Friday, February 26, 2010

Diabetes Diet Tips - Do Diabetic Diets Really Work?

The phrase diabetic diet conjures up two rather diametrically opposed images; the first is a diet that is so painfully saddled with refined sugar, saturated fat and salt that the person who consumes it will be placing themselves at an exceptionally high risk of contracting diabetes. On the other hand, a diabetic diet maybe used to help control and manage the symptoms of diabetes and it should be noted that diabetics must keep an especially strong vigil over their diet and nutritional intake.


The problem with the issue of the diabetic diet is that quite frankly, the medical community is strongly polarised as to what exactly it should encompass and what foodstuffs the diabetic should ensure that they eat and those which they should refrain from where possible. The most prevalent theory to date holds that the diabetic's diet should make the consumption of soluble fibre a top priority and avoid the consumption of fat where and when possible.


However, things begin to unravel when the medics have been asked to what proportion of the total daily calories ingested by the diabetic should be derived from carbohydrates, with some of the view that this should be capped at 16-17% (1/6) whilst others contend that this should be significantly higher, around the 75% margin. This is so much more than a dry academic debate, as the potential implications for the diabetic are to put it rather mildly, severe

Despite such concerns, there has been little consensus reached as to what the magic number is or should be.


There has been a number of studies conducted into the issue of the diabetic diet issue in order to (hopefully) reach a more conclusive agreement, and there has been some tentative evidence that would suggest that a totally vegan diet can be very beneficial indeed in the management of diabetes type 2.


Part of the problem with such debate is that the ordinary diabetic sufferer is left rather at a loss for proper information. What many diabetics fail to appreciate is that it is not only what they happen to consume that is of importance and significance, but the times when they eat is also worthy of consideration.


Whilst there have been attempts to lighten the load for diabetic sufferers by the introduction of diabetic dietary supplements, these have not been especially popular among people with the condition if only because of their extremely high price tags.


Jono has been writing articles for nearly 4 years. Come visit his latest website about ottoman coffee tables which helps people find the best round storage ottoman and information they need when looking for round storage ottoman.


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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Diabetes - Some Facts You Should Know

The symptoms of diabetes vary slightly depending on the type of the disease that one may have. However, the general symptoms are increased hunger, increased thirst and frequent urination with a number of skin rashes known as diabetic dermadromes.


Type1 diabetes symptoms may develop quickly, from weeks to months, particularly in children. Type1 may also lead to a quick and noticeable weight loss despite not changing eating habits or even increasing amount of food and mental tiredness.


Type 2 diabetes usually presents itself relatively slowly and may be slight or not present. A person experiences the same symptoms as for type 1 except weight loss which may only be experienced at the onset of the disease. The confirmation of the disease can only be conclusive on determining the blood glucose concentration medically.


Type 1 Diabetes is characterized by the pancreas being unable to produce insulin and, in particular, by loss of the insulin producing beta cells located in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, leading to insulin deficiency. Type 1 can be classified as immune-mediated or idiopathic and can affect both children and adults. However, it is also known as juvenile diabetes because most children who have this disease have type 1.


Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body being resistant to insulin that is produced in the body which may be coupled to reduced production of insulin. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes


Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancies and may disappear after delivery. This form of the disease resembles type 2 in relating a combination of insufficient insulin production and responsiveness. It may lead to full type 2 diabetes but it is treatable with careful medical supervision throughout the pregnancy.


Causes of the disease have been attributed to lifestyle (smoking, alcohol intake, overweight), medical conditions (Cushing's syndrome) and genetics (partial inheritance).


John Mowatt is a writer who is interested in health and fitness.He writes on many medical subjects. He also writes on other subjects. See his website at home burglar alarm and also at commercial pizza ovens


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Alternative Health - 10 Reasons Why It's Important to Lose Weight in Type 2 Diabetes!

Weight loss is difficult, but it pays tremendous dividends in controlling type 2 diabetes. Here are ten reasons type 2 diabetics should make an effort to lose weight:

1. Losing a little weight actually helps you lose a lot more. Excessive body fat interferes with the production of adiponectin, an appetite control hormone. When you lose body fat, your body makes more adiponectin and becomes responsive to it, so you naturally want to eat less.

2. Losing weight relieves stress on your feet, ankles, knees, and hips. Type 2 diabetics who have been overweight for a very long time before losing weight are often amazed how much easier it is just to get around... and easier exercise makes both weight loss and blood sugar control easier also.

3. Losing weight can lower blood pressure. Two of the most serious complications of diabetes, kidney disease and diabetic retinopathy, are far more likely to occur when there is a combination of uncontrolled blood sugars and uncontrolled high blood pressure. Losing just 5 to 15 pounds (2 to 7 kg) can lower blood pressure 5 to 15 points. That's as much as most blood pressure medications.

4. Losing weight may preserve beta-cell function. Many type 2 diabetics eventually need insulin because their insulin-producing beta cells simply "burn out" over years of constant stress. Recent research shows that losing weight may keep you from ever needing insulin by protecting beta cells from free radicals.

5. Losing weight may make it possible to control type 2 diabetes with a minimum of medication. Most diabetes medications are expensive... and with the exception of metformin, most diabetic medications that are available for $4 to 5 a month in the US, have the terrible side effect of stressing beta-cells so that you eventually needs insulin injections. Losing weight reduces medical expenses and lowers the risk of long-term complications.

6. The more weight you lose, the less you have to rely on exercise to control your blood sugar levels. Very few diabetics control blood sugars without exercise. Once diabetics achieve a more near normal weight, however, they do not need to exercise as often to keep blood sugars in a healthy range.

7. Losing weight makes breathing easier. The belly fat that causes type 2 diabetes presses down on your lungs. Losing just a few pounds can make breathing astonishingly easier.

8. Losing weight reduces inflammation throughout the body. Even more than cholesterol, inflammation is the real cause behind the arterial changes that lead to heart attacks and stroke.

9. Losing weight helps you sleep better. Fat on the throat interferes with nighttime breathing. The constant interruption of sleep caused by this condition known as apnea, is a major contributor to high blood sugars that resist treatment.

10. Losing weight can lower cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol and triglycerides, as you probably know, are fats. Reducing weight, especially losing belly fat, keeps cholesterol and triglycerides from flowing into your liver and throughout your body to cause arterial damage.

And even if you don't lose weight, simply choosing salads (without the bacon bits and oily dressings!), steamed vegetables, fruit, and lean proteins over white sugar, white bread, white rice, white potatoes, and sweets will result in lower blood sugars, lower blood pressure, lower triglycerides, and a much greater sense of feeling super.

Would you like more information about alternative ways to handle your type 2 diabetes?
To download your free copy of my E-Book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions... its based on questions many diabetics have asked me over recent months.
Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes.
http://drugfreetype2diabetes.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverleigh_H_Piepers

How to Eat Fruit and Maintain Low Blood Sugar Levels

Many people with diabetes, type 1 and type 2, think that because fruits are sweet, they will raise their blood sugar level. Actually, nearly all fruits including apples, bananas, blueberries, cherries, oranges, peaches, and many others, have a low glycemic index. The exceptions are watermelon and pineapple.
Fruits are loaded with vitamins and, of course, have no fat or cholesterol. Your best bet to fill you up and get the maximum amount of fiber is, you guessed it, fresh fruit.
Questions people with diabetes often ask about eating fruit include: will fruit juice raise my blood sugar levels more quickly than a piece of fruit? Should I avoid eating fruit in the early morning because my blood sugar level could be high then? Should I eat fruit with my meals or as a snack.
Actually the effect of fruit on your blood sugars depends on several things:
• what form the fruit is in... is it juice that you can gulp down quite quickly or is it a whole piece of fruit that will take several minutes to eat?
• will you eat the piece of fruit as part of a meal, at the end of the meal or alone as a snack
• the glycemic index or glycemic load of the fruit
Usually fruit does not raise your blood sugars faster than any other carbohydrate but some fruits can if they are eaten alone. Apples, grapefruit, prunes and peaches have a low GI but raisins, dates, watermelon and pineapple have a high GI. A good idea is to run a challenge to determine how fruit generally affects your blood sugars. Perhaps eating fruit in the morning will make it more difficult for you to keep your blood sugars on target throughout the whole day. Or maybe one fruit will affect your blood sugar levels more than another.

Although you cannot eat fruit with abandon... the aim usually is to have 2 to 4 portions spaced evenly throughout the day. As a guide, a portion is:

• one medium-sized fruit: apple, orange or pear
• one small banana (or half a medium one)
• two smaller fruits: apricots or plums
• a large slice of a larger fruit: melon or pineapple
• a cupful of strawberries, raspberries or grapes
• half a cup of fresh fruit salad
• 150ml glass of fruit juice also counts as a portion (as this contains no fiber one glass per day is suggested to be the maximum)
Here are some approaches to consider:

1. Have one portion of fruit with each meal, eg. berries at breakfast, an apple at lunch, and a fruit salad dessert after dinner.
2. Eat fruit at breakfast, then as a snack at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
3. Have fruit for snacks at mid-morning, mid-afternoon and bedtime
The bottom line is fruit is a source of energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber not to be missed.

Would you like more information about alternative ways to handle your type 2 diabetes?
To download your free copy of my E-Book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions its based on questions many diabetics have asked me over recent months.
Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes. http://drugfreetype2diabetes.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverleigh_H_Piepers

How to Eat Fruit and Maintain Low Blood Sugar Levels

Many people with diabetes, type 1 and type 2, think that because fruits are sweet, they will raise their blood sugar level. Actually, nearly all fruits including apples, bananas, blueberries, cherries, oranges, peaches, and many others, have a low glycemic index. The exceptions are watermelon and pineapple.
Fruits are loaded with vitamins and, of course, have no fat or cholesterol. Your best bet to fill you up and get the maximum amount of fiber is, you guessed it, fresh fruit.
Questions people with diabetes often ask about eating fruit include: will fruit juice raise my blood sugar levels more quickly than a piece of fruit? Should I avoid eating fruit in the early morning because my blood sugar level could be high then? Should I eat fruit with my meals or as a snack.
Actually the effect of fruit on your blood sugars depends on several things:
• what form the fruit is in... is it juice that you can gulp down quite quickly or is it a whole piece of fruit that will take several minutes to eat?
• will you eat the piece of fruit as part of a meal, at the end of the meal or alone as a snack
• the glycemic index or glycemic load of the fruit
Usually fruit does not raise your blood sugars faster than any other carbohydrate but some fruits can if they are eaten alone. Apples, grapefruit, prunes and peaches have a low GI but raisins, dates, watermelon and pineapple have a high GI. A good idea is to run a challenge to determine how fruit generally affects your blood sugars. Perhaps eating fruit in the morning will make it more difficult for you to keep your blood sugars on target throughout the whole day. Or maybe one fruit will affect your blood sugar levels more than another.

Although you cannot eat fruit with abandon... the aim usually is to have 2 to 4 portions spaced evenly throughout the day. As a guide, a portion is:

• one medium-sized fruit: apple, orange or pear
• one small banana (or half a medium one)
• two smaller fruits: apricots or plums
• a large slice of a larger fruit: melon or pineapple
• a cupful of strawberries, raspberries or grapes
• half a cup of fresh fruit salad
• 150ml glass of fruit juice also counts as a portion (as this contains no fiber one glass per day is suggested to be the maximum)
Here are some approaches to consider:

1. Have one portion of fruit with each meal, eg. berries at breakfast, an apple at lunch, and a fruit salad dessert after dinner.
2. Eat fruit at breakfast, then as a snack at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
3. Have fruit for snacks at mid-morning, mid-afternoon and bedtime
The bottom line is fruit is a source of energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber not to be missed.

Would you like more information about alternative ways to handle your type 2 diabetes?
To download your free copy of my E-Book, click here now: Answers to Your Questions its based on questions many diabetics have asked me over recent months.
Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes. http://drugfreetype2diabetes.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverleigh_H_Piepers

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Diabetes Weight Loss - 3 Ways to Combat Fat During the Holiday Season

The average person gains 12 pounds during the holiday season. This can be a real problem if you have diabetes. Weight loss is suggested as a way to help keep blood glucose levels down and that can be tough to achieve during this time of the year. However, common sense and a few simple tips can help you keep that seasonal weight gain to a minimum. Here are the three most important things you can do to keep from gaining weight over the holidays.


Make time for exercise. It can be difficult to maintain your routine during the holiday season. If you can not get to the gym, try to compensate for that: take the stairs instead of the elevator; park your car further away from your destination; walk instead of driving; etc.

Pay attention to your food intake. Evaluate what is being served at parties and make sure you load our plate with small portions of the things you really want to eat. If you can get mashed potatoes any time, save space for something you only get seasonally. And do not pass up your veggies! Eat smart, not mindlessly.

Socialize. You can cut your caloric intake by talking more than eating. If you are engaged in a gripping conversation you are more likely to eat fewer calories.

Holiday weight is no fun for anyone, but can be particularly problematic if you have diabetes. Weight loss may not be a realistic goal during this time period, but you should strive to keep your weight steady. This will help keep your glucose levels at manageable levels, and keep you feeling well and in the holiday spirit.

Minding your glucose levels is of the utmost importance for people with diabetes. Weight loss needs to be on the mind of these people all the time. Following these simple steps and you can be well on your way to controlling your weight and keeping your diabetes in check. Click here for more diabetes weight loss tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Almansen

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

HOME :: Health-and-Fitness / Diabetes Diabetes Type One Cure

It is known fact that there is Type I and Type II Diabetes and Hypoglycemic Effects of Selected Ingredients. But meanwhile, we will limit our discussion on Type 1 for the purposes of this study.

It is imperative, to find a lasting solution to diabetes mellitus; which is now burdensome to most nations of the world. Record has it that every 1 out 4 diabetes patients of the world is an Indian, meaning that Indians are mostly affected. I stood to be corrected. This does not mean that every other nation may not be affected, or has not been affected up to this particular reference brought under focus, and unless we resolutely resolve to remove the cause from casualties, definitely, we can not remove the casualties from the causes this time, since it the life that is to be salvaged. Due to the growing health burden of diabetes mellitus (diabetes), the diabetes group of people has three choices in find the solution:

1. on how to prevent diabetes;
2. cure diabetes;
3. take better care of people with diabetes, also;
4. To prevent demoralizing impediments to a halt or to the bearable minimal.
The four approaches are actively being pursued by the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the world at large.

To be precise the following two institutions had been on relentless efforts on preventive measures, namely;
1. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The NIH is not only involved in research in prevention but had established research to cure both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, especially type 1.
CDC focuses most of its programs on being sure that the proven science is put into daily perform for people with diabetes. If the researches and sciences have no meaningful impact in the life of diabetes, then the huge sum of money invested in to the researches, is just sent to the drain.

Cure to diabetes are being pursued from many perspectives:

They are classified thus:
1. Genetic manipulation (fat or muscle cells that don't normally make insulin have a human insulin gene inserted? Here is where, these "pseudo" islet cells are transplanted into diabetic patients with type 1 diabetes).
2. Pancreas transplantation
3. Islet cell transplet cells produce insulin method)
Every approach has a set of confrontations; these confrontations prevent immune negative response. The confrontations prevent a way of establishing adequate number of insulin cells; maintenance of cells to be lively and few other issues. However, improvement is being achieved in all quarters.

Diabetes Type 1: One Step Closer To A Cure - Interview
The Million dollar question now is that will successful islet cell transplantation spell the end of Type 1 diabetes for millions?

Record has it that a teacher received the islet cell transplanting and the transplantation has proved to have efficacy on Type 1.

A flourishing transplantation of islet cell-transplant procedure for Type 1 diabetes news has been carried by major dailies and journals of the world at large. The procedure is as now being referred to as Edmonton Protocol, ushers in a new era of hope for millions of people with Type 1 diabetes.

The University of Alberta initiated the clinical trails and the design of anti-rejection protocol was done by James Shapiro, M.D., director of the clinical islet transplant program.

The narrative modus operandi go away from previous attempts at islet cell transplant; this is because the use of a narrative steroid-free blend with three drugs to prevent rejection of the transplanted cells were employed, this process gives the impression to prevent the autoimmune diabetes from returning.

Further trails of the steroid-free procedure on other seven diabetic patient that have been living on use of 15 injections per day, had been set free from injections of insulin, effective the post transplantation.

Those who had received this transplantation worry no longer on what percentage of carbohydrates to take or observation of level of sugar is no longer an issue.

About the author: Akinnuoye Oladotun Williams - administrator - http://fatlossfitnesssoluxions.blogspot.com , Former Admin Secretary of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (Kwara Chapter), Para Medical Personnel, and Web Master

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