Living With Diabetes

Diabetic Healthy Eating

2008-09-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

After being diagnosed with diabetes, you'll discover that food is going to be your best friend. Even if you liked to eat before, you most likely did it unconsciously. What I mean by that is, whether you were hungry or, just had a craving, you could pop into a fast food joint, grab a burger and fries and devour it without giving it much thought. Or, you could satisfy your sweet tooth with a chocolate bar or an ice cream cone whenever you felt like it. Basically, you had control over the food. Well things have changed. Now food is going to control you. It's not as bad as you think however.

If you are missing the sweet stuff, which is only natural, you may be able to locate a diabetic bakery in your area and most grocery stores now are catering to diabetics by providing sugar free desserts such as cakes and pies. I did find a terrific website with a Diabetic E-book that has an astonishing 500 recipes from sugar free cakes, and chocolate chip cookies to black bottom pie, swiss steak, beef stew and meatloaf! It's called what else, DELICIOUS DIABETIC RECIPES , and is available online for $14.95. So, if you're a diabetic with a sweet tooth or a craving for some down home comfort foood, you definitely should check it out!

You are going to find that you are now going to become somewhat of a "diabetic pack rat" so it will pay to invest in a small cooler if you don't already have one as you will be "packing" snacks around from now on. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, steer clear of red apples, grapes, raisens and any fruit with a high sugar content. Of course your food exchange guide with give you lists of the foods that you can eat in each food category. It's just that some are better than others. For example, brocolli, aside from being healthy for all of us, has been found to help normalize blood sugar levels in diabetics. Also, as mentioned before, do not eat anything with white flour. If you need snack crackers, most manufacturers now offer a whole wheat product as well. A good example is Ritz. They now make a whole wheat version of their original cracker. Try taking a whole wheat Ritz cracker, a cheese and a slice of a Golden Delicious and you have a tasty and healthy snack! Okay here comes the best diabetic HINT I have come across and it really, really works. In my last post I mentioned MILK. Most diabetics are told to drink orange juice if they are having a low blood glucose. Okay, here's why milk is a better choice. Orange juice is very high in sugar and what it does is "shoot" your blood sugar up immediately which can leave you with a terrible headache. In some cases even a migraine. Milk is like manna from heaven. Since milk is a whole food with sugar in it, a small amount of sugar, it goes to work in your body immediately to normalize your blood sugar. So, please, the next time you have a low reading and are not feeling well, reach for a glass of milk and not the orange juice. It may take a few minutes longer to work but in the long run it will normalize your blood sugar instead of shooting it over to the high side and you will not be left with the side affects of orange juice. How's that for a great tip?

Diatebes Cooking With Ease

2008-08-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, you have been diagnosed with diabetes. Your new life is going to be all about food. All about nutrition, calories and staying away from sugar.

Here are some hints. Stay away from white flower, white rice, white bread and anything made with white flower. Your new mantra will be whole wheat. Whole wheat bread, pasta, bread and rice will become your new best friends. If the rice or pasta seem a little dry you can spice them up with a little butter and sun dried tomatoes and, of course, lots of garlic.

So, if you read all the food labels, all you have to be aware of is the sugar content and that includes sorbitol, and stay away from any and all white flower which turns to sugar when digested.

LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES

2008-08-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and even though the warning signs were probably there, you are still in shock. You may even be in denial. But your response is normal. No one ever thinks it will actually happen to them. But I promise you, things will calm down inside your busy mind and you will learn how to manage this disease. And, the one good thing about diabetes is that it is manageable.

In the next few months you will become an expert! You will learn what foods you can and cannot eat, how to take your blood glucose readings, keep a food journal and hopefully, and most importantly, start exercising regularly, if you have not been doing so already.

DIET AND EXERCISE ARE THE KEYS to controlling diabetes. Adopting a healthy high fiber and low sugar diet plan will help you to maintain your blood sugar and therefore control your diabetes. Every doctor provides a diabetic patient with a diabetic menu sample to which he expects his patient to faithfully adhere. The only consolation to a diabetic patient is that with an increase in the number of diabetic patients, there is a wider variety of diabetic food items available that are tasty, healthy and low in sugar and fats. This is where that very important food journal comes in. If you had healthy blood glucose readings yesterday but today not so good, you can compare the foods you ate yesterday to what you consumed today and make the needed adjustments. Of course, sometimes with diabetes things can get more complicated as factors such as stress, illnesses like the flu and exercise all factor into blood sugar levels. But, I promise you, it will all fall into place.

I know it sounds crazy but now is the time to have diabetes. There is so much information out there. Our ancestors did not have the internet and there was no American Diabetes Foundation back then. Which brings me back to the food exchange lists that they provide. This exchange list will be your diabetes bible so to speak from now on.

WHAT IS IT? The Diabetic Exchange List Meal Plans are based on a system designed by the American Diabetic, and Diabetes Associations. The Exchange Lists define the principles of good nutrition that can be applied not only to those who need special diets, but as an overall guide to good nutrition for everyone. You will learn that foods are divided into the six food groups that make up The Food Pyramid. Carbohydrates, Proteins, Vegetables, Fruits and Fats. The Diabetic Exchange List helps diabetics understand how each food group has different components which can be exchanged to provide the needed calories and nutrients for daily meal planning.

Foods are very different from one another, therefore, each food is measured or weighed so that the amount of nutrients is the same with each food item choice. Once you know the components in the foods you are eating you can begin to experiment with different diabetic recipes.

HERE ARE A FEW MORE TIPS: Once you and your diabetic nutritionist (once diagnosed your primary physician will set you up with a nutritionist) have decided on the number of calories that your body needs each day, make sure that each meal contains the same portion sizes.

Make meals in advance and freeze. Also, and very important, you will be snacking throughout the day so package up small snacks such as nuts, low fat yogurt, or apple slices (the best apples are Golden Delicious as they contain the lowest amount of sugar). Also, try to avoid red apples altogether as they have the highest sugar content of all.

On my next blog I'll discuss some further food tips, why Milk is way cool and how attitude can affect your diabetes.

Until then HERE'S TO YOUR BEST LIFE EVER!!

2008-08-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

What are the warning signs of diabetes?

You may already have diabetes and not know it yet. Here are some warning signs to be on the be on the lookout for: Warning sign number one: Increased hunger. Your appetite has skyrocketed! In fact, you are hungry all the time and no amount of food seems to satisfy that hunger. But, even with all of the calories you are taking in, you are still losing weight. So, Weight loss is number two on the list of warning signs. Number three: Increased thirst. As with the increased hunger, you now cannot seem get enough to drink. Number four: Increase in urination. You may be visiting the restroom much more frequently than before and this may not only interefere with your daily routine but also your nightime sleep patterns.Get Tested For Diabetes Immediately if you have any of these warning signs. It is imperative that you seek medical attention immediately to be tested. You doctor will take a blood glucose test to see how much "glucose" or sugar is in your urine. If you sugar is high, but below the level for diabetes, you may have "prediabetes" and still at risk of developing Type II diabetes.

What is Type I and Type II Diabetes? - Type I Diabetes is where the body's immune system destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Type II Diabetes, the most common, is seen in 90%-95% of all cases of diabetes in adults and children.

Are you predisposed to diabetes? If you have a family history of diabetes, are significantly overweight, are African American, Native American, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you may want to speak with your doctor about your risk factors and how often to be tested. However, do not wait if you have any of the above symptoms. Diabetes can be fatal. But, the good news is, if you are diagnosed early, it definitely is a disease that is treatable. And, by following a strict diet regime, along with exercise and insulin injections or pills, you can live an almost normal, and sometimes healthier lifestyle than before!

Labels: diabetes, family history of diabetes, insulin, living with diabetes, predisposed to diabetes, testing for diabetes, type I diabetes, type II diabetes, types of diabetes, warning signs of diabetes,

5:07:00 PM
by Bonnie Howell
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Warning Signs Of Diabetes

2008-08-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

You may already have diabetes and not know it yet. Here are some warning signs to be on the be on the lookout for: Warning sign number one: Increased hunger. Your appetite has skyrocketed! In fact, you are hungry all the time and no amount of food seems to satisfy that hunger. But, even with all of the calories you are taking in, you are still losing weight. So, Weight loss is number two on the list of warning signs. Number three: Increased thirst. As with the increased hunger, you now cannot seem get enough to drink. Number four: Increase in urination. You may be visiting the restroom much more frequently than before and this may not only interefere with your daily routine but also your nightime sleep patterns.

Get Tested For Diabetes Immediately if you have any of these warning signs. It is imperative that you seek medical attention immediately to be tested. You doctor will take a blood glucose test to see how much "glucose" or sugar is in your urine. If you sugar is high, but below the level for diabetes, you may have "prediabetes" and still at risk of developing Type II diabetes.

What is Type I and Type II Diabetes? - Type I Diabetes is where the body's immune system destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Type II Diabetes, the most common, is seen in 90%-95% of all cases of diabetes in adults and children.

Predisposed To Diabetes? If you have a family history of diabetes, are significantly overweight, are African American, Native American, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you may want to speak with your doctor about your risk factors and how often to be tested. However, do not wait if you have any of the above symptoms. Diabetes can be fatal. But, the good news is, if you are diagnosed early, it definitely is a disease that is treatable. And, by following a strict diet regime, along with exercise and insulin injections or pills, you can live an almost normal, and sometimes healthier lifestyle than before!