| In some cases, medication for depression just simply | | | | pre-diabetes, your body limps along under these |
| does not work. The doctor gives you pills, you take | | | | circumstances, sometimes for a long time. Eventually |
| them for a while, and you still feel down. In that case, | | | | though you will become diabetic, unless you are able to |
| here are a couple of possibilities to consider:*You really | | | | lower the insulin levels in your blood (see below). |
| have bipolar disorder, only the manic phase never | | | | Diabetes is a condition where the body's glucose |
| happens. | | | | control system breaks down. Glucose in the blood |
| *You have pre-diabetes.Let's examine these one by | | | | may go way up or way down. High glucose levels |
| one. | | | | damage body organs. Low levels cause fainting.How |
| Bipolar disorder occassionally manifests itself as | | | | can you lower the insulin levels in your blood? There |
| depression only. You feel depressed, you never have | | | | are two ways: |
| a manic episode, but your medications don't help. In that | | | | *Limit carbs |
| case, you could suggest to your doctor that you try | | | | *Exercise.It is the carbohydrates that cause your |
| bipolar meds. They are different, and if this is your | | | | body to dump insulin into the bloodstream. So a |
| condition, they will lift your depression.Pre-diabetes can | | | | low-carb diet will cut down on the amount of insulin |
| cause depression too. Excess insulin in your blood | | | | your food is adding to what's already in your |
| affects you, possibly making you tired, fuzzy in the | | | | bloodstream. This is like cutting down on the amount of |
| head, and unable to feel joy. But medications don't help | | | | water you are dumping into a plugged-up kitchen |
| you, and unless someone clues you in, you stay | | | | sink.Exercise causes the cells to accept insulin and the |
| depressed. In fact, you probably gain weight too. This is | | | | glucose it carries. This is like opening the drain in the |
| because excess insulin in your blood will also make | | | | kitchen sink so that more water will go out. You know |
| you feel hungry.So what is pre-diabetes? It used to be | | | | those hale and hearty old timers? Many of them |
| called a case of high insulin resistance. The cells in your | | | | exercise regularly. It's something to think about!So why |
| body become resisitant to insulin, a hormone that helps | | | | might you be pre-diabetic? It's probably a hereditary |
| deliver glucose to the cells as an energy source. So | | | | condition for you. Or, possibly your eating habits have |
| not only do the cells run out of energy, but the insulin | | | | caused it. If you are hooked on sweets, you have |
| level "backs up" in your bloodstream, becoming higher | | | | been bathing your system with lots of insulin to control |
| than it ought to be. Unfortunately, excess insulin tends | | | | the blood sugar level. That insulin makes you hungry, |
| to make your body parts wear out, and causes aging. | | | | and so you eat more sweets. It also causes your |
| You know those folks who live to a hale and hearty | | | | body, including your joints, to age. Overeating can |
| old age? They are the ones whose genes delivered | | | | cause overweight, which triggers Type II diabetes. So |
| them a good sugar-control system.If you have | | | | beware! |