Archive for June, 2011
How Diabetes Affects You ? First Plan of Action
How Diabetes Affects You ? First Plan of Action
Diabetes affects every patient differently, for some it is life threatening, for others the loss of limbs is possible. For those recently diagnosed with diabetes, please know that you can control your disease by following the advice of your doctor or physician, losing weight, changing your diet and taking your medication.
The first step of controlling your diabetes is moving beyond the ‘denial stage’. For some, believing they have diabetes is a hurdle, even though it has become a national epidemic. A person who is overweight and eats lots of sweets isn’t necessarily a potential diabetic. Diabetes can strike any person, and some indications state that it can be an inherited disorder. So, those with relatives suffering from first degree diabetes should tell their physicians to see if they should be tested to see if they are at risk as well.
For any type II diabetic, you will need to get a blood sugar monitor, which you should use to start charting your sugar level. This should be done a few times a day, per your physician’s instructions. Always try to test after you’ve eaten a meal.
The next major step for diabetics is to change your diet, start taking medications and begin monitoring your blood sugar levels, as all are crucial steps once you are made aware of your diabetes. For any type II diabetics, eating foods rich in carbohydrates could be disastrous as they will have a hard time absorbing or breaking down sugars and starches in their system. Some carbohydrates rank higher than others on the glycemic index sheet, so be aware of everything you are putting in your body.
The carbohydrates are ranked based on how long it takes for a body to break down the food. Some break down very slowly, which releases glucose gradually into your system, giving it a low glycemic index. For any insulin dependant diabetic, a low glycemic index is preferred. Foods with a low glycemic index allow insulin and medications to respond better to the glucose in the blood, allowing the sugars to break down more naturally.
While a diabetic should limit their carbohydrate intake, they should also increase their protein intake. A good diabetic diet would be very similar to a ‘low carb’ diet which were popular some years back. These diets either limited or completely eliminated carbohydrates.
In summary, a newly diagnosed diabetic has to make a change in lifestyle in order to ease the symptoms of this awful disease. The first thing they need to do is admit they are diabetics so that they can make the changes they need to survive. The second thing to do is take the medications prescribed, as they are prescribed. Next, monitor your blood sugar and change your eating habits and eliminate carbs. And last, get active. When you follow these guidelines, you give yourself the best chance to succeed against this debilitating disease.
Clinic Founders of Integrative Health of Tampa
We have been practicing in the Central Florida area for the past 5 years, and are proud to call Tampa our home. We believe that the human body contains all the intelligence necessary to run at its peak for a lifetime. It is our understanding that fundamental breakdowns in normal function precede all disease processes. Identification of these imbalances and restoration to normal function are critical to taking control of your health.
We are an alternative…we are purposefully outside the norm on behalf of those individuals for whom the common approach is not beneficial.
The common approach of medicating and trying to manage the symptoms is a workable solution for many. But, for those who want to take control rather than manage. For those who believe there is something more out there; that they have left stones unturned…we stand at the ready.
Our approach is simple. Identify the unique imbalances at the heart of the issue. We explore the vital link between what is happening inside your body to bring about the level of health you are manifesting.
To learn more about diabetes or treating diabetes, please contact Jonathan Berns D.C. at Integrative Health of Tampa
Jonathan Berns, DC
Integrated Health of Tampa
www.ihealthtampa.com
Article from articlesbase.com
Foods Damaging to Children’s Health
Foods Damaging to Children’s Health
Article by Kyle Clouse
It’s time for parent tips. There are some things that will totally ruin your children’s health, yet are marketed as fun kids’ food. We’re here to warn you, this stuff is not for kids.
You’ve seen them before. Sequestered deep within the box is the gotta-have-it-toy emblazoned with wild gleeful characters, and dressed in freaky fun colors. It’s the kind of food that, once your kids see it, will make them turn into “mommy-can-I-have-it-mommy-can-I-have-it” monsters until you give in to their demands.
What’s Wrong With the Food?
A recent study, conducted by the Prevention Institute, has spilled the beans on the unhealthy foods that are causing a negative effect on our children’s health. The institute conducted a random sampling of children’s foods to get a scoop on what’s in the so-called children’s food. Added sugar is in nearly (95%) of all children’s food items. A whopping 57% actually edged into the “high sugar” category.
One-quarter of the children’s food contained high amounts of saturated fats (that’s the bad kind of fat). Food colorng which contains 21% artifical coloring, most of them leave undisputed side effects, most of them are negative. To top it all off, many of the foods were packaged and advertised in such a way that they touted possible health benefits. Some boasted labels with healthy marketing jargon. Others highlighted the presence of some “healthy” grain like oatmeal, despite the fact that said oatmeal is congealed into a blob of chocolate-flavored high fructose corn syrup. Other children’s food resorted to slogans like “25% less sugar,” or “vitamin fortified,” perhaps hoping that you won’t comprehend that vitamin fortified sugar bombs are really just sugar bombs with vitamins in them. Below the belt techniques aimed directly at kids and their food lacked the upside of a healthy pseudo-promise using flashy colors, free toys, movie characters, etc marketed directly at our kids.).
We’re just sayin’, this stuff is not for kids. Come to think of it, it’s probably not for adults either.
Where to Find the Bad Food So where do you find these evil foods lurking? Sadly, you don’t have to look too far. Glance back over your kids’ menu for the past week and you may just find. Did they have a sip of fruit juice? Did they eat some cereal? A granola bar? A Pop-Tart? A sandwich? Some soup?
Then chances are, they imbibed an ingredient with too much sugar, too much fat, too much artificial junk, and too much nasty. Seriously.
In the Prevention Institute Study, researchers took a random cross sample of children’s foods and tested them against mediocre health standards. Here are some of the things that they tested-and which failed the test:
What to Do if You Give In? As you glance over the list above, do you find yourself guilty of giving your kids unhealthy food? Chances are, you’ve done it at some point. Well, we promised you parent tips, not a parent scolding, so here it comes. Daycare, school and friends are dangerous to your children’s health, only you can really prevent. You’re in the driver’s seat. You should be making choices that benefit their health.
Did you know that one-third of American’ children are overweight? It’s the improper marketing of children’s foods and the resultant capitulation of children’s parents (that’s you) that have plunged us to such disturbing lows in terms of children’s health. It’s time for a change. Your children’s health is your children’s future. For prevention of type 2 diabetes, make a plan to steer clear of the junk and opt instead for vegtetables, fruits, whole foods, and fresh foods.
Good nutrition doesn’t happen by accident, but neither does bad nutrition. Every time you reach for another sugary product on the shelf or order another grease-fried-preservative-loaded-artificially-flavored french fry carton, you’re making a choice. A bad one. At the end of the day, we can demonize the evil food manufacturers or marketing people as long as we want. That’s not going to change a whole lot. The decision to buy or not buy the trashy food is completely up to you—the parent.
About the Author
KeyVive.com is a diabetes lifestyle meeting place where individuals and social communities can obtain informative meaningful content, personalize stories, share opinions, and interact with blogs, columns and articles of interest. The mission of
Glycemic Index Chart — A Numbers Game
Glycemic Index Chart — A Numbers Game
Article by Pamela Post
To understand the numbers on a glycemic index chart, one must first understand the “glycemic effect”. When you eat a meal or a snack, your blood sugar level rises as the food is digested. This conversion of food to blood sugar, or glucose, is called the glycemic effect. Some foods are digested faster than others, or have a high sugar content to begin with, and so their glycemic effect is higher than other foods which are digested more slowly or have a lower sugar content.
The Glycemic Index
The glycemic index list or chart ranks this effect on blood sugar levels for a variety of foods, mainly carbohydrates, since they are the primary source of glucose. The higher the ranking, the greater their glycemic effect. Above 70 is considered very high.
For people with diabetes, who have a difficult time controlling their blood sugar, or for people who desire to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight without resorting to fad diets or pills, the glycemic index can be a great tool in selecting which foods to eat.
For example, if a person likes to snack, he or she can use the index to choose foods with low or moderate index numbers. By picking a food with a low number, there will not be a big glycemic effect.
Triggering fat storage
But why is this important? Well, for one thing, when there is a big surge in blood sugar, the pancreas produces a big surge of the hormone, insulin. Insulin is required by the body’s cells in order to use the glucose for energy. But when too much insulin is produced, it signals the body to store fat! The insulin may also get rid of the glucose too quickly, making the person hungry again quickly.
They eat, insulin spikes, the signal to store fat is activated again! It becomes a vicious cycle.
Low is the way to go
To break this cycle, pick foods with a low to moderate glycemic index number. They will be digested more slowly, blood glucose will enter your body gradually, and your pancreas will release lower levels of insulin.
Not only will there not be a big insulin surge, but the slower digestion will keep you from getting hungry for a longer period of time. This is always beneficial when trying to lose weight.
About the Author
Pamela Post is a Registered Nurse with a Masters Degree in Public Health. For the past 10 years her interest has leaned toward nutrition and health maintenance. Additional information on the glycemic index chart can be found at http://www.glycemicindexpower.com.