Saturday 20 August 2011

A Diabetic Diet Meal Plan Is Easy To Put Together

A diabetic diet meal plan is very important especially for all the diabetic patients. Diabetes is a type of condition that causes a limitation to the ability of the body to offer food to cells and organs in form of glucose. It is important to note that for glucose to be produced, it is vital for fats, starches and sugars to be digested. However, if this does not happen, it is important for a diabetic person to look for an alternative on how the glucose can be produced in the body. On the other hand, all diabetics are supposed to adjust their diet plans even though it might be quite overwhelming for them. In addition to this, it is worthwhile for you to know that healthy eating habits is a crucial part of daily general well-being of the diabetics. It is important to make a simple diabetic diet meal plan.

A Diabetic Diet Meal Plan Can Be Simple

It is very easy to put a simple diabetic diet meal plan together as long as you follow the correct procedure that is required to make it worthwhile. This specific diabetic diet meal plan is very important as it will help you as the diabetic patient to lower calories and carbohydrates. There are some strategies that you can use in putting this diet meal plan easy. The best thing about these strategies is that they are very simple to follow and understand as well. Remember, a good diet for diabetes simply entails more than just counting carbohydrates options.

Friday 19 August 2011

A Diet for Diabetics Is Easy to Follow

If you are looking for an easy diet for diabetics, you are not the only one. Many diabetic patients are looking for the easiest way to manage diabetes. A diabetes diet is normally referred to as MNT which means consuming a variety of foods in moderate amounts. A diabetic diet is a health plan for eating that consists of low calories and high nutrients. In addition to that, it emphasizes on a person to eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables. In fact, studies show that a diet for diabetics is the best diet for anybody trying to lose weight.

The Main Purpose of a Diet for Diabetics

If you have diabetes, your physician would advise you to see a nutritionist to assist you in changing your diet plan for that of a diet for diabetics. This is because you need a diet that would control your glucose level and weight.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Type 2 Diabetes - Debunking Diabetes Myths

We all have good reason to be concerned about Type 2 diabetes. An estimated 17 million people in the United States alone actually have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. That is 1 in 17 people. There is a lot of information floating around about this form of diabetes... unfortunately, some of it is incorrect. Since this is such a serious, and possibly life-threatening illness, it pays to have your facts straight.

Here is the lowdown on some of the most common myths concerning diabetes.

Myth: There is no such thing as being a "borderline diabetic".

False. The name for someone who is a "borderline diabetic" is pre-diabetic. This means you have some of the symptoms that can propel you into full-blown Type 2 diabetes, but you haven't yet developed it. You would think either you have diabetes, or you don't. In one way that's true but like many ongoing health issues, Type 2 diabetes usually develops slowly over many years and for some reason, too much sugar is floating around in your bloodstream.

Monday 15 August 2011

Does Green Tea Lower Blood Sugar and Increase Insulin Activity?

Want to avoid metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes? It is possible to prevent both of these conditions if you take control of your eating habits and exercise. No expensive prescription drugs or complicated exercises are required. It could be as simple as drinking four cups of green tea a day and walking for 30 minutes, four or five times a week.

Metabolic syndrome is probably not on your radar screen, yet one in five people are affected in the U.S. Risk factors include extra weight around the waist, insulin resistance, aging, genes, hormone changes, and lack of exercise, which are all harbingers to both cardiovascular disease and (the focus of this article) type 2 diabetes.

Saturday 13 August 2011

Diabetic Glucose Monitor News, Will We Be Testing Without Blood?

Diabetic glucose monitor research is moving quickly. There is hope that soon we will have ways to test our blood sugar without using test strips and drops of blood. Every diabetes doctor knows that testing more often will improve the health of a type 1 or type 2 diabetic.

The problem with testing has always been the pain and inconvenience. Convincing teenagers on the go and older folks on tight budgets to do more frequent blood tests isn't easy.

From the first home testing glucose monitor to the ones we use today, drawing a drop of blood has been the only foolproof way to know your blood sugar. A type 2 diabetic who is not on insulin may test once a day while a type 2 on insulin ought to test at least four times every day.

Thursday 11 August 2011

Type 2 Diabetes - Choosing the Best Blood Glucose Meter For You

A blood glucose monitor is the one essential tool every person diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes must have in order to help keep their blood sugar levels under control. Many diabetics have to perform multiple finger stick tests each day in order to make sure their blood sugar levels are balanced and within their ideal range. That is why it is so important to make sure you have the right blood glucose monitor so you have convenience and easy operation at your fingertips.

When you are looking for a monitor to use or are planning to replace your existing blood glucose monitor, you need to ask yourself some simple questions to figure out which model is right for you.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Type 2 Diabetes - Do Certain Psychiatric Drugs Cause The Metabolic Syndrome In Children?

Certain medications used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are known to cause weight gain and insulin resistance. In 2007 scientists at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Maryland, USA, found that clozapine (Clozaril), a second generation antipsychotic drug, raised levels of an enzyme abbreviated AMPK in mice, causing their appetites to increase.

Researchers at British Columbia's Children's Hospital and the University of British Columbia in Canada looked at the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in children who had been treated with second generation antipsychotic drugs, and the results compared with the effects on children not treated with the drugs.

Sunday 7 August 2011

Type 2 Diabetes - Which Beverages Should Diabetics Eliminate?

Choosing the right foods when you are a diabetic is hard enough, but did you know you should also be putting as much thought into the types of beverages you are consuming? Beverages, even fruit juice, can be a major source of calories (kilojoules) and sugar. Drinks are just as important as foods since they can offer the same amount of help, or hindrance, in the management of Type 2 diabetes.

First, and foremost, switch to water. Water contains no calories (kilojoules) and actually quenches your thirst much better than sugary drinks. You can choose plain water or fruit-flavored varieties, but check the label to make sure the flavored water is a sugar-free brand. Some brands contain as many calories as soft drinks.

Friday 5 August 2011

Type 2 Diabetes - Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

A report published in Dementia, Geriatrics and Cognitive Disorders in May 2011 confirms earlier research that preventing and treating Type 2 diabetes is likely to help to prevent Alzheimer' disease. It's no secret people with Type 2 diabetes have a higher increased risk of developing this irreversible, progressive brain disease by as much as 65 per cent.

Researchers at Columbia University looked at 1,488 people aged 65 and over without any evidence of a brain disease at the start of the study. Dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's disease were diagnosed as the study progressed. Seventeen per cent of the study participants were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Wednesday 3 August 2011

What Are Normal Blood Sugar Ranges?

Normal blood sugar ranges are very important information which helps identify whether the body is able to utilize glucose or you have diabetes mellitus. Blood sugar refers to the amount of glucose present in blood circulation. Knowing the normal ranges is very important for diabetics and those individuals identified to have a family history of diabetes. Normal ranges differ based what kind of glucose test is performed. The list below includes several tests on sugar levels and their corresponding normal ranges.

Glucometer test: 70-135 mg/dl (milligram per deciliter)

Glucometer is a portable device that measure sugar levels in the blood at any given time, no fasting required. The test is done by drawing a small blood sample, usually obtained from pricking the finger, into a strip that is being inserted to the device for testing.

Monday 1 August 2011

Diabetic Neuropathy

The recent estimate puts the number of people suffering from diabetes in the US at 26 million, with almost a quarter of them not yet knowing that they have diabetes. Simply put, diabetes is a disease characterized by poor control of blood glucose levels in the body. Of the many complications of diabetes mellitus, the one we would focus here is Diabetic Neuropathy.

So what is diabetic neuropathy and what problems will a patient suffering from diabetes will have if he develops neuropathy? Simply put, diabetic neuropathy in most cases refers to the damage to nerves due to prolonged diabetes. The patient having diabetic neuropathy may have numbness, tingling and pins-and-needles sensations.