Diabetes and Diet

The right grains for breakfast may have an important contribution to the blood sugar regulation after meals because certain grain products may have indigestible carbohydrates and a low glycemic index (GI), according to a dissertation from the Lund University.

The dissertation showed that people who usually have low GI breakfast concentrate easier during the rest of the morning, and may decrease their risk to suffer from obesity, cardiovascular diseases, or late onset diabetes. Whole-grain products with low GI may also improve short-term memory and mental acuity.

The right amount of indigestible carbohydrates along with whole-grains with low GI may keep the blood-sugar at a low level for almost ten hours, according to Anne Nilsson, author of the dissertation. The indigestible carbohydrates ferment in the large intestine and this may also produce a greater sense of satiety.

Previous studies showed that certain grains with indigestible carbohydrates may have a benefic effect for the metabolic syndrome, a condition that includes severe risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and abdominal fat.

The link between the blood sugar levels and mental acuity was also studied by Nilsson. The subjects received breakfasts with low and high GI, and performed mental acuity tests afterwards. The group that had a low GI breakfast focused better and had a better short-term memory compared to the other group. The results also show that people who have fluctuations in their blood sugar levels may also have a lower cognitive ability, said Nilsson.

(c) Project Weight Loss 2008. All rights reserved.

Alan Rosca
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/control-your-blood-sugar-levels-with-the-right-grains-671238.html

Diabetes is the inability to transfer sugars in blood into the sugar-storage sites of your body, the muscles and liver. Sugars, called carbohydrates, are found mainly in cereals, rice, bread, pastas, potatoes, milk products, fruits, fruit juices and sweets. When we consume these foods, they pass from the stomach into the intestines and get broken down to the most basic sugar form, glucose. Glucose (sugar) normally moves into the blood via a web of blood vessels that are connected to the intestines. When the movement of glucose into the blood stream raises its average level above 100 points (mg/dl), it triggers the secretion of a hormone called insulin from the pancreas. When insulin is secreted into the blood, it causes the excess glucose (sugar) to be stored in muscles and liver cells. It is stored in a form called glycogen, which may be used at a later time as an immediate source of energy.

This energy is used for activities of up to three minutes: lifting or throwing an object, running away from danger, sprinting, stop-and-go actions such as a short walk, or any sports activity. Some people have impairment in their insulin production or in the functioning of their insulin. This insulin impairment causes the level of glucose to rapidly rise above the 100-point mark, and that is the condition we call diabetes. High sugar levels, left untreated, can gradually cause damage to vital tissues, such as blood vessels, the nervous system, kidneys, heart and arteries. This can cause debilitating strokes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, loss of sensation or pain in the feet and hands, leading to leg amputations, kidney failure and blindness.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is when someone can produce little or no insulin, due mainly to immune and genetic (inherited) defects in the pancreas. People with Type 1 Diabetes create approximately only 10% of all of people diagnosed with diabetes. Type 1 can occur at a relatively young age, especially during childhood. At the time of diagnosis, people are usually of average weight, experiencing weight loss; frequent urination, blurred vision and dry mouth and their blood fasting sugar are way above 125 points (mg/dl). Type 1 diabetics have to depend on insulin use for the rest of their lives, in order to survive and making good lifestyle choices is integral to diabetes control. Oral Diabetes medications that are Sensitizers (see detailed discussion of this group of drugs in Action Step 2 right after the Insulin section) can be prescribed along with Insulin for people with Type 1 which can help reduce the amount of daily insulin used. Also leading and maintaining an active Lifestyle and making favorable food choices and raising your fiber intake can all help bring Diabetes under control and reduce the amount of total daily insulin dose (decisions about insulin dosing can ONLY be made by your doctor). Refer to Action Step 4 for a detailed discussion on how to start and maintain an active Lifestyle and make favorable food choices.

Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Pre-diabetes

This is a condition where glucose levels are higher than normal but not enough to be diagnosed as diabetes namely at a range from 100 to 125 mg/dl on a fasting state (first thing in the morning before eating). Typically, the more than 54 million people in this category are overweight or obese. They are people who consume large amounts of “junk food” (nutrient-deficient foods and drinks such as soft drinks and all other sugar containing juices and drinks. Foods that are loaded with sugars and unfavorable sources of fat such as animal fat, butter, margarine and Trans Fatty Acids that are found in the majority of packaged processed sweet and or salty snacks) and lead totally sedentary lifestyles; they also have high cholesterol and triglycerides and have low HDL (the good cholesterol). Studies show that these people will eventually develop diabetes and other preventable chronic ailments, such as: high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease, “unless” they are identified early and they start making favorable lifestyle choices.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes affects some women during pregnancy and is characterized by consistently higher than 95 points (mg/dl) on a fasting state first thing in the morning, and over 120 points 2 hours after a meal. Most women who suffer from Gestational Diabetes will return to having normal blood glucose levels after delivery. Up to 45% of women who develop diabetes during pregnancy may progress to having full-blown diabetes later in life unless they make favorable lifestyle choices and change their eating and activity habits. The main predisposing factors for gestational diabetes are family history of diabetes, obesity and sedentary lifestyles . It is crucial that women at risk be identified, since high blood sugar causes fetal harm.

Who Should Test?

All women, early on in their pregnancy, who have the following criteria must be tested for high blood sugar; women who are: overweight, over the age of 25, who have family history of diabetes, those who belong to ethnic groups other than Caucasian, those who have previously had gestational diabetes, or who have previously delivered large babies over 9 pounds.

Treatment

Gestational diabetes is initially treated with Lifestyle interventions such as making balanced food choices and increasing activity as described in Action Step 4. If fasting (first thing in the morning before eating) blood sugar is not brought to 95 points (mg/dl) or to 120 points 2 hours after lunch or dinner then Insulin is the ideal drug that is used. Your doctor will decide which insulin product and dose is appropriate for you. (See the discussion about insulin in Action Step 2).

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, usually affects people later on in life, after the age of 25 or 30. However, Type 2 Diabetes has alarmingly been plaguing children at a much younger age than ever witnessed. Kids as young as 15 and 17 who are obese and leading sedentary lifestyles and commonly seen in grocery stores shopping while riding electric shopping scooters, are now diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. About 90% of people with diabetes have Type 2. People with Type 2 Diabetes produce insulin from their pancreas, but due to lifestyle factors such as obesity and inactivity the insulin is not able to perform and move the extra sugar from the blood into the muscle and liver cells, resulting in the buildup of sugar levels in the blood. This defect is referred to technically as insulin resistance. The diagnosis for Type 2 Diabetes is when people have a fasting (before eating in the morning) blood sugar level of 126 points (mg/dl) and over on 2 separate readings.

Type 2 Diabetes can be of hereditary origin. Non-Caucasians are more predisposed to getting it. But the vast majority of people get it due to inadequate lifestyles such obesity, overeating and sedentary lifestyles. A staggering 75% of people with diabetes are obese and inactive . This lends to the worsening of their conditions. I witness this trend every single day in my pharmacy practice. People drop off several prescriptions for diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure, and they sit the entire time in the pharmacy waiting area. When I counsel them about their medications and suggest they might increase the amount of daily walking, their invariable answer is, “I don’t have time.” Sometimes, they drop off their prescriptions and go food shopping; they bring back a cart full of bacon, cookies and other packaged snacks such as popcorn, jugs of soft drinks, pretzels, butter, white bread, and let’s not forget the cigarettes!

People with Type 2 Diabetes may be treated with: medications, either taken by mouth and/or through insulin injections, and by making favorable lifestyle choices . Medications alone without an active lifestyle will never be an efficient way to control diabetes and/or other chronic lifestyle-related diseases. Your doctor has many medication options from which to choose. What is important is to get diabetes under control in order to avoid deadly complications ! Your health is your responsibility, and staying in close contact with your doctor and pharmacist is the only way to avoid diabetes complications and hugely important in keeping your diabetes under control.

The message that I bring you is that, “You are not doomed.” Certainly, you can control diabetes, but you have to be aware of some simple facts and act on them . Inaction will cause these deadly ailments to creep up on you and systematically destroy your internal organs and claim your life prematurely. You can become involved, seriously and consistently, in your health; take the lead and the primary responsibility for managing your health and disease! It is simpler than you think.

If you take charge of this responsibility, you reap the benefits of living your lifespan to the fullest, enjoying the best quality of life. It is very simple. You just have to take charge by starting to apply the reliable, simple, and practical recommendations in LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER FOR DIABETICS AND PRE-DIABETICS

For more detailed information on any of these topics log on to: www.LifestyleMakeoverEbook.com and check out these information packed lifesaving book and e-book volumes: LIFESTYLE MAKEOVER FOR DIABETICS AND PRE-DIABETICS and 4 other e-books: Lifestyle Makeover: Sex, Stress, and Alcohol , Lifestyle Makeover for All Couch Potatoes , Lifestyle Makeover: Defeat High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure , and Lifestyle Makeover for all Tobacco Users . The author of this article is also the author of these volumes

Test your knowledge on these various issues and take a simple True and False quiz by logging on to: www.LifestyleMakeoverEbook.com

Copyright © 2008 by George Tohme All rights reserved.

George Tohme
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-is-diabetes-and-the-differences-between-type-1-and-type2-diabetes-684243.html

A well-planned gestational diabetes diet can reverse the symptoms of gestational diabetes that you are exhibiting and enable you to enjoy a healthy delivery. Gestational diabetes develops in otherwise diabetes-free women, normally in the 24th to 28th weeks of their pregnancies.

As with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes can be effectively controlled in most cases, and even reversed completely in many cases, through implementing a gestational diabetes diet and getting daily physical exercise. Remember, what causes diabetes mellitus is poor dieting and sedentary living year after year.

Gestational diabetes symptoms often go unnoticed or are not thought to be unusual given that the individual is pregnant. Most frequently, gestational diabetes symptoms include being very thirsty and having to pee many times every day. Many women just consider this a natural part of pregnancy and pay it no mind. However, if the thirst is a result of elevated blood-glucose levels, then the developing baby is put at risk if the symptoms are not controlled.

The excess glucose in the mother’s bloodstream can pass through the placental wall and enter into the developing baby. Glucose in excess of what is required to fuel the baby’s development is then are stored as fat and can cause macrosomia (fat baby syndrome). Macrosomia can cause a number of health issues including:

• Problems with delivery because the baby is too large;
• A slowed metabolism and a propensity for the development of pancreatic issues in the baby;
• Getting off to a start in life carrying extra weight and being prone to become overweight and/or obese;
• More…

The gestational diabetes diet is just the same as a Type 2 diabetes diet and should be based as follows:

• Water foods are the main concentration. That means plants: vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes;
• Only low-fat and non-fat dairy products;
• Only the leanest cuts of meat with all excess fat trimmed;
• Avoid saturated fats;
• Strongly avoid Trans fats;
• Avoid alcohol:
• Avoid fast foods and processed foods;
• Avoid microwave foods and high-sugar foods;
• Avoid high-sodium foods;
• Drink plenty of fresh water every day;
• Eat 5 or 6 small meals every day – not just 1 or 2 large meals;
• Eat your meals at the same times every day;

In addition to planning and employing your healthy gestational diabetes diet, you also need to do the following:

• Talk to your doctor and have him run blood work to determine if you have gestational diabetes for sure;
• Exercise for 20 or 30 minutes every day – not like a maniac, just enough to get your heart pumping strong;
• Check your blood sugar often at home with a home glucose monitor. The more often the better;
• Resist your urges for ice cream and other naughty snacks – even though you’re pregnant. Being pregnant is the most important time to ensure that everything you eat is optimally healthful!
• Develop and practice gentle techniques for stress management like meditation, Yoga and Pilates. Stress is your enemy.

Following a gestational diabetes diet, exercising every day and effectively managing your stress will ensure that your pregnancy is trouble-free and that you baby gets off to a healthy head-start in life. Begin today!

Steven R Arnold
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/gestational-diabetes-diet-how-to-reverse-gestational-diabetes-mellitus-715271.html

It is important to keep your blood glucose under control. If you have diabetes, it is very important to continue to manage your blood glucose. There are several ways to monitor your blood glucose levels. Keeping your blood glucose levels within the normal range, will help you to prevent or delay some of the complications of diabetes.

When doctors determine that your blood glucose level is high, it is time to start trying to manage to keep it under control. First of all, you might start by watching your diet. A diet that is high in vegetables, low in fat, and includes legumes and fiber, is one way of keeping glucose under control. Diet is important to our health, always, and most people usually wait until they get some illness before they start considering a healthy diet.

Another way of managing blood glucose is by daily exercise. Exercise is another important factor in good health. One of the first things that the doctor will tell you if you have some kind of health problem, is to be sure that you get some exercise each day. Exercise is another thing that many people overlook in their daily life. Life is so hectic and busy, that we hardly have time to get the exercise that we need. Young people have become interested in computerized games, etc., which take their time, and even the younger generation does not get the exercise needed, like they once did.

If you are in the early stages of diabetes, it is extremely important to keep your glucose under control. You should monitor your glucose daily, to make sure that it is in the normal, or in a safe, range. Many diabetics are overweight, and weight does need to be controlled. It is very important to keep your weight down to the range that it should be for your height and age. By eating less fats, sweets, and breads, your weight should come down to a fairly normal range. It is definitely hard to do, especially if you have always eaten the things that you like, but it can be done if you are serious. High fiber diets have shown to help in managing diabetes.

Blood glucose monitoring checks are the only way that you can keep a safe check on your glucose. You will need a blood glucose monitor, and you will have to prick your finger to get a drop of blood. This check will tell you what your glucose is at any given moment. You should keep a record so that when you go to the doctor you can show him/her your record and he can see how your diabetes plan is working and if there is anything else that you need to do, or whether what you are doing is working as it should.

Diabetes, if untreated, is a deadly disease, but with the correct care and treatment a person with diabetes can live a long, healthy, and happy life. It is just important that blood glucose be monitored regularly if you do have diabetes, and if you do not yet have it, see your doctor regularly so that he/she can keep a check on your health to make sure that everything is going well.

For more information on blood glucose, visit http://controlbloodglucose.com.

John Parks
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/managing-your-blood-glucose-690145.html

I tell myself, today I’m going to be good.And I really try. By the middle of the day There I go again. I have tried fruit, vegetables, nothing works. I’ve even tried exercise (like going for walks,ect). Please help me! I have diabetes plus other health problems. Please answer as soon as possible. Thanks.

Herbs would help. Certain kinds of herbs.
Coconut oil! 1 tbsp/day

ok a doctor told my hubby that he needs to eat all kind of fruits and vegetables,but not potatoes
other doctor told him that apples are bad for him and that potatoes are good because potatoes help to reduce sugar in the blood
sooo what is the truth.i mean are potatoes good or bad? and apples???

Hello I am a Type 2 Diabetic!

First are you Type 1 or Type 2? Both have the same symptoms but the treatment is greatly different for each.

Both Drs advice very sound stupid and you need to run away from them. This is silly. Were these regular Drs or ENDOCRINOLOGISTS? Find a Dietitician to help you with your dietary needs. You may also need to find an ENDOCRINOLOGIST that will take your ailment seriously. Both fruits and potatoes convert into glucose and will spike the BS levels….I would run away from these 2 quacks.

Diabetes is a disease in which you need to have your own team which would consist of an ENDOCRINOLOGIST, DIABETIC EDUCATOR, DIETITIAN, and perhaps a psychologist because you will get depressed.

EDUCATE YOURSELF AND YOUR HUSBAND ABOUT DIABETES. There is lots of information on the web for this. Your eating styles will have to change. For starters THE MAJORITY OF FOODS METABOLIZE INTO GLUCOSE (SUGAR). This would include fruits(fruits), pasta, rice and starchy vegetables (peas and corn). Natural sugar (fructose) is sugar. Fruit juices are considered liquid sugar they will still spike your blood glucose levels very quickly. Juice is given to Type 1’s when they are have severe hypoglycemia. It doesn’t matter the source sugar is sugar is sugar. Consult with a Diabetic Dietitian.

1) Please seek the 2nd opinion of an ENDOCRINOLOGIST. They specialize in diabetic disorders. A general doctor may not be know all the information or know how to handle your medications or to switch your meds if they are not working to your body. Personally farted around with a regular Doctor for a year while my BS levels were sky high.

2) From the little bit that you have stated…I would make sure you were diagnosed with the correct disorder Type 1 or Type 2. There are meds and such for Type 2 that will not work for Type 1.Both can take insulin. You don’t want to spend a year with the wrong meds. This does happen alot. If you do not feel the Dr. or Endo you are seeing is catering to your needs …..RUN….. find another person.

This is not a disease you want to play with. remember you will be damaging your eyes, your kidneys, your teeth, feet and hardening your arteries by being in denial or being with a doctor that doesn’t know what they are doing.

3) Research and find a Diabetic Clinic in your city. I go to the Gonda Diabetic Center at UCLA in Los Angeles. There are actually 3 others in LA. This is important in creating a team to help you. On your team you should have an Endo, Diabetic Educator, Nutritionist, possibly a person to take to because you will get depressed and feel alone.

4) Develop your personal support group. This is good to keep you sane. Because you will not be the only one experiencing the ups and downs of diabetes.

5) Go to a wonderful website called tudiabetes.org. It is a community of diabetics for diabetics by diabetics. I am a major contributor to the website. You don’t have to feel alone and you can get your questions like this one answered by REAL DIABETICS and not by people who think they know something. Most people who are not touched by the disease don’t have the proper information.

I hope this helps.