Diabetes Management: A Healthy Food Guide

According to the International Diabetes Federation estimates, there were about 65 million people with diabetes in India in 2013. Diabetes is the health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal. Blood sugar is also known as blood glucose; it is a crucial source of energy for the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body utilize the glucose. If insufficient insulin is produced by the body or it does not respond to insulin, glucose accumulates in the blood resulting in diabetes. The body naturally produces blood sugar from the food we eat and stores in the body. Diabetes can be successfully managed by the combination of a well-planned diet and medication. Use websites that provide free nutrition databases and food labels to look up the nutrition information of food. A healthy balanced diet is essential for diabetes management. The food you eat affects your blood sugar, body weight, and heart health. The three major food groups that contribute calories are carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Among the food groups, carbohydrates have the maximum effect on blood sugar levels. After meals, the increase in your blood sugar level is determined by the amount of carbohydrate in the food. Nutrition data helps you identify the foods that contain carbohydrates and control portion sizes. Examples of foods rich in carbohydrates are rice, bread, roti, naan, cereals, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables (potatoes), dried beans, lentils, milk, yogurt, fruits, juices, sodas, and desserts. Protein is an essential part of your diet but it does contribute calories. Excessive consumption can result in weight gain and increased fat intake. Lean meats, low-fat or non-fat dairy, and plant-based proteins are good choices. Foods that have a high fat content are also high in calories; which can lead to weight gain. Minimizing saturated and trans fats can reduce the risk of heart disease and support improved weight control. Reliable online nutrition databases also provide the fat content of foods.
Weight loss can also help lower blood sugar levels. Regular exercise and controlling calories can help with weight loss. Utilize free calorie counters to plan your meals. Convenient calorie counting apps on mobile phones help you stay on track when you eat out. Work with a dietitian to create personalized meal plans that fit with your insulin or medication dosage and schedule. A dietitian who understands ethnic diets can work with you to set up effective meal plans.By Seetha N 

Living With Diabetes - Symptoms Of Diabetes

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1594275732508468921#editor/target=post;postID=4389197301279291864;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=130;src=link Diabetic symptoms progress with systemic approaches according to the type and progression of a diabetic condition and the duration of high levels of blood sugars. Common symptoms of higher blood sugar durations include extreme thirst and hunger, weight loss and frequent periods of urinary urgencies. These conditions are known to be associated with rapid onset of diabetes type II and should be symptoms that prompt medical testing or diabetes.
These particular symptoms are the result of the actual progressive nature of diabetes. Problematic symptoms like incessant thirst and hunger, to growing urgencies for urination, indicate a serious inclination towards a diabetic condition. Undiagnosed and left untreated, these conditions may lead to pathological conditions dealing with urological, pancreatic, kidney, liver and other internal organ pathological conditions. Weight loss symptoms displayed in a diabetic condition is a result of an imbalanced metabolic system.

Severe weight loss needs immediate medical attention. Diabetic symptoms that display themselves as excessive thirst and hunger need appropriate medical testing to rule out any digestive conditions like Chron's Disease and diverticulitis. These three symptoms closely mimic the symptoms of diabetes insipidus, which is otherwise unrelated to diabetes mellitus. Frequency and the urge to urinate are symptoms of a diabetic condition known as polyuria. Conditions like dehydration can result in these cases, and medical evaluation should be prompt.
Most diabetic symptoms are results of a prolonged duration of high blood sugars, and start mildly, like unhealed sores and derma abrasions that do not go away. Unhealed sores and abrasions of the skin include abscesses, skin rashes, and infections of the skin, skin boils, and eventually debiticus ulcers (bedsores). These areas will fill up with pus and surround the tissues in hollowed cavities of the body. This inflammation is indicative to bacterial infections or parasitic infections. These infections can lead into internal abscess infections like abscesses on the brain, lungs, kidneys, and rectum, and breast, liver, spinal and oral abscesses. Skin rashes, infections of the skin and skin boils are open sources of viral and fungi portals. All of these signs of poor skin healing are milder symptom of a diabetic condition, but can cause a variety of other problematic conditions.
Additional symptoms include fatigue, blurred vision along with sores and abrasions that do not heal. Diagnostic evaluations should be performed to properly diagnose a diabetic condition. These symptoms require medical interventions that could prevent conditions known to be associated with diabetes. Blurred vision and fatigue are two other symptoms of a diabetic condition. Diabetic symptoms of blurred vision can lead to diabetic retinopathy and diabetic lens osmosis. A marked degree of eyesight changes occur with the aging process and are normal.
A certified physician should, immediately check out sudden blurred vision, spots and hairline shadows and loss of peripheral vision. Fatigue symptoms displayed in a diabetic condition is a signal that glucose levels may be dangerously low in the body. Chronic fatigue left untreated in a diabetic patient can be a serious sign of heart disease, which is linked to diabetes.

By Joel Gray

Traditional Treatment Methods for Diabetes

Traditional Treatment Methods for Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes accounts for over 100,000 deaths, 54,000 amputations, and over 20,000 cases of blindness each year. Blindness is twenty-five times more common among diabetic patients when compared to those without diabetes. If these current trends should continue, then by the year 2010 diabetes will exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death in America.

Diabetics tend to have a high level of blood glucose. Blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, which releases it to carbohydrate consumption. Insulin causes the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the blood. The glucose is then used as fuel for cellular functions.

Traditional diagnostic standards for diabetes have been plasma glucose levels greater than 140 milligrams on 2 occasions as well as plasma glucose greater than 200 milligrams following a 75 gram glucose load. Even more recently, the American Diabetes Association lowered the criteria for a diabetic diagnosis to plasma glucose levels equal to or greater than 126 milligrams. Plasma levels outside the normal limit will need further testing. This is done usually by repeating the plasma glucose check and initiating an oral glucose tolerance test if it is needed.

The many symptoms of diabetes include increased urination, increased thirst and hunger, sudden drastic weight loss, blurred vision, very slow healing of wounds, dry and itchy skin, constantly repeated infections, sudden fatigue and headaches. With respect to diabetes, these symptoms can also be caused by many other factors. It is highly encouraged that anyone with symptoms related to the ones mentioned above should be tested as soon as possible.

A very easy tip for diabetics to remember is exercise will cause your body to process glucose a lot faster and automatically lower blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster your body will use glucose. It is always important to understand the differences in exercising with diabetes. It is also important for the individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program.

When training with a diabetic person, you must always take into consideration the dangers of injecting insulin before working out. An individual with type I diabetes who is injecting their normal amount of insulin before exercise, can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock.

General exercise rules for type I diabetics are the following:

1) Allow adequate rest during exercise to prevent high blood pressure.

2) Use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting.

3) Always have food with a lot of carbohydrates ready.

If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, and become highly irritable. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will terminate these symptoms in a short period of time.

Before using an exercise plan, it is always important for blood sugar levels to be tested. Make sure that they are between 100 and 250 milligrams. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, and after exercise or any strenuous physical activity. During their recovery period, it is important for diabetics to consume high carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.

Exercise will greatly benefit an individual specifically with type 2 diabetes. This is due to the positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are by far the best forms of prevention for type 2 diabetics. To prevent hypoglycemia, continuously work up to more active exercises.By Donald Mckenzie Jr

Diabetes Recipes - How to Make Useful Recipes

One of the most important aspects of diabetes treatment and management is a healthy diet. Since diabetes is caused by your body's inability to produce insulin, which helps your body turn sugars into energy, your diet may have to change. The most important thing will be to eat a variety of foods and limit your intake of sugars and starchy foods, which turn to sugar in your body. Pastas, white bread, and potatoes are starchy foods that will need to be limited in your diet - but there are many recipes for foods, even desserts, that are diabetic friendly and allow you to enjoy the food you eat.
Sweets
Desserts and sweets are one of the things that diabetics miss the most. Here is a recipe for Peanut Butter Squares that is diabetes friendly:
Ingredients:

• Oil and flour aerosol spray
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup "natural" style peanut butter
• 1 cup ripe mashed banana
• ¼ cup skim milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with aerosol spray.
• In a bowl, beat together the egg, peanut butter and banana until smooth.
• Beat in the milk and flour, baking soda and powder, and stir in the peanuts.
• Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes until browned. Cool and cut into 25 squares.

For holidays that fall in the winter, here is a recipe for a Winter Fruit Salad:
Ingredients:

• 8 red apples - cored and diced
• 8 green Bartlett or Anjou pears - cored and diced
• 4 cups fresh strawberries - sliced with stems removed
• 2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
• Sugar substitute - optional, add to taste
• 4 bananas - sliced

Directions:

• Place all fruit (except bananas), juices and liqueur (if using) in a large bowl. Add sugar substitute (if using). Gently mix.
• Cover bowl and refrigerate 4-8 hours - but, no longer.
• Just before serving, stir in banana slices.

Pasta
Pasta is one of the foods that will need to be limited in the diabetes diet. However, limited does not been completely eliminated - so, for special treats, try this Chicken Pasta Salad:
Ingredients:

• ½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sherry
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 cup cooked spiral pasta, drained
• 2 cups cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups fresh snow peas, strings removed and blanched
• 2 green onions, sliced
• ½ cup water chestnuts, sliced
• ¼ cup toasted almonds, for garnish

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce, sherry, ground ginger, and pepper. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine pasta, chicken, snow peas, green onions, and water chestnuts.
• Add dressing mix (step 1) and toss. Refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle with toasted almonds before serving.

Many people with diabetes eliminate spaghetti from their diet because the spaghetti noodles are a starch food and because most prepared spaghetti sauces contain sugar. This Spaghetti sauce allows you to enjoy spaghetti without the guilt - and if you use wheat noodles, you can really enjoy a guilt-free meal.
Ingredients:

• 12 oz tomato juice
• 1 large can mushrooms, stems and pieces
• Salt to taste
• Garlic to taste
• Oregano to taste
• Dehydrated onion flakes
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 2 cans bean sprouts

Directions:

• Cook all ingredients in a covered saucepan until sauce thickens.
• Add bean sprouts, and then simmer 10 minutes.
• Serve over cooked pasta noodles.

A Healthy Diet in DiabetesA healthy diet is the most important part of your diabetes treatment. You can find these and other diabetes recipes in books and on the Internet. Be sure that you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly to help in the management of your diabetes and for your overall health.
By Dr John Anne