AF&A Blog

As diabetes awareness month comes to a close, let’s spend some time talking about wounds. Earlier in the month we talked about the determination it takes to properly heal wounds complicated by diabetes. Because of complicating factors, this is definitely an area where ‘an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure’.

By examining your feet daily for changes in color, texture, and temperature, you can detect problems early and seek appropriate intervention. There is actually a lot of ongoing research within the podiatry field to assess or predict wounds before they occur. This research attempts identifying ‘hot spots’ or areas under increased stress, so that your podiatrist can put you in specialized footwear or inserts to stop the problem before it occurs.

Examining your feet daily is doubly important if you have any neuropathy of sensation loses. When you lose the ability to feel pain, a small cut or splinter can go unnoticed and quickly lead to infection. Infections that are undetected can easily invade the muscle and bones. If the infection becomes septic, or reaches your blood, you may experience nausea, fever, chills or vomiting for which you must go immediately to the hospital. The sooner you see a podiatrist or make a trip to an appropriate medical facility the quicker steps can be taken to limit the damage and put you on the path to recovery. Delays in treatment, especially when infection is involved, can result in surgery and amputations.

We would encourage everyone who has diabetes or is close to someone who has it to join the American Diabetes Association. The ADA offers plenty of resources and helpful advice. One such recommendation is yearly foot check-ups with a podiatric physician. Regular healthcare can help you avoid many of the complications we’ve mentioned. We at AFAS are calling all to action by continuing to learn about and be aware of diabetes.

Stay tuned next month as we discuss holiday travels and some the things you should keep in mind. Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy, Austin!

While most holidays involve some component of gathering with others for a meal, Thanksgiving, by far, focuses the most on eating. This holiday typically conjures up images of feeling stuffed, ‘turkey coma’, or post meal naps. Unfortunately, this type of gorging isn’t healthy for anyone. Living with diabetes should mean that you focus on what you eat. Your body’s inability to keep the sugars in your blood at the appropriate levels translates into you changing the when you eat, what you eat, and the level of activity you get.

It may be helpful to think of diet as all the good things you can eat and not the limiting of other not so good things you may be used to eating. If you have any input into the types of foods you’ll be eating this holiday, visit the American Diabetes Association website. This is an excellent organization to be a part of if you live with diabetes. They offer a plethora of resources and ideas for living better while managing your sugars. For the holiday season, they offer such ideas as mashed sweet potatoes, sage stuffing, and pumpkin pie with maple ginger crust to help you have an enjoyable meal without sacrificing your blood sugars and ultimately your health. If you have the luxury of letting someone else prepare your meal, you should use a little caution in what and how much you eat. Standard fair like turkey and yams can actually be ok as long as you don’t stuff yourself. Sweet rolls are one of the foods you should limit or remove altogether as simple breads are one of those foods that can quickly elevate your blood sugars. You should take full advantage of the many resources to help guide your choices at meals this Thanksgiving.

While we talked last time about ‘hidden’ exercise, you should consider taking an easy walk after your meal instead of that nap.

Until next time, keep those feet happy and healthy, Austin!

There are so many topics to address when it comes to talking about diabetes. Living with diabetes, provides daily challenges and many changes to the routines you have developed over the years. Early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is often first managed with changes to diet and exercise. Hopefully the word ‘diet’ doesn’t elicit images of tasteless cardboard like food (we will dispel this idea in the future). ‘Exercise’ shouldn’t conjure images of hours on the treadmill, repetitive weight lifting, or being covered in sweat. Small changes to your daily activities can add some of the exercise you need to best manage your diabetes. Here are a few ideas from your friends at AFAS:

· Raking leaves: While you should take caution if you have any kind of lung or heart condition, raking the leaves in your yard can really get your blood flowing. The action of raking includes muscles in your back, arms, chest, and legs. By using these muscles, your body can better process the glucose in your blood and more efficiently use the insulin you produce.

· Parking in the back: You may have heard this one a few times before, but instead of parking right up front, opt for one of the many open spaces in the back. This, of course, requires that you have a little extra time. Instead of looping around the parking lot to find a space closer to the entrance of your work or shopping center of choice, grab one of the many empty spaces in the back of the lot and get a little extra walking in everyday. Walking is one of the best and simple exercises you can do to boost your health.

· Take the stairs: If you work on the 20^th floor of the office building, hoofing it up the stairs in your business attire probably won’t do. Now taking it to the 18^th floor and walking a couple flights of stairs will provide some added activity without sweat beading up on your forehead.

Remember that living a healthy lifestyle, no matter how long or severe your diabetes is, can only help you better manage your blood sugars. This November be aware of your diabetes or help a friend or family member to be aware of theirs. There is a wealth of information from the American Diabetes Association^®, family doctor, podiatrist, dietitian and other health care providers to help you best manage this challenging disease.

Until next time, watch your blood sugars and keep those feet happy and healthy Austin!