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~ Return to Nutter's Diabetes Living Information Home Page ~ ACIDOSIS - An acidic condition in body fluids, chiefly blood. If prolonged, or severe, it can cause coma and death regardless of cause. For a person with diabetes, this can be caused by insufficient glucose absorption (eg, from inadequate insulin) combined with metabolic ketosis. It can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis. A medical emergency. (also diabetic ketoacidosis). AMYOTROPHY - A type of diabetic neuropathy that causes muscle weakness and wasting. BRITTLE DIABETES - A term used when a person's blood glucose (sugar) level often swings quickly from high to low and from low to high. Also called labile and unstable diabetes. CALORIE - In diabetes, a measure of the chemical energy in a fixed amount of food. The food Calorie is 1000x the calorie used in heat physics. Not all calories in food are usable. For instance, sawdust is largely cellulose (ie, glucoses stuck together in long chains), and can be burned in a calorimeter, but the body contains no mechanism to use it as fuel. Calories relevant to diabetes come only from those substances in food which are actually used by the body. Thus, protein is not normally used for fuel, and so should not be counted as a food calorie in normal situations. In a calorimeter it is worth 4 calories/gram, while fat/oils are worth 9 calories/gram, and carbohydrate is worth 4 calories/gram. A gram is about 1/5 of an ounce for those more familiar with English measures. CARBOHYDRATE - any of a group of organic compounds (containing the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen), including starches and sugars, that are the chief energy sources of the body. CHARCOT FOOT - A foot complication associated with diabetic neuropathy that results in destruction of joints and soft tissue. Also called "Charcot's joint" and "neuropathic arthropathy." CHOLESTEROL - a waxy substance related to the steroid class of chemicals which serves as a substrate for many things including cell membrane construction. It is involved in the transport of fat in the blood. Those transport versions (Low Density Cholesterol or High Density Cholesterol) differ, and not only in density. HDL is associated with the scavenging of plaque on arterial walls, while LDL is associated with deposition of such plaque. High cholesterol levels are statistically correlated with vessel disease and with heart attack. Cholesterol is manufactured in the body and is absorbed in the diet. Furthermore, some diet elements seem to be connected with higher body production of cholesterol (eg, saturated fat). DIABETIC RETINOPATHY - damage to the retina caused by growth of very small blood vessels. The proliferative variety is dangerous and often leads to blindness. DYSGLYCEMIA - A general term referring to any glucose level that is above normal including impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, prediabetes, or diabetes (also spelled dysglycaemia). EXCHANGE LIST - A listing of foods that have approximately the same nutritional values (calories and carbohydrates). Also called a Food Exchange List. For an example of a Food Exchange List, click here. FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE TEST - A method for finding out how much glucose (sugar) is in the blood, at a time when it is unaffected by recent food intake. The test can show if a person has diabetes (a single reading of 126 mg/dl (7 mmol/l) is diagnostic except in newborns or pregnant women or in some unusual other conditions). A blood sample is often taken in a lab or doctor's office. The test is usually done in the morning before the person has eaten. The normal, nondiabetic range for blood glucose is approx between 70 to 110 mg/dl (5 - 7 mmol/l), depending on the person and whether the blood is from a vein or a capillary, and depending on how the measurement is made (on whole blood or just the plasma). It can also be done by anyone with a blood glucose meter, proper supplies, and an understanding of how to test. FUNDUSCOPY - A test to look at the back area of the eye to see if there is any damage to the vessels that bring blood to the retina. The doctor uses a device called an ophthalmoscope to check the eye. There is also a special type of camera which takes photos of the eye (with dilated pupils) to record retinal conditions for future comparison. GLUCOSE – a simple sugar that is the major energy source in the body. GLYCEMIC LOAD – a determination that describes the glycemic index designation of the majority of foods you eat. For example, if the majority of foods in your diet are categorized as high glycemic foods, you have a diet with a high glycemic load. Glycemic load also indicates how fast a standard portion of a particular food raises blood glucose. HYPOGLYCEMIA – low blood sugar. HYPERGLYCEMIA – high blood sugar. IGT (Impaired Glucose Tolerance) – above-normal levels of blood glucose, but not at the diabetic level. A small percentage of people with IGT go on to develop Type 2 diabetes. This condition is also known as “Pre-Diabetes”. Pre-Diabetes has also been referred to as Syndrome X, metabolic syndrome or insulin-resistance syndrome. INSULIN – is an animal hormone whose presence informs the body's cells that the animal is well fed, causing liver and muscle cells to take in glucose and store it in the form of glycogen, and causing fat cells to take in blood lipids and turn them into triglycerides, in addition to several other anabolic effects throughout the body. KETOSIS - the process of fat metabolism. It is characteristic of ordinary metabolism, but can become abnormal, leading to ketoacidosis under some conditions. It is not uncommon among diabetics, especially type 1 diabetics. LANCET - A fine, sharp-pointed blade or needle for pricking the skin. LIPID - another term for fat / oil. Usually, used in reference to fat in the human body. METABOLISM - metabolism is the sum of all the processes involved in using food to produce chemical energy for cell functions. It is a complex interaction of enzymes, substrates, itnermediate products, etc. diabetes mellitus is a derangement of metabolism. MICROANEURYSM - A small swelling that forms on the side of tiny blood vessels. These small swellings may break and bleed into nearby tissue. People with diabetes sometimes get microaneurysms in the retina of the eye. NECROBIOSIS LIPOIDICA DIABETICORUM - A skin condition usually on the lower part of the legs. The lesions can be small or extend over a large area. They are usually raised, yellow, and waxy in appearance and often have a purple border. Young women are most often affected. This condition occurs in people with diabetes, or it may be a sign of diabetes. It also occurs in people who do not have diabetes. NEUROPATHY - nerve damage. In a diabetic context, a chronic complication of diabetes. Damage usually appears in the longest nerves, for reasons we only dimly understand, resulting in lass of sensation to the feet and lower legs. The damage is almost always bilateral. Loss of reflexes is also common. Neuropathy can also affect the hands, motor nerves, and the autonomic system. PANCREAS - an abdominal organ with multiple functions. It is a ducted organ which produces chemicals used in the intestines for digestion. It is also an endocrine gland producing several hormones in the islets of Langerhans. The most notable of these latter is insulin. PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY - Nerve damage, usually affecting the feet and legs; causing pain, numbness, or a tingling feeling. Also called "somatic neuropathy" or "distal sensory polyneuropathy." PODIATRIST - A doctor who treats and takes care of people's feet. POLYDIPSIA - A great thirst that lasts for long periods of time; a sign of diabetes. PROTEIN - a class of biochemicals made from amino acids in specific sequences. Proteins can be very large molecules with very specific shapes in folds and sheets, etc. They have three prominent functions in the body. Some varieties are, save for bone, the structural components of cells and so of the body. Other varieties are enzymes, which coordinate the chemical reactions which are required for life: metabolism, protein construction and degradation, reproduction, etc. A smaller third class of proteins are hormones. Insulin, central to diabetes mellitus, is a protein and is a very small one. REACTIVE HYPOGLYCEMIA – a condition in which the symptoms of low blood sugar appear 2 to 5 hours after eating foods high in glucose. Arriving at a diagnosis of reactive hypoglycemia is very difficult and the cause of most cases isn’t clear. Reactive hypoglycemia can occur in people who do not have diabetes and is not typically associated with diabetes. For more information about reactive hypoglycemia, CLICK HERE. RENAL - A term that means having something to do with the kidneys. SECONDARY DIABETES - When a person gets diabetes because of another disease or because of taking certain drugs or chemicals. SOMOGYI EFFECT - A swing to a high level of glucose (sugar) in the blood from an extremely low level, usually occurring after an untreated insulin reaction during the night. The swing is caused by the release of stress hormones to counter low glucose levels. People who experience high levels of blood glucose in the morning may need to test their blood glucose levels in the middle of the night. If blood glucose levels are falling or low, adjustments in evening snacks or insulin doses may be recommended. This condition is named after Dr. Michael Somogyi, the man who first wrote about it. Also called "rebound." SYSTEMIC - A word used to describe conditions that affect the entire body. Diabetes is a systemic disease because it involves many parts of the body such as the pancreas, eyes, kidneys, heart, and nerves. TEAM MANAGEMENT - Describes a diabetes treatment approach in which medical care is provided by a physician, physician assistant, diabetes educator, dietitian, and behavioral scientist working together with the patient. XYLITOL - A sweetener found in plants and used as a substitute for sugar; it is called a nutritive sweetener because it provides calories, just like sugar.  Before any physical activity comes the WARM UP. Warm-ups get your body ready for physical activity. Shrug your shoulders, tap your toes, swing your arms gently from side to side or around in circles, or dance to some moderately-paced music for five minutes. Warm up for a few minutes before any activity. Some of the definitions on this page were found at wikipedia.org on THIS PAGE. Suggestions made by Nutter’s Bulk & Natural Foods, and the contents of this article, |
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