When interpreting your results, take your premeal readings into account
since you are interested
in not just your after-meal
reading but also in
how much your blood sugar level increased
because of your food intake
If you're battling diabetes, eating right can save your life. Invest in
learning about a diabetic diet -
- what foods to eat more of and which
to
avoid. Being on a proper diabetic diet is vital to your health!
Find
resources to eat right here -- and scroll down for diabetic recipes!
Website
Diabetes Education-Online Library : University of California, San
Francisco
Every week GlucoMenu® displays new menus, recipes, grocery
lists, and nutrition facts.
Choose from multiple calorie levels:
1200,
1500, 1800, 2100, 2400. Menus are easy to follow and include breakfast,
lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Findings were :
"We determined that, of the carbohydrates present in the diet, absorbed
glucose is largely responsible for the
food-induced increase in
blood sugar concentration. We also determined that dietary protein increases
insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar . Fat does
not significantly
affect blood sugar , but can affect
insulin secretion and modify the
absorption of carbohydrates. Based on these data,
we tested the efficacy
of diets with various protein:carbohydrate:fat ratios for 5 weeks on
blood sugar control in people with untreated
type 2 diabetes.
The results were compared to those obtained in the same subjects after 5
weeks on a control diet with a
protein:carbohydrate:fat
ratio of
15:55:30.
A
30:40:30 ratio diet
resulted in a
moderate but significant decrease in 24-hour
integrated glucose area and % total glycohemoglobin
(%tGHb).
A
30:20:50 ratio diet
resulted in a
38% decrease in 24-hour glucose area, a reduction
in
fasting glucose to near normal and a decrease
in %tGHb from 9.8% to
7.6%.
The response to a
30:30:40 ratio diet
was similar."
Diet
Choosing a
healthy lifestyle can help you improve your
health and reduce your risk of heart disease and
diabetes.
Healthy lifestyles include eating a healthy
diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising
regularly,
quitting smoking (or not starting),
and minimizing stress. (Note: Specific guidance
for maintaining
a healthy lifestyle may change
over time as new scientific recommendations
become available.) Learn more about each of the
factors that affect your lifestyle.
Excess body fat leads to health
problems such as type 2 diabetes, high
blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Health professionals use a
measurement called body mass index (BMI)
to classify an adult's weight as
healthy, overweight, or obese.
BMI
describes body weight relative to height
and is correlated with total body fat
content in most adults.
Having excess abdominal body fat is
also a health risk. Men with a waist of
more than 40 inches
around and women
with a waist
of 35 inches or
more are at
risk for health problems.
More than 60 percent of U.S. adults
are either overweight or obese,
according to the Centers for Disease
Control and
Prevention (CDC). While the number of overweight people has been
slowly climbing since the 1980s,
the
number of obese adults has nearly
doubled since then.
Excess weight and physical inactivity
account for more than 300,000 premature
deaths
each year in the United States,
second only to deaths
related to
smoking, says the CDC.
People who are
overweight or obese are more likely to
develop heart disease, stroke,
high
blood pressure,
diabetes, gallbladder
disease and joint pain caused by excess
uric acid (gout).
Excess weight can also
cause interrupted
breathing during sleep
(sleep apnea) and wearing
away of the
joints (osteoarthritis).
To lose weight, you must eat less and
move more. Your body needs to burn more
calories than you take in.
Exercise improves heart function, lowers blood pressure and blood
cholesterol, helps manage diabetes, and
helps
control weight.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute (NHLBI) at NIH recommends that
adults get at least 30 minutes of
moderate physical activity on
most days
of the week.
Talk to your doctor about what forms
of exercise are best for you.
For more information about exercise
and physical fitness, see:
Tightly controlling your
blood sugar levels soon after being diagnosed
with Type 2
diabetes can lead to lower risks of
diabetes complications—
including heart disease and death—years
later.
Tightly controlling your
blood sugar levels soon after being diagnosed
with Type 2 diabetes can
lead to lower risks of
diabetes complications—
including heart disease and death—years
later.
To learn more about the
diabetic food pyramid visit
http://www.diabetes-diabetic-diet-plans.com
,
a popular website devoted to
help
people with diabetes live a healthier
life. The website provides tips on
diabetic food, cooking and diet
plans, as well as
information several
complications
associated with the
disease.
Diabetic Food
The diabetic food pyramid
outlines in detail what those suffering from the disease
should eat, and
what they should avoid.
You'll find
lots
of starches, grains and breads on the pyramid that was
first released by the USDA in 2005.
And if you're
looking for recipes, they can be found practically
everywhere you look. Search the internet,
open a book,
magazine or
newspaper, or just turn on the television
and you'll no doubt find more
tasty recipes than you
could ever hope to try.
A quick trip to the public
library
will add even more treats to your list.
The main thing that needs to be avoided is sugars,
and given how tempting many desserts can
be this is
harder than it seems.
Those with
a mild case of diabetes
might be able to grab a nibble
of sugared foods on
occasion, but not too often. Those with moderate to
severe cases of
diabetes should avoid them completely.
The
diabetic food pyramid is much like the regular food
pyramid. The difference of course being
that the diabetic food pyramid
is
designed to limit
sugars in the diet.
Foods
high in water and fiber, like fruits and
vegetables , are the so-called high-volume
foods.
They add bulk to your meals and help
fill
your stomach.
High-Water,
High-Fiber Foods Help Curb Hunger. Lean Protein
Can Reduce Hunger
The Glycemic Index On-line,
the University of Sydney's GI Website, is a comprehensive and
authoritative guide to the glycemic index.
Dr. Jennie
Brand-Miller, who authorized me to summarize her work in 1995 or
1996, finally has a Web presence in November 2000.
And what a
presence it is! Her site is now the key Internet resource on
this subject.
The URL is http://www.glycemicindex.com
Here's another excellent glycemic index resource for
athletes. Cycling Performance Tips:
Glycemic Index shows how
athletes can make
use of the glycemic index. The URL is http://www.cptips.com/gi.htm
Much of the information on this site is taken from Michel
Montignac, (1999), Eat yourself Slim,
Montignac Publishing (UK) Ltd.
Information about the book, the method, and the Glycćmic Index can
be found at the Montignac
website.
How does your glucose level compare
with your HbA1c
HbA1c %
Average
blood sugar level
mg/dl
Average
blood sugar level mmol/l
13
324 mg/dl
18
mmol/l
12
306 mg/dl
17
mmol/l
11
270 mg/dl
15
mmol/l
10
234 mg/dl
13
mmol/l
9
216 mg/dl
12
mmol/l
8
180 mg/dl
10
mmol/l
7
141 mg/dl
8
mmol/l
6
125 mg/dl
7
mmol/l
5
90 mg/dl
5
mmol/l
HbA1c levels by coincidence nearly equate to glucose levels. So
an HbA1c level of 10%
means the average glucose level for the
previous
10 weeks was 234 mg/dl (13 mmol/l).
But at lower levels there is even less difference, so an HbA1c
of 7% means the average glucose
level was 141 mg/dl (8 mmol/l ).
A diagnosis of diabetes can really derail your lifestyle. All of a
sudden, there are a lot of
new things to learn and many changes
that
have to take place. Where do you start?
"The freedom to eat does not mean eating randomly or being
predominantly seduced to eat,
but means the capability to savour with
heart and mind for the sake of health" - Elke Austenat
How this can be accomplished is described in detail in this pocket
size lexicon. More than 1800 foods
have been investigated and
tabulated
with their amounts, calories and influence on blood sugar.
This enables
an individual, diversified and tasty nutrition with diabetes.
by
David Kinshuck, Pat Lamb, Urmilla Griffiths (Pat & Urmila: diabetes
specialist nurses, Good Hope Hospital)
Embrace your diabetes
Learning how to control type 2
diabetes...take control
What is happening in type 2 diabetes
First, there is a shortage of insulin
Second, there is insulin resistance.
Third, there are genes
These factors combine to cause type 2
diabetes
Pattern of progression
At the beginning of type 2 diabetes a healthy diet may
be sufficient to lower the sugar and
keep the HbA1c below 7%
Later, metformin is needed.
Later still, add Exanatide if overweight or other drug.
Later still insulin may be required
Testing you sugar/glucose level
See
testing.
If you 'embrace' your diabetes, you will gradually learn to control it
and achieve an
HbA1c of 7% or below.
But to
do this, you need to check to see your
fasting
blood sugar levels are
72-126 mg/dl (4 - 7 mmol/l) (when you
wake up)
test your
blood sugar levels before meals between
72-126 mg/dl (4 - 7 mmol/l)
remember, you still need tablets if you are ill; if you
are being sick or cannot swallow the tablets,
|let your
doctor
or nurse know.
occasionally test after meals (preferred levels less
than 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/l)
To achieve very good control (HbA1c 6.5-7.0%) you need a
fasting pre-breakfast glucose
less than 99 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/l), pre-meal levels at other
times less than 108 mg/dl (6.0 mmol/l) and
after-meal levels
(2 hours after a meal) less than 141 mg/dl (8.0 mmol/l).
These levels cannot be achieved in all patients..but if
you are well and are prepared to stick to a healthy
diet and
exercise your medication should be adjusted to achieve these
levels, even if that
means starting insulin.
The Honest Food Guide (HFG)
is now available for downloading
free of charge and is:
Free from the corruption
and influence of various
food industries (dairy,
beef, junk foods, etc.)
Designed to benefit you,
not Big Business
Offers genuine
nutritional information, not
watered-down information
designed to boost the sale
of milk,
beef and grains
The HFG was created by
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, a man with a mission
of teaching people how to be healthy.
Adams is a
holistic nutritionist who overcame obesity, crippling
pain and chronic disease using natural health strategies
he freely shares with others.
To learn more about the Health Ranger and his
articles, reports and books (many are freely available),
click here.
When there's too much
insulin, blood sugar levels begin to fall (hypoglycemia), triggering a
feeling of
hunger and the constant
need to eat, which also causes weight
gain and fat storage.
Carbs make us hungry. When
we're hungry, we eat more. The more we eat the more we want, so we gain
weight.
It's the classic
vicious circle of addiction.
Exercise
Exercise works like a charm to lower glucose levels. The best time of
the day to exercise is after a meal.
This doesn't mean that you put your
fork down and run out the door, but maybe within the following two
hours.
Even a brief 10-minute walk can make a difference
in postprandial
(after meals) glucose levels.
When consumed
in food or drinks the refined sugar rapidly goes into the blood stream
and produces a sharp
rise in blood sugar values.
The pancreas secretes
large amounts of insulin to promptly return high blood sugar values to
normal.
Sharp rises
in insulin output may cause overshooting the desired blood sugar and it
is common for these
individuals to have blood sugar
values plummet to
low levels with symptoms of low blood sugar
(weakness, sweating, cloudy
thinking, lack of energy, hunger, shakiness).
When consumed
in food or drinks the refined sugar rapidly goes into the blood stream
and produces a sharp
rise in blood sugar values.
The pancreas secretes
large amounts of insulin to promptly return high blood sugar values to
normal.
Sharp rises
in insulin output may cause overshooting the desired blood sugar and it
is common for these
individuals to have blood sugar values plummet to
low levels with symptoms of low blood sugar
(weakness, sweating, cloudy
thinking, lack of energy, hunger, shakiness).
With the
passage of time this massive output of insulin provoked by huge sugar
intakes takes a toll on
the pancreas and reaches the point
where the
pancreas is unable to produce any greater quantities of insulin.
When
this occurs sugar no longer enters the cells in adequate
amounts to
prevent rising blood sugar values.
The diagnosis of diabetes can be made
with now elevated blood sugar values but the
problem obviously began
many years earlier with the first signs of insulin excess.
What
Causes Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes?
Why
Does Arteriosclerosis Plague Diabetic Patients?
Why Do
Diabetics Become Obese? What Role Does U.S. Soil Play In The Diabetic Problem? Diabetics are at increased risk for mineral deficiencies
Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't is
the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In
addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated
fat,
trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also
raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and
polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol; some
studies suggest they might even help lower LDL cholesterol
slightly when eaten as part of a low-saturated and
trans-fat
diet.
The American Heart Association's Nutrition
Committee strongly advises these fat guidelines for healthy
Americans over age 2: read more ......
For example, a sedentary female who is 31–50
years old needs about 2,000 calories each day. Therefore, she
should consume less than 16 g saturated fat, less than 2 g trans fat and between 50 and 70 grams of total fat
each day (with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated
and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts, seeds and
vegetable oils).
The ADA currently recommends keeping
blood sugar levels before meals
between 90 mg/dl
(5 mmol/L) and 130 mg/dl
(7 mmol/L) and keeping
blood sugar levels one to
two hours after meals below 180 mg/dl
(10 mmol/L) for most people.
Remember:
Conversion
: Canadian/Australian vs Indian units
1mmol/L =18 mg/dlCLICK
HERE:
Conversion from mmol/L (Canadian/Australian Units) to mg/dl (Indian Units)
LDL
Small sized particles (Apo B)
Dr Agatston, a cardiologist, and author of the "The South Beach
Diet" says in his book that "it is the small dense LDL
that does the more damage,
i.e. apolipoproteins.
Phase 1, the shortest Phase, lasts for
just two weeks and is designed to
eliminate cravings for sugar
and refined
starches -
and to jump-start your weight
loss. The purpose of Phase 1 is to
stabilize blood sugar
(which minimizes
cravings),
making it ideal for people
who are prediabetic or diabetic, as well
as for those
who need to lose a lot of
weight.
The focus of this two-week period is
on eating plenty of nutrient-dense,
fiber-rich (and guaranteed
delicious!)
foods that
satisfy your
appetite. Your meals include lean
protein, such as fish and other
seafood; skinless
white-meat
poultry,
and lean cuts of beef
(vegetarians can enjoy meat
substitutes, tofu, and beans);
high-fiber veggies; reduced-fat cheeses; eggs;
low-fat dairy; and
healthy, unsaturated fats,
such as
those found in avocados, nuts and
seeds, and extra-virgin olive and
canola oils.
During Phase 1, you'll fill up on
dishes like Chicken Breasts Stuffed
With Spinach and Goat Cheese, Seared
Pecan Salmon
With Lentils, Garlic
and Soy Grilled Pork Chops, and
more.
The South Beach Diet encourages
snacking, so you'll also get to
choose two tasty snacks each day,
like Spicy Nut Mix,
reduced-fat
cheese, and veggies with our zesty
Peanut Dip. Plus, you'll dine on
delicious
desserts (every day!),
including Chilled Espresso Custard,
Heavenly Lemon Mousse, and our famed
Ricotta Crčme.
With all the options
-
from gourmet meals to on-the-go
snacks to quick weeknight dinners -
you won't feel hungry or deprived!
Phase 2 is the long-term weight-loss
Phase of the plan. It's also the perfect
place to start for those people
who have
10 pounds or less to lose, who don't
have problems with cravings, who don't
have excess belly fat,
or who simply
want to
improve their health.
In Phase 2, you'll eat everything in
Phase 1 plus good carbs, such as
whole-grain bread, brown rice,
whole-wheat pasta,
fruits, and even
more veggies, like sweet potatoes,
pumpkin, and peas.
Of course, you'll
continue to enjoy snacks and
dessert
too, including dark chocolate!
In fact, you'll eat delicious
meals, like Coconut Chicken, Shrimp
Scampi, Pesto Pasta Salad, and Pork
and
Black Bean Quesadillas.
Side
dishes include Nutty Brown Rice and
Baked Sweet Potato Fries. And don't
forget snacks: Smoked Salmon
Canapés
With Horseradish Cream,
Peppery
Cheese Popcorn, and black bean dip
with baked whole-grain
tortilla
chips are a few of the many snacks
you'll choose from.
Then, cap off your dinner with a
decadent dessert, like Green Tea
Truffles, Chocolate Berry Cups, or
Dark Chocolate Bark With Walnuts.
Best of all, you'll eat all these
delicious foods and still lose
weight and
get healthier.
By now, you've adopted the South Beach
Diet lifestyle, making smart food
choices that fit the way you live.
That's what Phase 3 is all
about, and it
begins once you reach your healthy
weight. In Phase 3, you'll
continue to
follow the principles you learned in
Phases 1 and 2, but because it's the
lifelong stage of the
plan, it includes
almost every kind of food and it allows
for additional occasional indulgences.
It is the key to maintaining a healthy
weight for life.
On Phase 3, you can dine on meals
like Dutch Apple Pancakes (a
terrific weekend brunch), Chicken
Pot Pie, Asian Chicken Salad
With
Wonton Crisps, and Pepper-Spiked
Beef Stew. Phase 3-friendly
sides
include Farmers' Market Pasta Salad,
Apple-Butternut Squash Soup, and
corn on the cob.
As for snacks, you
can choose from fare like Triple
Berry Cooler,
Pecan-Stuffed Dates,
and tropical fruit salad. And you'll
indulge in desserts like Chocolate
Pie With
Crispy Peanut Butter Crust
and Chocolate Fondue. Imagine eating
this way for the rest of your life!
Tip: You can also search for the books on
Amazon.com
Discussion here that .........post-meal blood sugars of 140 mg/dl (7.8
mmol/L) and higher, as well as
fasting blood sugars over 100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/L) may cause permanent organ damage, as well as
contributing to the
progression of diabetes.
Read More..........
Blood Sugars
Fasting
Avoiding organ damage
Max Fasting blood sugars
should be 5.6
: to avoid organ damage Discussion here that .........post-meal blood sugars of 140 mg/dl (7.8
mmol/L) and higher, as well
as fasting blood sugars
over 100 mg/dl (5.6
mmol/L) may cause permanent organ damage,
as well as contributing to the
progression of diabetes.
As blood sugar levels rise
unabated, the body converts these sugars into fatty compounds called
triglycerides.
Triglycerides
slow the
blood flow in the smaller arteries and arterioles by making the blood
thicker and stickier.
As the oxygen-carrying
blood fails to reach
various parts of the body in time, the damage begins to mount.
The areas
supplied by the smallest blood vessels begin to suffer first. The vision
deteriorates. Strokes occur.
Kidneys begin to fail. Cardiovascular
disease
becomes evident. Numbness, tingling and
pain begins to occur in
the lower extremities followed by the necessary amputation
of the toes,
feet or lower limbs.
To understand what happens as your blood sugar deteriorates from normal
to pre-diabetes, and finally, to full-fledged
diabetes you need to first
understand how blood sugar control works in a normal body. Read
More....
The
Mediterranean Diet is a great way
for people to eat healthy food that
tastes great. It's easy to follow
the Mediterranean Diet.
Make olive oil your primary
source of dietary fat
Incorporate an abundance of food
from plant sources, including
fruits and vegetables, breads,
grains, beans, nuts, and seeds
Eat
low to moderate amounts of fish
and poultry weekly
Eat
low to moderate amounts of
cheese and yogurt daily
Drink
a moderate amount of wine (one
to two glasses per day for men,
one glass per day for women)
Here are
some other easy tips: Substitute
olive oil for butter. Snack on
almonds instead of fat-free cookies.
Spread avocado on a sandwich to
replace the mayonnaise.
Flax Seed
If you want to enjoy the benefits of
flaxseed
oil, it is important to ground the seeds before you eat them or use
pure flax seed oil from a bottle.
The flax seed is too hard for the
stomach to digest and if you eat whole flax seeds they will just pass
through you
without releasing any nutrients. (They will however work
wonders if you ever become constipated!)
Thomas Smith in the 'Fats and Oils' section of his website
Healing Matters - www.healingmatters.com says
Flaxseed is a
healthy choice.
Both Flax seed oil or
ground Flax seed are healthy choices.
The tutorials listed are interactive health
education resources from the Patient Education Institute.
Using animated
graphics
each tutorial explains a procedure or condition in easy-to-read
language. You can also listen to the tutorial.
Natural Medicine For Diabetes - Natural Diabetes
Medicine Tips
If you suffer from Diabetes and you would like to try out natural
treatments for the condition, then luckily you
have quite a few
options
to choose from.
By
Dr Michael Hutch PhD
