Health Tips - how to control diabetes and maintain a healthy kidney

I think you should  know that diabetes affects the kidney.   Diabetic kidney disease, also known as Diabetic nephropathy, is one of the key specific complication of diabetes.  Thirty to Fifty percent of people who had kidney failure are found to be diabetic.

Blood sugar if not controlled and if it grows high, over a period of time, produces functional and later structural changes in the kidneys. But the unfortunate fact is, the changes that occur in the kidney is not clinically visible or traceable to the treating doctor. Only when the kidney function is severely affected and the disease has reached an irreversible stage, the symptoms are shown in the patient.

More detailed tips to control diabetes and safeguard the kidney

Nutrition Tips: No need to say "No"

Coconut

Coconut is wholesome. Every part of it can be used. Coconut has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties that can be useful to the body.

Groundnuts

Groundnuts has antioxidants which very few plants have and it is called reservetol. It has properties that can burn the stubborn fat in your bodies. Eating some peanuts will keep the heart healthy. It helps you mobilise the fat deposited areas that needs to be worked on.

Rice

Rice is a must-have. Grown regionally, eat rice as it has methionine needed for lustrous hair. If you are dieting and cutting out rice, you will notice how the diet leads to hairfall. Always check for rice with red lines on them. That is the rice you should be eating.

Ghee

Always add ghee in your food. Ghee or clarified butter increases the immunity needed in a body. It should be an integral part of your diet as it increases the flexibility needed for bones. It is also an important anti-ageing agent. Make it at home to avoid impuritie

Alcohol - Benefits and Drawbacks

ALCOHOL

Alcohol is been used since prehistoric times.  Its primarily consumed for the mood it invokes.  Ethyl alcohol is  the main ingredient of alcoholic beverages.  It is made by fermentation of starch or sugar. Almost any sweet or starchy food like potatoes, grains, honey, grapes and other fruits, even dandelions can be turned into alcohol. Unlike most foods, alcohol is not digested but gets absorbed into the blood stream.  Due to this nature of Alcohol there are few benefits and drawbacks.

BENEFITS

·         Consumed moderately lowers the risk of heart attack and reduces the risk of clot formation.

·         Regular consumption of small quantities shall aid in improving appetite and aid digestion

·         Promotes  happy mood.

DRAWBACKS

·         Becomes an addiction

·         Prevents medication from healing

·         Regular consumption over a period of time increases the  risk of cancers, as well as heart and liver disease.

Recent studies have found that drinking small amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, lowers the risk of a heart attack. Studies also have proven having two alcoholic drinks a day offers more than double the protection from cardiovascular disease than one drink provides. The risk of a heart attack lowers because alcohol reduces the detrimental effects of elevated blood cholesterol while also preventing clot formation. In this study levels of bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein, or LDL) lowered, as did triglyceride levels: High levels of either raise the risk of heart disease.   However, moderation is the key property,  alcohol can be beneficial until consumed moderately.  Excessive consumption may lead to may health problems.

Kidney stone - An insight

What is a kidney stone?

Kidney stone is a hard mass that is caused when calcium oxalate or other chemicals in the urine form crystals that stick together.  These crystals may grow into stones, ranging in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball.  Kidney stones are common between the age of 20 and 40 years.  And they are more common in men, who account for four out of every five cases.

Diagnosis

X-rays can usually identify the presence of stones.  Specialised X-ray techniques (Sometimes using dye injections) or sound waves may be used to identify more accurately the size  and location of the stones and to test kidney functions as well.

Blood and urine tests may help the doctor to zero in on the factors causing the stone and plan the best treatment.

--
G.S.Srinivas

Get a ‘heel’ing touch!

Opting for footwear with a broader heel base has several benefits………
Women spend money and time in procuring perfect pair of shoes. This helps them win appreciative glances from either sex. Women attach more importance to their looks than their health. Health experts across the globe vouch for the bad-effects of the wearing stiletto heels. The prolonged use of high heels gives rise to back as well as severe foot problems. High heels also affect your toes leading to blisters and foot infections.
The human feet is designed to be walked in a certain way so that the arches in the feet help balance body weight. When one wears high heels the nerves in the feet are stressed and the arches would not be able to absorb the shock of the impact. As a result of this a person who uses high heels for prolonged periods may not be able to stand for longer periods and in the long run may not be able to feel their toes.
There are different types of heeled footwear Of the heeled varieties, the pointed stilettos are the worst. Wearing them in the long run can affect your back and knees as they take the maximum pressure in trying to maintaining your balance. This causes your hip muscles in your legs to work harder to move and pull your body forward. Your knees also stay more bent and forward, causing your knee muscles to work harder. But women are often ready to put up with the pain to look good. When you slip your feet into those heels, your body is trying to adjust to height and hence causing a strain on your posture. As you keep wearing heels over a prolonged period of time, the muscles in your back are stressed, this does not allow you to sit erect for too long.

SKIP THE PAIN!

If wearing heels is unavoidable, then it’s important to keep the following tips in mind...

• Take off your heels every few minutes and give your feet a quick massage.

• If you are obsessive about shoes with high heels, make sure that the height of the heels is limited to one inch only.

• Choose heels that can prevent the foot from sliding forward so that you can avoid the pressure on your toes.

• Avoid wearing them to places that do not call for such heels.

For more information on helath tips visit http://www.healthtips.in

Courtesy: Chennai time 28/06/2010