Stark Sweet Facts For Diabetics

Most people are wrapped in sugar’s sweet embrace from childhood until they are in their forties.  Two or three doughnuts, one with cream filing or icing, and a can of soda are regular snack fare for them (or something with this kind of combination).  This sweet laden meal can reach up to 800 calories a pop.  When these calories catch up with them, they would have the shock of their lives to be diagnosed with diabetes.  People should not wait until ants start investing their sweat-soaked and discarded clothing or even their used underwear.

Faced with the warning signs, it is high time to get the necessary information on causes and symptoms.  It is also time to say goodbye to ice cream, doughnuts, and the favorite soda.  Time to load on more veggies and fruits.  Drink more water to flush out toxins from the body’s daily grind.  Most importantly, make the lifestyle change that can be life-saving for many.Taking note of the early signs of diabetes must be undertaken by people who are predisposed to it.  To help them monitor their sugar levels, they could set aside around $20 to $70 of their cash loans to purchase a good blood glucose meter.

In dealing with diseases and illnesses, information is the best defense.  “Know thyself”, said the famous line.  According to researchers from the Netherlands, anxiety can cause people to eat more than usual, even if they are not hungry.  In their thorough study, they found out that people who felt stressed after taking a hard test ate up more sweets than people who felt relaxed after taking an easy one.  So, remember, no worries, no weight gain.

Dependence on sugar food and drink can be harmful to one’s health because it would result in diabetes.The important thing to take note in fending off this disease is to fake it!  People who want to cut their sugar intake while still enjoying their sweets should try non-nutritive sweeteners.  Examples of these are saccharin, sucralose, stevia, and aspartame.  These are the “real” artificial sweeteners because they do not provide calories and influence blood glucose.

Another way of breaking the sugar habit is to go natural.Eating fruits, which have natural sugar, is better than eating cupcakes and chocolates.  Doctors advise diabetic patients with cravings to go for three to five servings of fruits a day, instead of reaching for candies.  So, if people have left over money from their fast loans, they should stock up on fruits and other healthy eats than buying chocolates and chips for snacks.  Remember this: it takes five days of sugar-free food to fully defeat sugar cravings.  Get safely thoroughly it and the rest will look like a sweet deal.

The Best Diets for Diabetics

When one has diabetes, it is important to consider which foods fulfill the essential nutritional needs to maintain a healthy life.  The best diet for diabetics is generally similar to the kind of healthy eating that is suitable for everyone. Like the general population, people with diabetes need to focus on whole foods that are both rich in nutrients and high in fiber.  This includes virtually all plant foods, most dairy products, lean meat, and poultry, as well as fish.  However, there are two main forms of diabetes, and while both types benefit from these whole foods, each has different nutritional goals that need to be met to ensure the healthiest way of living.

With type 1 diabetes, studies show that total carbohydrates have the most effect on the maintenance of blood sugar control and the amount of insulin needed. Without a proper balance of insulin, carbohydrate intake, and physical activity, there can be radical changes in blood glucose levels. Additionally, if you have type 1 diabetes and are on a fixed dose of insulin, the carbohydrate content of your snacks and meals should be consistent on a day to day basis.  In regards to children with type 1 diabetes, weight and growth patterns have proven to be useful in determining if they are getting enough nutrition in their diet.

When dealing with type 2 diabetes, the focus is primarily on weight control since 80 – 90% of people with this disease are overweight. A meal plan with reduced calories, an even distribution of carbohydrates, and healthier monounsaturated fats can help improve blood glucose levels.  Examples of foods high in monounsaturated fat include peanut butter, walnuts, and almonds, as well as other nuts. These can be substituted for carbohydrates, but because these foods are high in calories, portions should be relatively small.  In many cases, moderate weight loss and increased physical activity can control type 2 diabetes, although some people may require oral medications or insulin in addition to lifestyle changes.  For children with type 2 diabetes, meal plans should be recalculated often to account for the child’s change in calorie requirements due to growth. Moreover, it is best to serve children three smaller meals and three snacks in order to meet calorie needs.  Changes in eating habits and increased physical activity help reduce insulin resistance and improve blood sugar control. It is also important to note that during times of excessive sweet consumption, such as holidays or birthday parties, children may still continue to eat sugar-containing foods, however, their daily amount of pastas, potatoes or rice should be eliminated to maintain an appropriate balance between calories and carbohydrates.

For both types of diabetes, here are some general guidelines to follow to create the proper balance between carbohydrates, protein, and fat:

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate choices should come from whole-grain breads or cereals, brown rice, beans, pasta, fruits, and vegetables. Increasing dietary fiber is a general guideline for the entire population rather than specifically for people with diabetes. Because carbohydrates vary in their calorie content, they essentially affect weight and blood glucose control.

Protein

Protein intake should be approximately 15 – 20% of total calories. Proteins that are low in fat are recommended, such as non-fat dairy products, skinless poultry, legumes, fish, and lean meats, with portion sizes being no larger than a deck of cards.

Fat

Reduce the amount of dietary fat. Less than 7% of calories should come from saturated fat, which raise LDL (”bad”) cholesterol.  Dietary cholesterol should be less than 200 mg per day. Additionally, intake of trans-unsaturated fats, which are more commonly known as partially hydrogenated oils, should be minimized. Reduction of fat intake may help contribute to weight loss.

Sugars

Limit sources of high-calorie and low-nutritional-value foods, including those with a high content of sugars. Foods containing sugar should be substituted for other carbohydrate sources (such as potatoes) rather than merely adding them on to the meal.

 

by: Arif Rahim
Cheap Diabetes Medical Supply

Cure for the High Cost of Diabetes

Diabetes is more than just a devastating disease; it is a widespread epidemic currently affecting more than one in five older Americans, and it is exceptionally expensive. The cost of treatment for type 2 diabetics increased 32% from 2002 to 2007, when estimated diabetes expenses in the US totaled $116 billion in direct medical costs and $58 billion in indirect costs (disability, work loss, premature death). This is 10% of all dollars spent on health care in the US, with expenditures for people with diabetes more than two times higher than health care expenditures for non-diabetics.

This news is even more unwelcome in an unsteady economy where consumers are already concerned about the cost and availability of health care. A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll reports that half of American households cut back on health care as a result of financial concerns in the past year, with 16% reporting having postponed treatment for severe health problems — for instance, foregoing visits to the doctor for chronic illnesses like diabetes.

IT’S WORSE THAN IT SEEMS…

What’s occurring today is just the beginning, warns global economist and nutritionist Barry Popkin, PhD, director of the University of North Carolina’s Inter-Disciplinary Obesity Center. Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death listed on US death certificates in 2006, a number he believes is, in all probability, “grossly understated” given the rapid changes in diet and body composition of the average American.

Meanwhile, rather than focusing on prevention of diabetes, which is highly possible for the majority of people, mainstream medicine continues to accentuate delivery of more expensive crisis management treatment, with a selection of pills and insulin that help manage, but do not cure the disease. Insurance companies are more likely to pay the very expensive cost of treating devastating complications, such as loss of sight or kidney damage, and for costly heart surgeries and amputations, than to pay the considerably modest cost of rigorous disease management or prevention with programs such as fitness trainers and dietetic education. Doing so would save money, as well as time and suffering. This short-sighted strategy backfires, individually and for our health care system as a whole, warns Dr. Popkin.

DOES PREVENTION ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assure that prevention really does work.

In the Diabetes Prevention Program study, lifestyle interventions reduced the development of diabetes in high risk people by 58% over a period of three years — and an even more impressive 71% in adults age 60 and older. In contrast, Metformin, the diabetes drug compared in this study to the lifestyle intervention, reduced diabetes risk only half as much.

•Comprehensive foot care programs can decrease amputation rates by 45% to 85%.
•Blood pressure management lessens the risk of heart disease and stroke in people with diabetes by 33% to 50%, and the risk of microvascular complications (eye, kidney and nerve diseases) by about 33%.
•Lowering blood pressure can minimize the decline in kidney function in people with premature diabetic kidney disease 30% to 70%.
•Identifying and treating diabetic eye disease with laser therapy can reduce the development of acute vision loss by about 50% to 60%.
•Managing LDL cholesterol can reduce cardiovascular complications by 20% to 50%.

The CDC claims that interventions to prevent or postpone pre-diabetes from advancing to type 2 diabetes can be practical and cost-effective. Dr. Popkin and I discussed how to shift the medical standard from one that reacts to crises to actually preventing them.

WHAT MUST CHANGE

It bores people to hear the same advice repeatedly, but the way to solve the issue of diabetes essentially has little to do with medical professionals or procedures. It has to take place at home. Americans at risk must resolve their weight issues. A primary cause for type 2 diabetes is obesity — one-third of American adults are obese whereas 17% of children are overweight or obese. Dr. Popkin’s book, The World Is Fat, describes how our lifestyle changes since World War II have produced the double epidemics of obesity and diabetes. We need to establish better eating habits and exercise programs, specifically…

Minimize snacking and sodas. Food and beverage companies sell an ever-growing number of high-calorie sodas and sweetened teas, sugary fruit juices, vitamin and energy drinks. The top 40% of consumers purchasing these beverages consume 760 calories per day from them, observes Dr. Popkin. Don’t fall for seductive marketing – instead, drink healthful and calorie-free water, or if you prefer something sweeter, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with a bit of sugar. Satisfy hunger between meals by snacking on an apple, a few walnuts, or a handful of baby carrots rather than resorting to processed snacks, even supposedly healthy ones like granola and energy bars, which Dr. Popkin points out are typically stuffed with calories and fats.

Monitor portion control. At Cornell University, 85 nutrition experts were invited to an ice cream social where they were given bowls of various sizes. Interestingly, the experts who were given the bigger bowls served themselves almost a third more ice cream. The lesson: Keep a close eye on portion sizes. Use smaller plates and choose sensible serving sizes. If you’re eating meat for instance, this means three ounces (the size of a deck of cards) rather than the usual eight or more.

Determine ground rules prior to eating. In a current study of all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets, researchers found that overweight or obese diners more often choose large plates, chew less and eat everything they served themselves, which can lead to overeating. Especially if you are eating out, set ground rules in advance to make sure you’re aware of what and how you eat. For example, decide beforehand that you will drink water rather than a soft drink… Pass on dessert… Order salmon instead of prime rib… Eat slowly… And ask for a to-go container instead of cleaning your plate.

GET ACTIVE

Our armchair-and-TV culture is a major issue in the diabetes epidemic, with less than one-third of American adults participating in regular leisurely physical activity. In fact, one study found every two hours of television watched each day is associated with a 14% increase in diabetes. Luckily, most of us already own the solution — a pair of tennis shoes. There’s no need to join a gym or work up a heavy sweat. The research suggests that 43% of new cases of type 2 diabetes may be prevented by 30 or more minutes of brisk walking a day and less than 10 hours of watching TV per week.

PRACTICE GOOD DIABETES SELF-CARE

If you are at high risk for diabetes or currently have the disease, take essential steps to manage it. Working with medical professionals, carefully monitor and control levels of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids, and stay on top of other preventive care practices (e.g., foot exams and eye screening), all of which help prevent potentially dangerous complications. If your doctor has prescribed insulin or other medication, take it exactly as prescribed and do not miss doses.

Individually, people pay a gigantic price — physically, emotionally and financially — for lifestyle choices that have encouraged diabetes. Our national budget is negatively affected as well. It’s in everyone’s best interest to bring this disease under control.

 

by: Arif Rahim
Cheap Diabetes Medical Supply

 

Monitor You Blood Sugar Level With Blood Glucose Strips

Diabetes is a dreaded disease to be watched out for. The onset of this illness will most likely trigger some complications if not detected and treated early. We have to maintain our blood sugar level at its normal range. This situation starts when the body fails to produce or there is no proper usage of insulin. The cause of this illness is still unknown to medical experts even if they trace it to both genetics and factors such as obesity and lack of exercise.

Millions of children and adults in 2009 have been reported to have been diagnosed with diabetes. One out of four are not aware that they have been inflicted with the disease. An increased knowledge of the disease could be life saving.

If you are diagnosed of diabetes mellitus and advised by the doctor to conduct regular tests of your blood glucose and blood ketone level, do so as instructed. Blood glucose monitoring will keep you aware of your physical body condition and help you do the necessary action to combat the disease. Blood glucose monitoring is a means of checking the level of concentration of glucose in the blood. There are methods of testing the blood sugar level by utilizing the visually test strip and blood glucose meters.

There are ways to test; it could be done by using two different test strips. Get hold of reliable glucose test products like Abbott Glucose Strips that has been in the market for considerable time and proven to show accuracy of result. Glucose test strips are available in packages containing 50 test strips intended for self-testing. It is done by pricking the skin, usually on the finger tip in order to get a pea size blood sample to be placed on a disposable strip. The result will show a change in color or electrical characteristic measured by an electronic meter. Piercing the body is to draw blood sample is painful. The personal checking of plasma glucose level for patients who are newly diagnosed of the type 2 disease must integrate the process of a structured self-management.

Patients with type 2 diabetes normally test the glucose in the whole blood at least once a day preferably before breakfast. It would be helpful to find out the effectiveness of the patient’s diet, exercise, and medication being administered. For type 1 diabetes, they use insulin, so they are required to test their blood sugar about three to ten times a day. It is conducted to ensure the efficiency of the previous insulin intake and to help determine the next dosage of insulin. The frequency could be annoying, so, there is a fast five-second test available. It could be taken from different alternative sites in the finger, palm, forearm, upper arm, thigh, and calf. When you are testing for hypoglycemia or if you have unawareness of hypoglycemia, it is highly recommended to test using your finger only. It is good that the fast technological advancement has changed the standard care for all diabetics. Frequent monitoring of the sugar level in the blood is essential in the proper care of patients.

Exercise Tips To Help You Properly And Effectively Manage Diabetes

Exercising is one of the keys to having a healthy body. It doesn’t only make you look better, but it will also help you feel a lot better. If you don’t exercise, then you will eventually risk getting diseases that can really affect your life. Inactivity can lead to heart related diseases and it can also lead to diabetes.

First of all, type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease of lifestyle that many people are experiencing today. This disease is affected by a lot of factors, such as your weight and your activity levels. These two things are in your complete control and you need to do the right thing in order for you to effectively manage the disease.

Exercise does help diabetes. It can reduce your body’s insulin requirements in many ways. The first is that exercise will be able to increase the body’s sensitive to insulin. What this means is that the cells in your body will be able to better absorb insulin. One can enhance the use of blood glucose in the body with the help of exercises.

What this means is that it will be able to lower the blood glucose levels in your body, which can possibly reduce the amount of medication you need in order to treat and manage the disease. If you have type 2 diabetes, exercising regularly can even eliminate the need for constant medication, especially if you accompany exercise with a healthy eating plan.

You also need to keep in mind that diabetics have higher risks of high blood pressure and acquiring heart related disease as well as stroke. This is why it is more important for you to exercise now in order for you to reduce the risk of heart related diseases.

With the help of the exercise your blood circulation is improved especially in the legs and arms. This is where people suffering from diabetes usually have problems and with exercise, it will be able to help.

You also need to keep in mind that stress can raise blood glucose levels. And, everyone knows for a fact that exercising helps reduce stress levels. So, if you want to keep your blood glucose levels from spiking, you have to reduce stress through exercise.

Lastly, one great benefit of exercise for diabetics is that it will be able to significantly improve the quality of life.

The next step is by knowing the right exercises for diabetics. You need to remember that the best exercises for diabetics are cardiovascular and aerobic exercises. However, you need to choose an exercise that is not hard on the feet as injuring the feet may lead to more serious problems especially for diabetics.

So, go for gentle walking, swimming and cycling. These exercises will be able to work your heart and circulatory system. You can also try playing racket sports, such as tennis. Just make sure that you wear proper fitting shoes in order to prevent injuries on the feet.

Before you start exercising, it is wise to consult your doctor about it first. This way, you will be able to know what kind of exercise you should do and for how long each day.

These are the things that you need to remember about being diabetic and the importance of exercising. Through exercise, you will be able to manage the disease effectively and let you live a full and normal life.