Monday, September 25, 2006

Diabetic Loss Program Weight

Diabetic Loss Program Weight by A. McKain

People with diabetes are more likely to be overweight and to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. At least one out of every five overweight people has several metabolic problems at once, which can lead to serious complications like heart disease. "Cardiometabolic risk" means that if you have one of these problems, you are at higher risk for having the others. All they have to do is follow a diabetic loss program weight, and that will guarantee the burning of the fat.

Your Healthy Eating Plan

As with any medical condition, people with type 2 diabetes should check with their doctors before starting any diet or exercise program. It's also a good idea to work with a registered dietitian and/or diabetes educator to come up with an eating plan that suits your needs.

Two of the main tools doctors and dietitians use to help you plan healthy meals are:

* Food exchanges. This system divides foods into major categories -- starches, fruits and vegetables, dairy, proteins, and fats -- and tells you how many portions of each you should have each day.

* Carbohydrate counting. With this system, you keep track of the grams of carbohydrate (starches and sugars) you consume, with the idea of spreading them out through the day to help keep your blood sugar steady.

The end result should be a plan tailored to your needs: one that takes your age, gender, lifestyle, and eating habits into account.

Putting Your Plan Into Action

While you should be able to eat most of the same things as everyone else, people with diabetes often have to limit the amounts they eat, prepare food in different ways than they may have been used to, and think about when they eat.

Consider the issue of consistency: If you have diabetes, you need to eat about the same amount every day, and at about the same times. You shouldn't skip meals, or go more than four or five hours without eating during the day.

Another important element of a healthy diet is portion control. Your health-care team can help you learn to gauge correct portion sizes, which are often smaller than we've come to expect in the age of super-sizing. For example, one serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, and a serving of pasta is about the size of half a tennis ball.

While many, many people are living happily and healthily with type 2 diabetes, change doesn't always come easy at first. Here are a few tips to help you get -- and stay -- with the program.

* Ask for support. Let your friends and relatives know about the changes you'll be making, and why they're important for your health. Ask them to help you stick with your plan.

* Plan ahead for temptation. If you're going to a party, prepare your own healthy dish and bring it along. Or, if you're headed to a restaurant, figure out ahead of time what you'll order and how it fits into your eating plan.

* Educate yourself. Learning as much as you can about your condition will help you make informed decisions about it.

* Make changes gradually. For example, if your goal is to eat more veggies, add one serving at dinner every day. Once you're used to that change, start sneaking in a second serving at lunch.

* Get some exercise. Not only will exercise help control your blood sugar and boost your health in other ways, it can reduce stress and improve your outlook. See your doctor about getting started.

Given the complex causes of obesity, it is no surprise that its treatment remains an equally complex process. Dietary education, nutritional advice, lifestyle counseling and support, diabetic loss program weight are all important in order to achieve sustained weight loss and should be an integral part of any structured weight loss program for patients with type 2 diabetes.

About the Author

I am a nutritionist woman who used to be fat. After testing tens of so-called "wonder diets" I've decided to create a Weight Loss Programs Review Website, containing a top of the 3 best programs with a brief description about their features and benefits.

Visit the website! It will help you make a wise decision! http://www.LoseWeightFast.999answers.com

More diabetic diet tips here! You may also be interested in another health topic bidets, which is for the healthy conscious.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

What You Must Know About Diabetes

What You Must Know About Diabetes by Kay Lowe

Diabetes mellitus, usually referred to as simply "diabetes", is a disease of glucose or "sugar" metabolism. Diabetes is a common condition in the United States and the incidence is increasing; as many as 20% of Americans may be affected. Few diseases wreak more havoc on the body than diabetes. Complications of diabetes can cause problems with the heart and circulation, nervous system, kidneys, and eyes. Diabetics are at greater risk for high blood pressure and stroke. The circulatory problems of diabetes can lead to gangrene and amputations and diabetics also have difficulty healing.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is disorder of glucose metabolism. Glucose is a simple sugar that is required by every cell in the body for energy. Dietary carbohydrates (sugar, starch, etc.) are broken down by a substance called insulin into simple glucose. The diabetic, however, either lacks insulin because the pancreas stops making it (or isn't making enough), or the cells of the body become resistant to the insulin. Without insulin, the diabetic consumes carbohydrate foods and the sugar remains in the bloodstream but is unavailable to the cells of the body. Untreated, this elevated blood sugar can lead to coma and even death.

How to Treat Diabetes

Blood sugar control is a key factor in improving outcomes for diabetics and avoiding the complications. There are many treatment options available today for diabetes; however, any effective program will address diet, exercise and possibly medication. The person with diabetes should find a physician or health care provider and establish a good relationship with that provider.

Proper management of diabetes can allow the individual to lead a life that is "normal" and avoid the devastating complications. Partner with your health care provider to manage your disease and enjoy life.

About the Author
Ms. Lowe holds a Master's degree in Nursing and has worked for 30+ years in health care. She is webmaster for health-infosource.com, a resource for health information on the web.

Learn more about your diabetes diet in this blog!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Top 5 Diabetes Diet Tips for Creating Healthy Meal Plan

Top 5 Diabetes Diet Tips for Creating Healthy Meal Plan by Nishanth Reddy

Diet plays a key role in controlling your blood sugar. A healthy-eating plan tailored to your needs will do that and more. Majority of people affected with diabetes are overweight or obese. In fact, your risk of getting diabetes increases the more weight you put on.

So controlling your diet can be the key to reducing the risk of diabetes as well as improving your symptoms if you are already affected by this disease people often refer to as "the silent killer."

Everybody knows that maintaining a good diet is a healthy choice for every person. But for diabetes patients, this statement means something more significant than the recent fad over healthy living.

For diabetes patients, having a healthy diet means eating in a way that reduces the risk for complications that are commonly associated with their conditions, including heart disease and stroke. For them, a healthy diet could mean the difference between die-abetes and live-abetes.

Eating healthy involves eating a wide variety of foods that encompasses the whole diet spectrum of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry, and fish.

No, you do not have to eat all of that, but a little bit of this and that enough to balance the three basic food groups (Go, Grow, and Glow) is what you should aim for.

Tip #1: Preparing a Meal Plan

When you go on a diabetes diet, the first things you need to do is to prepare a meal plan. This will serve as your guide to how much and what kinds of food you can choose to eat at meals, and even at snack times if you wish to include that.

Now, be sure that your meal plan fits in with your schedule and eating habits. That way you will not be likely to ruin your diet simply because your work schedule conflicts with your meal schedule.

Keep in mind your end-goal: To keep your blood glucose in levels that are easy enough to maintain.

In addition to that somewhat myopic diet goal for diabetes, you also want to follow a meal plan that will help you improve your blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as keep your weight on track.

All these - blood pressure, cholesterol and weight - are factors that contribute to the worsening of your diabetes symptoms, so controlling them could very well mean controlling your diabetes.

When preparing a meal plan, be sure to balance uptake and down take - that is, food and exercise, respectively. Additionally, your doctor may have prescribed you with insulin or oral medications to help you manage your condition.

Take those medications into account as well when you plan your meal plan, making sure that the food is balanced with the drugs. The whole thing sounds like it's a lot of work but with a few suggestions from your physician and/or dietician you can start building a meal plan that is best for you and your condition.

Tip #2: Use the Diabetes Food Pyramid

The Diabetes Food Pyramid, released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is composed of six food groups (arranged according to how much you should eat from the least to the most and based on carbohydrate and protein content):

* Fats, sweets, and alcohol * Milk * Meat, meat substitutes, and other proteins * Fruits * Vegetables * Grains, beans, and starchy vegetables

Fats, sweets, and alcohol are the one food group that diabetes patients should avoid.

The problem with diabetes involves a certain malfunction in the way our bodies make use of glucose in the blood. It is either there is too much glucose in our blood because we ate too much food rich in sugar so that the hormone responsible for regulating glucose - insulin - is unable to cope. Or, our cells are defective so that even though we have enough insulin to handle the job, our cells do not respond.

In order to control the levels of glucose in the blood stream, controlling diabetes diet is important. The intake of fats, sweets, and alcohol and other generally "unhealthy" foods should be minimized and only for special treats.

As for the rest of the food groups, here are the serving sizes recommended by the American Diabetes Association:

* Meat and Meat Substitutes: 4-6 oz. per day and divided between meals. This is equivalent to ¼ cup cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1 tbsp peanut butter, or ½ cup tofu. * Milk: 2-3 servings per day * Fruit: 2-4 servings per day * Vegetables: 3-5 servings per day * Grains and Starches: 6-11 servings per day, equivalent to 1 slice of bread, ¼ of a bagel, or ½ of an English muffin or pita bread.

Use this Diabetes Food Pyramid only as a guide in planning your meals. If you want a more individualized option, consult your dietician.

Tip #3: Draw Lines on Your Plate

Another good way to ensure that you are eating a balanced diet is to draw a line across your plate. It could only be an imaginary line. As you sit there for a meal, the exercise might even prove to be fun.

The first step, of course, is to imagine that you are drawing a line through the center of your plate. Then, divide one of the halves into two.

Then, fill this section with grains or starchy foods, such as rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, or peas.

The other section should comprise your meat and meat substitute group - meat, fish, poultry, or tofu.

Next, fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. You can place there broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, salad, tomatoes, and cauliflower.

Last, add a glass of milk and a small piece of roll, and eh voila! You are ready to eat.

Tip #4: Reading Food Labels

With food labels, it all comes down to the Nutrition Facts. It's that list of nutrition information found on the package of foods sold in the grocery store. Reading food labels can help you make wise choices about the foods you buy. The labels will tell you what ingredients were used, the amount of calories, and other pertinent information essential to a diabetes patient.

For instance, a typical food label would contain the total amounts per serving for the following nutrients:

* Calories * Total fat * Saturated fat * Cholesterol * Sodium * Total carbohydrate * Fiber

Use the nutrition facts found in food labels to compare similar types of foods and buy the one that contains fewer calories, lower fats, cholesterol, etc.

Pay close attention to free foods like sugar-free gelatin desert, sugar-free ice pops, sugarless gum, diet soft drinks, and sugar-free syrups. Just because they are called "free" does not mean they are entirely free of calories so don't be overconfident. Instead, read the label. Most free foods should have less than 20 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

Another thing, "no-sugar added" means no sugar was added during the manufacture and packaging of the foods. The ingredients do not include sugar. However, the food may be high in carbohydrates still so be sure to read the label carefully.

Fat-free foods could still mean that they contain lots of carbohydrates. Often, they contain almost the same amount of calories as the foods they replace so be sure to pay attention to the label. Buying fat-free foods instead of regular foods does not necessarily mean that you are making a wise choice.

Tip #5: A Word about Sweets Now, you know that sweets are generally discouraged among diabetes patients. However, having diabetes does not necessarily mean that you cannot have sweets. Imagine how bad life can be for the sweet tooth with diabetes. But as long as you keep your intake of sweets in moderation, there is no reason you have to eschew sugar from your life forever. After all, glucose (sugar) is still the most basic source of energy that the body needs.

So sweeten your foods with these following options:

* Sugar and other sweeteners with calories: honey, brown sugar, molasses, fructose, cane sugar, and confectioners sugar

* Reduced calorie sweeteners: erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol

* Low calories sweeteners: ascelfume potassium, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose

Research has overturned the long standing belief that sugar caused diabetes. The new studies show us that sugar has in fact the same effect on blood glucose levels as other carbohydrates like bread and potatoes. Based on this discovery, experts agree that a diabetic can now consume sugar as long as they incorporate it into their meal plan the way they would with any ordinary carbohydrate-containing foods. Now that you have been pointed to the right direction with these tips to improve your diabetes diet, you can go ahead and live a healthier, fuller life where nothing - no carb nor sweets - is denied you, as long as you keep it all in moderation.

Summary:

If you've never attempted to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet before your diabetes diagnosis, it can be difficult to know where to get started. Try these diabetes tips, as the right food choices will help you control your blood sugar level.

About the Author
Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of many health related website. Visit his website for more information on diabetes, including symptoms, diet, child diabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and diabetes prevention. http://www.diabetes-info-guide.com

Learn more diabetes diet tips online!

Monday, September 04, 2006

The Benefits Of A Low Glycemic Level Diet

The Benefits Of A Low Glycemic Level Diet by Andy West

The United States is facing a health crisis. 31% of adults are obese, as are 15% of adolescents and children with no sign that this trend will be shifting any time in the near future. What's more, diabetes affects a staggering 18.2 million people in America, which is over six percent of the population. Even more shocking is the fact that this number increases each year. In short, the prognosis for many Americans' health is not good.

So what can you do about it? The best thing you can do is to take care of yourself and your children through proper diet and exercise. Obesity can be eliminated and diabetes can be managed, if not all together avoided. You can control the things you put into your body, and from a chemical perspective, regulating bloods sugar levels is the most effective way to release your energy and fat burning capacity.

The Glycemic index is a system that ranks foods by how they affect your levels of blood sugar. By following a low Glycemic diet, you can control the dramatic rises in blood sugar that pose serious threats to your health. Adhering to this nutritional plan is not as complicated or difficult as you might think. In fact, finding recipes and tips is as easy as logging on to your computer.

There are a number of websites targeted for people living with diabetes to help control blood sugar levels naturally. For a comprehensive listing of sites that assist you in managing your Glycemic level, take a quick look at Review Place. It has reviews of sites like Glycemic Impact Diet, Living with Diabetes Plan, Diabetic and Dieting Recipes and Hypoglycemia Low Sugar Plan. These aren't fad diets that make little sense and achieve only short-term results. The plans are based on scientific fact.

The beauty of these sites dealing with low Glycemic diets, is that they essentially do all of the work for you. They not only give recipes and health tips, but many go so far as to offer prepared grocery lists to print on the go. Even better, the recipes are not only healthy, but also tasty. You don't feel as though you are missing out on delicious food, you are enjoying delicious, healthy food.

For example, Glycemic Impact Diet, also known as the GI Diet, a member of the eDiets family, is a healthy nutrition plan you can follow for life. It balances unrefined complex carbohydrates with lean protein and healthy fat to help you stabilize blood sugars and increase energy while losing weight. You can feel fuller longer and avoid nasty sugar highs and lows.

A Low Glycemic Level Diet makes sense for anyone. It is not just for individuals with diabetes, but any person concerned with health and proper nutrition. If, as a nation, we all paid closer attention to the Glycemic index and monitored or blood sugar intake, we would see a sharp decline in the incidence of diabetes and obesity. In turn, we'd experience healthier lives and a better quality of life.

About the Author
Andy West is a freelance writer. For more information and reviews of Glycemic Diets that can help lower your Glycemic level, please visit ReviewPlace.

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