Posts Tagged ‘diabetic’
Discovering the American Diabetic Diet
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
Many diabetics suffer from a weak immune system and when weakened, it prevents the body from healing quicker and recovering from viruses such as colds. Also, it can lead to infections in the body. According tot he American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the fifth most deadly disease in America and it affects nearly 21 million Americans. And unfortunately many people are undiagnosed and go untreated until they have serious health problems. Fortunately, with a proper diet, many diabetics can improve their immune system. (more…)
Free Glycemic Index Chart
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
Patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes have to live with the fact that they have to live with the illness all of their lives. This could be really tragic but life must go on and there are now many methods of managing the illness. Aside from proper medication and diet management, it is important for patients to be educated of the probable complications that the illness could bring. This knowledge is indispensable since it would eventually spell the difference between life and death much later on.
The most common condition that is associated with diabetes is hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a syndrome that results from having low blood sugar levels. Diabetics are highly likely to have hypoglycemic episodes especially when they have a need to fast for tests. This condition could also occur among diabetics which means that patients should not only observe high glucose levels but also the dropping of those levels. It is, therefore, important to have meal planning and for those who already know how to use it—to have a Glycemic Index.
The Glycemic Index (GI) will help diabetic patients in controlling their blood glucose levels, appetite, cholesterol levels; it could also help in lowering the risks of type 2 diabetes. By definition, GI is a scale that has rankings for foods that are rich in carbohydrates and compare them against white bread or glucose in raising blood glucose levels. During carbohydrate intake, the food is broken down and sugars are digested to, eventually, produce energy. After eating, the blood glucose level often rises (glycemic response).
Meal planning can definitely work with the Glycemic Index. The GI ranks foods that have carbohydrates according to these foods’ glycemic response. Those that raise the blood glucose levels immediately get a higher ranking, meaning, those that have low GI ranking are best taken by a diabetic.
It is very important to carefully choose food and to maintain a balanced diet when you are a diabetic. The overall nutritive value of the food should be constantly considered before a meal is planned. Foods that are rich in carbs should not be totally taken off the patient’s diet only because of a high GI ranking. It is important to ask for the guidance of a physician to effectively maximize the use of the GI.
Glycemic Index Chart
| Low Glycemic Index Foods |
| Here are some of the foods that are good for diabetics because of their low GI ranking: skimmed milk, soy beverages, plain yogurt, apples, plum, oranges, sweet potato, parboiled rice, oat bran bread, pasta (al dente is recommended), lentils, baked beans, chick peas, and Pumpernickel bread. |
| Moderate Glycemic Index Foods |
| The foods that have moderate ranking on the Glycemic Index are: bananas, pineapples, new potatoes, raisins, oatmeal, popcorn, green pea soup, split pea, brown rice, couscous, shredded wheat cereal, Basmati rice, rye bread, and whole wheat bread. |
| High Glycemic Index Foods |
| The foods that should be taken in moderate amounts because of their high GI rankings are: watermelon, instant mashed potatoes, dried dates, parsnips, Rutabaga, instant rice, corn flakes, rice crispies, Cheerios, bagels, soda crackers, jellybeans, and French fries. |
Being a diabetic is all about eating in moderation, careful meal planning, proper exercise (one that was prescribed by a doctor), and administration of medicines. Conditions such as having high blood glucose level and hypoglycemia could be avoided if these factors are to be religiously followed.
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The Benefits of Cinnamon for Diabetes
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
Are you a big fan of cinnamon? Well, if you are a type 2 diabetic, there has been studies that show that cinnamon can lower blood sugar and that is great news!
Diabetes is a syndrome that affects millions of people. It’s when the body either produces high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), your body doesn’t produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or your body doesn’t respond to insulin (type 2 and gestational diabetes) which can lead to hyperglycemia.
A major sign for diabetics is the fact that they visit the bathroom often. The body feels the urge to urinate when there is too much glucose in the blood. Insulin which converts blood sugar to energy may be ineffective and your kidneys are unable to filter the glucose back into your blood. So, your body reacts by exerting any extra water in the blood to dilute glucose.
What cinnamon will do, is try to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood which will prevent the expenditure of glucose through urination. Typically, too much loss of blood sugar could lead to insulin shock and major problems for diabetics.
But let’s take a look at the benefits of cinnamon and why its known to help diabetics.
What is Cinnamon and How Does it Work?
Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
For millions of families, it’s not uncommon to know someone who suffers from diabetes, which is a syndrome when the body either produces high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), your body doesn’t produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or your body doesn’t respond to insulin (type 2 and gestational diabetes) which can lead to hyperglycemia.
But over 15,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year. It is not known what causes type 1 diabetes but many children are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes (and some adults as well). Here are several type 1 diabetes to keep an eye out for and if you feel you exhibit one of these signs, it is important to contact your physician to determine if you do have diabetes or not.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes Medication
Monday, December 1st, 2008
With over a million American suffering from diabetes, the most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, a hetereogenous disorder which includes the body’s resistance to insulin, a defect in the body’s inability to secret insulin and an increase in the production of glucose in the liver.
Typical treatment of type 2 diabetes is being on a diabetic diet plan which includes weight loss, exercising and monitoring what foods are eaten. But sometimes medications are needed to bring blood glucose levels down.
Types of Medication Available
Medications that are sold are classified in five major categories: sulfonylureas, meglitinides, biguanides, thiazolidinediones and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. Also, within the last few years, newer medications approved by the FDA have been introduced.