Diabetes and Diet

When you are diagnosed with diabetes you may think that your diet has to change completely. The truth is that you can still enjoy your favourite foods so long as they are part of a generally balanced and healthy diet. Here are some tips to make sure you have a balanced diet each day.

When cooking you should bear in mind the fact that foods are divided into five groups, which need to all be included in our daily eating habits. A diabetic diet is the same sort of balanced diet that everyone is recommended to eat, where it should be lower in fat, salt and sugar and higher in fruit and vegetables.

As part of maintaining a balanced diet you may have heard of ‘portions’ of the main food groups. It is recommended that we eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and this usually means about a handful’s amount of the food. Of course, each of us is different and as such will need different sized meals to keep us healthy. However, it is always a good rule to follow that excess fats should be cut out whenever possible, and this may include reducing the portion of one food in the meal (such as the meat) and increasing the size of the vegetables to make up for it.

You will also need to make sure that you eat regular meals, and don’t skip meals such as breakfast. This will help diabetics to help control their blood glucose levels as well as maintaining a healthy appetite.

willyboy
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/balancing-your-diet-when-your-diabetic-how-to-cope-with-diabetes-by-using-the-right-recipes-708319.html

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

and apples, and oranges, and bananas, etc.

Eat more vegetables and fruits, and eat far less fast food.

And also exercise far more and have physical education in school.

That’s what their parents should be doing. But many if not most parents would not know about the risks or how to prevent diabetes unless the information was provided. And providing good information for the welfare of the nation is the president’s job.

I have been thinking about what to write next, and honestly nothing had came to mind until the word chocolate popped into my mind and sent my taste buds ranting for just a taste of it once more. Chocolate has became a bad thing for me since being diagnosed with Diabetes, however after hours of research and reading I think I have found the cure to my cravings. As some of you may know when fighting Diabetes, you have to watch what you eat and the carbohydrates in them. Chocolate is high in this department but there is hope for us.

First, try a dark chocolate, these have less fats, less carbohydrates and a richer flavor so less in this case is truly more. Another thing to consider is that when you eat a dark chocolate everyone says to eat it slowly, savor the flavor, and let is dissolve on its own in your mouth. Well if you do these things then you will be reaping all of the benefits with a few consequences. Darker chocolate takes longer for the body to turn into sugar and if you have it after a healthily meal then it takes even longer to absorb. Remember all Diabetes diets have free foods in them and though chocolate is not on the list eating after one of your free foods helps the body t adjust and leaves you feeling better.

There are different types of chocolate available with nuts, berries, and other flavors added. Nevertheless, remember plain dark chocolate is always better for you. Another type of chocolate available is diet chocolate, is this truly better for you? Nope they still turn into glucose and in my opinion; the sugar substitute changes the flavor and does not do a thing for the chocolate. In addition, the substitute chocolate has been known to cause stomach-cramping, diarrhea, and of course upset your stomach.

Another food for thought concerning chocolate is the same as any food or drink when either on a Diabetic Diet or just plain eating right, Food in Moderation is always best.

Dee Owens
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/diabetes-and-chocolate-87922.html

You have to lift yourself up. You are the cause of your downfall. You are your best friend. You are your worst enemy…Thus goes the great saying.

The top is always vacant! The wise counsel is in demand everywhere. The best is yet to happen in your life! Life is nothing but a series of endless changes. The moment to moment changes.

You need to apply the very same rules in the treatment and control of diabetes. Some lifestyle changes help you cure the diabetes. There is no doubt about it. The reasoning is simple. Your wrong life styles took you to the portals of diabetes. Now about turn, and walk back. And reach to the place from where you started. This time, your start can not be wrong. Because you have adopted some lifestyle changes. This re-start will take you to the mansion of perfect health!

Have you read the novel, “The Sun Also Rises”? Doesn’t matter, if you have not!

When did you see the sunrise last? Now, you the confirmed diabetes patient, getup from the bed before the sunrise and take a brisk morning walk (not too brisk). That will assist the task of metabolism in the body and help you to maintain the blood sugar level.

On to the breakfast table! Demand your plateful of sprouted moong. Gone are the days of fried potato chips doused in red tomato sauce, full of preservatives! Instead, take the tomato salad, flavored with mint and lime juice!

After the breakfast, take rest for five minutes. It is time for you to check your blood pressure. If you don’t wish to do it daily, do it twice a week. During those good old days you used to take three heavy meals. Vegetables full of spice! Now you have taken a wise decision to take food five to six times, but in small quantities.

Your food consists of seasonal vegetables, fruits, preference for items that have lots of fiber content! You are strictly avoiding polished rice, and instead go for hand-pounded rice, that will get you lots of vitamin B.

Never think of junk food, cream biscuits, and chocolates. Tea and coffee are also not good for the cause of controlling diabetes. Instead go for butter milk.

Why do you worry over the matters over which you should not worry at all? If you say that worry can solve any problem including diabetes, I am prepared to even forgo my sleep and keep on worrying for 24 hours in a day. You know, stress is one of the reasons for diabetes.

So stop worrying and start living! Life is to be lived in its trials, in its tribulations, in its duty and in its beauty.

From the practical point of view, never forget to have periodical checkups at the doctor’s chamber and keep the record of your blood sugar levels!

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/some-lifestyle-changes-may-help-you-cure-diabetes-71318.html

I realize this is not the best place to ask such a technical medical question, but… there seems to be no literature on my situation.

Diabetes runs in my family. My grandfather and his sister both died of complications from it, and my uncle is currently fighting a losing battle. I am afraid of developing it.

I’m a food-conscious kind of person. I avoid fast food restaurants, eat whole grains, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, leaner meats on a regular basis, etc., etc., etc. However, I also have a sky-high metabolism, exercise intensely 3-5 times a week, and can’t have dairy (cheese, butter, milk, and so on) because I’m allergic. This means that I am always on the other side of the weight battle: every pound I gain is hard fought. This results in a high "treat" intake of unhealthy things like bacon, hashbrowns, candies, and so on.

I’m female, 5’6", 23, and get excited if I hit 115 lbs on any given day. I do try and gain muscle weight rather than fat weight, but honestly, this results in a very strange look – simultaneously body builder and anorexic – so I continue to load up on treats to prevent this.

All the diabetes (or other health issues) prevention literature focuses on people who are overweight. I can’t be overweight, but my diet, despite my love of healthy food, is kind of crap. How much diabetes (or even other health issues) risk am I putting myself in?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24716880/

The above article is about Even Skinny People Can Get Diabetes

Baby Girl, not so much is written about skinny people with diabetes like you and me, but we do exist.

If you have a family history of diabetes it is in your best interests to have blood draw done about every 6 months for HbA1c which is the average of glucose molecules clinging to red blood cells for the past 90 days. That is the life span of red blood cells.

And please ask for a copy of the test results for your files.

More information at http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes