You Are What You Eat

For a diabetic nothing could be truer. When it comes to maintaining good blood sugar levels, a healthy diet is vital.
People with diabetes have to take extra care to ensure their diet is properly balanced with their insulin and oral medications.
The right meal plan will help any diabetic improve blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. It will also keep their weight on track.

All diabetics must control their refined carbohydrate intake. These types of carbohydrates increase blood glucose levels. While some promote health, others when eaten often and in large quantities, may increase the risk for diabetes.

Carbohydrates come from a wide array of foods including fruit, vegetables, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti and corn. The most common and abundant ones refined in are sugars, fibers and starches. It is advised diabetics avoid white bread, rice and pasta, along with foods containing unnaturally added sugars.
The body will convert all types of refined carbohydrates into glucose. Eating extra servings of rice, pasta and bread will make blood sugar rise. Just because an item does not contain added sugar, does not guarantee it is a safe food.
 
Diabetics should consume carbohydrate-rich foods close to their natural form. These items have greater vital nutrient density. Whenever possible, replace highly processed grains, cereals and sugars with natural whole-grain products.
 
Eating complex carbohydrates rich in fiber significantly lower blood sugar levels. It is suspected that soluble fiber may play an important role in glucose control. It is capable of slowing down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and increasing the sensitivity of tissues to insulin, thereby preventing rises in blood sugar.
 
It is recommended diabetics eat 13 fiber-rich servings of fruits, veggies, beans and grains daily. Soluble-fiber rich foods include orange and grapefruit segments, prunes, cantaloupes, papayas, raisins, lima beans, zucchini, oatmeal, oat bran and granola. Other foods high in soluble fiber include barley, peas and strawberries.
The glycemic index system, or GI, is a good guideline for diabetics to follow.

Invented in the early 1980s by University of Toronto researchers, the glycemic index ranks carbohydrate foods by their effects on blood sugar levels.

The GI assigns carbohydrate-containing foods a number based on how they affect blood sugars. The number indicates how quickly the food breaks down during digestion. The longer the body has to break an item down into glucose, the slower the rise in blood-sugar levels, and the lower the GI. Products with a GI less than 55 are preferred.

Natural supplementation is a good ingredient to implement in the fight against diabetes. Adding a half a teaspoon of cinnamon to any meal can stabilize blood sugar swings.
Many diabetics also supplement with vitamins, herbs and medicinal teas. Incorporating natural ginseng into a diet can produce positive affects. This herb, which is recognized throughout China to have healing properties, has been known to help improve fasting blood glucose levels and increase insulin secretion.
The easiest method to control diabetes is through proper diet. An eating plan high in fiber and low in refined carbohydrates will ensure the best strategy to beat the disease.

Warmest regards

Julia Hanf

Diabetes is a condition that millions of people manage on a daily basis.  People with diabetes must be mindful of the foods and beverages they consume.  Whether or not you have had natural diabetes all of your life or have been recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, it is crucial that you engage in healthy food choices.

The majority of your food selections should be based on a whole foods approach.  Whole foods are natural and organic foods.  These foods are created with the highest standards and are tailored for people with conditions such as diabetes, gluten intolerance, and other conditions.  Seek out whole food and organic supermarkets in your area.

What food choices should people with diabetes make to manage their diabetes glucose levels?  First, think back to nature such as vegetables and fruits.  Nature has provided a wealth of vegetables to keep your palate enticed.  For example, have a spinach salad with broccoli and carrots at dinner. 

To control your blood sugar levels you have to monitor your carbohydrate consumption.  Breads and pastas can spike your blood sugar, but this can be minimized if you consume whole grain breads and pastas.  These are easy to find at a whole foods organic market.

For your entrée keep the focus on fish, chicken and turkey.  You can consume lean cuts of beef and pork in moderation.  Make sure to remove the fatty skin and use healthy liquid oils, such as olive oil, when you cook foods.  In addition, stick to non-fat dairy products.  You can consume skim milk, non fat cheese, and non fat yogurt.

If you have diabetes you may feel that you have to miss out on the sweet taste of foods.  This is not so.  You can add cinnamon in moderation to foods to give them a sweet taste.  Cinnamon may actually have a positive effect on your blood glucose levels, especially for people with Type 2 diabetes.  Therefore, cinnamon is a great way to get the sweet fix you desire.

Another alternative natural sweetener is a herb called stevia. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar and can be used as a natural sweetener to replace sugar. It is recommended to stay away from most artificial sweeteners - especially aspartame. Aspartame is a deadly toxin than does more harm to your body than good.

Lastly, don't forget about what you drink!  Beverages can be a roadblock to lowering blood sugar levels.  Diabetes treatment should include drinking plenty of water and an occasional diet drink that has zero calories.

There are some foods that you should avoid like the plague.  Avoid processed foods such as candy, chips, sodas, fruit punch, and cookies.  These contain an excessive amount of sugar and carbohydrates that will have your blood glucose level soaring.  Watch out for foods labeled as "sugar free" as well.  This labeling is misleading and they can often raise your blood sugar levels as much as common sugar foods.

Remember that consuming healthy foods is not a free for all.  If you eat too much of any type of food you will gain weight.  Gaining weight is especially disastrous for people with diabetes.  Stick to healthy portions and monitor your caloric intake.

Diabetics may have to spend more time analyzing what they eat and drink, but it is a manageable process.  The number of whole food organic supermarkets is on the rise which is a major benefit for people with diabetes.  Take advantage of their services to help you control your blood sugar levels and enjoy food at the same time.

To Your Health

Julia Hanf

An overweight America may be fixated on fat and obsessed with carbs, but nutritionists say the real problem is much sweeter -- we're awash in sugar. Sugar is one of the main factors that contribute to diabetes. With diabetes growing at an incredible rate there are many different views on treating diabetes. In 2007 the amount of sugar being consumed grew exponentially. Did you know that the average American consumes 63 pounds of sugar a year? The issue is not that we consume sugar, but it is the amount of sugar we consume without even realizing it. For example a can of soda contains 13 teaspoons of sugar. People have turned to artificial sweeteners as an alternative to sugar.

In my research I have found that there is one alternative that may be step above all the rest. This is a NATURAL herb called stevia. Stevia is derived from a South American shrub (Stevia rebaudiana). A good quality leaf is estimated to be 300 times sweeter than cane sugar, or sucrose. Also known as "honey leaf" and yerba dulce, stevia is not absorbed through the digestive tract, and is therefore non-caloric. This is a huge find for a person with diabetes, stevia is not only a natural substitute for sugar but it also carries medicinal properties. Preliminary evidence suggests that it may lower blood pressure prevent and reverse diabetes and possess anti-viral properties.

Many people ask me well why have I not heard of this before, the answer although much to vast to cover in this article, attributes many of these natural remedies not being told to the public due to the monetization of big companies that focus on nothing but maximizing profits. Learn more about all the varieties of sweetners at http://www.yourdiabetescure.com

Type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance
In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin but, for unknown reasons, the body cannot use the insulin effectively. The disease typically occurs, in part, because the cells comprising muscle and other tissues become resistant to insulin's action, especially among the obese. Insulin permits the entry of glucose into most cells, where this sugar is used for energy, stored in the liver and muscles (as glycogen), and converted to fat when present in excess. Insulin resistance leads to higher than normal levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia).

Chromium deficiency impairs the body's ability to use glucose to meet its energy needs and raises insulin requirements. It has therefore been suggested that chromium supplements might help to control type 2 diabetes or the glucose and insulin responses in persons at high risk of developing the disease. A review of randomized controlled clinical trials evaluated this hypothesis This meta-analysis assessed the effects of chromium supplements on three markers of diabetes in the blood: glucose, insulin, and glycated hemoglobin (which provides a measure of long-term glucose levels; also known as hemoglobin A1C). It summarized data from 15 trials on 618 participants, of which 425 were in good health or had impaired glucose tolerance and 193 had type 2 diabetes. Chromium supplementation had no effect on glucose or insulin concentrations in the non-diabetic subjects nor did it reduce these levels in subjects with diabetes, except in one study. However, that study, conducted in China (in which 155 diabetics were given either 200 or 1,000 mcg/day of chromium or a placebo) might simply show the benefits of supplementation in a chromium-deficient population.

Lipid metabolism
The effects of chromium supplementation on blood lipid levels in humans are also inconclusive In some studies, 150 to 1,000 mcg/day has decreased total and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increased concentrations of apolipoprotein A (a component of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol known as HDL or "good" cholesterol) in subjects with atherosclerosis or elevated cholesterol or among those taking a beta-blocker drug These findings are consistent with the results of earlier studies

Type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance
In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin but, for unknown reasons, the body cannot use the insulin effectively. The disease typically occurs, in part, because the cells comprising muscle and other tissues become resistant to insulin's action, especially among the obese. Insulin permits the entry of glucose into most cells, where this sugar is used for energy, stored in the liver and muscles (as glycogen), and converted to fat when present in excess. Insulin resistance leads to higher than normal levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia).

Chromium deficiency impairs the body's ability to use glucose to meet its energy needs and raises insulin requirements. It has therefore been suggested that chromium supplements might help to control type 2 diabetes or the glucose and insulin responses in persons at high risk of developing the disease. A review of randomized controlled clinical trials evaluated this hypothesis This meta-analysis assessed the effects of chromium supplements on three markers of diabetes in the blood: glucose, insulin, and glycated hemoglobin (which provides a measure of long-term glucose levels; also known as hemoglobin A1C). It summarized data from 15 trials on 618 participants, of which 425 were in good health or had impaired glucose tolerance and 193 had type 2 diabetes. Chromium supplementation had no effect on glucose or insulin concentrations in the non-diabetic subjects nor did it reduce these levels in subjects with diabetes, except in one study. However, that study, conducted in China (in which 155 diabetics were given either 200 or 1,000 mcg/day of chromium or a placebo) might simply show the benefits of supplementation in a chromium-deficient population.