RECOGNIZING OUR
WOMEN
THEIR WORTH AND
HEALTH
2007
DIABETES
DEFINITION
 A condition that occurs when the body either does
not produce enough Insulin or cannot effectively
use the Insulin it produces.
 This makes it difficult for the body to convert the
food you eat into energy your cells need to survive
and thrive.
 Insulin is hormone that regulates the blood sugar
and is produced by the Pancreas.
RISK FACTORS
 A family history of Diabetes
 Obesity/ Overweight
 Hypertension
 Physical Inactivity
 Age
 Ethnicity
TYPES OF DIABETES
 Type 1 Diabetes
 Usually occur in children or young adults
 The Pancreas makes little or no Insulin.
 Type 2 Diabetes
 The pancreas makes insulin but not enough
 Common in older adults but young people can
also get it.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
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Feeling tired and weak all the time
Always thirsty
Need to urinate often
Sudden weight loss
Increased appetite
Blurred vision
Numbness or tingling in feet and /or hands
Wounds that won’t heal
COMPLICATIONS
 Damage to heart and blood vessels
 Eye problems
 Kidney problems
 Teeth, gum and skin infections
 Problems with your legs and feet
 Nerve damage
MANAGEMENT
 Diet / Eating healthy
 Exercise
 Medication
 Controlling blood sugar level
 Maintaining normal body weight
 Millions of people worldwide have diabetes.
Although diabetes is a serious health
problem, with proper care you can learn to
manage your diabetes and lead a full and
active life.
HYPERTENSION
OR
BLOOD
PRESSURE
BLOOD PRESSURE
 The force created as your heart pumps blood
and moves through your blood vessels.
 Two numbers are recorded when checking
B/P

Systolic pressure-force of blood in your vessels when your
heart pumps

Diastolic pressure-force of the blood in your vessels in
between beats
When is Blood Pressure
too High?
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High blood pressure is also called hypertension.
Normal range 130/85
High B/P = 140/90 and higher
The higher your B/P , the higher your chance of
getting a stroke.
Can you have
Hypertension?
 Do you smoke?
 Do you have diabetes,
heart disease or kidney
disease?
 Do you weigh more than
you should?
 Are you African -American?
 Are you age 35 or older?
 Do you often eat fried,
salty or greasy foods?
 Are you under a lot of
stress?
 Do you spend a lot of time
sitting?
 Do you get little physical
activity?
 Do you have 2 or more
drinks of alcohol every
day?
 Do you often get
headaches or wake up with
a headache?
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
 Usually no symptoms
are present.
 However if the blood
pressure is excessively
high you may note the
following changes.
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Tiredness
Confusion
Vision changes
Crushing chest pain
Heart failure
Blood in the urine
Nosebleed
Irregular heartbeat
Ear noise or buzzing
RISK FACTORS
 A risk factor is anything that may increase a
person’s chance of developing the disease.
 Different diseases, including cancers, have
different risks factors.
 Blood pressure measurements vary during
the course of the day, depending on your
activity level and even your emotional state.
RISK FACTORS

The following factors may contribute to an
increase in Blood Pressure:
1.
2.
3.
Being overweight
Excess sodium intake
A lack of exercise and physical activity
COMPLICATIONS
 Increases your chances of getting a stroke
 Damages blood vessel walls
 Weakens blood vessel walls causing them to
break and killing blood cells.
MANAGEMENT
 Control your diet.
 Limit serving sizes.
 Maintaining a healthy weight, or losing weight if
overweight.
 Increase physical activity.
 Practicing moderation if consuming alcoholic beverages.
 Take daily medication if necessary
 Have regular blood pressure checks.
 Reduce stress
 Stop smoking
Category
Systolic reading
(mmHg)
Diastolic reading
(mmHg
Follow-up recommendation
Optimal
120
80
Recheck in two years
Normal
130
85
Recheck in 2 years
High Normal
130-139
85-89
Recheck in one year
Hypertension
140-159
90-99
Confirm within two months
160-179
100-109
Evaluate within one month
179
109
Evaluate immediately or within one
week depending on situation
Stage 1 (Mild)
Hypertension
Stage 2
(Moderate)
Hypertension
Stage 3
(Severe)
WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL
ASSITANCE?
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Severe headache
Excessive tiredness
Confusion
Visual changes
Nausea and vomiting
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Excessive sweating
Remember Hypertension
is a Silent Killer!!!!!!!!
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Don’t wait
Take Action Now
Confront the Killer
Learn the facts and
Follow your plan
CHOLESTEROL
CHOLESTEROL
 A fatty substance found only in animal foods.
 It is also made by our bodies.
 Small amounts are needed by the body for
essential functions.
 Excessive cholesterol forms a fatty plaque,
which sticks to the inside of our arteries and
can cause heart disease.
GOOD AND BAD
CHOLESTEROL
 LDL “bad” cholesterol
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Carries cholesterol around in the blood
Forms plaque in the arteries
Increases risk of heart disease
 HDL “good” cholesterol

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Carries cholesterol to liver and out of body
Helps avoid plaque and heart disease
MORE FATS IN THE
BLOOD
 Triglycerides

A fat that circulates in blood and increases risk of
heart disease
 Lipid profile


Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides.
Gives a picture of the balance between good and
bad cholesterol and other fats
NORMAL BLOOD LEVELS
 Cholesterol (total)
 LDL
 HDL
 Triglycerides
< 200 mg/dL
0-130 mg/dL
33-96 mg/dL
40-157 mg/dL
RISK FACTORS
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High LDL cholesterol
Overweight and obesity
Hypertension or diabetes (type 2)
Unhealthy diet
Sedentary lifestyle
Family history
More common in men
Cigarette smoking
Especially a combination of several of these
MANAGEMENT
 Eat a healthy diet.
 Exercise regularly.
 Keep weight in normal range.
 If hypertensive or diabetic keep it under
control.
 Don’t smoke tobacco.
 Get your cholesterol checked at least
once a year if you have risk factors.
EXERCISE
 Exercise boosts HDL (“good”)
 Reduces risk of heart disease
 Helps control weight
 Helps control diabetes and hypertension
 Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily
 Choose a form of exercise that you
enjoy and can keep up.
Diabetes, Hypertension and
Cholesterol
Benefits of Diet to Your Health
Risk Factors
CONTROLLABLE
UNCONTROLLABLE
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Smoking
Cholesterol levels
Obesity
Excessive alcohol intake
Salty and or high fat diet
Activity levels
Genes
Age (males between 35-50)
African American
Pre-existing cardiovascular
disease or stroke
 Kidney disease
 Diabetes
 Family history
Benefits of Diet to Your Health
 These conditions are lifestyle related
therefore:
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Choosing a healthy lifestyle
Changing your diet
Participating in exercise and other stress
relieving activities
Reducing your weight
Healthy Eating
Diabetes
 Eat 3 meals everyday at regular times
 Ensure all meals are balanced - be sure to add
a protein food
 Eat more high fibre foods
 Limit the amount of high fat foods
 Limit sugars and sweets
 Limit dietetic foods
 Limit salt and salty foods
Healthy Eating
Diabetes
 DO NOT skip meals
 When thirsty drink water 6-8 glasses a day
 Limit alcohol intake
 If overweight, choose smaller portions and
portion sixes that will help you reach healthy
body weight
 Keep active every day – have physical activity
as part of your life
Healthy Eating
Diabetes
 Manage diabetes by balancing the kinds and
amounts of foods eaten.
 Some foods raise blood sugar

Carbohydrates – sugar and starches e.g. bread, cereals,
fruits, milk
 Some foods slow down how fast sugar goes into
your bloodstream
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Protein foods: meat, fish, cheese, poultry
Fats and oils: butter, margarine, gravy, oil, salad dressings
Healthy Eating
Diabetes

Dietary fibre: whole grain bread and cereals, fresh
fruits, vegetables, dried peas and beans
 Other factors can lower your blood sugar

Activity or exercise
Healthy Eating
Hypertension
 Eat a healthy and balanced diet low fat, and high in
fruits and vegetables
 Eat lots of low-fat dairy foods, whole grain products
 Reduce the amount of salt
 Have at least 3 serving a day of high potassium foods
(bananas, raisins, squash, beet, potato, tomato)
Healthy Eating
Hypertension
 Use fresh products rather than canned,
smoked or processed foods
 Drink less alcohol – limit yourself to no
more than 1-2 drinks a day
 Practice read food labels
Healthy Eating
Cholesterol
 Reduce the total amount of fats and oil in the diet. Avoid
fatty foods and fried foods – bake, grill, steam or boil foods
instead of frying
 Limit egg yolk to not more than 2-3 per week. This includes
egg yolks used in the preparation and cooking of foods e.g.
custards, eggnog, cakes, meatloaf.
 Limit your use of organ meats (e.g. liver, heart, kidney) and of
shell fish (e.g. shrimp, lobster, conchs)
Healthy Eating
Cholesterol
 Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat - bacon,
sausages, pastry, gravies, salad dressings, mayonnaise
 Limit use of red meats instead use more fish, chicken,
turkey or dried peas, beans, lentils
 Trim all visible fat from meats remove skin and before
cooking. Pour off the fat that melts during cooking
 Use low fat and skim milk products instead of full cream
milk and dairy products
Healthy Eating
Cholesterol
 Include foods that are high in fibre e.g. dried peas and beans,
nuts, whole wheat bread, whole grain cereals especially oats,
oat bran, fresh fruits and vegetables and ground provisions.
 Choose fats wisely - use vegetable oils and margarines that
are high in polyunsaturated fats e.g. olive oil, canola oil, corn
oil, sunflower oil
 Avoid saturated and trans fats – too much can raise your
cholesterol levels
Healthy Eating
Cholesterol
 Improving your diet is the most effective
way to maintain good cholesterol levels
IMPORTANT FACT:
 It IS NOT the cholesterol found in foods
that causes high blood cholesterol.
 It IS the FAT in food, particularly the
SATURATED FAT and TRANS FAT that
raises blood cholesterol.
THE HEALTHY PLATE
Unhealthy eating
Healthy eating
Relaxation
Visit your doctor
regularly
Check your weight
Balance intake with output
Exercise regularly
Summary
 Eat right
 Watch your weight -even a modest drop in
weight can make a difference
 Be active - start a program of light exercise for
at least 30-45 minutes every day
 Lower your stress levels. Practice stress
reduction techniques
 Stop smoking and drinking alcohol