Us Dietary Guidelines

It is advisable to follow a healthy diabetic diet according to the US Dietary Guidelines that shows people how to eat healthily and provides useful tips as to what to include in your diet and what to exclude. Typically, a proper diabetes diet must include use of virgin olive oil as too canola oil as too used of sunflower and rapeseed while excluding use of saturated fats which are generally found in animal products and to also exclude foods with lots of cholesterol in them.

A healthy diet must also include a lot of fibers including whole grains and fresh foods as well as vegetables and even eating nuts and seeds or legumes is recommended while at the same time needing to severely curtail sugar intake – even when the sugar is consumed from fruits. It is also necessary to lower your intake of protein though consuming fish as well as soy-protein is certainly good for your health.

Diabetics must also curtail their intake of salt and in fact, according to the American Diabetes and Dietetic Association, you need to ensure taking more balanced foods which should include getting calories from carbohydrates while also eating less fat and proteins. In fact, the right diabetic diet could include two helpings of fatty fish and five portions of vegetables and fruits as well as six helpings of whole grains.

The right diabetes diet will help both diabetics of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic condition and at the same time the diabetic must always also ensure that they carry with them some sweets as well as glucose substitutes so that they have something available to help prevent a collapse on account of hypoglycemia.

It also pays to understand what kind of Type 2 diabetes diet a person should take. Type 2 diabetes of course indicates a condition known as Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus or NIDDM for which different diet is required.

Diabetes Diet

Diet plays an important role in managing diabetes. The timings of the meals need to be fixed and rigidly maintained. Never skip meals. Fiber plays an important role in the diet of diabetics. The rich source of fiber is vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. Fiber foods are not completely digested by our body. Foods rich in fiber induce a feeling of fullness, thereby reducing appetite. The consumption of fat must be reduced, focus instead of proteins and complex carbohydrates.

Diabetes Exercises

The role of exercise cannot be overestimated in managing diabetes. Although it is important not to overdo it – and exercise must always be done keeping in mind your particular parameters, for instance, cardiac stimulation – regular exercise definitely helps a diabetic bring the glucose levels down. Simply put a muscle at rest resists the action of insulin; an exercising muscle is more responsive to it. An obese patient may have sufficient or even an excess of insulin circulating in his body, but his system may resist it by way of peripheral tissue. Also, the more physically active you are, the more efficient your body is in handling the carbohydrate load.

Complications of Diabetes

If the blood glucose level is not controlled it may lead to following complications -

1. Heart disease
2. Kidney disease
3. Blindness
4. Impotency
5. Amputation

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved.

Here are the most serious:

• MALE IMPOTENCE It is almost a certainty. This is why Viagra, Cialis are so popular.

• KIDNEY DAMAGE Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease because the kidneys are working overtime. The most common is chronic kidney disease which affects as many as 5 million diabetics. About half the cases of end-stage renal disease (i.e. cases requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant) are caused by diabetes.

• NEURPOATHY Nerve damage especially in the extremities of hands and feet. You don’t want them to go numb. Foot problems affect 4 million diabetics. They may be due to neuropathy (nerve damage) or blood vessel damage, resulting in infection or even tissue death necessitating amputation.

•HEART DISEASE and STROKE Heart disease is the leading cause of death in diabetics. Other conditions related to the damage that occurs to the smaller blood vessels include heart attack (myocardial infarction), angina (chest pain), congestive heart failure, and stroke.

•HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE High blood pressure is the result of several factors like weight, eating habits, inactivity all coming into play.

•EYE PROBLEMS-Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults ages 25-75(glaucoma, cataract, and retinopathy) It affects 3.4 million type 2 diabetics. Inattention to this can result in blindness. I get a diabetic eye exam annually so should you.

•INFECTIONS High blood sugars make it more difficult to recover from infections. Wounds take forever to heal.

Does that sound serious enough to get your attention?

The good news is you can avoid type 2 diabetes completely – or at least control it adequately. This is quite possible in many cases using diet, exercise, other lifestyle improvements, and medication, if necessary. Get control early, if you have it, and enjoy your life.

To find out more about Diabetes check the link below.

One should remember that if not cared properly, this disease will lead to several complications.

A) Diabetes is a lifelong responsibility. In order to make you aware of the consequences; here are some effective ways to avoid serious complications.

a) Step one:

This is an important step wherein, we would like you to know that the most crucial thing to do is to make a commitment to manage your diabetes. First, visit the members of your diabetes care team. Fix an appointment with the doctor, nurse, dietician and educator.

This will help you learn the basics of diabetes care and offer great support. It is you who are going to manage the disease. The best way is to learn the basics. Make sure that you eat really healthy and take part in most of the physical activity as a part of your daily routine.

You should consistently monitor your blood sugar level and follow doctor’s instruction for keeping blood sugar level healthy and within your target range. You should not be afraid to ask for help from your diabetes treatment team when you require it.

b) Step two:

Schedule all your appointment and go for regular eye examinations. Never ever neglect your physicals or routine eye exams. During all your physical visits, the doctor will analyze for any complications related to diabetes that you experience such as kidney damage, heart disease, nerve damage and certain other medical problems. Make sure that your eye care specialist checks for all signs of cataracts, retinal damage and glaucoma.

c) Step three:

You should visit regularly for your vaccines. These are really important as compared to any other step that you take. You need to ask your doctor about flu vaccine, pneumonia vaccine and other vaccines such as tetanus shot, 10-year boosters, hepatitis B vaccine. The doctor may recommend the vaccines according to your health condition.

d) Step four:

Another important step that you need to take is to take good care of your teeth. This is because diabetes has the tendency to make you prone to gum infections. Make sure that you brush your teeth twice a day, go for dental exams regularly and floss your teeth once in a day.

e) Step five:

Pay special attention to your feet. High blood sugar has the tendency to damage the nerves in your feet and reduce blood flow to your feet. If you leave your feet untreated, blisters and cuts can take shape of serious infections. Follow the steps given below to prevent foot problems.

1. Wash your feet in lukewarm water.

2. Dry your feet gently

3. The area between the toes should be given special attention.

4. Keep your feet moisturized.

5. Check your feet for any sores, swelling, blisters and redness.

6. Rush to your doctor for any feet problems.

B) Some crucial steps to follow

a) Cholesterol and blood pressure should be under control.

b) Take an aspirin daily.

c) Abstain from smoking.

d) Drink alcohol only occasionally.

e) Make some efforts to reduce stress.

Diet: A healthy diet is key to controlling blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes complications.

*If you are obese and have had difficulty losing weight on your own, talk to your health care provider. He or she can recommend a dietician or a weight modification program to help you reach your goal.

*Eat a consistent, well-balanced diet that is high in fibre, low in saturated fat, and low in concentrated sugars.

*A consistent diet that includes roughly the same number of calories at about the same times of day helps your health care provider prescribe the correct dose of medication or insulin.

*It will also help to keep your blood sugar at a relatively even level and avoid excessively low or high blood sugar levels, which can be dangerous and even life threatening.

Exercise: Regular exercise, in any form, can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Activity can also reduce the risk of developing complications of diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and leg ulcers.

*As little as 20 minutes of walking 3 times a week has a proven beneficial effect. Any exercise is beneficial; no matter how light or how long, some exercise is better than no exercise.

*If you have complications of diabetes (eye, kidney, or nerve problems), you may be limited both in type of exercise and amount of exercise you can safely do without worsening your condition. Consult with your health care provider before starting any exercise program.

Alcohol use: Moderate or eliminate your consumption of alcohol. Try to have no more than 7 alcoholic drinks in a week and never more than 2-3 in an evening. One drink is considered 1.5 ounces of liquor, 6 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer. Excessive alcohol use is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Alcohol consumption can cause low or high blood sugar levels, nerve pain called neuritis, and increase in triglycerides, which is a type of fat in our blood.

Smoking: If you have diabetes, and you smoke cigarettes or use any other form of tobacco, you are raising your risks markedly for nearly all of the complications of diabetes. Smoking damages blood vessels and contributes to heart disease, stroke, and poor circulation in the limbs. If you need help quitting, talk to your health care provider.

Self-monitored blood glucose: Check your blood sugar levels frequently, at least before meals and at bedtime, and record the results in a logbook.

*This log should also include your insulin or oral medication doses and times, when and what you ate, when and for how long you exercised, and any significant events of the day such as high or low blood sugar levels and how you treated the problem.

*Better equipment now available makes testing your blood sugar levels less painful and less complicated than ever. Your daily blood sugar diary is invaluable to your health care provider in seeing how you are responding to medications, diet, and exercise in the treatment of your diabetes.

*Medicare now pays for diabetic testing supplies, as do many private insurers and Medicaid.

Diabetes Complications

1. Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
2. Heart problems
3. Eye problems
4. Blindness
5. kidney problems
6. Nerve problems

Natural Home Remedies for Diabeties

Following are some of the effective home remedies for diabetes:

Boil 15 fresh mango leaves in one glass of water. Leave overnight. Filter this water and drink this the first thing in the morning.
•    Mix half teaspoon o ground bay leaf and half a teaspoon of turmeric in one tablespoon of aloe vera gel. Have this mixture twice a day before lunch and dinner.
•    Drink a watery juice of small bitter gourd without seeds every morning.

•    Add 3 table spoon of cinnamon to 1 litre of boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes in a low flame and then strain the mixture. Have this daily.
•    Eat tender curry leaves twice a day to reduce sugar.

• Crush about four to five bitter gourds (karela) and strain the juice through a fine cloth. Take this juice on an empty stomach.
• The inner bark of Jamun tree (Indian berry) is also very useful for diabetes. Dry the bark and burn it. This will produce an ash of white color. This ash should be pestled in the mortar, strained and bottled. Take 15 grams of this ash with water, on an empty stomach in the morning.
• Juice of tender mango leaves taken every morning helps in controlling diabetes.

Diabetes Advice
•    It is good to lose weight as it keeps diabetes under control.
•    Food rich in fiber must be consumed.
•    A lot of water (about 8-10glasses) must be had everyday.
•    Refrain from soft drinks, alcohol and sugary desserts.
•    Wear proper footwear and avoid walking bear foot. Increase the intake of raw food as it stimulates the pancreas and increases insulin production.
•    Avoid fried or sugar rich food.
•    Avoid starchy food like rice, potatoes etc.