Protein’s Affect on Blood Sugar Levels

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Jan 272012

Much the same as fiber, eating quality protein with your snacks and meals can have a positive affect on your blood sugar levels. By combining protein and carbohydrates you will slow the digestions of the carbohydrates in your body. This slowing down will prevent your blood sugar from spiking as the result of too many carbohydrates in your system.

This does not mean that you should eat more protein than is recommended in one meal. Doing so can lead to other problems down the road. But if you are a diabetic, skipping protein in your diet is not a good idea. For diabetics who are vegetarians or that don’t eat a lot of any protein it is important to find a source that can be consumed on a regular basis.

There are many other sources of high-quality protein that does not include animal meats. Other protein sources can include:

* Tofu is a source of protein that can be prepared in a variety of ways including dessert tofu
* Nuts are an excellent source of protein but can be high in fat too. Read nutrition labels and enjoy in moderation
* Seeds such as flax, pumpkin, and sunflower can be eaten as a source of protein
* Beans and other members of the legume family. There are many ways to prepare beans from chili to cold salads
* Protein powders are available to sprinkle on cereals or to make into shakes for drinking
* Fish sources – be aware that large fish contain high levels of mercury and should only be eaten once or twice per week

When making protein choices, go for a lean cut whenever possible. Even though protein has a positive affect on blood sugars excessive fat can cancel out the benefit and turn it into a health risk. Enjoy high-fat meats or heavily processed meats on rare occasions and eat a wide variety of proteins. View more at http://www.diabeticdietbloodglucose.com/.

Posted by Admin at 10:19 AM Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

How To Maintain A Normal Blood Sugar Level

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Jun 302011

Like the universe, the human body is considered to be an intriguing one because of its delicateness and uniqueness. The human body has different aspects that each of us should consider and take care of. This is because our body is our capital or the reason why we can do all what we want to do and what we must do. We should keep it healthy by eating a balanced diet, regular exercise and enough hours of sleep. Once we take an imbalanced and irregular maintenance of our body, some or all of its functions will loosen down and will cause illnesses and health problems to us.

Glucose or the blood sugar is the main source of energy that our body needs. It is a form of sugar that we can get from the foods that we eat, the liquids that we take and the right body maintenance that we do. It is usually derived from those foods that has high amount of carbohydrate and calories. Our blood sugar is kept inside our body and it needs the right amount of insulin. The insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. This insulin is released to our bloodstream whenever our sugar level rises above the normal level. It is between 70 to 150mg to be considered that you have a normal sugar level. Keeping a normal level of sugar requires great awareness and consciousness on the food that we eat. It is observed that humans have lower level of sugar at morning and it subsequently increases every after meal.

On medical diagnosis, when the normal sugar level goes beyond 150mg, the disorder is called hyperglycemia, or in the layman’s term, it is commonly called high blood sugar. On the other side, when normal level goes below 70mg, it is now called hypoglycemia. This disorder is also referred to as low blood sugar. Whether there is a diagnosis of high or low blood sugar levels, be aware that this could be a fatal one. You should see your doctor as soon as possible for immediate medication and treatment. In the event that the normal level is not regulated well in our body, this could cause as severe illnesses like diabetes milletus.

To keep yourself on track of the happenings in your body especially on your sugar content, you can have yourself a blood glucose test wherein your bloodstream is clinically and medically checked if there is eradication of diabetes and even to hypoglycemia. As of today, there are several types of blood glucose test that you can refer to.

It is not that hard as you think of how you can have and maintain a normal level of sugar inside your blood. All you need to do is to have a healthy lifestyle, right choice and amount of food and a well-monitored height and weight proportion. The more you reduce the fats and calories in your body, the more you reduce the risk of diabetes. It is just about having a combined maintenance of regular physical activity and approved food choices.

Diabetes is a disease that has been triggered by several factors. You can immediately learn how to manage this type of disease by knowing more about the normal blood sugar level. It is better to be aware with your health and maintain a healthy life. You can visit http://www.BloodSugarLevelsNormal.org for more details about the discreet symptoms of diabetes.

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Controlling Blood Sugar In Type 2 Diabetes Without The Use Of Drugs

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Jun 292011

I was told in rapid succession that I was suffering from intermittent claudication (that’s blocked arteries in the legs), high blood pressure, Diabetes Type 2. and that I was overweight.

Not a lot of pleasure there! The intermittent claudication made it increasingly difficult to do much, so that in effect I had become a prisoner to my house and garden. Exercise was out of the question, my legs simply couldn’t cope, but it was hoped that angioplasty to each leg would cure the problem. It didn’t.

My high blood pressure, I was assured, could be treated by a cocktail of drugs and by weight loss. The cocktail of four different drugs worked, but I could not seem to lose weight.

So I was given a choice: the blood sugar levels could be controlled either by drugs or by diet. Since I was already taking four different drugs for blood pressure, I thought it best to try diet control. I was also hopeful that this might help me to lose weight. But where to start? My diabetic nurse provided me with a blood sugar monitor and said I should aim to stay under 9 as my reading. My Doctor said to stay under 7. Now she has reduced this to under 5. My current long-term reading is 5.3. A big drop from the high readings I used to produce.

So what did I do? At first I was taking blood samples three times a day and was truly astonished at how my blood sugar jumped about. Plain porridge and water, which I absolutely loved, would produce a reading of 16 and yet, being a slow release multigrain, I had always assumed it would be good for my health. A single apple, showed a reading of 12! Tea with milk but no sugar, 10. Obviously there was more to this than met the eye.

The first learning point was that the body needs water and lots of it. Out went sugared fizzy drinks and in came plain boiled water. The Swedes call it Silver Tea, I’m told, and it is very refreshing. Now a cup starts every day and two or three more follow. Low calorie tonic water is also useful (the quinine helps prevent cramps), mineral water (I especially like carbonated forms), low calorie Ginger Beer and cold filtered tap water.

The next, crucial, learning point: control your carbohydrate intake, in my case to under 40gms a day. Eliminate bread, cakes, sweets, pasta, rice, cereals, biscuits, sugars, fruit juice, potatoes, honey, jam, marmalade, baked beans. Reading the food labels is a real eye opener!

Instead, increase your intake of vegetables and low carbohydrate foods & fruits. All of the following are particularly good: Broccoli, cabbage, spinach, runner beans, brussels sprouts cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, swede, squashes, celeriac, green salads. Fruit can be very high in sugars, so use in moderation. Choose rhubarb, grapefruit, raspberries, loganberries, strawberries, blueberries, all of which are O.K. Do not add sugar, of course, so sweeten with cinnamon instead. Avocadoes are low in carbohydrates, but high in fat, so eat no more than half a fruit a day. Add nuts and seeds to your diet, again in small amounts.

As far as alcohol is concerned, all beers are out. One or two glasses of red wine a day are acceptable.

Avoid processed foods as much as possible and certainly do NOT eat hydrogenated fats of any kind. They are to my mind a food industry con. and of no use to any one other than manufacturers of processed food.

Buy only genuine, non-reconstituted lean meat, poultry, game and fish. Reduce your saturated fat intake by cooking on a griddle and cutting off any excess fat. Cook with olive and nut oils, as these unsaturated fats are good for you. Never use lard. Add game to your repertoire of ingredients, along with plenty of oily and white fish such as salmon, haddock, tuna, swordfish, mackerel & kipper.

I have never once felt hungry with this change in my eating habits to simple whole foods. I still find I miss eating plain yoghurt, vanilla ice cream and various cheeses. But then I occasionally do give myself a small treat – provided I stay within my allowance.

The results are good for my health:

My good cholesterol is high
My bad cholesterol is low
My type II diabetes blood sugar is well controlled by diet alone
I have lost 10 lbs in weight.

My next task is to lose another 30 lbs. I know now that this is achievable. The more weight I lose, the more able I am to increase my activity levels – and the more incentive I have to control my calorie intake. At last I feel that I am taking back control of my body and discovering that you really are what you eat! You can learn more information with regards to this condition at http://diabetes-type-2.com/.

Posted by Admin at 7:45 PM Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Sugar Freak, Beware!

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Jun 272011

Been craving for sweets lately? Can’t resist that chocolate-coated wafer or that high-sugar latte? Well, better change off your mind before you know, you’ll be bedridden for the next 24-hours. High-sugar intake may result to diabetes is a term used for two different endocrine diseases, both of which are characterized by excessive urination and thirst. The victims of this disease has so many do’s and don’ts in order to maintain their sugar level, like they are not allowed to be injured, because for sure that injured part will linger for a long time. This is just one of the many related dos and don’ts of a diabetic patient. Life gets so complicated once you have this kind of disease. You are monitored 24/7 all the days of your diabetic years. You have to be so much aware especially on your food intake, like having this new food plan. Although it would change your lifestyle, this change is for the betterment of your health.

So, what are the causes and dangers of diabetes? There are two types, one is diabetes insipidus and the other is diabetes mellitus. Research says that diabetes insipidus is a condition associated with the inability of the kidney to conserve water. It is caused by a failure of the hypothalamus to release antidiuretic hormones. On the other hand, diabetes mellitus is a pancreatic disease affecting carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism. In severe cases, the concentration in the blood of a sugar, glucose, is markedly elevated and large amounts of glucose are excreted in the urine.

Aside from the biological facts of this type of disease, it also affects more than 20 billion people in the world. The prevalence of this disease increases with age from about 0.2 percent for persons less than 17 years of age to about 10 percent for persons aged 65 years and over, and sad to say, the most affected are females. Insulin is the only hormone that maintains a normal blood-glucose concentration, if your pancreas is not secreting enough insulin, then you are on your way to diabetes, probably, diabetes mellitus. Without insulin, the condition will develop into ketoacidosis. This is the condition wherein high levels of ketone bodies are located in the blood, causing lowered blood pH and possible heat failure. Meanwhile coma is another type of severe condition which is caused by very high levels of blood glucose.

What can you say? And did you know that long-term complications like kidney-failure, heart diseases, blindness and disorder of the nervous system are believed to be related to elevate blood-glucose concentration. You should be aware with the idea that you are putting your life at risk for craving too much of what your body can accommodate.

There is only one word in here: discipline. If you love yourself, then you should have this daily high-dose of discipline and self-control. You need to be aware of yourself. Check yourself, especially in your food intake. Do you have a balanced meal every day? There are so much more than having a bag of signature chocolates in your pocket. Get rid of too much sugar, because too much sugar will kill you.

Diabetes is a disease that has been triggered by several factors. You will never know the complications once you are already diagnosed with this kind of disease. You can immediately do something about your health by knowing more about diabetes and diet. It is better to be aware with your health and maintain a healthy life. Simply visit http://www.Diabetes-Info.org for more details about the effective remedies for diabetes.

Posted by Admin at 11:20 AM Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Losing Weight and Controlling Blood Sugar

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Jun 232011

If you are a diabetic and are overweight or considered clinically obese, you can improve your overall health and the management of your diabetes by losing weight. It may seem like an overwhelming goal if you have tried in the past to lose weight and have failed. But there are steps you can take and support you can utilize to help you reach your goals.

The first step to losing weight is to set a short-term goal for yourself. You can do this on your own but can also get help from your doctor or a dietician. A good goal when starting to lose weight is to take a small percentage of your overall weight and aim to lose that much in your time frame. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds aim to lose weight 5% of your body weight to begin (10 pounds). When you lose weight as a diabetic you are helping your body by lessening your insulin requirements. Weight loss will also assist you in keeping your blood sugar levels under control.

Another method to lose weight is physical activity and exercise. Getting your body moving will increase your metabolism and that act will assist in losing weight too. Not only will increased metabolism aid in weight loss, it will also help in controlling blood glucose levels. Your body will be processing food more efficiently.

Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand with weight loss. It also takes patience and time but as you begin the road to weight loss the benefits you will derive as a diabetic will begin right away. And as you reach your goal weight you will gain better control of your blood sugars. If you are having difficulty losing weight on your own, speak to your doctor about other options that are available to you such as medication or possibly surgery. More can be read at http://diabetesandexercise.org/.

Posted by Admin at 4:27 PM Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Glycemic Index Diets Can Help To Control Blood Sugar Level

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Jun 232011

Study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition findings are that assessing a meal using the glycemic index, which lists the quality of carbohydrates contained in many common foods, appears to be a good way to predict the effect a meal will have on blood sugar levels,this is important information for diabetes patients.

Dr. Thomas M. S. Wolever, of the University of Toronto and colleagues examined whether overall carbohydrate content and glycemic index of individual foods, as given in published tables, determined the effects of a realistic mixed meal on the blood sugar in normal subjects.

The team measured the responses to six test meals in 16 subjects in Sydney and eight meals in 10 subjects in Toronto, and then pooled the results. The meals varied in amount of calories, protein, fat, available carbohydrates and glycemic index score.

The blood sugar and insulin responses to the Sydney test meals varied over a 3-fold range. For the Toronto test meals, the blood sugar responses varied over a 2.4-fold range.

The team found no correlation between the blood sugar levels and fat or protein content of the test meal, but there was a significant correlation with carbohydrate content and glycemic index alone, which accounted for 88 percent of the variation in the blood sugar response.

This findings show that the glycemic index works and diabetes patients can use glycemic index diets but should be monitored and use thier prscribed therapy. Managing your diet is a very important factor in the treatment of any type of diabetes. You must be able to find out more about it especially when it comes to glycemic index diets. You can view more by clicking http://diabetesanddiet.net/.

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