Tag Archives: front

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes Info

Hearing that you have diabetes is likely frightening. You might not know where to start this new life, and you might not know what you need to do or where to go. You might even be afraid to eat. Take a deep breath. If you just have a little patience, this article can help you to understand a little more about your disease and what you must do to deal well with it.

1. Talk to your doctor about your disease. Diabetes is not something you can have a five minute talk about. You really need to sit down with your doctor and talk about what diabetes means, what it means for you specifically and what kind of things you are going to have to do in order to manage this disease. The truth is that everyone with diabetes doesn’t have the exact same disease. Everyone has slightly different needs, so you definitely need to your doctor.

2. Learn as much as you can on your own. Your doctor is not the person with diabetes, you are. That’s why you cannot let one person define diabetes for you. You need to go online and discover the disease for yourself. Your doctor can give you the blueprint, but you really need to read as much as you can about your own disease and really flesh it out in your brain. When you really understand what “blood glucose levels” are measuring, and how you keep that under control, you are going to be able to make the kinds of choices you can be proud about, in order to handle your disease.

3. Talk to other diabetics. No one knows quite what you’re going through the way another diabetic does. Even though everyone might not experience the same thing, other diabetics can offer you opinions, suggestions and just a shoulder when you need one. If you don’t feel comfortable going to a support group, there are also online forums where you can post in your pajamas.

4. Figure out what you are going to eat, either with the help of a dietician or on your own. A dietician can provide you with meal plans and a very specific framework to stay within. However, you know what you will eat, and you know what you are able to afford. If you do it on your own, make sure that you think you can do it successfully. Go out and make sure that you cut down on carbs in your meals. Monitor your blood sugar readings to make sure you are on the right track, and that you might be able to eat more than you thought you could.

Understanding diabetes is the first step to realizing that you don’t need to worry about your life. This is something that many people need to deal with, and you can as well. The important thing to remember is that you are in control, and that your life can be good, even with diabetes. Use the tips above to learn more about your disease, so you can conquer it.

Leave a comment , ,

Work to Prevent Diabetes

Prevention

Although diabetes is a very common disease, it is actually preventable in most people. Even if you’re genetically predisposed diabetes, living a healthy lifestyle should help you to avoid contracting it. Generally, as long as you haven’t contracted childhood diabetes, you should be able to avoid adult onset diabetes, but it does take some hard work.

With a fast food restaurant on every corner and a new box of cheap treats on the grocery store shelves every week, it takes a lot of willpower and control to not gain weight. On top of that, most of us live busier lifestyles that really leave no time for exercising. But if you want to avoid diabetes, you have to make time to exercise properly, and you have to eat healthy items. Put down that garbage and eat healthier food, and make sure you’re always staying active.

The more physically active you are, the better your body is able to metabolize sugars. Physical activity will increase your body’s ability to make its own insulin, and this is going to help you keep balanced levels of blood glucose. You don’t have to start training to become Mr. Universe; you just have to remain active and exercise regularly. You’ll look better, feel better, and you can avoid contracting diabetes.

If you’re at an annual checkup and your doctor notices that your blood sugar is too high, you may be prescribed some type of medicine to help you level out. This type of medicine is essentially helping your body produce insulin, while still allowing your body to promote its own natural insulin. And you should also be aware that some medications you take, like steroids, can increase your blood glucose levels.

If you’re genetically predisposed to contracting diabetes, this is something you should find out about. Talk to different members of your family to find out if diabetes runs along the tree. If it does, this means your body is more likely to stop producing its own insulin. It doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to contract diabetes; it just means you’ll have to work a little harder in order not to. Stay away from the treats and exercise more.

The average person is always dealing with minor ailments. Over time, however, things you think are minor could end up being major. This goes beyond only diabetes; you should be visiting your doctor at least once a year to see if there’s anything you need to be aware of or alarmed about. Having yearly checkups may just save your life.

No matter if you’re trying to stop smoking, lose weight, or to get in better shape, having a buddy alongside you for the ride just makes it a lot easier. Going to the gym with someone and eating healthy food with someone else makes the process easier. You don’t have to do things by yourself. Find someone to go out on the journey with you.

Diabetes is usually preventable, especially if you’re serious about staying in great shape. You may still end up unlucky here, but it’s always better to stay in great shape.

Leave a comment , , , , ,

Tips For Revamping Recipes for Diabetics

Diabetic Diet

Everyone has their favorite dishes, ones that mom or grandma used to make or new ones that you have discovered on your own. Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you may feel that you can never enjoy these dishes again (or not without harming your health). But there are ways that you can change old family favorites keeping the flavor but reducing or eliminating the amount of sugar or carbohydrates they contain.

For most substitutions that you are going to make to your recipes, you are looking for ways to reduce the fat content. Here are some standards that you can use. When your recipe calls for:

  • Whole milk try substituting with 2% or 1% instead
  • Whole eggs try substituting with an egg substitute or use 2 egg whites for every whole egg called for in the recipe
  • Sour cream use low fat sour cream or plan yogurt
  • Baking chocolate try using cocoa powder mixed with vegetable oil (3 tablespoons with 1 tablespoon of oil will equal 1 ounce of chocolate)

In addition to the above suggestions, always use light or lower fat versions of ingredients. Sometimes trial and error is necessary to get the recipe just right, but do keep trying the
end result will be worth it when you create a cake or other dessert that you love and is diabetic friendly.

Alternately, you can purchase a diabetic cook book that is full of desserts to make that will work with your diet. This way you can create new favorites for you and your family to fall in love with. Don’t feel that just because you are a diabetic you cannot enjoy variety in your foods. Keep trying new things while keeping a close eye on your blood sugar levels to add new foods to your growing repertoire.

Leave a comment , ,

There is Life With Diabetes

Coping w/ Diabetes

Because diabetes requires so many efforts from you every day, checking blood sugar and taking medications as needed, dealing with it can take over your life. But part of finding a path to overcome the disease is to not let it be the center of your life. As a diabetic, you may tend to turn your attention inward upon yourself, losing interest in the activities you used to enjoy. But you do not want to just be defined by your diabetes. Here are some tips for getting yourself out of this predicament.

Be diligent about following your doctor’s instructions about checking blood sugar and taking medications. Get the moderate exercise recommended. Take care of your feet. Do all of these things, but do not let them become and end in themselves nor your purpose in life. Aim higher.

Make taking care of your diabetes just a routine. Take up other efforts to make your life rich and meaningful. This could be joining a book club or becoming an expert chess player. It is true that having diabetes imposes some physical limitations on you, but there are so many rewarding activities not inhibited by diabetes. Just by turning outward and not letting diabetes take over your life, you increase the possibility of overcoming it.

Since type 2 diabetes is associated with being overweight, losing that weight can free you from the disease, if it has not done too much damage to your body already. Focus not on your present limitations, but on the things you will be able to do when you lose weight, improve your immune system, and your body recovers the abilities it had before you developed diabetes. Many people have actually done this. Discuss this as a positive possibility with your doctor. Ask him to help you devise a realistic plan to reverse the disease and recover normal functioning.

Beyond just weight loss, you need to tone and strengthen your muscles. Yoga and tai chi offer disciplines to regain control of your body. Study foods carefully. Much research has been done on how diet affects you, and how you can use foods to bring you out of diabetes. Eating a poor diet probably contributed to your development of the disease. Learn how to reduce the effects of a poor diet and instead to eat in a way that reduces the hold diabetes has over you. Research shows the exact glycemic effect of various foods, and this information is readily available.

Find a cuisine that appeals to you and adapt it to your efforts to combat diabetes. Food can be very tasty as well as healthy. A cuisine that can readily be adapted to your special needs is Chinese food, with its use of many fresh vegetables and brown rice, very little sugar, and with modest amounts of meat. Low fat dairy can also be a good way to go.

So follow these suggestions and do not let diabetes take over your life. Take the measures necessary to lessen the effect diabetes has on your body, and then you can engage in richer and more varied activities in life.

Leave a comment , ,

Tips To Help Prevent Diabetes

Prevention

If you believe you are at risk for diabetes, you need to take action and do everything you can to reduce your chances of developing this condition. Go over this article for some useful tips on diabetes prevention.

Being more active will help you keep your blood sugar down. You should ideally work out two or three times a week and be active during your daily routine, for instance by walking as much as possible. If you have been inactive for years, you need to take action and find a way to be more active. You could for instance find a new hobby that allows you to be more active or get a dog so you can go for walks everyday.

Fibers and whole grains are good for you. Introduce more foods rich in fibers and whole grains in your diet; you can find fibers in bran cereal, beans, sweet peas, spinach, beets and berries. If you need to add more whole grains to your diet, eat some whole grain bread, whole grain pasta and brown rice. You could for instance cook your favorite pasta dish with some whole grain noodles or make your favorite sandwich on whole grain bread. Take a whole grain or fiber supplement if you need to.

??????????????????????????????????

If you are overweight, it is time to go on a diet. Meet with your doctor to assess how much weight you need to lose and get some useful advice. It is important to lose weight in a healthy way. You should not eliminate food groups from your diet or eat less than you should in order to lose weight quickly. Focus on introducing new healthy foods into your diet to replace bad nutritional choices. Eat reasonable portions and follow a strict schedule for your meals. Exercising regularly will also help you keep your weight down.

You need to talk to your relatives about the family’s medical history. If diabetes runs in your family, you will be more likely to develop this condition. Having diabetic relatives does not mean you are going to develop this condition later in life; it means you are more at risk and will probably develop diabetes if you do not keep your weight or cholesterol down, adopt an unhealthy lifestyle or suffer from high blood pressure.

Getting tested for diabetes regularly is the best way to catch the condition early and take action right away to prevent it from getting worse. If you are over 45, you need to get tested for diabetes regularly. You should also get tested often if you are overweight or if diabetes runs in your family. Talk to your doctor about getting tested and find a health insurance that will cover the cost of these tests.

Use these tips to reduce your chances of developing diabetes and encourage other members of your household to do the same thing. You should schedule an appointment with your doctor if you want to make sure you are doing everything you can to prevent diabetes.

Leave a comment , ,

Protein’s Affect-On-Blood-Sugar-Levels

Diabetic Diet

Much the same as fiber, eating quality protein with your snacks and meals can have a positive affect on your blood sugar levels. By combining protein and carbohydrates you will slow the digestions of the carbohydrates in your body. This slowing down will prevent your blood sugar from spiking as the result of too many carbohydrates in your system.

This does not mean that you should eat more protein than is recommended in one meal. Doing so can lead to other problems down the road. But if you are a diabetic, skipping protein in your diet is not a good idea. For diabetics who are vegetarians or that don’t eat a lot of any protein it is important to find a source that can be consumed on a regular basis.

There are many other sources of high-quality protein that does not include animal meats. Other protein sources can include:

  • Tofu is a source of protein that can be prepared in a variety of ways including dessert tofu
  • Nuts are an excellent source of protein but can be high in fat too. Read nutrition labels and enjoy in moderation
  • Seeds such as flax, pumpkin, and sunflower can be eaten as a source of protein
  • Beans and other members of the legume family. There are many ways to prepare beans from chili to cold salads
  • Protein powders are available to sprinkle on cereals or to make into shakes for drinking
  • Fish sources – be aware that large fish contain high levels of mercury and should only be eaten once or twice per week

When making protein choices, go for a lean cut whenever possible. Even though protein has a positive affect on blood sugars excessive fat can cancel out the benefit and turn it into a health risk. Enjoy high-fat meats or heavily processed meats on rare occasions and eat a wide variety of proteins.

Leave a comment , ,

Tips for Eating Healthy with Diabetes.

Diabetic Diet

The most important thing about diabetes is changing your eating habits. A good diet is your best tool to fight the disease. The content, portion size and timing of meals become more and more important. The tips in this article are going to help you eat and manage your diabetes well.

For starters, watch your sugar intake. This can be tough, because sugar hides where you least expect it. For instance, fruit juice often has high fructose corn syrup inside it. Alcohol is recognized by the body as pure sugar. You need to eliminate the obvious and hidden sources of sugar if you want to keep your disease under control.

Choose complex carbs over simple carbs. This can be one of the most important decisions you ever make in regards to how you eat. Complex carbs like whole grain breads take a longer time to process than regular carbohydrates, resulting in a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. Complex carbs typically have more fiber, so that is helpful to the body as well.

When you eat carbs, eat them with a protein. Proteins are the hardest for your body to break down, so when you pair protein with carb, it becomes difficult for your blood sugar levels to spike. Every time you have a carbohydrate, it is smart for you pair it with a protein so your blood sugar levels remain stable.

Try to eat about the same amount of calories on a daily basis. This works more in terms of your medication. When your medication is in place, it helps address your blood glucose levels at certain levels. It helps if you’re able to keep your calorie intake regular so that your medication can work as effectively each day.

Be aware of portion size. You also need to pay attention to how much weight you are gaining. Small portion sizes can make sure that you don’t overeat, which could cause major problems with your body’s ability to handle your disease.

Start your meal by eating vegetables. Vegetables provide carbs to the body, which are necessary, but they are low in sugar content. They can also be filling, and therefore satiate your appetite in addition to handling your diabetes well.

Keep track of what you eat. For at least the first month or so, keep a food journal. That way, you can keep track of what you are eating, and how your body is reacting to it. When you pair that journal with the log of your blood sugar levels from day to day, you’ll be able to get a routine that keeps you functioning best.

Eating in a healthy way is arguably the best thing you can do to keep your diabetes all the time. You may have diabetes for the rest of your life, but these eating habits will serve you well. Don’t forget to try the tips here, so that you can better cope with your diabetes through a good diet and a sense of commitment to that diet.

Leave a comment , ,