The Applaud Women publication is dedicated to women in New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. It's purpose is to inspire, inform, and
applaud local women. The core of the magazine is our inspirational women's articles, most of which feature local women but occasionally we are
able to interview national women who we feel provide a unique inspiration for our readers. Our other articles cover topics of interest such as food
recipes, home, garden, beauty, health, fashion, dating, parenting, seniors, finance, business, hair care, skin care, advice, real estate, insurance,
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relevant to their business expertise. The Applaud Women website is also a resource center for local women including the most comprehensive
listings of Restaurants, Weddings, Female doctors and Hotels. It also includes a number of informational pages with links, articles and RSS feeds
to both local and national websites of interest to women in NH & n. MA.
applaud local women. The core of the magazine is our inspirational women's articles, most of which feature local women but occasionally we are
able to interview national women who we feel provide a unique inspiration for our readers. Our other articles cover topics of interest such as food
recipes, home, garden, beauty, health, fashion, dating, parenting, seniors, finance, business, hair care, skin care, advice, real estate, insurance,
weddings etc. Each issue has a feature section as well. Many of our articles are written by local business people who provide information
relevant to their business expertise. The Applaud Women website is also a resource center for local women including the most comprehensive
listings of Restaurants, Weddings, Female doctors and Hotels. It also includes a number of informational pages with links, articles and RSS feeds
to both local and national websites of interest to women in NH & n. MA.
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| Diabetes and Its Impact on Women’s Health By Vipra Rai, MS, RD, CDE |
Today’s fast pace lifestyle presents many challenges to women. What if that woman is a diabetic? Now, that woman has the added responsibility
of managing her diabetes at every moment of her life. This added stress can often have a negative impact on blood glucose levels which leads to
complications such as frequent urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness, heart disease, vision problems etc. According to the American Diabetes
Association, 11.5 million, or 10.2% of all women aged 20 years old or older have diabetes, although nearly one quarter of them do not know it.
The prevalence of diabetes is at least 2 to 4 times higher among ethnic groups than among non-Hispanic white women.
Why is diabetes on the rise? It can’t be just genes that are solely responsible for this chronic disease in women! Environmental factors such as
sedentary lifestyles, lack of physical activity, abundance of convenience foods, and stress mismanagement all act as triggers to developing
diabetes. It may start with weight gain leading to impaired blood glucose, which is also known as Prediabetes. At this stage of the game you still
have the power of preventing diabetes. But once diabetes is diagnosed, the best way to manage it is to understand it. Learn all you can about it
and implement a healthy lifestyle change.
Often women are diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes. If you are over 25 years of age, have a strong
family history of diabetes, and are overweight before pregnancy, you are at risk. But the good news is that when the baby is born, over 95% of
the time diabetes will disappear. Gestational diabetes can be a red flag for the mom. She may end up with Type 2 Diabetes in future if she doesn’
t eat right and stay physically active. Some babies born to moms with gestational diabetes are at risk of being overweight and also developing
Type 2 Diabetes.
Face this challenge like any other challenge in life. The more you know about it, the better you will be at managing it.
You can lead a healthy lifestyle by following these simple steps:
Eat healthy: Make healthy food choices such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lentils, beans, nuts, and lean meats. Watching portions of
food intake is equally important.
Balance your calories throughout the day: Avoid skipping meals or eating big meals. Our bodies can process small amounts of food every 3-4
hours with much ease.
Avoid extra calories and sugar from beverages like regular soda, juices, sweetened iced tea and other sweetened drinks. Sweets and desserts
should be considered as treats for special occasions only.
Stay active: Our bodies are meant to move; it becomes rusty if not in action. Regular physical activity has many health benefits.
Manage your stress: Everyone has different ways of managing stress. Identify what relaxes you on a daily basis. It can be listening to your
favorite music, reading a book, cooking, exercising, spending quality time with your kids, meditating with positive thoughts, performing yoga or just
taking it easy.
Annual Physicals: Visit your doctor for a complete physical at least once a year.
Take your health seriously and take care of yourself.
Vipra Rai, MS, RD, CDE, is the manager of the Elliot Center for Diabetes Management and Elliot Center for Advanced Nutrition Therapy. She was
born and raised in India, where diabetes is very common but often undiagnosed. She holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition and focused her
research on the lipid profile and antioxidants levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. She is a registered dietitian and a licensed dietitian in the
State of NH & MA. She is also a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and enjoys working with her patients to improve their health.
of managing her diabetes at every moment of her life. This added stress can often have a negative impact on blood glucose levels which leads to
complications such as frequent urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness, heart disease, vision problems etc. According to the American Diabetes
Association, 11.5 million, or 10.2% of all women aged 20 years old or older have diabetes, although nearly one quarter of them do not know it.
The prevalence of diabetes is at least 2 to 4 times higher among ethnic groups than among non-Hispanic white women.
Why is diabetes on the rise? It can’t be just genes that are solely responsible for this chronic disease in women! Environmental factors such as
sedentary lifestyles, lack of physical activity, abundance of convenience foods, and stress mismanagement all act as triggers to developing
diabetes. It may start with weight gain leading to impaired blood glucose, which is also known as Prediabetes. At this stage of the game you still
have the power of preventing diabetes. But once diabetes is diagnosed, the best way to manage it is to understand it. Learn all you can about it
and implement a healthy lifestyle change.
Often women are diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes. If you are over 25 years of age, have a strong
family history of diabetes, and are overweight before pregnancy, you are at risk. But the good news is that when the baby is born, over 95% of
the time diabetes will disappear. Gestational diabetes can be a red flag for the mom. She may end up with Type 2 Diabetes in future if she doesn’
t eat right and stay physically active. Some babies born to moms with gestational diabetes are at risk of being overweight and also developing
Type 2 Diabetes.
Face this challenge like any other challenge in life. The more you know about it, the better you will be at managing it.
You can lead a healthy lifestyle by following these simple steps:
Eat healthy: Make healthy food choices such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lentils, beans, nuts, and lean meats. Watching portions of
food intake is equally important.
Balance your calories throughout the day: Avoid skipping meals or eating big meals. Our bodies can process small amounts of food every 3-4
hours with much ease.
Avoid extra calories and sugar from beverages like regular soda, juices, sweetened iced tea and other sweetened drinks. Sweets and desserts
should be considered as treats for special occasions only.
Stay active: Our bodies are meant to move; it becomes rusty if not in action. Regular physical activity has many health benefits.
Manage your stress: Everyone has different ways of managing stress. Identify what relaxes you on a daily basis. It can be listening to your
favorite music, reading a book, cooking, exercising, spending quality time with your kids, meditating with positive thoughts, performing yoga or just
taking it easy.
Annual Physicals: Visit your doctor for a complete physical at least once a year.
Take your health seriously and take care of yourself.
Vipra Rai, MS, RD, CDE, is the manager of the Elliot Center for Diabetes Management and Elliot Center for Advanced Nutrition Therapy. She was
born and raised in India, where diabetes is very common but often undiagnosed. She holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition and focused her
research on the lipid profile and antioxidants levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. She is a registered dietitian and a licensed dietitian in the
State of NH & MA. She is also a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and enjoys working with her patients to improve their health.