Diabetes Articles

Article Summary:

Blood sugar level can be controlled even without diabetic medications, but with a lifestyle change. Here’s 5 tips you can use to control your blood sugar level.

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Controlling blood glucose levels means controlling your own life. This is something which many diabetics previously thought can be done only with the help of medicines. But now we know the blood sugar level can be controlled even without diabetic medications, but with a lifestyle change.

Exercise

The foremost thing to lower down the glucose level is by increasing the physical activity. The more physically active one has, the more sugar in his blood will be consumed- thus lowering the blood sugar values. If somebody has never exercised much, the diabetes gives them a green signal to start it right now. This does not only keep the glucose levels in control but gives many other health advantages.

Avoid saturated fats

Diabetics always need a nutritive diet for a better health and increased levels of energy. But if the nourishment is coming from the saturated fats then this is worst for diabetics. These saturated fats will send the diabetics on the way to heart related complications.

Be Closer To Nature

The simplest rule which any diabetic can follow in his diet planning is that he should keep himself closer to nature. The more processed and junk food a diabetic consumes, the more he is raising his blood sugar levels and vice versa. Keeping in view of this basic tip, the diabetics should start eating more organic fruits and vegetables; they should also start cooking delicious diabetic recipes at home. By simply following this basic tip you’ll easily observe your glucose sugar levels going down.

Avoid soft drinks

Soft drinks, colas, sodas are the leading causes of diabetes onset. If somebody is addicted to these colas then the diagnosis of diabetes is the right time for him to stop all these. You have to substitute these sodas with the old plain water. If you make this simple substitution, you can easily notice the graph of your sugar levels coming down.

Eat Smaller Meals

The idea behind controlling the blood sugar level is that you should not allow it to rise in the first place. This can be done if you take smaller meals at regular interval throughout the day. This will keep the blood sugar levels in the constant range.

By simply following the 5 tips one can easily lower down the sugar levels without any diabetic medications. Doing so will not only keep the diabetics away from the diabetic complications, but also save them from the side effects of diabetic drugs as well.

Discover the top warning signs and symptoms of diabetes and how you can cure your diabetes naturally at http://www.cureyourdiabetesnaturally.com

Article Summary:

Diabetes foods to avoid refer to those foods which can act as a remedy to neutralize blood glucose levels. It is emphasized that a diabetic patient should look at his normal diet and adhere to specific food items.

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Diabetes foods to avoid refer to those foods which can act as a remedy to neutralize blood glucose levels. It is emphasized that a diabetic patient should look at his normal diet and adhere to specific food items a diabetic can eat. More over, the patient is helped in regulating the dreadful disease in a systematic way. In fact, the diabetics can have a restricted diet that includes:

# Foods containing low sugar, less fat and minimum salt

# Fresh vegetables and whole fruits with nuts

# Foods those are rich in fiber    

Diabetes foods to avoid:

There are many food items which spoils your medications for diabetes. You should have a thorough knowledge of the diet foods to control blood sugar. Here are some tips of diabetes foods to avoid for diabetics which you can try.

Butter and cheese: Food items which are high in fat content should be totally avoided. Fat is the first enemy that keeps you in diabetic condition. As such, consuming fat in any form like cheese varieties, butter and margarine should be kept off.

Sugary items: Food items which are rich in sugar components such as cake, chocolates, cookies, fruit jam, sugarcane juice, pastries and syrup should be avoided. Jellies of any variety are also harmful and they are all bad foods for diabetics.   

Refined white flours: For diabetes, any food which is rich in fiber content is good. Since the fiber nature is completely destroyed in flours, you cannot expect anything good for fighting diabetes irrespective of your body type. So, avoiding refined white flours can serve the best.

Salads and fried foods: Salad dressings like mustard, avocado and mayonnaise contain high sodium. As sodium is not good for diabetes, salads should be avoided. Similarly, since fried foods with oil fat can be more harmful, boiled foods should be preferred as good foods for diabetics.

Food items with cholesterol components: Most of the animal foods contain cholesterol which can spoil your health with increased blood pressure as equal as blood sugar. You are safe if you avoid foods like dairy products, egg yokes, poultry and high fat red meat.

Vegetables and fruits: Vegetables and fruits which are very rich in unsaturated fats such as walnuts and almonds are not good foods for diabetes. Dried fruits and all junk foods are also not recommended for diabetes.

Controlling diabetes is an art. Along with the above diabetes foods to avoid, you can control your blood sugar by knowing about the foods to eat AND fruits to eat for diabetes.

Article Summary:

Incidence of Type II diabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance(IGT) is rising around the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation, 7 million people develop diabetes each year, at the rate of 2 people every 10 seconds! It is believed that up to 50% of people with diabetes are undiagnosed, and in some less developed countries, that number could be as high as 80%.

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Incidence of Type II diabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) is rising around the world. According to the International Diabetes Federation, 7 million people develop diabetes each year, at the rate of 2 people every 10 seconds! It is believed that up to 50% of people with diabetes are undiagnosed, and in some less developed countries, that number could be as high as 80%. This amazing number can be attributed to the slow onset of type II diabetes. People may not notice the progression of their symptoms, which include tiredness, thirst, constant hunger, frequent urination, blurred vision, weight loss, weakness, repeated infections and poor wound healing. Another factor that may contribute to the rise in type II diabetes cases is increased affluence. Increased income to spend on food, cars and other labor saving appliances leads to a fatter, less active society- two of the key factors that contribute to type II diabetes. This disease can have many serious complications if not managed, but many people do not understand how serious it is. Why? Because many people with diabetes look healthy. Yet, late diagnosis or poor management can lead to deterioration of vision and blindness, kidney damage and failure, angina and heart attacks, painful feet and paralysis, and foot ulcers and poor circulation to the legs and feet- the result of which can be amputation.

ARE YOU AT RISK?

People with diabetes do not make insulin, or it does not work the way it should. In healthy people, insulin works with the food you eat to deliver glucose to your cells for energy. People with diabetes have high blood glucose levels, because the insulin is not facilitating transport of glucose into your cells. This explains the symptoms and complications of diabetes: your body does not have the energy to perform its necessary tasks! While there is a genetic susceptibility, studies have also noted that dietary composition, physical activity, and low birth weight contribute to the onset of type II diabetes.

People at risk are:

• Over 40 years old
• Have (or have had) a blood relative with diabetes
• Have (or have had) diabetes during pregnancy
• Don’t exercise regularly, or have a sedentary lifestyle
• Are obese (waist measurement over 100cm for men, 95 cm for women)
• Have high blood pressure or take blood pressure medication
• Have a history of heart attack, angina, paralysis, stroke
• Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who are obese (cysts on ovaries, irregular periods, problems with excess facial and body hair and acne)
• Have previously had abnormal blood glucose levels (impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose)
• Were born in Southern Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia; are Polynesian or Asian Indian

Have two or more of the following symptoms:

1. excessive urination
2. constant thirst
3. unexplained weight loss
4. numbness or tingling in legs or feet
5. blurred vision
6. constant fatigue
7. itching skin or frequent skin infections

Diabetes claims the lives of one person every 10 seconds, and people with type II diabetes die an average of 5-10 years earlier than those without it. Don’t let this disease claim any more lives! UP TO 80% OF TYPE II DIABETES IS PREVENTABLE AND MANAGEABLE BY LOSING WEIGHT, INCREASING ACTIVITY AND EATING A HEALTHY DIET! If you are at risk, see your doctor for a blood test!

For more information about diabetes, its symptoms and risk factors, visit The American Diabetes Association website at diabetes.org or Societa Italiana di Diabetologia siditalia.it/. For more information about what is being done to combat diabetes, the search for a cure, and ways to donate, visit idf.org.

Read more great articles at http://www.Yamuca.com

Frank Napoli is the Author of http://www.Yamuca.com which is a networking website dedicated to connecting the Italian community around the world. Chat, view pictures and videos, read articles, listen to music, or submit your own!

Article Summary:

With America’s increasing weight problems, diabetes is also becoming more prevalent. Do you know the signs of diabetes? It may save your life.

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Introduction

Nowadays, with the increasing prevalence of weight problems, you are at an increased risk for diabetes, especially if you have a family history of diabetes. Diabetes can cause many negative health impacts. Therefore, to protect your health, you should have a general understanding of diabetes.

Type I Diabetes

There area two types of diabetes: Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes is usually diagnosed in children or young adults. An auto-immune disorder, the body attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Therefore, the body does not produce enough insulin. It is usually treated with insulin, diet, and exercise.

Type II Diabetes

On the other hand, type II diabetes usually occurs in adulthood, although it is becoming increasingly more common in children and young adults. Type II diabetes occurs because the body either does not produce enough insulin or the body is insulin resistant. Insulin resistance is where the body does not respond appropriately to insulin. Dependent on the severity of the case, it is usually treated by diet and exercise in the beginning. If the blood sugar levels cannot be brought under control with diet and exercise, oral anti-diabetic medication may need to be added. In some cases, insulin shots need to be added too.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Since either Type I or Type II diabetes can have deletrious effects upon the body, it is important to know the symptoms. Some of the symptoms can be:

• Thirst
• Frequent urination
• Blurry vision
• Losing weight without trying
• Fatique
• Hunger

Conclusion

If you suspect you may have diabetes, see your medical provider immediately. He or she will order to a fasting plasma glucose test. With this test, fasting is required for 8 to 14 hours before the test. The doctor will draw blood, and the lab will test if for glucose levels in the blood. If the test is 99 or below, you do not have diabetes. If the test is 100 to 125, you are considered pre-diabetic. If the test is 126 or above, you are usually considered diabetic. If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes, your medical provider will usually send you to a nutritionist so you can learn the diet and lifestyle changes needed to bring your diabetes under control.

For more information on diabetes, go to http://hubpages.com/hub/symptoms-of-diabetes-do-i-have-diabetes

Article Summary:

A diabetic patient should follow a healthy lifestyle. Below are some simple guidelines that will help diabetics lead a normal life and avoid the complications that uncontrolled diabetes can cause.

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A diabetic patient should follow a healthy lifestyle. Below are some simple guidelines that will help diabetics lead a normal life and avoid the complications that uncontrolled diabetes can cause.

1. Consult your doctor regularly.
2. Follow the diet plan as suggested by your doctor.
3. Maintain regular meal times. If there is a delay in having your meal, have a fruit or a glass of buttermilk at that time.
4. It is important not to overeat at one time. Small, frequent meals are generally advised for diabetics.
5. Diabetics should reduce their alcohol consumption, if not cut it out totally. Doctors urge them to cut down on cigarettes as well.
6. Don’t hurry through your meals. Eat in a relaxed manner, chew carefully and slowly.
7. Person suffering from diabetes must cut down all kinds of desserts and sweet preparations as they may cause an immediate and swift rise in the blood sugar levels.
8. Eye care is equally important. As a diabetic you run the risk of facing the following eye problems: cataract, retinopathy or glaucoma.
9. If your eyes turn red, irritable or cause you pain, consult a doctor immediately.
10. Some recommended forms of exercise are walking or jogging, tennis, badminton or cycling.
11. Examine your feet every day for any sign of injury. The importance of hygiene to a diabetic, as far as feet are concerned, cannot be over emphasized. Clean your feet with the mild soap and then dry them thoroughly after rinsing well. Ensure that the space between the toes is completely dry. Powder them everyday.
12. Guard against hypoglycemia. Always carry with you a pouch of sugar. Extreme low blood sugar levels can lead to unconsciousness.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Are you looking for some Home remedies for heartburn? Know effective Home remedies for dandruff.

Article Summary:

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that cannot be completely cured but can be managed through proper care. A diabetic patient must follow a health lifestyle, which include proper diet plan, exercises and prescribed medicines. This is the only way one can avoid or minimize the risk of diabetes long-term complications.

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Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that cannot be completely cured but can be managed through proper care. A diabetic patient must follow a health lifestyle, which include proper diet plan, exercises and prescribed medicines. This is the only way one can avoid or minimize the risk of diabetes long-term complications.

Diabetes Diet

Diet plays an important role in managing diabetes. The timings of the meals need to be fixed and rigidly maintained. Never skip meals. Fiber plays an important role in the diet of diabetics. The rich source of fiber is vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. Fiber foods are not completely digested by our body. Foods rich in fiber induce a feeling of fullness, thereby reducing appetite. The consumption of fat must be reduced, focus instead of proteins and complex carbohydrates.

Diabetes Exercises

The role of exercise cannot be overestimated in managing diabetes. Although it is important not to overdo it - and exercise must always be done keeping in mind your particular parameters, for instance, cardiac stimulation - regular exercise definitely helps a diabetic bring the glucose levels down. Simply put a muscle at rest resists the action of insulin; an exercising muscle is more responsive to it. An obese patient may have sufficient or even an excess of insulin circulating in his body, but his system may resist it by way of peripheral tissue. Also, the more physically active you are, the more efficient your body is in handling the carbohydrate load.

Complications of Diabetes

If the blood glucose level is not controlled it may lead to following complications -

1. Heart disease
2. Kidney disease
3. Blindness
4. Impotency
5. Amputation

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Are you looking for some Home remedies for diabetes? Know effective Home remedies for high cholesterol.

Article Summary:

When it comes to treating diabetes exercise is one of the best things that can be done. The sad thing is though, not as many people take advantage of the benefits of exercise, as they should be.

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When it comes to treating diabetes, exercise is one of the best things that can be done. The sad thing is though, not as many people take advantage of the benefits of exercise, as they should be. Even though exercise is something that everyone should take part in, those with diabetes really need to get into a routine. Along with taking the proper diabetic medication, exercising can dramatically control weight issues and blood sugar levels, which are the two biggest concerns for those with diabetes.

Exercising can help by:

· Lowering blood pressure
· Improving blood circulation
· Increasing bone strength and density
· Reducing stress
· Releasing anxiety and tension
· Promoting relaxation
· Improving insulin use within the body
· Burning unwanted body fat

Even though there are a lot of benefits that come from exercising, some people with diabetes feel as though there is no hope or anything that they can do in order to get well. This is especially true of those who are extremely overweight as exercising can be much more trouble for them than for someone who weighs closer to their healthy weight goal. Depression sometimes sets in for people in such situations and it is very important to address that issue if it comes up.

When depression hits along with diabetes, it is vital to seek treatment for the depression. Depression can lead to over eating of the wrong foods, which is bad for the diabetes, and a cycle begins. While getting help from a medical professional, it is important to keep pushing forward in the exercise routine. Exercise releases endorphins that promote happiness in an individual. Many people feel like they have a lot of energy and feel better about life in general after exercising.

It is easy to see that there are many benefits to exercising, especially for someone who has diabetes. Diabetes and exercising is not two things that you have to be overly fearful of. The diabetes can usually be controlled and the exercising is important to a person’s overall physical and mental health. Just make sure that you are talking with your doctor about your diabetic medication and which exercise routines would be best for you. Always follow the directions of your doctor and you will be fine.

If you find that you are having a hard time dealing with your diabetes and exercising at the same time, you may need a little bit of motivation. Grab a few friends or family members and start working out together. Even if all you can do is walk in the park for a half an hour that is much better then nothing. As time moves on you will find that you are struggling a lot less then you used to. When this happens you will be able to increase the intensity or the length of your workout.

So in time you will find that the combination of eating healthy, taking your diabetic medication, and exercising will set you on the road to recovery and healthy living.

There are many benefits if you exercise in to maintain your Diabetes. Always consult a physician before you start. For Diabetic Medication visit ValueMedical.com, the leading authority in Diabetic Supplies

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What’s the relationship between Kellogg’s Fiber One cereal and blood sugar? Higher? Lower? Can Fiber One take the place of diabetic breakfast recipes?

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What’s the relationship between Kellogg’s Fiber One cereal and blood sugar? Higher? Lower? Can Fiber One take the place of diabetic breakfast recipes?

Kellogg’s advertises that a single serving of Fiber One can provide up to 57% of the average adult’s daily requirements for dietary fiber. Sample boxes of the cereal are often handed out to newly diagnosed diabetics as a diabetic breakfast recipe recommendation.

And there’s absolutely no doubt that if you usually eat doughnuts, eating Fiber One will give you lower blood sugars. If you have prediabetes or mild type II diabetes, eating Fiber One will help stop the swinging of your blood sugar pendulum.

A clinical trial at the Schwartz Center Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism in Cleveland, Ohio in the USA found that eating Fiber One results in lower insulin and higher leptin levels than eating corn flakes. Lower insulin means that any fat in your breakfast is more likely to be burned than stored. Higher leptin, in this case, means your appetite is more likely to stay under control at least until your midmorning snack.

Although Fiber One does result in lower post-prandial (after-meal) blood sugars for type II diabetics, this doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any carbohydrate at all. A Fiber One oat and chocolate bar, for instance, provides 9 grams of fiber but also 20 grams of carbohydrate–enough to cause a 100-300 mg/dl spike in blood sugars if you’re insulin-dependent.

And the “fiber” in Fiber One isn’t all natural whole grains. The main ingredient in many Fiber One products is chicory powder.

Chicory’s carbohydrate is slowly released. In the gut, it even helps the body absorb more calcium from food. But like all other “natural” and “low-glycemic index” carbohydrates, eventually it’s turned into glucose that finds its way into your bloodstream. The advantage is, if you’re a type II diabetic, your body can keep up with the blood sugars that are released.

Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books and over 2,000 articles on natural health including Are Sugar-Free Desserts and Candies Really Sugar-Free? (and what to do when they are not).

Article Summary:

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may be surprised to know that you can beat diabetes naturally and prevent the complications of diabetes. By following a few rules strictly you can improve your blood sugar control you health and your life. Beating diabetes means making some changes in your lifestyle. While it may seem difficult at first, the long-term rewards of changing your lifestyle to accommodate good health practices will reward you with a healthy and fit body.

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If you have type 2 diabetes, you may be surprised to know that you can beat diabetes naturally and prevent the complications of diabetes. By following a few rules strictly you can improve your blood sugar control you health and your life. Beating diabetes means making some changes in your lifestyle. While it may seem difficult at first, the long-term rewards of changing your lifestyle to accommodate good health practices will reward you with a healthy and fit body.

Type 2 diabetics must watch their food intake. Eating a balanced diet that contains little to no over processed foods, fried foods, and food with a high carbohydrate content is recommended. One way to begin to make sure you are making good food choices for diabetes is to begin to use the plate method. Start by visually marking your plate in half. Then mark on half into half again. Fill the first half of the plate with green vegetable preferably uncooked. Then fill one-half of the other half of the plate with protein. Finally fill the other half of the half with beans, potatoes, or other starchy vegetable. Finish the meal with fruit for dessert. You are on your way to good nutrition for diabetes.

If you’re overweight managing your diet and getting daily activity is crucial to help you control your blood sugar and beat type 2 diabetes. The only way to lose weight is to consume less calories than you burn. When you eat fewer calories than you need, your body will begin to convert fat cells to energy for your body, thus causing you to lose weight. This is possible by daily exercise, and consuming fewer calories than you need during the day. A nutritionist can help you plan you daily food intake so you consume proper nutrition, and don’t feel deprived while eating the proper amount.

Exercise will also help burn the fat. Combining aerobic exercises such as walking, biking, or swimming with strength training will burn fat and tone your body. Some people, especially women hesitate to do strength training. Just two words on this….DO IT!. Strength training will build and tone muscles. Muscle cells require more energy throughout the day than do fat cells. You’re not only losing weight, but your getting a fit body. If you have not been exercising regularly, you’ll be amazed at the results and you blood sugar control will be much better.

Checking and recording your blood sugar is an important part of managing and beating your type 2 diabetes. Be sure to check daily and record results. As you being to lose weight, get more toned, and make healthy food and portion choices you’ll be well on your way to beating your type 2 diabetes.

Learn more about controlling your diabetes

Janet Smith, a long time diabetic and author lives in King, North Carolina. She spends her time helping other diabetics learn how to control and live with diabetes. Her latest book “Beat Diabetes Daily” is available at http://www.beatdiabetesdaily.com/letter.aspx

Article Summary:

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is a disease in which the body does is not able to produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that are bodies need to converts sugar, starches and other food into energy that we need for daily life. Although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play a role in having diabetes, the cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery.

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According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is a disease in which the body does is not able to produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that are bodies need to converts sugar, starches and other food into energy that we need for daily life. Although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play a role in having diabetes, the cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery.

There are about 23.6 million children and adults in the United States or 7.8% of the population ho suffer from diabetes. While there are an estimate of 17.9 million who have been diagnosed of diabetes, there are also 5.7 million people who are unaware that they have diabetes.

An example of how diabetes affects our bodies are diabetic foot wounds. Individuals who have diabetes suffer circulatory disorders that create inadequate levels of oxygen to support the healing of wounds. These wounds present major complications for modern health care and especially with the foot as it is a common site of infection. In Canada, there is an estimated 25% Canadians with diabetes who develop foot complications and 1 in 15 end up having a limb amputation during their lifetime.

Is diabetes a hopeless case? What could help in the cure for diabetes and wound healing? The answer to the first question is that diabetes is not a hopeless case, the second answer would be oxygen. Oxygen is one of the most powerful and versatile agents available to the modern medical practitioner today. The therapeutic use of oxygen under pressure has been used to assist in the healing of wounds for almost 40 years. This therapeutic use of oxygen under pressure is called hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy (HBOT) and in the following paragraphs are its specific biological actions which can enhance diabetes and wound healing.

HBOT can be used successfully in hypoxic or ischemic wounds such as diabetic wounds,venous static ulcers, failing flaps and grafts, refractory osteomylitis and necrotising soft tissue infections. In wound healing, hypoxia delivers an insufficient supply of oxygen which prevents normal healing processes.

HBOT combats clinical infection such as gas gangrene by directly acting on the anaerobic bacteria, enhancing leukocyte and macrophage activity while potentiating the effects of antibiotics.

HBOT provides the oxygen needed to support and stimulate wound healing. HBOT is safe, non-invasive and a non-toxic therapy.

HBOT is also very much accessible. Single bag hyperbaric chambers are sold at $12,900 and double bag chambers are at $16,900. Single bag hyperbaric chambers can also be rented at $2,000 a month and $2,,675 for double bag chambers.

Both hyperbaric bag chambers measure over 34 inches in diameter and 105 inches long. These chambers can easily fit both adult and child at the same time.

Start spreading the word about HBOT and start helping lives as well.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps Autism, Cerebral Palsy, MS, Parkinsons, Athletic Performing, healing of wounds, used as immune defense and much more. Visit our site at BalancedHealthToday.com. Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Articles

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Diabetes life expectancy that is prolonged is the goal of the candid debate on diabetes and depression but the odds are against it because depression is harder to treat when diabetes is present. In the same way it is harder to manage diabetes when the patient is depressed. So how do we go around this problem? This article will offer a solution. After so much speculation, the way to do it is revealed.

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Diabetes life expectancy is found longer for people who are found not susceptible to develop clinical depression. In fact researchers have found that those who have genes that make them have higher risk for depression do not live as long as the general population.

This is why psychiatrists have tried to improve the care of those who are anxious and depressed in primary care systems. They found that when the mental health care is integrated with the primary care, the outcomes are better.

Diabetes is common and increasing among those who have diabetes. The health consequences are serious. Depression is harder to treat when diabetes comes into play. It may even make the course of depression worse. When depressed, diabetics have poorer health outcomes.

For those with diabetes, it has been found that depression is linked to a higher death rate. About 36 to 38% are more likely to die when depression enters the picture. It makes sense because when people are depressed they usually do not take good care of themselves.

Those who are depressed are more likely to have unhealthy habits. They are more likely to overeat or smoke. Inflammatory markers in the body are caused by depression which increases the risk for insulin resistance, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The diabetics who are depressed are usually not compliant with the treatment regimen. There is also greater healthcare use and therefore, the cost is increased. It is therefore a major barrier in trying to improve the diabetes self management. And the diabetes life expectancy is not improved.

They are trying to overcome these barriers through problem solving therapy. What is it? Well’ it is some sort of a short psychological intervention that helps recognize the problems, work out solutions and establish goals to help solve the challenges. Problem solving therapy has been known to be an effective treatment for depression.

A study reported in the Diabetes Care’s issue claims that elderly people with diabetes live longer when treated for depression. The study followed elderly diabetic patients in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York City for five years. Diabetics who received treatment for depression reduced the mortality rate more than the ones without diabetes.

Dr. Hillary Bogner who is the lead researcher and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Family Practice said that depression is common among the diabetics. This plays a role in their not following the correct diet and not taking their medication as well.

The health problems most commonly treated are diabetes and depression. Earlier studies linked these two and which also increased premature death. This new study is the first known research that investigated the link between premature death and diabetes. The findings made the researchers come to the conclusion that there should be better care for diabetics that includes the management of depression.

The depressed diabetics with more resources for the treatment of depression were 50% less likely to die over the period of five years when compared to those who did not receive the treatment. So this problem solving therapy will help with improving the diabetes life expectancy.

Please visit these sites for more diabetes help:
Free Alert Sign -Up
Diabetes Life Expectancy
Brief Biography: Dr. Guzman worked for the Atlantic Health Corporation and was consultant to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Sussex Mental Health Clinic, and St. Stephen Mental Health Clinic for many years. He was Director of Forensic Psychiatry at Centracare for ten years and published numerous articles in the Journal of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry and other medical magazines.

Copyright © June 4, 2009 Roger Guzman, M.D. (Diabetes Life Expectancy is Prolonged When Depression is Treated) All Rights Reserved. You may copy and publish this article as long as the text, the author’s name, the active links and this notice remain the same.

Article Summary:

Insulin has two critical roles in the body that we cannot live without, yet it can be the root of many health problems, including diabetes.

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Insulin has two critical roles in the body that we cannot live without, yet it can be the root of many health problems, including diabetes. Insulin carries sugar (glucose), fat and protein into your cells where they are used for energy and the repair of your cells. When you eat, a certain amount of the food will be converted into glucose and enter the bloodstream. As the sugar levels rise, the body senses it and the pancreas secretes insulin to lower the sugar. This is insulin’s second main function.

If you eat too much of any food, especially carbohydrates (starch and sugar) the levels of glucose in the blood rise to very high levels. In turn this triggers a large release of insulin from the pancreas. Your cells will take what they need and then insulin will begin the process of converting the excess glucose, fat and protein into fat and then put it all away in your fat cells. By combining foods the right way for your body, you will maintain optimum levels of insulin throughout the day.

The best way to control insulin and fight sugar cravings is to eat protein snacks when you are hungry or when you have severe “sweet” cravings. Also, try to limit yourself to three carbohydrate-containing meals per day and try to eat vegetables with most meals and snacks.
A particularly good snack is non-fat cottage cheese and salsa. The only vegetables to avoid in the evening are corn, yellow or orange squash, peas, beets and carrots. They have high simple carbohydrate (sugar) content.

Good natural sources of protein for meals or snacks are:

Chicken breast
Turkey
Fish
Lean Pork
Lean Steak
7% or less Ground Beef
Egg whites
Egg Beaters
Tofu
Non-fat cottage cheese
Non-fat cheese
Non-fat cream cheese
Non-fat sour cream
Fat-free Ham or Canadian bacon

You can also try protein powder and protein bars.

I recommend Labrada ProPlete Protein powder. It is low fat, low carb and high protein. It comes in several flavors and you can probably get it at GNC stores or any vitamin store. It does not have artificial sweeteners. It is sweetened with Stevia, which is all-natural and it made from the root and leaves of the Stevia plant.

Labrada also makes good low-carb, sugar free protein bars. Other good protein bars are Ultimate Lo-Carb, Ultimate Lo-Carb2 and Premiere Elite. These are good as a “pretend candy bar” when you’re having a craving. Just don’t over do it. The last three bars I mentioned do have artificial sweeteners. You can find them at GNC, Trader Joe’s and many vitamin stores.

The key is to eat frequently throughout the day and also have a real sweet treat once a week if that will help you stay away from sweets the rest of the week.

My fat loss and fitness plan “Every Body Loses” will give you the tools you need to begin a healthy weight loss program. The style of eating and exercising outlined in my book is one that you can follow for life without feeling deprived. If you’re serious about losing fat and getting fit go to www.aim4nutrition.com and get started TODAY!

Good Luck and Be Well,

Aimee Deak
Personal Trainer & Nutrition Analyst
AIM 4 NUTRITION
www.aim4nutrition.com

Aimee Deak is a certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Analyst,
author of the nutrition and fitness book “Every Body Loses” and owner of AIM 4 NUTRITION.
She offers online personal training and training by phone.

http://www.aim4nutrition.com

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Has your doctor recomended that you switily’sch insulin regimes for your child? Do you wish your child had more freedom of choice about the food they can eat? This is one family’s experience with the switch!

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Humulin or Lantus? When my daughter, who was 8, was first diagnosed the Children’s Hospital that was treating her put her on an insulin program of short acting Humalog NPH and long acting Humalin N. You should have seen me that first day of training after a long night in the emergency room where she was diagnosed. I was a raving lunatic to begin with so my brain was mostly mush at that point. Add to that everything began with “H”. Mix this “H” with that “H” but first charge this “H” with air, then draw this “H” first followed by that “H” but make sure you roll this “H” between your palms and for crying-out-loud don’t shake that “H”. Anyway I guess osmosis worked and all of that information finally seeped in. We were officially diabetic now.

For those of you who may not be familiar with it, Humalog and Humalin (short and long acting insulins) are mixed in the same syringe and injected 3 times a day usually before meals. Your child is allowed a certain amount of carbohydrates for each meal that the doctor figures out based on age, weight, etc., and that’s your number. My daughter’s was 65 carbs max per meal and 35 max per snack. However your child hits their magic number that’s it. Whether it’s 65 slices of ham or half a pop-tart. Plus she had to eat 6 times a day at certain times everyday.

Well the time came when she decided she wanted a little more freedom of choice and asked me about trying Lantus. My first thought was if it’s not broke don’t fix it. But I can have a cupcake whenever I want so I decided my opinion was secondary. So we looked into it. Lantus is a long lasting insulin. One shot at night and she had a 24 hour basal dose of insulin. “One shot” I’m thinking to myself “that’s great”. But wait, you also have to take a shot of short acting insulin (a bolus) everytime you eat. 10 meals 10 shots, 3 meals, 3 shots. Even I could figure that out. You base the amount of short acting insulin on the number of carbs you are about to eat. Talk about freedom! Compared to what she had been doing it was like being re-born. she didn’t care that it would mean more shots. All she heard was she could eat what she wanted when she wanted. Birthday cake, pizza parties, popcorn at the movies, boy she was ready to go. The first thing she wanted to have was a Blizzard from Dairy Queen. I looked at the chart on the wall and it read 125 carbohydrates. That was half a days carbs in a paper cup! After a couple of days of gluttony things got back to normal pretty quickly.

Remember that freedom I mentioned, it came at a price. This insulin regime is a lot of shots. Add those to the required blood tests and your talking about a lot of holes per day in a little girl. One more thing, her nighttime Lantus shot was 19 units. that’s a lot of insulin all at once. In her case it went in like battery acid. These shots are no fun. However, after several months on the Lantus regime her life and the rest of my family’s lives are pretty close to pre-diagnosis normal. All in all it was the right thing to do. If your doctor is suggesting Lantus or your child is asking about it, consider all of the above. We’re glad we did it.

Russell Turner is the father of a 10 year old diabetic daughter. He realized early on that he could find all the medical information about diabetes he could ever need on the internet. What he couldn’t find was information that told him how to keep his family’s life normal after the diagnosis. He started his own website dedicated to just that. Visit http://www.mychildhasdiabetes.com Prepare you child for life with diabetes!

Article Summary:

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is often symptomatic of another illness or condition, which in itself needs to be diagnosed and treated as a matter of priority. Some of these conditions, if left undiagnosed and untreated could even be life threatening. Diabetes is one such condition.

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Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is often symptomatic of another illness or condition, which in itself needs to be diagnosed and treated as a matter of priority. Some of these conditions, if left undiagnosed and untreated could even be life threatening. Diabetes is one such condition.

The actual cause of erectile dysfunction through Diabetes is quite complex and relates to various changes that take place in the body over a period of time. These changes are in relation to the functions of nerves, blood vessels, and muscles and occur as a direct result of high blood sugar.

In order to gain an erection, men need good healthy blood vessels and nerves, so if these have been damaged through the diabetes, it becomes more likely that erectile dysfunction will appear. It doesn’t matter if the man’s testosterone levels are high, or even if he has a strong libido, harm to the blood vessels and nerves that feed the blood supply the penis will result in erectile dysfunction.

Diabetic men of 50 years of age and over have a 60% chance of acquiring ED. For diabetic men of 70 and over, this statistic jumps to a staggering 95%. It is further believed that men who suffer from diabetes develop erectile dysfunction some 10 to 15 years earlier than men who are not diabetics.

There are a number of other factors that can have a bearing on ED for diabetic men, and just like their non-diabetic counterparts, these factors include: obesity; smoking; life style (lack of appropriate exercise); surgery, and medications including antidepressants and some hypertension medications.

There are also a number of psychological factors (again shared in common with non-diabetics) than can also have a bearing on the causes of ED, and these include: depression; low self esteem; anxiety, and paranoia regarding poor sexual performance.

If you are a man suffering from ED brought about by Diabetes, you should be aware that the damage being done to your blood vessels and nerves can effect your heart and other organs as well as your penis.

Fortunately, there are supplements on the market that will minimize this damage. Along with lifestyle changes, these changes can have a profound effect on your erectile dysfunction, your overall health, and your quality of life.

For additional information on Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes, Visit:

http://www.boost-your-low-testosterone.com/erectile-dysfunction-and-diabetes.html

http://www.boost-your-low-testosterone.com/

Article Summary:

I’ll Wait ’til it Hurts “If it ain’t broke, most people don’t fix it.”

Do you know if you have diabetes?

Did you know type 2 diabetes symptoms only become

Article Summary:

Diabetic seizure can be a dangerous, even life-threatening event. Therefore, if you have diabetes, you need to educate yourself about this subject in advance, so you know exactly what to do if this happens to you or anybody else. This information may help save a life! A diabetic seizure may be caused by excessively high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) or extremely low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

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Diabetic seizure can be a dangerous, even life-threatening event. Therefore, you need to educate yourself about this subject in advance, so you know exactly what to do if this happens to you or anybody else. This information may help save a life!

What are the reasons for diabetic seizure and/or coma?
A diabetic seizure may be caused by excessively high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) or extremely low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). This is why for all diabetic patients IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO MAINTAIN NORMAL BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS at all times!

What can be the consequences?
The symptoms of diabetic seizure are similar to other types of seizures, with violent convulsions, involuntary body movements, brief loss of memory, the possibility of the person suffering severe injuries resulting from falling and hitting hard objects, biting one’s tongue, and bleeding. On top of all that, the blood sugar abnormalities can cause the diabetic patient to lapse into a coma. If this happens, it is impossible to tell how long the coma may last and what will be damage caused by the comatose state. Being in a coma can lead to various complications, with the most serious being brain damage. In general the longer a person is in a coma, the greater the chance of permanent damage.

What to do in case of diabetic seizure?
If you notice the signs that a person is beginning to have a diabetic seizure, you need to take quick action. If there is anyone else present who can help, tell them to call for an ambulance immediately. While you are waiting for help to get there, try to prevent the person from injuries, by moving him or her to a safe location, away from hard or sharp objects. If the person is still conscious, try to get some glucose into his or her system. However, if the person is unconscious you must not try to have them drink or swallow anything!

—OK, I am not writing this to scare you. Just to make you realize the potentially devastating consequences of taking your health lightly and ignoring serious conditions. Diabetes can have a devastating effect on the entire body, including eyes, kidneys, hear, nerve, ultimately leading to blindness, kidney failure, amputations, heart disease and stroke. Everyone who has diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2 is at risk, and even people who have pre-diabetes can be affected - so it’s never too early to take aggressive preventive measures by changing your lifestyle choices.

What is important that you can prevent, and in most cases reverse type 2 diabetes because the disease is largely influenced by the person’s lifestyle choices, most importantly dietary choices and physical activity/exercise. Do not wait until it is too late - you need to take action TODAY!

Article Summary:

Raising Happy Children in this day and age is difficult. Add a deadly disease into the mix and it may seem impossible. With the emotional toll that diabetes takes on a child it is imperative that we, as parents, get it right.

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This is the first in a series of articles I am about to embark upon concerning this subject. As my family gets older and matures with this disease I think back to the early days and wonder why aren’t we all on medication for depression? Why don’t we have standing twice a week appointments with a psychiatrist? How did we end up so normal?(whatever that is) As I look back this didn’t happen by accident, nor am I Super Dad, and I didn’t plan it out step by step. It was mostly just paying attention, luck, and decent communication between my girls and me, granted sometimes at the top of our lungs.

The first thing I suggest you do is very important. Remember, our children are who they had in mind when they coined the phrase “monkey see monkey do”. Trust Yourself! It’s okay to do it your way. There’re three components to raising happy kids, diabetic or not. They are Self-Confidence, Self-Reliance, an Self-Control. The more of these components your monkeys see in you, the more of these components you will see in your monkeys! I’m going to put out some ideas here but you’re the boss of your situation. Do it your way.

Upon reading the three components you might ask “but where is self esteem?” I’ll save that particular ramble for another day. Let me just assure you that if your child has self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-control then self-esteem comes naturally.

What is Self-Confidence?
Self-Confidence is:

Trusting your ability to form and sustain relationships

Trusting your ability to complete various tasks well, knowing that others value your abilities

Trusting your ability to manage new siuations

Trusting your own judgements and common sense

As you can see trust is a key element of self-confidence. When our children don’t have that measure of consistency and predictability in their lives it becomes difficult for them to gain the necessary trust either in themselves or in others to become self-confident. So if our children see that the people who are most important to them (us as parents) trust them and will provide them with a consistant environment, they will begin to trust themselves, their judgements, and those of the people around them. This is the beginning of common sense.(Yahoo!)

How do our children acquire Self-Confidence?
Self-Confidence comes from:

Being accepted for who you are

Having someone show confidence in you

Knowing there is something you are good at

Having firm expectations of other people’s behavior

Not being afraid of failure

Developing competence with the saftey of a parent close by

Seeing others you admire and copy, being confident and happy

It seems so easy when you write it down. When you think about it three main components have to be in place: Trust and Predictability, competence, and sociability.

Trust and Predictability - We all know that routines are important for developing feelings of trust and security. Think about the routines and relationships between you and your family and friends. How much do they keep to a pattern? Will your child begin each day with a reasonably clear idea of what will happen and when?

Competence - Being good at things. We all have different talents and abilities. We need to help our children identify the things they are good at and encourage them. These skills fall into a couple of different catagories.

Practical: Seeing how to make or mend things, and build things

Physical: Good at sports, kicking or catching a ball, swimming, running

Mental: Good ideas about things, good at solving practical problems, good at schoolwork

Social: Good at playing with others, kind and considerate, good at making new friends

Process: Being good at tying new things, sticking with difficult tasks and so on

Sociability - Trust and develope their social skills. Involve them moderately in your social life. If we have our children with us it shows not only are we happy to have them with us but also that we trust they will behave appropriately. Getting used to being in new situations, and learning to talk to different people will increase our children’s confidence considerably. Here’s one that took me a while to figure out. Give your child advance warning of your feelings, of short temper, tiredness, sadness, or whatever. “I’ve had a lousy day at work and I’m very crabby. It might be smart to keep your head down and your mouth shut.” Or “I’ve had an argument with so and so and I’m feeling hurt. If I’m short with you I’m sorry.” This not only teaches them techniques for managing their own feelings, but gives them a chance to learn sensitivity to the feelings and moods of others. These are essential social skills not only for now but for later on in life.

Our children will develope self-confidence only if we have first shown trust and confidence in them and have given them an environment where they can predict and trust. Diabetes and all of the unpredictability, feelings of powerlessness, and exclusion that sometimes go with it just make this process that much more difficult. I look at it like if it was easy any idiot could do it. Well, we’re not just any idiot. We’re special idiots. We have been entrusted with the care and upbringing of a diabetic child. So remember you are a special person entrusted with a very special task. Trust yourself. It’s okay to do it your way.

In the next issue I’ll take a look at Self-Reliance.

Russell Turner is the father of a 10 year old Type 1 Juvenile Diabetic daughter. When she was first diagnosed he quickly found there was all kinds of information on the internet about the medical aspects of this dsease. What he couldn’t find was information about how to prepare his family to live with this disease. He started a website http://www.mychildhasdiabetes.com and designed it so parents of newly diagnosed children would have a one-stop resource to learn to prepare for life with diabetes.

Article Summary:

The real dangers of diabetes are not what you think. Diabetes is a disease of lifestyle and with simple changes in your lifestyle you can live a healthy and productive life. But you have got to first be aware of this very important piece of the puzzle.

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Diabetes is a growing problem in the U.S. and the control diabetes diet is not effective in 25% of the cases. The number of people suffering from this life threatening disease has grown significantly over the last 10 years. According to the CDC as of 2007 almost 24 million people, almost 8% of the population of the U.S., have diabetes.

Diabetes, The Deadly Disease

Diabetes is a growing concern because it is a deadly disease. It has been attributed to being the 7th leading cause of death in 2006. And this is when it is placed on the death certificate as the underlying cause of death. There are 3 times as many cases where the data indicates that diabetes is a contributing cause of death.

Why The Dangers Are Even Greater

Contributing cause means that the cause of death might have been heart disease or stroke, high blood pressure, kidney disease, or nervous system disease. These dangerous and deadly diseases have been linked to untreated or poorly treated diabetes.

Diabetes Can Be Overcome

The good news is that most of these cases of diabetes are completely preventable and reversible. The method of prevention and reversal require the control of blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and blood lipids. These indicators all respond positively to a control diabetic diet.

The Mystery Uncovered

So why is it that a whopping 25% of the population is not helped with this type of program? Because 25% of the diabetics in this country go unreported. They are like a walking time bomb. If you are overweight and having some other symptoms that are causing you discomfort, it is important to go see your doctor so that you can find out and be able to take appropriate action to stop the progress and even reverse the spread of this disease. And even if you aren’t diagnosed with a diabetic or pre-diabetic condition, following a control diabetic diet is a way to get healthier too.

And I invite you to get help with your diabetes or pre diabetes problem. The solution of choice is a reversal of diabetes entirely. You owe it to yourself to take the next step and live your life without the risk of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations. By following a control diabetes diet, you will assure yourself a life without the problems of diabetes, and you can do it without the need of any drugs or debilitating side effects.

To get your free list of diabetes friendly fruits and find out more ways to reverse the trend of diabetes check out this resource page: http://www.hypnoticstate.com/diabetic/carbdiet.html

Article Summary:

Raising happy children is difficult. Throw a potentially deadly disease into the mix and it becomes imperative for parents to get it right. In the first article I mentioned the three components neccessary for raising happy children, Self-Confidence, Self-Reliance, and Self-Control. In this article I will look at Self-Reliance.

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This is the second article in a series I am writing about how to raise happy diabetic children. You can find the first article titled Help Your Child Develope Self-Confidence in our article archives.

Sometimes the phrase “happy diabetic kids” seems to be an oxymoron. Often it seems all of the dark powers of the diabetes universe are aligned against you. You wonder if there isn’t some evil house elf behind the scenes just making everyone’s life miserable on purpose. Not being graduates of Hogwarts School Of Magic we can’t just wave a magic wand and make it all better. We must prepare for life with diabetes and we must prepare our children. Self-Reliance is a critical skill for diabetic children to master. Think of all of the responsibilities that go into daily diabetes care. We all realize that we must keep the responsibilities we put upon our children age appropriate. Non the less, in most school aged children the ability to take some responsibility for their own care goes a long way in giving them some feelings of control over their diabetes. Last month I mentioned there are three components to raising happy children. Self-Confidence, Self-Reliance and Self-Control. No I still haven’t forgotten Self-Esteem we’ll get there. I’m still of the opinion that with these first three components your child can’t help but develope Self-Esteem.

What is Self-Reliance?

Self-Reliance is the ability to manage on your own: to know how to manage your time, to function and think independently, combined with the ability to solve problems. With self-reliance, there is no need for other people’s approval before moving forward or doing something new. It’s also un-neccessary for constant guidance on how to achieve a goal. you can rely on yourself. Self-reliance is about tasks and skills — knowing how to do things, how to achieve things or how to manage things. It also includes the ability to be alone and to think things through on your own.
Self-reliance is broader than self-confidence. Self-confidence relates to what we can do, to specific skills. Self-reliance is about being independent, creative and self-sufficient; having confidence in our inner-selvs to enable us to adapt and manage on our own.

Self-Reliance helps us become:

Self-reliance is also having confidence in your own ideas. It is about being able to see things through to completion. It is about not being afraid of setting goals, and not being stopped by fear of failure. There is a common belief that the world is made up of three diffrent types of people:

those who make things happen;

those who watch things happen;

those who notice nothing until after then ask, “What happened?”

Those who have good self-reliance (and self-confidence, and self-control) develope self-esteem and make things happen. If we want our children to be able to make things happen, we don’t have to think on a grand scale. It doesn’t mean we all should want our children to be like Bill Gates, or Nobel Prize winners. We don’t need to have our children achieve on a scale that makes a difference to others, We should aim to give our children a measure of self-reliance that allows them to keep better control of their own lives and keep choices open for them.

Self-Reliant at What?

We can encourage self-reliance in our children from a fairly early age. As soon as your child shows they can manage things for themselves, however slowly or clumsily, we should allow them to do so. Self-reliance is best introduced and experienced stage by stage, starting early and building up slowly as they become more more competent and responsible. When children are very young they have this almost unstoppable drive to become independent. Before they learn adult concepts of failure, they are willing to try over and over until they master whatever they are trying to do. This is especially true if they have older brothers or sisters. They desprately want to do what the older kids can do. If we stand in the way of letting them try or show disapproval when they don’t do it quite right we can damage their belief in themselves. The more we do for them the more we prevent them from developing the ability to make judgements and decisions for themselves. The stages of self-reliance are fun to watch. The first time your baby grabs a hand full of baby food and finds their own mouth with it. When they learn to “go potty” all by themselves. When they put their own shirt on, usually backwards after wrestling with it for ten minutes. When they pick up their own room. When they start to earn an allowance. When they do their homework without you holding a gun to their head. When they go off on their first baby-sitting job. When they show you their first apartment, where you should promptly go through it turning on and leaving on every light in the place, leave the refridgerator door open and put your feet up on their new furniture. These stages progress until they present you one day with a grandchild Clearly you cannot encourage self-reliance in your child if you are not prepared to stand back and progressively let go. Doing that in the right amounts and at the right times is hard to judge. Add the dangers of their not managing daily diabetes treatment into it and you realize just how careful you need to be. Giving them responsibility and independence depends on the age and personality of your child and on your own particular circumstances. Children can become self-reliant only if we have encouraged their independence, given them practice in making decisions that concern themselves and their health, and shown them that they can be relied upon.

We have been given a special task, raising a diabetic child. This makes us special people. If we weren’t up to it we wouldn’t have been entrusted with it. Self-reliance is a critical part of raising any child, diabetic or not. Diabetes just makes it more difficult and more important we help our children develope this skill.

Next month I’ll talk about Self-Control.

Russell Turner is the father of a 10 year old Type 1 Juvenile Diabetic daughter. When she was first diagnosed he quickly found there was all kinds of information on the internet about the medical aspects of this dsease. What he couldn’t find was information about how to prepare his family to live with this disease. He started a website http://www.mychildhasdiabetes.com and designed it so parents of newly diagnosed children would have a one-stop resource to learn to prepare for life with diabetes.

Article Summary:

Gulping the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar over the course of a few minutes gets the pancreas to go full-belt. While most people can handle a blast of blood sugar just fine, over time, though, a diet rich in refined carbohydrates may lead to diabetes type 2.

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Introduction
Gulping the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar over the course of a few minutes gets the pancreas to go full-belt. While most people can handle a blast of blood sugar just fine, over time, though, a diet rich in refined carbohydrates may lead to diabetes type 2. We need not to forget that foods and beverages that contain added sugar are classified as refined carbohydrates regardless whether the added sugar is table sugar, brown sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, or any other type of sugar. A meal consisting of mostly refined carbohydrates has a high glycemic index and as a result it may trigger a reaction on blood sugar after the meal.

The glycemic load, what is it?
The glycemic load is a way of classifying foods based on the amount and the quality of the carbohydrates they contain. Foods that are high in refined carbohydrates such as a can of sugary soda, a handful of jelly beans, or a large meal of pasta-have a high glycemic load. Foods with a high glycemic index raise blood glucose faster and to a greater extent than foods with a low glycemic index. A number of factors influence glycemic responses to foods:

• Cooking methods and processing of starch
• Size of food particles. As particles size decreases, the glycemic index increases
• Amount of carbohydrate (sugar)
• Type of sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose)
• Amount of fat included in the diet.

Eating a diet rich of high-glycemic-load foods may, over time, lead to diabetes type 2, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.

Many scientific studies have shown that sugar-sweetened soft drinks contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. The Nurses’ Health Study explored this connection by following the health of more than 90,000 women for eight years. The nurses who said they had one or more servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit punch were twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes during the study than those who rarely had these beverages.

Two other studies show a similar outcome, meaning that the risk of developing diabetes increases with increased consumption of soft drinks and fruit juices. The two studies are:

• The Black Women’s Health Study, an ongoing long-term study of nearly 60,000 African-American women from all parts of the United States. Over the 10 year period of follow-up, a total of 2713 incident cases of diabetes occurred in the study population. The participants consuming two or more soft drinks on a regular daily basis and sweetened fruit drinks were at significantly increased risk for developing the disease.
• The Framingham Heart Study. This study showed that men and women who had one or more soft drinks a day were 25 percent more likely to have developed trouble in managing blood sugar and nearly 50 percent more likely to have developed metabolic syndrome: high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess weight, especially around the abdomen, high levels of triglycerides, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. The metabolic syndrome is a high risk for diabetes type 2.

Can Soft Drinks Lead Also to Heart Disease?
We have already seen that drinking sugary beverages on a regular basis increases the risk of both obesity and diabetes type 2 (Check my previous article: Are Soft Drinks Responsible for Children’s Obesity) We also know through experience and extensive research that diabetes and obesity are high risk factors for heart attacks. Then, we should ask ourselves: does the consumption of soft drinks increase also the risk of heart disease? And the answer is: YES.

The Nurses’ Health Study, which tracked the health of nearly 90,000 women over two decades, found that women who drank more than two servings of sugary beverage each day had a 40 percent higher risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease than women who rarely drank sugary beverages. The adverse effects of the high glycemic load from these beverages on blood glucose, cholesterol levels, and inflammatory factors probably also contributed to the higher risk of heart disease. The researchers found that following a healthy diet or having a healthy weight had very little impact on the risk associated with drinking sodas on a regular basis.

Final Thoughts
The diabetic person needs to have a good control of carbohydrates since these nutrients have the greatest effect on blood glucose. Eliminating sodas from the diet and including more unrefined carbohydrates is a good course of action. Just keep in mind that an adequate diet, along with moderate physical activity, is essential to control, and in some cases, reverse diabetes.

Have a great day,

Emilia Klapp, BS, RD.

About the Author:
With her new book, Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet, Emilia Klapp has helped thousands of people just like you reduce the risk of heart disease, lose weight and enjoy a more abundant life at the same time. For more information on the book and to receive a free especial report on the Top 10 Mediterranean Curative Ingredients go to: http://www.mediterraneanheart.com