Sunday, July 24, 2011

You don't have to be obese to have diabetes

By Andre M. Ortiz


The stereotype of a person with type 2 diabetes is someone who is overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating an unhealthy diet. There is certainly a strong link between diabetes and obesity, but 20% of people with type 2 diabetes are regarded as leading healthy lifestyles.

In fact, there are many people with diabetes who haven't been diagnosed due to not realising that they are at risk. People who appear to be totally healthy may actually have internal ('visceral') fat around their vital organs, which increases the likelihood of developing diabetes.

Currently, the NHS spend 3.5 billion on treating diabetes every year. The number of people with diabetes is expected to double over the next 10 years, which means the cost for the health service will spiral even further. Globally, there are already more than 350 million people with the condition. Whilst 10% of those cases are type 1 diabetes, where lifestyle isn't a factor, the remaining 90% are type 2, where things like diet play an important role. There will be 4 million diagnosed cases of diabetes in Britain by 2025, according to the charity Diabetes UK.

Many people who don't consider themselves as being at risk of diabetes don't realise that symptoms such as increased thirst, fatigue and frequent urination could be indicators of the condition. The condition can remain hidden for years until the pancreas is no longer able to produce enough insulin, or in some cases not able to produce any at all. Rising glucose levels will then affect circulation, and the chance of heart attacks, strokes, blindness and amputation increase.

Warnings about diabetes have primarily been targeted at those who are overweight, and some experts believe this has led to the rest of the population being excessively complacent about the disease. There are also concerns that, as the condition has become more common, it has become increasingly normalised, and not something that people worry about.




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Friday, July 22, 2011

Things That A Diabetic Diet Can Do For You

By Athena Hunter


Many diabetics may not realize how much control they actually have over their condition. Following the diabetic diet is one strategy that actually takes the condition into account. You can make your condition worse if you eat too much of the wrong foods. To learn about what foods you should be eating, talk to your doctor. And because there is a wide variety of healthy foods you can eat as a diabetic, your diet won't become boring and bland. Here are some important tips for following the diabetic diet.

Following this diet helps diabetics control their blood sugar levels. Because carbohydrates impact blood sugar levels the most, diabetics need to watch their overall carb consumption. Here are more important facts about the diabetic diet for your continued education.

It is important to pay attention to the glycemic index for foods if you are diabetic. Knowing this can give you instant feedback on whether a certain food will be harmful to you. Your blood sugar is something you have to consistently watch, and the glycemic index will tell you how a certain food will impact this. Foods will differ on this scale depending on the type of carbohydrates they contain. If you want to know more about this, you can ask your doctor or nutritionist. You can find tables that list glycemic index ratings of many foods in books as well as online, and this can be useful to use as a guideline.

There are special considerations with diabetes and artificial sweeteners. To limit the amount of carbohydrates in your daily diet, it is recommended that you use these sugar substitutes. It is, however, not a guarantee that you will not ever get extra carbohydrates by just using artificial sweeteners. Getting into the habit of looking at food labels before purchasing or preparing food will help you prevent extra carbs from getting in your diet. You may even consult a table for glycemic indexes of artificial sweeteners. You want to pay particular attention to the gram amount of carbohydrates per serving.

There are several important factors to consider when following the diabetic diet. None of this is difficult to learn or find out about, and your doctor will be able to help you. We have given you a strategy that can allow you a certain amount of freedom in your meals.

One diet that's often recommended for diabetics and anyone with high cholesterol is the TLC diet. By following this diet, you can bring your cholesterol under control, which is especially important for diabetics. While you're watching your diet, of course, you should also be making other changes that will support this. By exercising consistently, you can help to reduce your weight as well as your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. As you may know, there are two types of cholesterol, and the kind you want to reduce is LDL cholesterol, the harmful kind. HDL, or good cholesterol, on the other hand, is something you should try to raise. You can get more specific nutritional and lifestyle advice from your doctor, who will take into consideration your specific case. Managing diabetes can be achieved thus allowing you to live a normal life. You will need to ensure that you pay attention to your diet so your condition does not get worse. As a diabetic, you have to become something of an expert on nutrition by necessity. You don't necessarily have to follow a single diet to the letter. What counts most of all is maintaining a healthy blood sugar level at all times.




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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Medical Bracelet for Diabetic

By Jenna Thompson


A person with health problems is advisable to have a medical bracelet. If an emergency occurs wherein a person would not be able to say what he is going through, he may be able to inform someone about his condition trough these medical bracelets. Physicians will be saved from all the trouble of going through a series of test to know a person's ailment. Some of the situations wherein this Medical jewelry will be most helpful:

1. Diabetes. A lot of persons suffer from this case. You can never tell the risks. There would be instances that a person would most basically pass out in a public place. And when this happens you wouldn't have the capacity to tell anybody about your condition.

In this case a person cannot state the problem. But it is not impossible for someone to notice you condition. And when they do they may find the information they need by simply looking at your bracelet. In this way they can apply or find help right away.

2. Peanut allergy - this is a fairly common and dangerous condition. You may be in a restaurant, enjoying a meal. All of a sudden you may become very ill and unable to breathe. You may not be able to talk to tell others what is wrong.

If they notice that something is wrong with you might not be able to speak a word to anybody. But by simply looking at your medical bracelet they would the cause of the situation and may find immediate help for you. On your bracelet you may state the causes of your allergies to be more specific and accurate.

3. Alzheimer's - this condition can often lead to confusion. Sometimes people can become temporarily disoriented and confused. They may walk out into the yard and wander off. Sometimes they may not show up for days. If the weather is cold or stormy, this can provide additional hazards to them. However, they may walk up to a gas station and someone may notice their confusion. They can get the necessary information to call relatives and this may save lives. Personal information on the wrist may also help to jog their memory, so they can get home.

4. Heart ailments - these conditions may cause many different problems. A person may suffer with a condition that requires frequent medication. If they are out in public and suddenly become ill, they may not be able to take their medication in time. If they pass out, someone may notice the information on their arm. They may find their medication and place it under their tongue. This may revive some patients. Also, if someone has a heart condition, it will alert medical professionals and they can administer the proper treatment, quickly.

Summary

A medical bracelet is very helpful to people who have special conditions. It is very handy especially in times of emergencies when you least expect something bad to happen, when you are not prepared for anything. Stating your medical status will also make people aware of your needs and can help you in so many ways.




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Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Healthiest Diet If You Have Diabetes

By Richard Horowitz


Diabetes is a challenging illness that affects a very large number of people. If you have any type of diabetes, or another problem involving your blood sugar, it's crucial to watch your diet carefully. The first place you should go for nutritional advice, of course, is your doctor, who can give you the basic guidelines you should follow. One problem is that it can be hard to stick to your recommended diet day after day, even if you know it's good for you. As a diabetic, you can improve the quality of your life by paying close attention to your diet every day. Nutrition can make a big difference with an illness such as diabetes, so let's look at some of the factors you should be aware of if you have this problem.

One factor you should always be looking at before you eat anything is the glycemic index. This index gives you an easy system to find out, at a single glance at the number, if something is safe for you to eat. If you want to know how a food will affect your blood sugar (and you have to know this as a diabetic), you'd use the glycemic index. The main consideration has to do with the kind of carbohydrates the food is composed of. You can ask your doctor, nutritionist or other medical practitioner for more information about this. If you want to eat as healthy as possible, you should always consult a glycemic index table when shopping or cooking your meals.

It was once believed that, as a diabetic, sugar was something you must avoid at all times. It's certainly have to watch your intake of sugar, but today doctors often tell their diabetic patients that it's okay to eat it in limited quantities. The fact is, sugar doesn't really have an effect on the blood sugar that's any different from ordinary starches that most people eat every day. Starches or carbs, then, will make your blood sugar level go up, just as sugar does. That's why you have to limit the amount of sugar (or carbohydrates) that you eat, but that doesn't mean you have to avoid it completely. Depending on your current state of health, your doctor may advise you to restrict sugar to a greater or lesser extent.

The TLC diet is something that you may have heard of, or your doctor may have told you about, as many diabetics follow it. This is a good diet to follow if reducing your cholesterol levels is a priority. There are certain actions you can take that will increase the effectiveness of this type of diet. If you're trying to lose weight, which is a common issue for diabetics, then you should also be exercising. As you may know, there are two types of cholesterol, and the kind you want to reduce is LDL cholesterol, the harmful kind. You should be raising your HDL cholesterol, the good or helpful type.

You can get more specific nutritional and lifestyle advice from your doctor, who will take into consideration your specific case. You can manage the illness so that it doesn't limit your enjoyment of life. You have to be vigilant about your diet, as eating the wrong foods can have serious consequences. Your meals must be chosen carefully, and you have to be aware of everything that's included. You may or may not want to stick to one diet for all time. The challenge is to discover which foods keep your blood sugar at a safe level.




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Thursday, July 7, 2011

Diabetes: what about it?

By Eva A. Greene


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 220 million people get afflicted with this disease and about 3.4 million died from it. Making it even more difficult, diagnosing this disease is difficult since most people simply dismiss excessive thirst and urination for something else until the disease had made its course in the body. But with proper medication, exercise and a good diet, this disease can be prevented or at the least delayed.

Sugar or glucose is the body's primary source of energy. It helps the body move, digest food, think; it basically keeps us alive. Good as sugar may be for our bodies, too much of the stuff can make us sick and can even kill us. But the body controls it with insulin. Unfortunately, diabetics have trouble making insulin or are unable to use it well which leaves the blood rich in sugar. There are many ways to help treat it though like medications and insulin injections. But simply changing one's lifestyle habits can greatly help in preventing or delaying the symptoms of diabetes. And following a diabetic meal plan is one of those simple changes.

Nutrition plays a major role in treating and preventing diabetes. There are quite a lot of diets for diabetics but none made so much attention than the low glycemic diet. Most foods have carbohydrates in it. The glycemic index measures that carbohydrate level in that food item and how it can affect blood sugar levels. Foods in this index are very healthy and tasty too like most fruits and vegetables and many grains. So, in a nutshell, following this kind of diet is beneficial for a diabetic because it helps regulate sugar levels in the body without crashing, it's healthy and also lowers body fat. But temptations are always lurking in the shadows and many have pitfalls when following any kind of diet.

A diabetic diet plan for most diabetics is bland and unappetizing and that is why they tend not to stick to such diets. Especially when people are so busy with jobs and other things, that food preparation is left to the fast food restaurants and the assortment of instant foods in the grocery. But sticking to a diet can be fun. It's all about taking the right approach. One way is finding alternatives for your favorite recipes or even modifying them. This encourages resourcefulness and allows you to try new foods and ingredients thus expanding one's gastronomic knowledge. Further, with enough knowledge, you can make your own fun recipes and share to everyone, spreading the good of a healthy diet and nutrition.

The search of a cure for diabetes has still eluded many doctors. Despite the many advances in the field of medicine, curing diabetes is still a challenge. But medicine still managed to help people by delaying the onset and even preventing it. Insulin and medicine take a part, another is diet but other things that we often neglect can greatly reduce the chance of having diabetes. Exercise is good for the body and for the diabetic its helps convert excess sugar into energy. Cessation of smoking and limiting alcohol intake can also greatly improve your chances in preventing the disease. And to top it all off, these simple lifestyle changes can also prevent other deadly disease like cardiac diseases and cancer. So you're basically hitting two birds with one stone.

Diabetics can still live a happy normal life. Sacrifices are to be made but everything good thing in life requires that and the payoff is totally worth it.




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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

You May Have Diabetes If You Have These Symptoms

By Patrick Millner


Diabetes is a disease in which the body of a healthy adult or child cannot process or produce enough insulin. Insulin is an important chemical which helps the body digest sugars and starches and turn them into energy. The symptoms of diabetes can be subtle.

Nearly 18 million people have diabetes in the United States, though many doctors and health professionals feel that that number is actually inaccurate due to the large number of people who have diabetes but have never been diagnosed. Knowing the symptoms of diabetes can help you decide if you need to see a doctor or not for a full diagnosis and treatment. Here are some of the more common symptoms of diabetes:

Excessive Hunger and Thirst: Because diabetes affects how your body digests and handles food, you may actually feel more hungry after a big meal than before you began eating. Thirst may also be increased due to sugar building up in you body. Since your body won't be able to handle the sugar your kidneys will have to work overtime. The increased sugar will leave your body as urination, which may leave you dehydrated and wanting more to drink.

Excessive urination: This is sometimes more difficult to notice because different people do urinate at different rates. The increased thirst of diabetes often leads to increased liquid intake which obviously means more urination. Adults who wet the bed at night unexpectedly could actually be suffering from a form of diabetes and not even realize it.

Excessive Fatigue: When you suffer from diabetes your body is working extra hard to process the food you eat. Your body also is not able to get as much energy from sugar and starches, so it may feel as though you're always run down simply because you are!

Diabetes is a serious disease that can grow worse if not diagnosed early and treated properly. The good news is that diabetes is a disease which doesn't have to kill you. You can live and even thrive with diabetes as long as you take care of yourself with some common sense treatments and actions.




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Monday, July 4, 2011

Diabetic Types - Should Your Diet Vary With Your Type Of Diabetes?

By Jones Smith


It cannot be emphasized enough that diet brings an important function in dealing diabetes, whatsoever type it may be. Fundamentally, there are 3 common types of diabetes, the type 1, type 2, and gestational type. In type 1 diabetes, there is totally no insulin developed by the body, so insulin medications are needed to supply the body with the needed insulin to maintain blood glucose levels. But Then, insulin is still produced in type 2 diabetes, but they are either inadequate or the cells have already developed immunity toward the insulin. Finally, gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and is not much different from type 2 diabetes.

Since the problem in diabetes is the lack of insulin in general, the diet for every type of diabetes does not vary a lot. Most of the diabetic diet plans focus on picking out foods that do not have overmuch result on the blood sugar. Diabetic diets do not contain much of calories, fats, sugar, and cholesterol. Alternatively, these heart-healthy diabetic meals often include veggies, fruits, whole grains, dairy products, fish, lean meat, and beans. These foods are heavy in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients specially needed by people struggling from diabetes.

One of the recommended foods for diabetics is whole grains, since these comprise lots of complex carbohydrates. Starches and whole grains can become the body's source of energy, and about 6-11 servings per day are sufficient for whatsoever kind of diabetic. Examples of these foods include pasta, bread, corn, wheat, and potatoes.

Veggies and fruits are as well important in a diabetic meal plan because they contain remarkable quantities of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Moreover, they carry little fat, which make them excellent foods for diabetics. You can also have some other preparations for these foods so that there is a presence of variety in each diabetic meal that you make.

Dairy products and meat products can as well be presented to diabetics, in the event that they only consume 2-3 servings per week. Of course, sweets, fatty foods, and alcohol should be taken minimally and in moderation because these foods can only worsen your disease condition.

Aside from the types of foods, it is also fundamental for every diabetic to recognize the right amount of food to eat up. Unlike normal individuals, diabetics cannot eat the same amount of food that non-diabetics eat. They must determine how to abide by their servings, measure their servings with care, and control their cravings, since overindulging can lead to quick rushes in blood sugar levels.

The timing of eating up is also a very important circumstance for any type of diabetic. Diabetics ordinarily take lots of hypoglycaemic drugs, like insulin, throughout the day. There may be cases when a person goes through hypoglycemic or low blood glucose episodes, and this is ordinary among those that take maintenance drugs that lower their blood sugar levels. Because of this, it is significant for them to observe a scheduled diet plan, plus also include healthy snacks in between. This is to ward off abrupt falls in a diabetic's blood sugar levels.




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