DiabeTeens Expert Anna shares DiabeTeens management news and commentary at DiabeTeens.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408 http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/86598/reflections Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:54:00 -0400 Anna Having diabetes and being an athlete are so similar that they seem to run together in the person that I have become.  Every day I test my blood sugar; everyday I train.  Neither endeavor has a definitive endpoint, only a set of vague ideals and semi-relevant standards of goodness.  Both absorb every ounce of effort that I put in, returning disproportionately small rewards, tiny events that can only be celebrated on an extremely... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/86598/reflections http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/83639/pikes-ascent Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:50:00 -0400 Anna The Pikes Peak Ascent is not an ordinary half marathon.  The start line is at an elevation of 6,300 feet above sea level; the finish line is at 14,115 feet above sea level.   The thirteen some miles in between pick up 7,815 feet,  winding from the base of Pikes Peak all the way to the summit.  The challenge attracts all sorts of runners every year, each one hoping to climb one of Colorado's most famous "fourteeners" as... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/83639/pikes-ascent http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/82799/rest-days Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:13:00 -0400 Anna An athlete defines his or herself by the workouts that he or she completes.  A swimmer, a sprinter, a marathon runner, and a power lifter all have a different routine, a different idea of a hard workout, and a different idea of performance.  However, all athletes shares one common element in their training- rest.   In order to improve performance, athletes rely on the "principle of adaption," the idea that the body adapts to the... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/82799/rest-days http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/82372/recovery Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:15:00 -0400 Anna Of all the hormones in the body, insulin is one of the most important.  Although diabetes education seems to simplify the production and effects of insulin, it is actually a complex hormone that is very important in nourishment, growth, and recovery.   In general, the body's metabolism, the sum of all the biochemical processes occurring, can be described as either anabolic or catabolic.  When the body is in a state of... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/82372/recovery http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/81077/effects-stress Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:28:00 -0400 Anna I have never met anyone who thought that managing their blood sugar was straight-forward.  The swings and the spikes, the unpredictable and unexplainable, are part of the universal experience.  Yet, as frustrating as they are, sometimes the unjustified spikes provide some valuable insight into what is going, on a deeper lever, in the body.    When mindlessly nibbling on some crackers over a period of time, I might not... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/81077/effects-stress http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/80533/exercise-blood Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:09:00 -0400 Anna Exercise is commonly broken up into two subcategories- aerobic and anaerobic exercise.  Technically, these terms refer to the presence (aerobic) or absence (anaerobic) of oxygen in cell metabolism, the process by which the cells of the body obtain energy.     In aerobic work, the body uses oxygen to produce energy.  Often, this means that the heart and lungs are working harder than usual, in order to get enough oxygen into... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/80533/exercise-blood http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/78580/get-used-to-it Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:12:00 -0400 Anna Usually, when someone finds out I have diabetes, the conversation goes like this:               Them: Oh, so you have diabetes?             Me: Yeah, Type I. (I always try to make that distinction.)             Them: Oh, my (fill in with some relative) has... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/78580/get-used-to-it http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/78165/isolating Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:19:00 -0400 Anna A few days ago, a package arrived at my house form Medtronic Minimed.   It included a brand new box of Quick-set infusion sets (my infusion set of choice), and a letter explaining a recall of all sets that have lot numbers starting with the number "8."  According to the letter, Medtronic estimates "that approximately 2% of the "Lot 8" Quick-set infusion sets may not work properly."  And, although "the manufacturing process... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/78165/isolating http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/77168/summertime Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:30:00 -0400 Anna Everything seems better in the summertime- the weather, the fresh food, the parties, and the festivals.  Everything, that is, except my blood sugar.  For some reason, I seem to have many more highs and lows during the summer months than any other time of the year.   From August through May, I wake up at the same time, eat lunch at the same time, workout at the same time, and go to bed at the same time.    My basal... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/77168/summertime http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/76557/children-2009 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:19:00 -0400 Anna Every other year, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation chooses one hundred and fifty children with Type I diabetes to meet in Washington DC to share their stories with members of Congress.  This unique event, called Children's Congress, is a special opportunity for kids of all ages from all over the country and the world to unite in the shared experience of having diabetes and one message, the desperate need for a... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabeteens/c/753408/76557/children-2009