthy cuts to your daily calorie-intake recommended by Broeck. And let me add my personal idea. The ampalaya (bitter gourd) fruit is proven to help in the opening of body cells to absorb nutrients in our food. After you treated yourself with the above meals, you may be happier to sip a hot unsweetened  ampalaya (bitter gourd) tea to ease your guilt a little.

To have this homemade tea, cut fresh  ampalaya (bitter gourd) fruit  into chips in advance, have them sun-dried for 4 days at most and keep them dry in tight canisters. Use a pinch or two in a boiling cup of water to take  before breakfast with stomach still empty or before bedtime after an indulgence of food. You may nibble at the remaining boiled chips for more effect. The bitter gourd tea chips can stand 1 year of use. In fact, this is a cheap source of my Charantia tea substitute.

Happy eating this Valentine's Day! Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

My Flexible Meal Plan as Diabetic

First off, I understand why my daily diet must be restricted. My special dietary needs require a meal plan that suggests a healthy and well-managed diet regimen and that I have to adhere to it. This should be flexible, constantly adapting to my blood glucose and cholesterol levels. It is believed that a diabetic's diet is one of the best diets, aside from its proven help in managing blood glucose.

Diabetes is a disease linked to the lifestyle of people. Modernization has led to a change in eating habits. The traditional diets with dishes that promoted good health and that which traditionally nourished our great-grandparents have changed. A dramatic rise in mortality rate from diabetes and other diseases like heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, is blamed in the people's increase in consumption of animal fats and a decrease in consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Cultural influences have their effects in the peoples' eating habits. In highly industrialized countries that eat large portions of fatty meat, foods rich in dairy products, highly refined and processed foods , believed to have increased rates of  diabetes cases and other fatal diseases like cancer.

Whereas, the  population that adheres to the traditional diet of Omega 3-fatty acids rich fish like trout, mackerel, sardines, healthy fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, fresh green leaves with strong protective effects are better protected against these diseases.

A diabetic doesn't only restrict the intake of the particular food- sugar, but also pays attention to the timing and composition of his meals. To do this, he must follow a regimen.

• Have a meal plan
• Know his BMI (Body Mass Index)- BMI measures the degree of fatness or leanness. The normal BMI for adults is from 18.5 to 22.9 

To calculate BMI :

• Know his Height:______ft. ____ in.
• Know his Weight______kilograms
• BMI = ________ Weight  divided by Height

Compute his  daily Total Energy requirement (TER)

• TER = Ideal Body weight(IBW) or Desired Body weight (DBW) multiplied by Activity level or Physical Activity
  
• Prepare menu based on your TER
• A male 5'5" height, with a light activity as a laboratory technician has a TER=60 X 30= 1800 kcl/day
  

Abbot gives us a the following figures for determining activity level(kcal/kg):

Bed rest but mobile (hospital patients) 30(kcal/kg) for male and 27.5(kcal/kg) for female; Sedentary (mostly sitting ex. secretary, clerk, typist, administrator,cashier, teller) 35 and 30; Light (teacher, nurse, laboratory technician, housewives with maids, tailor, physician) 40 and 35; Moderate (housewife without maid, vendor, mechanic, jeepney driver, carpenter, painter) 45 and40; and Heavy (lumberman, farmer, laborer, coal miner, fisherman, swimmer) 50, respectively.

Food Exchanges is  a tool for quantifying energy requirement in simpler terms. It assumes that foods on the same food group have the same nutritional contents that can be exchanged with another food in the same list, thus allowing you to enjoy flexibility in meal planning.

Here is an example of an Exchange - Sample Menu for Morning Snack, rice as a food group= 1 cup of rice can be exchanged with 3 pieces pandesal, (bread) or 1 cup noodles, or 1 cup cornflakes.

Apportioning the menu based on the TER is important. There are a number of meal samples that suggest the right food and correct portion in terms of their calorie content. Here is one of the common samples from Outsmarting Diabetes, My Daily Health Guide in Managing My Diabetes, Abbot Nutrition.

Sample Menu for a Day for TER=1,800 Calories

BREAKFAST (362 calories)
Food group -
Fruit-Unsweetened apple juice or 1 exchange, 1/3 cup household size
High fat meat - Braised pork chop or 1 exchange,  1 pc, small
Vegetable - Tomatoes, cucumber or 1/2 exchange, 1/2 cup
Rice- Boiled rice or 2 exchange, 1 cup
Decaffeinated coffee, artificial sweetener, non-dairy creamer or 1 exchange

MORNING SNACK (210 calories)
Food group
Rice - Suman sa ibos or 1 excchange
Milk- Glucerna SR 3 scoops in 100ml water

LUNCH
Food group
Low fat meat- Steamed lapu-lapu or 2 exchanges, 2 slices
Vegetable- Chopsuey, 1 exchange, 1/2 cup
Rice- Boiled rice, 3 exchanges, 1 1/2
Fruit- Pineapple, 1 exchange, 1 slice
Fat- Mayonnaise for steamed lapu-lapu, 2 exchanges, 2 tsps

AFTERNOON SNACK
Food group-
Rice- Tuna sandwich, Pan amerikano/Sliced tasty bread, 1 exchange, 2 slices
Low fat meat- Tuna flakes in brine, 1 excahnge, 1/2 cup flakes
Fat- Mayonnaise, 1 exchange, 1 tsp
Milk- 3 scoops in 100ml water

SUPPER
Food group- Chicken afritada(chicken breast), 1 exchange, 1/4 breast
Vegetable- Carrots, (1 exchange), baguio beans, citsaro (2 exchanges) 1 cup
Rice- Boiled rice, 1 exchange, 1 cup
Fruit- Ripe mango, 1 exchange, 1 slice

BEDTIME SNACK
Food group- Rice (toasted)/White bread, 1 exchange, 1 piece
Fat- Butter, 1 exchange, 1 tsp

Total calories= 1,800

The meal plan, in order to be effective, must consider calorie content and correct portion of food. Exchange, when understood, makes the meal a flexible diet plan and enjoyable to eat. For more meal plan examples, visit  the Glucerna SR Home.

Sugar: a Sweet Poison to a Diabetic's Diet

Is sugar bad for a person with diabetes? A lot of people say yes.

Sugar, when used alone as a term per se, refers to the ordinary table sugar. It is processed from sucrose, which is present in the green leaves of all plants. Some plants such as sugar cane and sugar beets, store large amount of sucrose in their stems and roots and are used as source of commercial sugar.

As a food, ordinary sugar is concentrated but is a relatively cheap source of energy. A tablespoonful of sugar which is equivalent to one half ounce represents 60 calories. This is a lot calorie from only one source for a meal.

Sugar is any of a group of carbohydrates that can be dissolved in water and has more or less sweet taste.Except for people with diabetes, sugar is easily and rapidly assimilated in the body. It also tends to satisfy hunger, as artificial sweeteners.

Here are a few foods rich in sugar: 

• soft drinks
• juices
• crackers
• cookies
• cakes
• other desserts
  

In whatever we do, when we walk, run, jump, lift a weight, carry the weight- our body burns sugar or glucose, the body's primary source of energy.

People with diabetes, have reasons to go slow or totally reject sugar for their food. Anyways, there is glucose found in carbohydrates, a better alternate. All starchy foods we eat have carbohydrates in them that yield sugar- our body's best source of energy.

Glucose is divided into two categories, namely;

• Simple sugar which is further grouped into 2- Monosaccharides is a compound of crystalline sugar with an organic base occurring  naturally in fruits, honey, and others. It consists of simple molecules. These are glucose, fructose,  and galactose. Diasaccharides consists of 2 molecules combined. These are sucrose or table sugar, lactose or milk sugar, and maltose or malt sugar.

• Complex Carbohydrates (or starch) has at least 10nsaccharides found in plant food like wheat, rice, potatoes, beans, corn, yam
  

Carbohydrates is further grouped into 1. beneficial carbohydrates in whole grain, bread, brown rice (highly nutritious) 2. refined carbohydrates ( with least nutritional value) as in white sugar and white flour

Most carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (blood sugar) when digested for body energy. The rest that the body doesn't need immediately enter the liver and the muscles to be stored as glycogen. Glycogen provides energy when the body demands it. However, any surplus is converted into fat and is stored in the body. If it is unused, it accumulates. This gives rise to weight increase.

Excess glucose in the body impairs blood circulation.  Combined with excess fat, dieters, like the diabetics, resort to fasting or starving themselves to death in their desire to lose weight due to accumulated fats. This is extremely a dangerous practice.

If because of fasting, the body doesn't receive enough supply of nutrients, it will exhaust its store of fats. The the body  begins to digest its muscles, including cardiac muscles. This can lead to heart failure aside from other vitamin-deficiency risks that weakens the body.

The body needs sugar, the high quality one and the best sources are organic foods like fruits and vegetables. The way sugar is assimilated and stored in the body in excess gives us the more reasons to:

• have a well-ordered diet plan, especially if we are diabetic
• eat carbohydrates for our sugar, but in moderation, to eat only enough
• exercise to sweat off excess sugar from the body

Diabetics, with abnormal body absorption of blood glucose, must know the reason why their  diabetologists advise them on eating with moderation. My doctor once said, if I was eating 3 times a day daily,  he would allow me to eat 8 times with little food but  right food each time and spread out to allow digestion and assimilation to take place in the right way.

Photo 1 courtesy of Kanko

I'm a Diabetic ! ! !

This is my first blog post in this niche I choose for my life's journal as an insulin-dependent diabetic. "of Lancets and Strips" will serve as a repository of my experiences in managing my diabetes. Lancets and strips are actually the blood test tools I use in my glucometer, a device I use that helps me monitor my blood sugar level. This blog will forever remain as my inspiration as it connects me to friends in the internet who may be are suffering from diabetes, or with family members, friends, and associates in their work place with this health condition. Mutual sharing of information makes this blog useful and meaningful.

My 5 months of blogging experience have opened a chance for me to browse, read, and understand the volume of invaluable information about diabetes. I've come across a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) that there are about 180 million people worldwide with diabetes mellitus. In the year 2030, accordingly, this number may yet double up , especially mentioned are developing countries, like in my country, the Philippines. The identified factors for the rise of the cases are: the growing population, ageing, unhealthy diet, obesity, and sedentary life.

How my condition started is beyond my understanding. I only knew recently that I may have inherited it from my father who had it in his old age before he died. This condition began to manifest in me and in my other siblings as we grow in age. I want to believe now in one of my doctors who said we have a "family pre-disposition" to this disease- diabetes.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high level of blood glucose or sugar. The body needs only enough blood glucose as its primary source of energy, provided for by the food we eat. The normal and healthy level of glucose that the body needs is from 80 to 120 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). More or less of this, results to diabetes.

What is diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus is a condition of the body resulting from lack of insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin is needed by the body to be able to utilize carbohydrates from foods we eat and to assimilate glucose, amino acids , and fatty acids for energy. When the body does not have enough insulin or if the insulin is ineffective, blood glucose or sugar level is increased. The disease can not be cured, but it can be controlled. It can also be tamed to normalcy if detected early. Good management, next to proper treatment, are highly necessary for the diabetic to enjoy longer and happier life.

I have type II diabetes mellitus. I discovered it by accident. It was during one of the annual health checkups required of public servants for re-entry into service. My urine test for blood sugar yielded a positive plus 4 (++++) which meant I have a high level sugar. Since it didn't disturb me whatsoever, I shrugged it off as just ordinary health impairment I could reverse through dieting. It was after few years later when I began to feel the symptoms that I subjected myself to a series of tests that ended in my first oral treatment.

Had I known about the so-called pre-diabetes test and its importance, I would have prevented or even reversed my glucose level to normal. It's now too late.

What is this pre-diabetes test ?

There are three types of this test which I read from My Daily Guide in Managing My Diabetes (Outsmart Diabetes, Abbot Nutrition), namely:

1. Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG)

It is a condition in which fasting blood sugar (FBS) level is elevated from 100 to 125 mg/dl after an overnight fasting. However, this condition is not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

2. Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)

It is a condition in which the blood glucose, after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test, is elevated from 140 to 199 mg/dl. This is still not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

3. Both IFG and IGT

Pre-diabetes conditions can be prevented, delayed or may even return blood glucose level to normal. A strict and proper program of weight loss, coupled with increased physical activity may be of help. However, its progression to diabetes condition is inevitable, without help.

What are the types of diabetes mellitus ?

I gleaned the following descriptions of the two types of diabetes mellitus from several sources in which I put this common characters:

1. Type I diabetes is a condition that runs in the family. Its precise cause is not known. It begins in childhood and adolescence. It can also occur at any age. It is a condition where the pancreas fails to produce insulin. This type accounts for 1 of 10 of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

2. Type II diabetes results from the body's inability to respond properly to the insulin produced by the pancreas. It usually begins with resistance to insulin. Given this condition, the pancreas loses its ability to produce insulin. Its onset occurs frequently during adulthood It is also noted to increase in adolescence. This is much more common type. It accounts 9 out of 10 of all diabetes cases worldwide.

Furthermore, according to the aforesaid guide, this type is associated with:

- old age
- obesity
- family history of diabetes
- impaired glucose metabolism
- physical inactivity
- race/ethnicity

At present time, I have diabetes type II condition. I have been on a routine checkup and management for almost 20 years now. I started my insulin shots 3 years ago when my blood glucose rose to 497 mg/dl. At present time, my blood sugar stays on the average somewhere between 107 mg/dl t0 140 mgdl. Diabetes is not a hindrance, it is a gift, because it reminds you to take care of yourself with professional medical help. More next time !

Resources: Philippines Health Guide, 1997 Edition, Reader's Digest Medical Encyclopedia , 1971 Edition, Outsmart Diabetes (My Daily Guide in masnaging My Diabetes), Abbot nutrition.