Diabeties Diets - For Life Improvement

Basically, there are two types of diabetes, 1 and 2. Type 1 is much less common than Type 2, and occurs before the age of 40.

Type 1 is associated with a lack of insulin, and without enough insulin you cannot maintain a normal blood glucose level. This in turn causes hyperglycemia, or an overabundance of sugar in the blood. This is a dangerous condition.

Type 2 is much more common, and develops later in life, usually when someone is overweight, and with poor diet and physical condition. Heredity plays a big role as well.

In Type 2, the problem is resistance to insulin rather than the lack of insulin. The result is the same however, an elevated blood sugar level

The diets and suggestions below are generally for Type 2 sufferers. There are four basic rules to follow:

Achieving an ideal body weight

Following a diabetic diet

Regular daily exercise

Diabetic medication if needed

Your doctor will know your ideal weight. Ideal weight differs from one's skeletal and genetic (and racial) factors. Let a doctor give you your ideal weight and then you must work to achieve it.

The diabetic diet (as guidelines) is outlined below.

Daily exercise, especially walking is very good for Type 2 diabetics.

Your doctor will have given you some medication. Take it per the prescription instructions.

The Diet

People with Type 2 diabetes generally are put on a 1500-1800 calorie diet per day to promote weight loss and then the maintenance of ideal body weight.

This always varies according to the person's age, sex, activity level, current weight and body type. More obese individuals will need more calories initially until their weight is less.

This is because it takes more calories to maintain a larger body and a 1600 calorie diet for them may promote weight loss that is too fast and will promote complications. Also, people whose activity level is low will have less daily caloric needs.

The diet will generally have about 50% carbohydrates of the daily calories (with an acceptable range from 40 to 60%).

As a general rule the lower the carbohydrate intake the lower the sugar levels in the blood. The benefits of the low calorie diet can be cancelled out by the problems associated with a higher fat diet substituted for the lower amount of carbohydrates. You can counter this by substituting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats.

Count your carbohydrates!

You can figure that each gram of carbohydrate is about 4 calories. A diabetic on a 1600 calorie diet should get 50% of these calories from carbohydrate.

This would be a total of 800 calories or 200 gms of carbohydrate (at 4 calories per gram) spread out over the day. You will need food tables (from diet books and also read those labels in all foods you buy).

There are some foods that you are able to enjoy without counting their food values. A good example is:

Bouillon or broth

Carbonated or mineral water

Club soda

Coffee or tea

Diet soft drinks

Drink mixes, sugar-free

Tonic water, sugar free

Sugar-free hard candy

Sugar-free Jell-O

Sugar-free gum

Jam or jelly, light or low-sugar, 2 tsp.

Sugar free syrup, 2 tsp.

You can eat foods with some sugar in it, but it will use up both your calories and carbohydrate requirements with poor nutritional value. Go for fruit. People with diabetes can eat any kind of fruit, regardless of the sugar content.

Everyone is encouraged to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Spreading the fruit you eat through the day will avoid a sudden rise in blood glucose levels.

Although some fruits have a lower glycogenic index, which shows how foods affect blood glucose levels, the important thing is to increase the amount of fruit you eat, including a wide variety of different fruits. Eating lots of fruit will also promote good heath and weight loss.

You can also eat as many vegetables as you wish.

None are forbidden except if you classify a potato as a vegetable. It is not. The goal here is to eat only the best quality foods, have 50% of your calories from carbohydrates, and then lose weight till you achieve the ideal.

Along with these diet guidelines and your medication, you can look forward to a healthy and normal life.

For More FREE info

On Diabties diets and other tips to improve your diet and overall health, visit our website for articles features and downloads

http://www.net-planet.org

Pre-Diabetes; Are You At Risk?

When your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes, you have a condition known as impaired glucose tolerance, or pre diabetes. Pre diabetes is usually accompanied by insulin resistance, and most people that are diagnosed with it go on to develop type 2 diabetes within a 10 year period.

Are You At Risk?

If you are over 45 years of age, are overweight, have a history of diabetes or gestational diabetes, have high blood pressure or are from a minority group with a higher risk of diabetes (Hispanic, African American, American Indian, Asian American/Pacific Islanders), you are at a higher risk of having pre diabetes and developing diabetes.

Detecting Pre Diabetes

Two tests are mainly used in detecting the presence of pre-diabetes:

In a fasting plasma glucose test, fasting glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.

In an oral glucose tolerance test, blood glucose levels between 140 and 199 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.

Pre diabetes symptoms are gradual and often go unnoticed. Many people have pre diabetes and diabetes without even knowing it. If any of the risks factor described above apply to you, talk to your doctor about getting tested. Other symptoms that you may notice include increased appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Pre Diabetes Treatment - The Good News!

Detecting pre diabetes early and following the needed treatment can actually reverse the condition and possibly bring blood glucose levels back to normal. Lifestyle changes are the effective way of treating pre diabetes and delaying or even preventing the development of type 2 diabetes. The health choices that you make on a daily basis can make a huge difference on your diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. If you make the needed lifestyle changes and follow your doctor's advice, your will dramatically lower your risks.

The needed lifestyle changes include:

o A healthy, low carb diet

o Staying physically active.

o Loosing weight

Talk to your doctor and come up with a plan that will fit you and your lifestyle best in order to keep pre diabetes under control.

Conclusion

Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous condition that is many times preceded by pre diabetes. Remember that you have the power to do something about it! If you act early and follow the needed lifestyle changes, educate yourself and work with your health care team, you can definitely slow down or even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and the complications associated with it.

For more information on diabetes visit Your Life with Diabetes

Jesus Chirino is webmaster of Your Life with Diabetes [http://www.yourlifewithdiabetes.com], a website dedicated to providing free diabetes information and resources.

Diabetes Symptoms - Early Symptoms of Diabetes, Diet, Facts and Info

The early symptoms of diabetes are often taken for granted as the norm. Diabetes (type 2 specifically) is at an all time high in the United States door to a number of various factors such as environment, work habits and poor diet. It is said that today's nine-to-five lifestyle of the average American is the breeding ground for this disease. So how does one stay safe from this disease when it is so common among today's adults? The key is in early detection of the symptoms of diabetes and taking action in order to make a healthy change.

So what are the common diabetes symptoms?

The common diabeties symptoms include the following: excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme weightloss or gain, highly increased fatigue, irritability, increased hunger, blurry vision, confusion, upon many other symptoms of diabeties. One extremely important thing to consider is that these symptoms do not mean you have diabetes, they are simply warning signs and should be used as "red flags" in order to get checked out by a medical professional. In other words, it is common for everyone to experience one or more of theses symptoms every now and then, but should not be ignored either. If these symptoms persist or come back repeatedly or if you experience more than one of these diabetes symptoms at a time, it may be time to visit the doctor to get tested.

Only a medical professional can diagnose whether or not you have diabetes through simple blood tests. The key to treatment is early detection. In addition, preventative maintenance is key to not falling victim to this disease. In addition, diabetes can be inherited through other family members. If you have a history of diabetes within your family, you may be at greater risk for this disease.

What is a proper diabetes diet?

There is a vast amount of information available on the topic of diabetes diets. As a rule of thumb, you should eat the way most medical professionals would want you to eat normally. The diabetes diet is considered quite possibly, the healthiest way to eat. Diabetics should eat small portions throughout the day, a healthy breakfast and a diet of regulated carbs as a routine. Many diabetics take cinnamon supplements as cinnomon can help regulate blood/sugar levels in the body. It is highly suggested that if you currently have diabetes, that you get involved in your own study of the disease and take part in programs that can help you cope and treat your disease.

If you don't have diabetes, but you may be at risk, there is no other time like the present to take action to ensure that you do not become afflicted with diabetes. This is your best chance at avoiding the risks associated with this disease. If you think you may be at risk, there is no time like the present to start making changes in your diet and lifestyle to avoid further declination in your health.

Studies have also shown that not getting enough sleep also contributes to your chances of getting diabetes, and those who have diabetes, it is more important than ever to get enough restful sleep every night. Sleep is highly under-rated in today's society but lack of sleep can easily cause a multitude of long-term health problems and should be taken seriously. Like sleep, exercise, even a short walk every day, can greatly increase your health and put you further away from the risks associated with diabetes.

Is there a diabetes cure?

This is a highly argued topic as the diabetes symptoms can be suppressed so much that they are almost, if not completely, undetectable. There are many programs online that use a variety of methods that can do such things. The generals are completely important; sleep, diet and exercise are key! Like mentioned before, it is highly recommended in getting in to a diabetes treatment program as to progressively attack this disease head-on.

The best thing you can do whether you have diabetes, know someone that has diabetes, or are at-risk for diabetes, is get informed, get educated and take action towards better health.

For more information on diabeties symptoms, please visit Diabetes-Symptoms.net

Alternately for more free information on the symptoms of diabetes [http://www.diabetiessymptoms.enewshealth.com], diabetes diets, cures and more, please visit DiabetiesSymptoms.ENewsHealth.com

Diabetes in Cats

It's scary when you first know your cat has diabetis but once you start understanding the disease and get more used to the monitoring it becomes easier for you and your kitty.

Informing yourself of the disease is crucial, its not the same as human diabetis and its a complex disease that you need to inform yourself about.Don't feel overwhelmed by the amount of information. Get all the info printed and make it a point to read them every night until you basically have learned the info by heart.

First of all, Feline diabetes is extremely difficult to regulate. Feline metabolism is simply not designed to be diabetes friendly. By "regulate," we mean finding the correct insulin dosage for steady, healthy blood sugar levels.Feline metabolism is built specifically for short, fast bursts of power and speed, not long chases, unlike dogs. It can take a very long time to find the right dose of insulin, and the "right" dose can change on you with little or no notice. Stress, even things that don't appear to us to be stressful, can set off sugar spikes in cats.

Thus, you MUST monitor your cat at all times. At any sign of trouble,at least call your vet. You'll get better over time at recognizing what needs immediate attention.

Signs of trouble (over-insulin) include:

Balance loss, unsteady walking (they'll act drunk ...)

Head shaking

Sudden craziness - this is different from the regular feline nightly run around and be active craziness. Sometimes, the cat might let out a horrible witchy yowl at top voice, spin madly around chasing its own tail 4-5 times, jump in the air, fall on the sides, pant and ultimately even lose consciousness.

So, in such instances have a light corn syrup handy. If you over-insulin (which is all too easily done) you will need to get come easy sugar into your cat FAST.

The insulin is given subcutaneaously, that is, directly under the top layer of skin, and NOT into the blood. What you'll do is lift your cat's skin somewhere around the scruff or near that area, just as you would do to check hydration (something you'll want to do daily, by the way ...) You'll then have a little tent of skin lifted off from the body. You'll insert the the needle along the long line of the tent (think of a long pole supporting the tent like a roof line) rather than from side to side of the tent. Inject and you're done. You'll get to where you can do it easily.

Never give another shot if you think you missed the shot (sometimes you can make a mistake and give the shot to the fur.. which isn't helpful at all!) but its always best for your kitty to skip a dose than have a double shot.

Eating is crucial - and it is equally crucial that your cat eats something immediately before or after the insulin shot (just like human diabetics). This can be difficult, as cats often don't eat when they don't feel well, so start finding all the creative treats you can find that will entice your cat.You can probably try home-made (no salt or spices) chicken broth, which gels when cold; baby food (all meat, NO spices, particularly onion powder, which is poisonous to cats); wet food (from the vet, particularly made for kidney problems); TUNA (the special favorite.) Experiment, but don't go overboard, and remember that however 'underboard' is more dangerous.

As the diabetes progresses, be on the watch for other complications; Joint problems , need for heat, blindness. You'll need to make environmental changes to accommodate such things as they develop. Some cats can come down with renal failure as a secondary condition to the diabetes. These are all treatable, but it will add to the adjustments you and your cat will need to make.

Find out where your nearest emergency animal hospital/clinic is NOW before you need that information. Because you will need it.Unless you are extremely blessed, there will be at least once or twice that you will need to rush your cat for immediate care, because he goes into diabetic coma (the warnings I mentioned above.) Keep the number someplace where you can find it at a moment's notice.

Towels are your friend. They can be used to wrap a cat who struggles when given shots; they can be used to put under a cat who is retching to catch the vomit (towels, unlike rugs and floors, are easily thrown into a washing machine!);they can make emergency beds as the cat's ability to navigate the environment changes. They can be used with plastic to catch extraneous urine around the litterbox (again - washable!).

Periodically ,talk to your vet about cat's diet. He may already be on lower-protein food. If not, it may be time to introduce it. Kidney problems necessitate lower protein foods than normal

This can be a harsh statement, but to be realistic, Diabetes in cats is fatal -- you may have weeks or years, depending on how well your cat's blood levels regulate. Now is the time for the two of you to come to an agreement about what constitutes a quality-of-life threshold. Only you and your cat can decide when that is for the two of you. But it is a conversation you should start, now,while you can still enjoy yourselves together as you have it.

Anand Srinivasan is the author of Tech Crunchies and Stats, a website of varied themes and topics for the internet surfer who wants to surf but does not know what to!

Diabetes: 24,000 Deaths A Year Blamed On NHS

Widespread failings in NHS diabetic care cause 24,000 unnecessary deaths every year, a report has warned.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report found treatment for diabetic patients is a postcode lottery with a massive variation in quality of care from one region to another.

In some regions, only 6% of sufferers received the recommended levels of care compared to 69% in the highest-achieving primary care trusts (PCTs).

Across England only half of people with diabetes received the recommended standards of care in 2009 to 2010.

But not a single PCT delivered the nine basic care processes which reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation or kidney disease.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK , said: "This report shows that diabetes healthcare in England is not meeting the challenge and that much of the colossal amount of money being spent on it is being wasted.

"But by using the money we already spend on diabetes more wisely, we could stop 24,000 people dying unnecessarily every year.

"Action is needed now. Escalating diabetes costs threaten to wreck the NHS budget so this is an issue that affects all of us, not just people with diabetes."

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "There is no excuse for delivering anything but the best diabetes care.

"Nice (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance and Quality Standards set out what good care looks like.

"By exposing poor practice and shining a light on best practice, we are determined to drive up standards for everyone.

"We are already working on a new outcomes strategy covering long-term health conditions and are committed to publishing a companion document on diabetes later this year."

The worst offenders were Mid Essex and Swindon PCTs where less than 9% of patients were given the nine basic tests which are recommended by the Department of Health (DH).

The report's authors said: "The Department holds information to assess performance but there is a lack of accountability for PCTs who fail to ensure that the recommended standards of care are met."

It also claimed the NHS does not "clearly understand" the costs of diabetes at a local level and is therefore finding it difficult to deliver diabetes services in the most effective way.

The report said: "People with diabetes require regular review of clinical indicators of disease progression.

"Without regular monitoring and treatment, this damage can lead to complications such as blindness, amputation and kidney disease."

View the original article here

'Failings' on diabetes condemned

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News  People with diabetes need to check their blood sugar levels on a regular basis Standards for diabetes care are still not being met in England - 11 years after they were set, a report suggests.

The Department of Health recommended in 2001 that patients should receive nine basic services, including cholesterol and blood pressure monitoring, eye screening and foot examinations.

But the National Audit Office analysis said despite improvements, just half of patients were getting the checks.

The government said the NAO had taken only a "snapshot" of care.

The watchdog also criticised ministers for not having a grip on costs.

It said the NHS was spending at least £3.9bn a year on diabetes - three times more than ministers had estimated.

'Failed to deliver'

But the watchdog said better management of patients could save £170m a year through fewer hospital admissions and less complex treatment. About 24,000 unnecessary deaths could be prevented too.

More than 2.3m people are diagnosed as having diabetes.

Without effective care, patients can develop a range of complications, including blindness, amputation and kidney disease.

NAO head Amyas Morse said the Department of Health had "failed to deliver".

And he said without action, the expected rise in diabetes - by 2020 numbers are forecast to jump by a quarter - would have a "major impact on NHS resources".

The report also points out the NHS reorganisation has led to many diabetes specialists in the community leaving their posts.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the findings were a "damning indictment of the current approach to the condition".

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said plans were already in place to improve services.

But he added: "There is no excuse for delivering anything but the best diabetes care."

View the original article here

Natural Solutions For Living With Diabetes

Diabetes is a ever growing concern in today's world. It has had its largest impact in the in the western world as we become ever busier with time crunches, due dates and quotas to meet. During earlier years diabetes was not nearly as much of an issue. Many believe this is the result of many differences in society, for example having more physical jobs rather than desk jobs, lack of preservatives in food as opposed to food saturated in preservatives today, people also ate a much more balanced diet rather than eating fast food in a hurry. Many would agree that this major change in our society and the way we live pose the greatest threat for those dealing with diabeties or in danger of acquiring diabetes.

Another real danger in this world is the overwhelming amount of carbohydrates that we regularly consume. Now carbohydrates, also known as carbs are essential for energy production in the body with the help of insulin. There are good carbs and bad carbs as well. certain sugars can cause extreme irregularities in the blood sugar levels of the body and can literally take the body on blood sugar roller coaster. Todays foods that are most prevelent in today's fast paced world are full of these bad carbs as well as other elements that also contribute to poor health and blood sugar stability.

Another big contributor to the overwhelming cases of diabetes, especially in the western world is the lack of exercise. Today it is more and more common for people to have desk jobs, in which they sit in front of a computer eight to ten hours a day and go home and watch television for another three to four. This is another flaw that has been woven in to our diabetic society which most certainly plays a role in so many people who acquire this disease.

So what needs to be done? Many of the common diabetes symptoms seem almost common in today's world. We should be extremely mindful of what we eat such as organic foods that are non processed. A rich diet in whole foods and more importantly a well balanced diet, eating at regulated times of the day can significantly reduce the chances of getting diabetes and can lower the symptoms of those who already have this disease. Another important concept is to remember to get regular exercise, whether that means riding a bike or walking to work, getting a gym membership or doing any little thing possible to keep in motion can also reduce your chances of getting this horrible disease as well as reduce the common diabetes symptoms.

In short, what we put in is what we get out. Above anything, respect of your body will provide long lasting benefits as well as your mental outlook and help you in the fight against diabetes.

For more information on Diabetes [http://www.diabetiessymptoms.info] and Diabetes Symptoms [http://www.diabetiessymptoms.info] visit [http://www.diabetiessymptoms.info]