Sign of Diabetes

Mike Herman asked:


For the diabetic, knowing what to eat, what foods to avoid, and how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight can seem very difficult.

To complicate matters even worse, there is no specific diet for diabetics. Help is available to make sure you have the information you need to learn and understand about diabetes diet guidelines.

Not following diabetes diet guidelines, is a common mistake made by most diabetics. Many diabetes don’t understand the needs of diabetes diet guidelines…or how closely tied to good diabetic control the food you eat can be.

The American Diabetes Association has what’s called the Diabetes Food Pyramid. Designed much like the revised (2005) version of the USDA’s Food Pyramid, this pyramid provides excellent information and diabetes diet guidelines to help you gain control of your blood sugars, your weight, and your diabetes.

Gain Better Control Of Your Diabetes Today Using Diabetes Diet Guidelines

The diabetes food pyramid is divided into six groups. The size of the groups varies. The larger the group, the more servings per day of foods within that group should be consumed.

Grains and starches (carbohydrates) is the largest group. This includes foods such as rice, pasta, breads, and cereals, potatoes, corn, peas, and some beans. The recommended number of servings per day is 6-11. Most people should use the lower number of servings.

The next group is vegetables. Vegetables are naturally low fat. This makes them a good food choice for everyone. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers are examples of vegetables in this group. Please note the more starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and others are in the grains and starches group. The recommended number of servings per day for this group is 3-5.

The middle layer of the Diabetes Food Pyramid is fruit. This group also contains some carbohydrates. Berries, melons, apples, bananas, peaches, grapes, and other fruits are found in this group. The recommended number of servings is 2-4 per day.

Following the fruits is the milk group. This includes milk and milk products. For those trying to reduce their weight and cholesterol choose low-fat dairy products. Recommended servings are 2-3 per day.

Almost at the top of the pyramid is the meat group. The meat group includes chicken, beef, turkey, fish, eggs, dried beans, cheese, and peanut butter. You only need 4-6 ounces servings per day.

At the top of the pyramid are the fats, sweets, and alcohol group. This group should be avoided. Most recommend keeping your portion sizes small and only having these foods on special occasions.

While diabetes diet guidelines do have some basic principles the best meal plan for you can only come by consulting with a nutritionist, with diabetes experience. Nutritional needs of diabetes vary from person to person. For example, a thin type 1 diabetic with kidney disease won’t have the same needs as an overweight type 2 diabetic

By evaluating your needs individually, diabetes diet guidelines can be established especially to meet your specific health and weight needs. A nutritionist will also be able to help you learn to make good choices when dining out, during holidays, and other “special times.” The nutritionist will also be able to factor in your likes and dislikes to create the best diabetes diet guidelines for your particular situation.

Don’t think of the diabetes diet guidelines as a diet. Think of it as your ticket to better control…and a healthy and happy life.



The Biggest Loser

willyboy asked:


A diabetic diet plan is one of the best proven ways to combat diabetes; this can help to improve your blood sugar control, reduce and eliminate your need for insulin shots.

The diabetic food plan takes recommended foods for diabetics and creates a plan to suite both your tastes and your needs, by creating the diabetic diet plan you can improve your health and help fight diabetes.

It is essential for anyone fighting diabetes to maintain optimum weight and reduce blood cholesterol. Reducing saturated fats with unsaturated or monounsaturated fats is a priority for anyone fighting diabetes. Diabetes prevents your body from processing glucose the way it should, so a diabetic diet helps to perform that maintenance. In addition, the hope is that a diabetic diet will also help you to maintain healthy lipid levels and keep your blood pressure under control. The most important part of a diabetic’s diet is the meal plan, foods with similar nutrients and calories are grouped together. A diabetic’s meal plan is about ensuring the food intake is the right amount of food at the right time.

A diabetes diet plan can differ from each type of diabetes; diabetics who fight type 2 diabetes have fewer restrictions which help to make a more flexible diabetic diet plan which may seem to look more like a normal healthy diet plan. However type 1 have more restrictions and is more accustomed to your own diabetes.

You may be thinking that creating a diabetic meal plan sounds like a lot of hard work, that you don’t know any different food groups and that you find it all a little too confusing. However a couple of weeks becoming more knowledgeable in the area of diabetes may help to make you more comfortable and healthier.

It is essential for anyone suffering from diabetes to be aware of different food groups, what they contain and how they affect there meal plan and dieting. A large knowledge and understanding of diabetes will help you daily and to achieve your health goals.



Lower Cholesterol Level

Gree Lya asked:


One of the main targets for a diabetic diet is to help you lower weight and maintain it. In addition, the diet is a vital component in your diabetes control program and keeps blood sugar levels under control by striking a balance among the carbohydrates, fats, and protein you eat.

The diabetic diet essentially concerns controlling your carbohydrate intake so as to manage your glucose levels. The recommended diabetic diet for carbohydrate content is about 60%, and fat content 30-35%. Eating regularly and a consistent amount of calories each day is another important point of diabetic diet.

The main part of the diabetic diet is meal planning. A diabetic diet must be a well proportioned meal plan customized to your individual needs, tastes, activity level and life style. Its goal is to afford all the calories and nutrients the diabetic needs while maintaining blood sugars as close to normal as possible.

However, the benefits and support to your body from the diabetic diet will depend on what type of diabetes you are trying to treat. Each type has its own challenges and level of restriction on the diet. So, a diabetic diet will vary some from person to person.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your dietary limitations may not be fairly as high, the diabetic diet is really just a simple heart healthy diet. You will likely be advised to avoid excessive fat and to maintain a high fiber diet among other things, but it will be a rather easy diet to stay with.

But, if you have type 1 diabetes, you will likely have more restrictions, more individualized diabetic diet. Your diabetic diet will likely be custom designed by your physician or a nutritionist.

When you are living with diabetes, one of the best ways to fight this disease is with a diabetic diet plan. You should consult your dietician or doctor regularly to plan a diet personalized particularly for you. Make sure to ask them some questions, let them know your habits, and check in with your doctor to let him or her know your progress along with any problems you may be experiencing.

Be sure to be detailed because the more information you give to your doctor, the better they will be at helping you. It’s a great idea too if you meet with an herbalist or alternative care doctor. They will be able to notify you with herbal supplements and alternative treatments that may help assuage your diabetes.



South Beach Diet

laurenjulia asked:


Or can cats even have diabetes?
How do you test a cat’s blood sugar?

I’m wondering because I have a cat that is overweight, and we think she may be ****** on the floor instead of the litterbox.

The Biggest Loser

Arturo asked:


Initially diabetes management and control may involve dietary changes alone. Diet is a vital component in your overall diabetes control program and to keep blood sugar levels under control, a diabetic diet strikes a balance among the carbohydrates, fats, and protein you eat, when you control your body functions through exercise and by using a diabetic diet, your pain and agony seems to diminish.

A diabetic diet must be a well-balanced meal plan tailored to your individual needs, tastes, activity level and life style, and its goal is to provide all the calories and nutrients the diabetic needs while keeping blood sugars as close to normal as possible. Diabetes is not a life sentence to a rigid and restrictive menu plan.

The diabetic diet basically involves limiting your carbohydrate intake in order to control your glucose levels. The recommended carbohydrate content of diabetic diet is 60%, fat content 30-35%. Another important characteristic of a diabetic diet is to eat regularly, at the same times each day, and to eat a consistent amount of calories each day; the diabetic diet is not only for diabetics: it is an excellent, balanced alternative for anyone.

Since the diabetic diet is one which is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, look for cookbooks that emphasize low-fat cooking, the diabetic diet is a bit stricter and calls for avoiding grains and fruit but you have about 30g of carbs daily. The ideal diabetic diet is also good for cholesterol with its emphasis on low fat, high complex carbohydrate and high fiber.

The most important aspect of the diabetic diet is meal planning, your meal plan should be adjusted to take into account carbs sugars and fat in the diabetic food, the general principle is to control body fat means less sensitivity to Insulin, which keeps the blood sugar level in check.

Carbohydrate Counting offers suggestions and tips about how to eat carbohydrates while maintaining your insulin needs and diabetes control, by following a consistent diet control, a diabetic patient ought to be able to maintain good health in general, but you should remember that an effective control of diabetes requires an integrated approach which also includes exercise, weight control and a good diabetic diet.

When you have diabetes, your medications are your best friends, as they will help you keep your condition under control, remember that one of the main goals for a diabetic diet is to lower your weight and maintain it, to put it in simplified words, diabetic diet is a balanced healthy diet plan which is vital for Diabetes treatment.

The diabetic diet is aimed at helping to control blood sugar levels, the less fluctuation, especially rapid release of glucose into the blood, the better, an adherence to a diabetic diet is an important aspect of controlling elevated blood sugar in patients with diabetes mellitus.



South Beach Diet

Ken Black asked:


Did you know that approximately a quarter of all Americans are suffering from full blown Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes (syndrome X)? Diabetes has become an epidemic that allopathic (traditional western) medicine has been unable to halt. Ninety percent of diabetic patients have difficulty managing glucose levels using drugs that can have serious side effects.

The Diabetes Diet, created by Dr Richard Bernstein, may well be the best diet for everyone, not just diabetics. The reason for this is that it has the potential to not only control diabetic symptoms, but also to reverse them.

The Diabetes Diet has had enormous success – without side effects!

One of the major difficulties people have in recognizing they have the symptoms of diabetes is that they occur gradually. In fact, for the first couple of years, there may be no symptoms at all. Yet, once a person has Type 2 diabetes, they are at serious risk of life threatening complications if they do not carefully follow the low-carbohydrate Diabetes Diet prescribed by Bernstein.

Type 2 diabetes is largely a lifestyle disease and, unfortunately, far too few people understand how extremely dangerous it is. Consequently, patients are often far too casual about getting regular medical check ups to check on blood sugar levels and general health.

Not only do many sufferers find it extremely difficult to radically alter their diet from western convenience foods to the Diabetes Diet containing whole nutritious foods, avoiding sugar and fat as much as possible, they often become depressed and anxious and paralyzed by negative emotions. This can keep them from taking the very actions required to improve their health and keep them alive. It also suppresses the motivation necessary to undertake a regular exercise program.

This diet for Diabetics was created to control blood sugar levels in diabetics, however it clearly benefits everyone. The diet focuses on eating protein, good fat and complex carbohydrates found in whole grains and fruit and vegetables.

By eating this way, people can avoid the fluctuating blood sugar levels caused by a high carbohydrate (simple carbohydrates). Bernstein describes the modern Western diet as SAD (standard American diet) and claims it has directly caused a massive increase in obesity, high blood pressure and damage to the lining of the blood vessels.

Dr. Bernstein, who has Type 1 diabetes, did not experience a healthy life until he devised his own diet to regulate his blood sugar levels. Many diabetics, both Type 1 and Type 2, have experienced a balancing of blood sugar levels and an overall improvement in health and well being after going on The Diabetes Diet. In fact, Bernstein claims that sticking to this diet for as little as two weeks can provide an enormous benefit. Once you have experienced this, he believes you’ll never want to go back to SAD.

While Type 2 diabetes can be caused by some medications, it is usually a direct result of poor nutrition, inadequate exercise and a diet high in sugar and fat. Therefore, it is probably unrealistic to expect that a person can change the habits of a lifetime overnight.

Yet, this is what must happen to improve the lives and futures of type 2 diabetics. Health must become the top priority. The Diabetes Diet provides an excellent map to reclaiming health.

Change is necessary and must not be avoided. However, neither should it be so overwhelming that the patient can’t cope with the thought of it. The answer is to make gradual, but consistent, changes in lifestyle.

For example, the first step might be to start walking every day. Just go as far as comfortable and try for a little more the next day. Drink more water. Cut out all fast foods. These changes would be radical enough for most Type 2 diabetics but, in fact, they don’t go far enough.

However, doing them will improve health and mood and put the patient in a more positive and hopeful frame of mind so they can take further steps. If they continue, eventually, the patient’s lifestyle will be completely overhauled and internal resistance to these changes will have been limited. It is certainly possible to eat according to this weight loss program without undue suffering.

The answer to positive lifelong change in a person’s lifestyle lies in their own motivation. It is possible to encourage that motivation through gradual, supportive change. The Diabetes Diet provides the guidance and support a lot of people need.



Lower High Cholesterol

bio machine asked:


It has been obsereved that Diabetes occurs in people suffering from obesity.There should be some correlation between the two.This may be due to some physioloic,genetic,immunologic or some other factor.As a student of biotechnology,i wanted to know the precise relation between them and the mechanism by which they affect each other.I would also be thankful if some good websites for exploration of this topic are suggested.

Lower High Cholesterol

Relationship_issues asked:


I know that they are an alternative medicine type doctor, and that they can’t write prescriptions, which for a doctor sounds a little suspicious to me, but wondered specifically what a chiropractor doctor believed about diabetes control? Do they believe/ support insulin for treatment or have the belief that diabetes can be controlled with back adjustments and a better diet?

The Biggest Loser

Brooke Hayles asked:


Diabetes can be controlled effectively by taking exercise regularly and eating a healthy diet. The two main issues that need to be considered by anyone on a diabetic diet are sugar and fat intake. Constant weight monitoring is essential to prevent excessive weight gain as this can contribute to a number of problems.

Medication, Exercise and a Diabetic Diet

There is medical evidence that regular exercise can actually help prevent a person contracting diabetes as well as controlling it. The muscles in the body use up glucose during exercise, which leads to a reduction in the overall levels of sugar in the blood. The minimum recommended amount of exercise for it to be effective is 20 minutes taken three times a week. It is important to consult your medical practitioner before you take up a new form of exercise, especially if you have existing health problems apart from diabetes.

Exercise, on its own, is not sufficient to help control diabetes, which means that a diabetic diet should also be followed. Much of the advice that a dietician will give regarding a healthy diet applies to both diabetics and non-diabetics alike. The key is moderation in all things. However, a diabetic diet does have an emphasis on reducing the amount of sugary foods, especially cakes and cookies, and increasing the complex carbohydrate intake by eating more brown rice and whole-grain foods.

Medication is often not necessary to control diabetes as regular exercise and a diabetic diet is sufficiently effective. There are some diabetics for whom this is not enough and medication is needed. The majority of diabetic medications are taken orally. A diabetic may be prescribed one medication or a combination of different medications to properly control their diabetes.

The five main classifications of diabetic medication that may be prescribed are:

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors Biguanides Meglitinides Sulfonylureas Thiazolidinediones

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors

This group of diabetic medications slow down the rate at which sugar is absorbed in the digestive tract. However, it is rarely prescribed on its own as it has potentially serious side effects, including stomach and bowel problems.

Biguanides

Overweight diabetics are most likely to be prescribed this form of diabetic medication as it can help with controlling their weight as well as their diabetes. They cause the insulin to be used more effectively by the body than normal. Side effects are normally minor but can include nausea and diarrhoea. Biguanides can be prescribed on its own or combined with other medication.

Meglitinides

This types of diabetic medication is particularly effective for maintaining low blood sugar levels after eating, especially if a diabetic diet is being followed. The tablets are taken with food and have few, if any, side effects.

Sulfonylureas

By far the most frequently prescribed type of diabetes medication, this helps with insulin production in the body. Although there are few side effects for most people they cannot be taken by anyone with a sulpha medication allergy.

Thiazolidinediones

Perhaps the least used type of diabetic medication, this increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin. There are few or no known side effects with this form of medication.

The majority of diabetes can be controlled by taking one or more of the above oral medications. However, there may be cases where diabetics need to inject insulin. This is especially the case if the pancreas has ceased producing insulin completely as in Type 2 diabetes.

Effective diabetes management can usually be achieved by adhering to a sensible diabetic diet and exercise on a regular basis. In fact, this is often sufficient for most diabetics. It is important to consult with your medical practitioner on a regular basis and monitor your blood sugar levels. He can prescribe some of the many diabetic medications, if necessary. If you are in any doubt whatsoever regarding meal plans for a good diabetic diet or anything else related to your diabetes, you should always seek medical advice. However, the internet has a wealth of articles that you can read to keep yourself well informed about your condition.

Summary:

Exercise, on its own, is not sufficient to help control diabetes, which means that a diabetic diet should also be followed. Much of the advice that a dietician will give regarding a healthy diet applies to both diabetics and non-diabetics alike. The key is moderation in all things.



The Biggest Loser

Andrew Bicknell asked:


A diabetic diet is a balanced healthy diet with appropriate mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at each meal so as to both provide essential nutrients as well as create an even release of glucose into the blood from meal to meal on a daily basis. A diet for diabetes, however, needs to be adjusted to suit each diabetic’s requirement as there are tend to be differences in everyone’s level of physical activities, injections of insulin (if taking) and intake of oral diabetic drugs, and the action and timing of the medications taken.

The exchange lists, which are dietary guidelines from the American Diabetes Association, are the basis of a meal planning system designed by a committee of the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association. There are differing philosophies on what is the best diet but below is a guideline with some general principles. Patients with Type 1 diabetes should have a diet that has approximately 35 calories per kg of body weight per day (or 16 calories per pound of body weight per day). Patients with Type 2 diabetes generally are put on a 1500-1800 calorie diet per day to promote weight loss and then the maintenance of ideal body weight.

Most people with diabetes find that it is quite helpful to sit down with a dietician or nutritionist for a consult about what is the best diet for them and how many daily calories they need. It is quite important for diabetics to understand the principles of carbohydrate counting and how to help control blood sugar levels through proper diet.

To keep blood sugar levels under control, a diabetic diet strikes a balance among the carbohydrates, fats, and protein you take in.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are the source of energy that starts with glucose, the sugar in your bloodstream, and includes substances containing many sugar molecules called complex carbohydrates, starches, cellulose, and gums. Carbohydrates comprise the highest source of blood sugar and are the primary fuel for your body and brain. Carbohydrates are any food that can be broken down into sugar and the more of these you eat the higher your blood sugar will rise.

Fat:

Fats should contain no more than the 30% of the daily basis calorie count. Fats are the most important concern for diabetics because the management of cholesterol is done according to the amount of fat taken into the body. The dietary key to managing cholesterol, then, lies in understanding fats and oils.

Reducing the consumption of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids is the number one step in managing weight and cholesterol. To manage these fats it is important to understand both saturated fats and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats are found in animal products and dairy products. Trans-fatty acids are created through a process called hydrogenation. These fats can be found in stick margarine and in fast foods, baked goods and white breads.

Protein:

Protein is another element that is important to take account of in the diabetic diet. Protein foods do not raise your blood sugar, so you can add more fish, eggs, meat, etc with your meals. Protein is limited to 15-20% of the total calorie requirement of the body. Whenever you eat a meal or snack, it should always include a small amount of protein that has its own natural fat. The protein food with its own natural fat tends to hold onto the food longer so that your blood sugar doesn’t spike and then drop immediately.

A diabetic diet can be customized to suit each patient’s preferences, and a nutritionist can help with this. This type of diet should also take into consideration the medical condition, lifestyle and eating habits of the diabetic patient.



The Biggest Loser