Diabetes and Diet

The Glycaemic Index is known as GI and is a ranking for foods based on their effect on blood sugar levels, which is particularly useful for diabetics who need to monitor their blood glucose levels. Some foods are absorbed quicker than others, and the quickest of these will have the highest rating. The GI rating system is useful for diabetics, but there are important factors to consider when researching the GI ranking of different foods and meals.

Slow releasing carbohydrates are better for everyone, especially diabetics. The reason for this is that the carbohydrates are absorbed by the body much slower, meaning that you can maintain a normal appetite and keep your blood sugar at a safe and healthy level that is more constant throughout the day. These kinds of carbohydrates will have a low GI ranking. Another aspect of many with diabetes in considering the meals they eat is weight loss. Low GI rankings will help with weight loss by the way in which they control your appetite and make you feel full for longer.

When purchasing foods and cooking recipes based on the GI of the food it is also important to realise that fats and proteins can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, but this does not mean it is healthy just to eat these foods. You must bear in mind that it is also important to follow a well-balanced diet, which you will be able to find in special diabetic recipes.

The way you cook your food will affect its GI, so try to avoid frying and use healthier methods such as grilling.

willyboy
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They are the biggest killers in America: Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. The most common causes of these deadly conditions are: Physical inactivity, fattening snacks and beverages, obesity, stress, and smoking. The shocking news is that these diseases are so easily preventable.

A frequent cause of blame is the unhealthy food choices people make regularly. It’s okay to splurge once in a while, but it is the habits you follow daily that will determine your overall health. Constantly consuming chips, bacon, cakes, sugary drinks, candy, sausage, and cigarettes will get you nothing but poor health, deadly diseases, and a ticket straight to heaven prematurely.

According to the CDC over 63% (that’s over 180 million) of the US population is overweight or obese and is physically inactive, resulting in tens of millions who have chronic deadly, but preventable, conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and pre-diabetes. Recently the CDC reported that more than 70% (over 1.7 million) of all causes of death in America are caused by only three preventable factors: obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and smoking. The very fact that these factors are easily preventable is heartbreaking.

One of the major contributors to poor health is the excessive consumption of cholesterol. The body produces over 85% of the cholesterol we need and the sugar stores in our liver and muscles remain saturated due to physical inactivity. Because we are largely a couch-potato society and the food we consume every day is loaded with animal-based fats, the extra fat gets dumped into our arteries, belly areas, and under the skin all over our bodies.

Another major contributor to deadly diseases, poor health, and premature aging and death is physical inactivity. Most of us sit throughout an entire workday then go home and sit in front of the TV for another 5 to 6 hours while consuming large fatty meals, snacks, and sugary or alcoholic beverages that are rich in saturated fats, salt, and sugar, all of which contribute to increased belly fat. Shockingly, belly fat is the most dangerous kind because it causes inflammation in the arteries contributing to plaque build up in the arteries and insulin resistance leading to heart attacks and diabetes.

Yet another common issue is that people are unaware of how unhealthy the foods they consume are. When people don’t read nutrition labels they tend to consume very dense food and sugary beverages that are nutrient deficient. These foods are readily available in fast food restaurants and vending machines and contain loads of sugar, fat, and unwanted calories. Sugary soft drinks (which alone contribute to over 33% of all US obesity), sugary lemonade, sweetened iced tea, smoothies, lattes, and frappucinos, which contain loads of sugar and fat that further contribute to the accumulation of belly fat, make you more of a magnet to all sorts of deadly, but preventable, diseases. One of the worst mistakes people make as well is skipping meals which makes the body more efficient at storing and gaining fat weight.

Fortunately there are important steps to help you make balanced food and activity choices and help you start a lifestyle makeover process which will be your shield against deadly diseases as you age gracefully:

? If you have any chronic disease(s) take your medications as prescribed.

? Eat 3 main balanced meals, reduce your portion sizes, and raise your fiber intake.

? Consume 2 fruit and nuts snacks between meals.

? Switch all sugary drinks to water or diet soft drinks. Sweeten all other hot or cold beverages with artificial sweeteners or sugar-free flavoring powders. Limit all non-water beverages to a couple a day.

? Increase your daily walking activity to over 10,000 steps a day by making more frequent trips at home, the office, while shopping, and anywhere else.

The good news is that diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases can be prevented, managed, and reversed with your own choices, actions and a lifestyle makeover. Now is the time to start putting these tips to good use and begin feeling better and living healthier right away!

George Tohme

Doctors have always asked themselves why some people develop diabetes and some not, and so, by studying, they have discovered that there are some factors that interfere with the installation of diabetes.

The most important factor is heredity. If you have a family history of diabetes it is highly probable for you to develop this affection someday. There is a gene responsible for all this, especially for the Type II transmission. But you do not need to worry because nowadays there are many easy to apply home measurements, and you can live a normal life.

Another factor is the inappropriate diet. If you eat too much sugar, proteins, fats and refined carbohydrates, which transform into sugar, you can unleash the diabetes. Studies have shown that in the poor countries, people are not affected of diabetes in such a large number because they do not overeat. The most dangerous stuff is: biscuits, chocolate, bread, cookies, candies, pudding and ice-cream.

Obesity is a trigger for diabetes and in US, 60 to 85% of the diabetics are known as overweight. If there is too much fat, the insulin will not be able to allow the sugar in the blood to enter the muscle and tissue cells and so, the blood sugar level will be high.

By losing weight one can improve the blood sugar level having to bare only a mild form of diabetes.

People who have suffered a great loss, who are worried, stressed and unhappy, who have problems in their marriage or in their business tend to develop diabetes because all these factors have an enormous impact on the human metabolism causing sugar to appear in the urine.

If you smoke, it is best for you to give up. Studies have shown that especially women who smoke 25 or more than 25 cigarettes a day have a greater risk of developing diabetes, by 40% more than those who are nonsmokers.

It is recommended to follow an active lifestyle because you lose weight, you transform sugar into energy and you sensitize your muscle and tissue cells to insulin, and the pancreas does not have to work so much any more.

Therefore, by controlling your weight, your diet and giving up smoking you can easily control diabetes and live a healthy normal life.

For more information about diabetes, diet, treatment and causes, visit: http://www.diabetesmellitus-information.com

So, if you want to find out more about diabetes treatment or even about type 1 diabetes please follow this link http://diabetes-info-center.com/

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-are-the-causes-of-diabetes-88852.html

iabetes is a condition that occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin. Some people are born with this condition or has the onset of diabetes at an early age. This is called juvenile diabetes or type 1. Type 1 diabetes usually requires insulin injections. The onset of diabetes later in life is called type 2. Type 2 diabetes can be treated and in most cases prevented with simple lifestyle changes.

There have been several factors in the cause of diabetes type 2, but none are definitive. Some studies indicate heredity, obesity, and living a sedentary lifestyle. Also, there are insulin abnormalities that can be the cause of diabetes type 2.

Insulin Abnormalities-
Muscle cells can become resistant to insulin which make excessive insulin to compensate for the resistance. What then happens is a drop in insulin production.

Obesity-
Too much body fat causes the body to work harder to make insulin. Extra sugar is stored in the body as fat, which makes losing weight harder.

Heredity-
Having a sibling or parent who has diabetes means that your are more likely to develop diabetes.

Age-
Nearly 20% of adults over the age of 65 commonly have diabetes type 2.

What Causes Diabetes

Now the main cause of diabetes is currently obesity and with 30% of the USA clinically obese it is no wonder that 24 million people suffer from diabetes in the USA alone. As you can see diabetes is a growing illness and with more and more people being diagnosed with diabetes it is important that you know what the main causes of diabetes are.

A second important cause of diabetes is diabetes being inherited through the bloodlines. A major cause of diabetes which is brought down through generations, however it does not mean that if your father or gran father has diabetes that you will also be diagnosed with diabetes merely that you are at a higher risk. Therefore you should watch out more for the symptoms of diabetes.

To ensure that you are at a lower risk of being diagnosed with diabetes you need to have a healthy and balanced diet of protein, fibre, carbohydrates and a low percentage of fats. Exercise is another great way of not only staying healthy but decreasing the risk of being diagnosed with diabetes. Regular exercise 3-5 times a week will not only keep your heart rate and blood levels in the right places but also ensure you are maintaining your body and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Treatment

1. Reduce the levels of carbohydrates

Chose carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index. That is, carbohydrates that converts into blood glucose relatively slower. More companies are now supplying information on glycemic index. Kicking out the sweets, biscuits and cakes and substituting with appropriate fruits and vegetables would certainly be a step in the right direction.

Eat more regular and smaller carbohydrate or food portions throughout the day instead of having “one-off ” large main meals. This keeps your insulin levels lower.

2. Increase fat levels

There are many misconceptions about fat intake. Much of it is caused by deception from companies with their clever advertising and marketing methods of selling cheap and nasty health threatening fats and oils. A selection of margarines, deep-fried foods and cheap and nasty oils such as rapeseed, canola, soy and cottonseed oils are examples. Trans-fats should be avoided. Consumers may be totally unaware of the damage these fats and oils can do to the body.

Good fats help to promote the mechanism by which the body’s cells take up glucose from the blood. Learn to discern these from the nasty ones. They include naturally occurring fats like omega-3 fatty acids, flax seed oils and fish oils…

Rich jammes

Have you heard? Fish oil supplements are being recommended for everyone! Believe a lot of the hype, with my usual caveats!

Fish oil and whole, un-processed oils in general are just what the doctor ordered. Especially coming out of our 30 year “fat fast” where Americans avoided as much fat as possible, it is good to hear that we can add some good, healthy fats into our diet. There’s been increasing media attention being paid to the use of omega-3 fish oils (The Today Show, January 31, 2007), and even primary care providers are recommending them for their patients.

Fish oils have been proven to lower our risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Why is fish oil important?

As with a variety of fats, our body requires a significant amount to survive. In many of my articles and in my book, I discuss the “exchange of life”; the process by which water, oxygen and nutrients are brought into each of our 100 trillion cells and how carbon dioxide, wastes and toxins are moved out of the cells. This process must flow freely in order for our cells and our bodies to be healthy.

The cell membrane, made up of mostly fats, is at the center of this exchange process. These membranes are like its skin: a protective barrier that is selective about what it lets in and out; the softer and more supple it is, the more functional and more beautiful we are, inside and out!

Stress, toxicity, poor diet, poor rest/sleep and poor water intake can all cause the cell membranes in our bodies to be come rigid and prematurely aged. The more rigid and unhealthy our cell membranes, the more likely we are to suffer from symptoms like lethargy, aches/stiffness, headaches and more. Left uncorrected, symptoms can lead to more serious concerns of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and even chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes.

Don’t fret!

By improving our lifestyle and getting the proper amount of healthy fats into our diet, we can create soft, supple, healthy cell membranes. This is the path to truly regaining and maintaining our health.

All sounds pretty good so far, right? Well, actually it is. So what are my caveats?

1. While I most often recommend patients get the nutrients they need directly from their source (in this case by eating fish), I actually do not recommend patients eat fish 2-3 times per week. Because of the reports of fish contamination, especially with mercury, it is not a good idea to eat fish too often. A couple of servings per month is plenty.

2. Don’t just use fish oils. Current medical research indicates the VARIETY of fats in the diet is as important as what types and how much. There are many healthy, delicious oils out there for you. There’s the classic olive and sunflower oils, but what about the nut oils? Almond, walnut, sesame and peanut (actually a legume) oil are all excellent choices. These oils will improve the health and flexibility of your cells’ membranes all while highly satisfying your taste buds!

You can and should use a small to moderate amount of more saturated (thicker) oils like butter (organic when possible) and coconut oil. Again, the body needs a variety of fats. Too many of the same kind of fat can lead to imbalanced cellular membranes and can also degrade our health. Healthy oils are always sold in glass bottles or in the large metal cans, like olive oil. Oils sold in plastic are a no-no, as the packaging indicates that the oils are over-processed and not very healthy for you.

3. Avoid processed, trans or hydrogenated fats. These fats have been processed and altered in ways that make them unhealthy to the body. This includes margarine, processed butter substitutes, cheap vegetable oils (in plastic containers) and foods fried in hydrogenated oils (chips, snacks, restaurant fried foods).

4. Cook with fats and oils as little as possible. Heating fats can damage (denature) them, making them less or un-usable in the body. I suggest cooking with just enough to keep food from sticking to the pot/pan and then adding the oil to the food on your plate like a condiment. This is not a new concept, as it is done in many countries throughout the world.

So how much oil do I need in a day, doc?

Well, that is different for everyone. As part of my Bio-Logikal Diet, I am able to calculate how much fat a person needs in a day and we build it into their meal plan. Most people need 2-3 servings (teaspoons) of fresh, pure oil daily.

Choose your oil supplements with care. The toxicity that may be present in fish may spill over into supplements if the manufacturer isn’t taking the utmost care to purify them out, and without damaging the oil. Only use a fish oil product from a manufacturer that provides specific information on their purity specifications.

Fish oil can also present a problem with flavor. Manufacturers are using different natural flavorings to conceal the taste of fish that might “repeat” or be “burped”. Flavorings must be strong to conceal the fish flavor (lemon, orange, strawberry) and often patients burp up the flavor taste instead. Therefore, I strongly recommend using an “enteric coated” fish oil product. This natural (extra) coating process allows the softgel to move through the stomach and into the small intestine where it opens and is absorbed. This minimizes or eliminates the “repeating” and makes taking this kind of supplement much more rewarding. The enteric coating process is a bit expensive, so you will see EC products are a bit higher in cost, but worth it in my opinion.

I recommend Terra-EPA, a highly purified, enteric coated fish oil (600 EPA/400 DHA). I am also increasingly recommending our Terra-EFA which contains a combination of fish, flax and borage oils all blended together in a softgel capsule.

In health,

Dr. Brett Saks

DrSaks.com

Dr. Brett Saks
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/omega3s-going-fishing-for-fish-oils-106960.html

Diseases are best fought when those in the high-risk bracket understand as to what are the risk factors involved. It is true that you cannot avoid the genetic factor but you can still keep the situation in your control by making a few changes in your current approach to life and living.

Bad Cholesterol is supposed to be a major culprit in case of heart diseases. It is a type of a lipid, a soft, fat-like substance. Atherosclerotic plaque, which can cause blockage of blood flow in the arteries and can also cause heart attack, can develop due to excess of cholesterol. Popular by the name of ‘Bad’ cholesterol, LDL cholesterol gets deposited on the walls of arteries and is transported to different sites throughout the body where new hormones are developed and cell membranes are repaired. On the other hand the ‘Good’ cholesterol called HDL cholesterol, carries cholesterol to the liver where the alteration process is done, after which it is removed from the body.

According to the physicians, the blood pressure level of a normal person is less than 130 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure and less than 85 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. Every individual should get his blood pressure checked at least once in every two years so as to know the status, and if any increase is found, the treatment should be started forthwith. If your blood pressure level is little higher than normal then get it checked once a year, and take good care if it is very high and then get multiple measurements to check out whether it remains that high all the time or fluctuates. Immediate medical attention is a must in such cases.

If you are suffering from diabetes, which is a chronic disease of insulin deficiency or resistance, then you are more prone to heart disease. On the other hand if you are suffering from type 2 diabetes then you can easily avoid it by losing your weight either through exercise or by taking balanced nutrition.

If you smoke, stop smoking immediately because it affects your lungs very badly, and not just heart diseases, it may also lead to many other problems.

A daily 30 minutes physical exercise or fast walking can keep you away from heart diseases and can also be helpful in controlling obesity.

Minimize your daily alcohol intake to three ounces or less. It would definitely be a healthy step. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, sufficient amount of potassium, calcium and magnesium in your daily diet. Avoid saturated fats and cholesterol to keep your heart healthy. Just a little care and a little awareness is all it takes to keep heart diseases at bay.

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/diabetes-blood-pressure-and-bad-cholesterol-cause-heart-ailment-119984.html