o grow and multiply. Coupled with the fact that you may already have poor circulation stemming from a long standing history of uncontrolled Diabetes, you would be at a much higher risk for infection and amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eventually death.

But let us focus on just the aesthetics for now, because no can actually see high blood pr

Anyone would rather spend time with a sweetie pie than with a sour puss, but if you are diabetic, being sweet is not necessarily a good thing. Learn the ABC's of Diabetes. It really is as easy as 1,2,3. Not only will it save your life, but also your limbs, your heart, your brain, and your kidneys. It is so hard to imagine that in this day and time, people are still so noncompliant with managing their diabetes. It is so easy and so well worth it. The repercussions of not managing the disease, however, are not easy at all. Young people seem to think they are invincible. Not true at all. Young people are admitted everyday to the hospital with extensive complications and/or related health conditions and diseases arising from diabetes.

The older generation knows they are not invincible, they just do not want anyone telling them what they can or can not eat. Being used to eating home cooked meals and goodies using grandma's recipes, it's hard for them to be compliant with new diet regimens. Or they say to themselves, "A little piece of cake will not hurt me this time." Well this is true, if you are only telling yourself this once in a blue moon. But if you find yourself making statements like this almost every night, then that one piece of cake will eventually hurt you.

There is lots of information on the web about the physiology of diabetes, so we are going to focus on the basics here. How exactly does diabetes affect your body? The answer simply is this: just as it is implied, people who have "sugar," medically known as diabetes, can at any given moment have too much sugar in their blood stream. Both blood and sugar are wonderfully rich breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast to grow and multiply. Coupled with the fact that you may already have poor circulation stemming from a long standing history of uncontrolled Diabetes, you would be at a much higher risk for infection and amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eventually death.

But let us focus on just the aesthetics for now, because no can actually see high blood pre

and so well worth it. The repercussions of not managing the disease, however, are not easy at all. Young people seem to think they are invincible. Not true at all. Young people are admitted everyday to the hospital with extensive complications and/or related health conditions and diseases arising from diabetes.

The older generation knows they are not invincible, they just do not want anyone telling them what they can or can not eat. Being used to eating home cooked meals and goodies using grandma's recipes, it's hard for them to be compliant with new diet regimens. Or they say to themselves, "A little piece of cake will not hurt me this time." Well this is true, if you are only telling yourself this once in a blue moon. But if you find yourself making statements like this almost every night, then that one piece of cake will eventually hurt you.

There is lots of information on the web about the physiology of diabetes, so we are going to focus on the basics here. How exactly does diabetes affect your body? The answer simply is this: just as it is implied, people who have "sugar," medically known as diabetes, can at any given moment have too much sugar in their blood stream. Both blood and sugar are wonderfully rich breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast to grow and multiply. Coupled with the fact that you may already have poor circulation stemming from a long standing history of uncontrolled Diabetes, you would be at a much higher risk for infection and amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eventually death.

But let us focus on just the aesthetics for now, because no can actually see high blood pr

can not eat. Being used to eating home cooked meals and goodies using grandma's recipes, it's hard for them to be compliant with new diet regimens. Or they say to themselves, "A little piece of cake will not hurt me this time." Well this is true, if you are only telling yourself this once in a blue moon. But if you find yourself making statements like this almost every night, then that one piece of cake will eventually hurt you.

There is lots of information on the web about the physiology of diabetes, so we are going to focus on the basics here. How exactly does diabetes affect your body? The answer simply is this: just as it is implied, people who have "sugar," medically known as diabetes, can at any given moment have too much sugar in their blood stream. Both blood and sugar are wonderfully rich breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast to grow and multiply. Coupled with the fact that you may already have poor circulation stemming from a long standing history of uncontrolled Diabetes, you would be at a much higher risk for infection and amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eventually death.

But let us focus on just the aesthetics for now, because no can actually see high blood pr

you.

There is lots of information on the web about the physiology of diabetes, so we are going to focus on the basics here. How exactly does diabetes affect your body? The answer simply is this: just as it is implied, people who have "sugar," medically known as diabetes, can at any given moment have too much sugar in their blood stream. Both blood and sugar are wonderfully rich breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast to grow and multiply. Coupled with the fact that you may already have poor circulation stemming from a long standing history of uncontrolled Diabetes, you would be at a much higher risk for infection and amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eventually death.

But let us focus on just the aesthetics for now, because no can actually see high blood pr

o grow and multiply. Coupled with the fact that you may already have poor circulation stemming from a long standing history of uncontrolled Diabetes, you would be at a much higher risk for infection and amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eventually death.

But let us focus on just the aesthetics for now, because no can actually see high blood pressure, kidney failure, or an impending stroke. Let us focus on what is most visible and sometimes the hardest for a lot of people to deal with. Diabetes is the leading cause of lower limb amputation. And in my many years of nursing, I have never met one single person who did not mind losing a leg, even if he or she had been paralyzed for years.

Circulation is very vital to healing. High blood sugar causes poor circulation. Poor circulation slows down the healing process. And if your sugar levels are higher than normal, a very minor cut or scrape can lead to a major infection that is difficult or impossible to treat with antibiotics. This can lead amputation of a limb. And because of the slow healing process, infection can again set in, causing the surgeon to need to amputate a "little higher" next time, in hopes of getting to the tissue that is healthy enough for the surgery to be successful and the incision to heal without complication.

Another thought to ponder...

Men sometimes have a problem with taking daily medication, checking their blood sugar, or giving themselves insulin, because they feel it takes away from their masculinity. But as already stated, uncontrolled diabetes leads to circulatory problems. Normal circulation is also needed for an erection. Aside from the numbness, tingling, and pain in your limbs that you will eventually have because of uncontrolled diabetes, impotence can also become a problem.

SO WHAT ARE THE ABC'S OF DIABETES?

A -- Accu-check, always!

B -- Beware of hidden sugars. Read the labels. Carbs are sugar too!

C -- Control and manage the disease

D -- Diet and exercise & Daily foot care and inspection