About diabetes care

December 07, 2011

10 Tips on Snacking with Diabetes

Posted by: Admin : Category: Diet

My patients always want to talk about food more than any topic relating to diabetes. But their favorite question is “what kind of snacks can I eat?” If you have diabetes, gone are the days of two graham crackers with 4 ounces of skim milk before bedtime.

If done in moderation, here are ten things you should know about how snacking affects you:

Prevents you from overeating at the next meal.
Keeps hunger at a minimum between meals.
Keeps the blood sugar level steady.
Needed especially when you exercise for an hour or more.
Is recommended for people who have gastroparesis. They get full or bloated on a complete meal due to delayed gastric emptying.
May be an answer to help prevent hypoglycemia during the night.
Can be used to prevent lows when driving for a long period.
Good when you are on insulin or sulfonylureas and are more at risk for hypoglycemia.
Is perfect during plane travel when you may not be receiving a meal.
Is great for type 1 children who are growing and need extra calories between meals and to help prevent hypoglycemia.

Remember, snacks need to be factored into your daily calorie allotment; you are just spreading the calories throughout the day. Measuring out portion sizes is important when snacking. They should not exceed 100-200 calories and contain only one serving of a carbohydrate (15 grams per snack). Stick to no more than two snacks a day. Combine protein, mono-unsaturated fats, and complex carbohydrates for the best nutrition and satisfaction.

Here are some of my tasty and interesting choices:

Light Brie, Baby Bel, Alpine lace Swiss, Light Jarlsberg, Mozzarella cheese sticks, Fat free cheddar, mini-Gouda – One choice in 1 ounce portions with one of the following: half a pear, half an apple, 8 grapes, 12 cherries, 1 cup of cubed cantaloupe, 1 cup of raspberries, or ¾ cup blueberries are perfect snacks. The calories are appropriate and you get calcium from the cheese for strong bones and teeth yet it is low fat, low sodium and filling. The fruit supplies fiber – insoluble and soluble – to help reduce your cholesterol as well as stabilize blood sugar, Vitamin C for healing, anti-oxidants to boost your immunity, beta carotene, potassium, and folate. The combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates is satisfying and stays with you the longest to avoid a starving sensation at the next meal.

3 cups of air-popped popcorn – low sodium and no butter. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of fresh grated parmesan cheese for the fat content to keep you less hungry later. If you like it spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper; spices have wonderful healing properties. The popcorn has lots of fiber to keep you full and the cheese has calcium. Calcium may also reduce the risk of colon cancer and adenomas. More research is needed.

Guacamole with low fat, low salt whole grain tortilla chips – Make the guacamole with ½ a tomato, ½ a red onion, 2 tbsps. of lemon juice, a pinch of garlic powder and chopped fresh cilantro with one avocado. Mash together and eat ¼ of a cup with 6 chips. Delicious! Avocadoes are full of mono-unsaturated fat which decreases inflammation and helps keep you satiated.

A tablespoon of dry unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or 2 brazil nuts, 6 walnuts, almonds or 16 pistachio nuts (white and in the shell – seeds and nuts have lots of calories if not in portion size) mixed with 6 ounces of Greek plain yogurt and 1 tbsp. of fresh berries. A mini-parfait with thick and tangy yogurt which supplies probiotics and live cultures for enhanced digestion and increased immunity. The nuts have protein and monounsaturated fat and help ward off hunger as well as supplying more fiber and flavonoids. The berries have multiple beneficial qualities. Together, they are a real treat!

Enjoy snacking in moderation with the right intentions and selections. You will feel better, less hungry and it will help maintain a stable blood sugar!

by Roberta Kleinman, RN, M.Ed., CDE

NOTE: Consult your Doctor first to make sure my recommendations fit your special health needs.

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June 08, 2011

Lose Weight To Lower Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Posted by: Admin : Category: Diet

With so many weight loss programs available, it is easy to become confused about what works and what does not when it comes to losing weight to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) wants you to know that you don’t have to knock yourself out to lower your risk – in fact, the findings of a major study show that modest weight loss can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than half. Here are some proven small steps developed by NDEP to help you make gradual lifestyle changes to lose weight safely and keep it off.
Small Step #1: Set a weight loss goal you can meet before starting a weight loss plan. Aim to lose about 5 to 7 percent of your current weight – that’s 10 to 14 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds. Keep track of your daily food intake and physical activity in a log book and review it daily to see how you are doing. For support, invite family and friends to get involved.
Small Step #2: Make healthy food choices every day. Keep healthy snacks such as fruit on hand at home. Pack healthy lunches so that your family can take charge of what they eat during the day. To make sure you get enough fiber, eat more fruit and select a mix of colorful vegetables. Drink low-fat or nonfat milk or choose low-fat cheese. Choose whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, brown rice, pasta, or oatmeal. Select lean meats and poultry. Vary your protein choices by choosing more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
Small Step #3: Strive to become more physically active. If you are not active, start off slowly and choose a physical activity you will stick with most days of the week. Slowly add more time until you reach at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five days a week. Build physical activity into your day. Take a brisk walk during lunchtime. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park farther away from your office. Join a community program like The Y as a family and choose activities that everyone can enjoy such as swimming, water aerobics, or dance classes. Keep at it and remember to celebrate small successes.

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May 17, 2011

Recognizing the Signs of Diabetes

Posted by: Admin : Category: General

While diabetes was once recognized as an unfortunate disease that only affected a small number of people, today statistics indicate that more than 18 million people in the United States alone suffer from this disease. Perhaps even more startling is the fact that almost one-third of those individuals may remain undiagnosed, largely to the failure to recognize the most common warning signs related to this disease. In order to increase the treatment of this health issue it is important to understand how diabetes affects the body and the resulting symptoms that may appear.

Individuals with diabetes are not able to produce or utilize insulin, which is a hormone the body requires in order to process starches and sugar into energy the body needs for most life activities. There are actually four different kinds of diabetes. Juvenile diabetes, also referred to as Type 1 diabetes is commonly first recognized in young adulthood or even earlier. This type of diabetes occurs as a direct result of the body being unable to produce insulin.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed at any time. Studies do indicate; however, that some populations may be more at risk for this form of diabetes than others. The elderly appear to be highly at risk as well as Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.

A third type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy; usually in a situation in which the patient has no prior history of diabetes. The number of women who suffer from this type of diabetes is relatively small; however it can be quite serious to both the mother and baby.

The final type of diabetes is actually pre-diabetes, which is a term that is used to describe a situation in which blood glucose levels are abnormally high, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as full diabetes. When pre-diabetes is allowed to continue without treatment, major organs can be damaged over a long period of time.

One of the reasons that diabetes symptoms can be difficult to recognize is the fact that they can appear either gradually over a long period of time or dramatically and suddenly. Some of the symptoms that may be noticed include fatigue, frequent urination and excessive thirst. In some cases, sudden weight loss, urinary tract infections and blurred vision may also be noticed.

Due to the fact that diabetes can lead to a number of serious health issues such as blindness, heart disease and nerve and kidney damage, it is extremely important that you be tested for diabetes if you suffer from symptoms associated with the disease. While these symptoms are commonly associated with diabetes, keep in mind that in some cases diabetes presents absolutely no signs or symptoms. Therefore, if you are over the age of 45 or fall into a high risk category, you should make a point to be tested for diabetes at least once every couple of years.

The test for diabetes is relatively simple and quick; measuring the level of glucose levels in the blood. For an accurate measurement the test must be performed in the morning before food is consumed. Pre-diabetes levels typically fall between 100 and 125 while full diabetes levels are indicated by blood glucose levels above 125.

While some diabetes cases may require medication in order to correct the situations, others can be monitored with lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and diet changes.

About the author:
Stay at Home Moms, Development, Health, Business Management, Wellness

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April 10, 2011

Do You Want To Die From Diabetes?

Posted by: Admin : Category: General

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases sharing the common characteristic of high blood sugar levels. Diabetes happens when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or when the insulin that is produced in the pancreas cannot work adequately. When diabetes is not well controlled, it can cause serious complications and premature death.

I ask health professional all the time about people coming in to have routine health checks just to learn to their surprise they have Type I or II diabetes. Thirty year old Tom was admitted for sores all over his body for simply walking all day at Disneyland with his family. He was then told he had acute diabetes and needed to be in a wheelchair.

And today with continued rise in the number of people with diabetes in the United States is alarming and many people like Tom did not even know they had it until it was too late. There are nearly 21 million people in the United States alone that have diabetes; most of them type 2. This represents about 7 percent of the population and more than 6 million of these people do not know they have the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in addition reports that another 41 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that is developed before type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. In 2005 alone 1.5 million people aged 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes

Most people who get diabetes are told by their doctor to start taking diabetes pills or medications and go on a diet. The doctor hands them a diet to follow, they try it out, then can’t get motivated and when hungry calls go out and have some pizza and beer.

What people are often not told is that diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputation, kidney disease and nerve damage. This could lead to even more complications and death for sure.

Most people getting diabetes are in the 40s, 50s and upwards. But in today’s fast food society young children and adults even in their teens and early 20s and 30s have it or are going to end up with this deadly quite killer disease.

I tell people that there is no cure or magic diet pill that will save them from getting this disease for which there is no known cure for. There are only a few easy ways treat diabetes through education from doctors or other professionals in the know which will tell you to control high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels and quit smoking. These key factors alone will help reduce the risk for developing diabetes.

How To Treat The Childhood Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic

Posted by: Admin : Category: General

Most people you ask associate the Type 2 diabetes disease to older adults, but not anymore. Investigators from the University of Washington in Seattle now report that very young adults and even children are getting the disease in record numbers.

Their study shows that Type 2 diabetes may be affecting as many as 39,000 adolescents between ages 12 and 19. Even more alarming is that another 2.5 million kids are known to be suffering from impaired fasting blood sugar levels, considered a prelude to contracting the disease.

This study is based on blood sugar testing performed in about 1,500 teens without a diagnosis of diabetes. About 11 percent were found to have high fasting blood sugar levels. The researchers used that figure to estimate the incidence of diabetes and impaired fasting blood sugar levels in the general population of teens.

So the big question is why so many children are and young adults getting Type 2 diabetes what was once previously considered an adult disease? Arlan L. Rosenbloom, M.D., from the Children’s Medical Services Center in Gainesville, Fla., attributes the increased risk to the growing obesity epidemic among young people and calls for greater public health efforts to combat the situation.

He goes on to say that “It is to be hoped that the recognition of the public health time bomb reflected in the report will lead to a pervasive societal effort to prevent obesity, a daunting task of such magnitude that enormous community and governmental commitments will be required”.

What you need to realize is that as parents of children who are in the early stages of acquiring Type 2 diabetes can set examples for their children by cutting down on all the fast foods and eating foods with little of no nutrition for the body. You are eating yourself to death!

As a parent you need to lead the way and lose weight using low fat foods, exercise and practice a healthier lifestyle, then teach your children to do the same. In today’s hectic high pressure world everyone is going to slip and eat some fast food, but you shouldn’t eat fast foods all the time.

Remember that movie filmed awhile back called “Super Size Me”? This movie shows why are Americans so fat? Super Size Me is a tongue in-cheek look at the legal, financial and physical costs of America’s hunger for fast food.

Ominously, 37% of American children and adolescents are carrying too much fat and 2 out of every three adults are overweight or obese which leads to Type 2 diabetes. Is it our fault for lacking self-control, or are the fast-food corporations to blame? I think both are to blame. If we only knew what lies down the road after we eat all that fast food. It will slowly and surely lead to a lifetime of regret and treatment for the incurable disease called Type 2 diabetes.

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