Diabetic Food - Are You Taking The Right Food In Diabetes?

In this Article I will tell you what types of foods are suitable in diabetes and why this is important.

Diabetes is a disease that results from too much sugar (glucose) in the blood, which means that your body does not have sufficient insulin available to convert food into energy. Insulin is a hormone that helps sugar enter the body's cells and maintains the level of sugar in the blood.

The main concern while monitoring diabetes is to watch that the sugar level does not cross the normal range. This means that one requires cutting down on many types of food and consuming regularly those foods, which are fine at regulating diabetes.

People with diabetes should try to manage a healthy weight and consume a diabetic food that is:

1) Low in fat quantity

2) Low in sugar quantity

3) Low in salt quantity

4) High in fruit and vegetables

5) High in starchy carbohydrate foods, such as bread, chapatti, rice.

There is no such diabetic food that diabetes patients should never eat. In addition, there is no requirement to cut out all sugar. But, people with diabetes should aim and eat only small amounts of foods that are high in sugar, fat.

What foods to eat in Diabetes?

1) People with Diabetes must take lots of fruits and vegetables in which fibre content is very high. Such type of food lessens the need for insulin, the reason being it releases energy into the body cells slowly. A high fibre diet means more chromium, which is very cooperative in the treatment of diabetes.

2) As for vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger, radish, spinach, kale, cucumber, carrot, tomato, cabbage and cucumber are outstanding in the diabetes treatment. Moong, kidney beans which have been sprouted, and unripe banana which is cooked, are also advisable.

3) Fenugreek seeds which have been soaked in water are almost fine for diabetic patients and should be included in diabetic food plan.

4) In fruits diet, you can take guava, Indian blackberry (also called jamun), fig, kiwi fruit, apples, citrus fruits and pomegranate juice. Make these things as a part of your morning breakfast. As, fruit juice is high in fructose (fruit sugar) and can cause blood sugar levels to rise rapidly, it's excellent for diabetics to drink fruit juice with a meal and avoid having more than one small glass a day.

5) Substitute white sugar with palm sugar, dates and honey, if you desire to have something sweet.

6) Fats like olive oil and peanut oil should be included in diabetes food plan.

7) You must drink plenty of water, at least 8 to 10 glasses per day.

8) Condiments such as pepper, chilli, mustard, herbs and spices

9) Raw vegetables need to be taken in large amounts, as cooked food raises the level of blood sugar quickly.

10) Eat non-fat dairy foodstuffs such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese, plain yoghurt.

11) Some herbs and vegetables are specially prescribed for diabetes, like Bitter Gourd and bitter melon juice.

What to avoid?

1) Processed foods, white sugar, white flour and junk food, must be completely avoided. Avoid sweets, glucose, fruit sugar, cakes, ice cream, chocolates and soft drinks.

2) Anything that contains unsafe preservatives and too much salt should be avoided as far as possible.

3) Avoid smoking and alcohol as far as achievable.

4) Try to give up from sweets, ice-creams and chocolates, including the so-called sugar-free kinds.

5) Foods made from white flour, rye, corn, polished rice, bread, cakes, biscuits, pies.

6) Cottage cheese

7) Avoid commercially package foods such as fast foods, chips, ready-to-eat foods, snack foods and "health foods."

Some useful tips you should remember while eating out -

• You should give preference to water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit mock tails, sweet tea and sugar-sweetened drinks

• You must avoid creamy toppings like mayonnaise as far as possible.

• Try to eat high-fat topping salads, dressings, cheeses, and croutons.

• Choose a thin-crust pizza with more vegetable toppings but limit yourself to one or two slices. Left the extra cheese, which add calories, fat, and sodium.

• Finish your meal with sugar-free, fat-free frozen simple yogurt or a little cone of fat-free yogurt. It is better go for a platter of fresh fruit salad.

Diabetes Causes - What Are The Myths and Facts?

In this Article I will tell you in detail what are the primary causes of Diabetes.

The two major causes of diabetes is the body's malfunction to produce enough of the insulin hormone, and secondly the body develops a resistance to insulin.

• Type 1 diabetes is caused due to decrease in insulin production.

• Type 2 diabetes is caused due to resistance of insulin in peripheral tissues.

• In juvenile diabetes, the cause might perhaps be a lack of vitamin D.

Causes of diabetes -

Diabetes mellitus occurs when the pancreas does not create adequate or any of the hormone insulin, or when the insulin produced does not work proficiently. Thus, this causes the level of glucose in the blood to be higher than standard levels

It is not exactly clear why this occurs, but probable triggers of this reaction could be -

• infection with a specific virus or bacteria;
• exposure to food-borne chemical toxins or

However, these are only supposition, and are yet to be confirmed.

Type 1 diabetes generally develops in children, teenagers or young adults. Most of the doctors and scientists believe this is a genetically caused condition and is not related to lifestyle habits.

Risk factors for developing Type 1 Diabetes include:

1. Family history - a child that has a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes has a 2-6% possibility of developing the disease.

2. Autoimmune disorders - such as thyroid disease and celiac disease, increases the danger of type 1 diabetes.

3. Early stoppage of breastfeeding and/or exposure to cow's milk - breastfeeding an infant for at least three months reducess the risk of type 1 diabetes. Some studies also show that exposure to cow's milk or cow's milk-based formula before one year of age may raise diabetes danger.

4. Ethnicity - Americans, Caucasians have a larger danger of type 1 diabetes as compared to African-Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans.

5. The past of childhood virus diseases

2. Type 2 diabetes is supposed to develop when:

• There is just inadequate insulin available in the body and

• The insulin that is available may be abnormal and therefore doesn't function correctly.

The following risk factors increase the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes:

• growing age

• if it runs in the family, i.e. genetic

• obesity

• high blood pressure

• diet which is high in fat and low in fibre

• Sedentary lifestyle with no or very less physical movement.

• Any illness or disease that damages the pancreas and affects its capability to create insulin e.g. pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and thyrotoxicosis (a poisonous situation that results from an overactive thyroid gland).

• Hormone treatment, such as growth hormone, thyroid hormone and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH).

What not causes Diabetes?

It is also essential to be alert of the various myths that have arisen about the causes of diabetes over time.

Eating sweets, excess sugar or the wrong kind of food (fried and fatty food) does not cause diabetes but this type of a diet may cause obesity, and overweight people are usually prone to developing Type 2 diabetes. So, it is not the food, but the effect of food that may cause diabetes. So, if you like eating and are a foodoholic, make sure to burn out the extra calories that go on to make the flab.

Stress is not responsible to cause diabetes, while it may be a cause for the body turning on itself as in the case of Type 1 diabetes. Stress, however does absolutely make the symptoms worse for those who already have diabetes.

People with diabetes should avoid sugar and sweets. Sugar and sweets increase the blood glucose, but people with diabetes can securely eat sugar as part of their meal plan.
Diabetes is not transmissible. A person with diabetes cannot spread it on to anyone else.

Diabetes Glucose Levels: The Absolute Way To Control Your Diabetes Glucose Levels

There are many treatments for diabetes out there, which, when applied properly, can minimize the severe attacks of the disease. The best way to get rid of diabetes is to opt for a pancreas transplant, but it is costly and should only be used as a last resort when all other treatments have failed. And don't worry; there are many easy and effective remedies out there for diabetes.

One of those remedies is the over-the-counter pills. These pills are very hot among young diabetics who want a quick relief. Depending on your health condition and the type of diabetes you have, these pills may or may not be effective for you. Your best bet is to visit a doctor before trying any of those pills.

Of late, researchers have found a new way of controlling diabetes. This treatment is called glucose treatment. For six long years, researchers used rats as guinea pigs for their tests. After six years of treatment, the researchers found that those rats who were meted the glucose treatment were able to control their blood sugar levels effectively, while the other rats who were not given the glucose treatment showed no signs of improvement. This shows the effectiveness of glucose treatment on rats. Now, I will tell you how far this treatment is effective in case of humans.

There was a woman who suffered from severe diabetes. In fact, diabetes affected her social life negatively, so much so that she found it hard to socialize with anybody because of her disease. She would spend months in hospital, which was enough to drive her crazy. When she was introduced to the new glucose treatment, she agreed to be the guinea pig. While in case of rats, researchers used injections for injecting the glucose into their bodies, in case of this woman, the glucose was given through IV's. Within months of this treatment, improvements in her health were evident. She said that never before in her life did she feel better than after going through glucose treatment.

Diabetes doesn't mean the end of life. It can be easily controlled, if you are willing to follow the rules. I would suggest that you also join a diabetes membership site or a diabetes support group. This would help you keep focused on your health and you will be able to recover from diabetes faster.

Diabetes Quality Of Life: 3 Easy Ways To Alleviate Diabetes

If you are a chronic diabetes patient, you certainly have experienced diabetes fatigue one time or the other. And that is understandable. After all, we are all humans, and after suffering for a long time, when we see that there is no easy way to cure diabetes, we become frustrated and disappointed. However, there is no need to worry because in this article I will tell you how to take control of diabetes and improve your quality of life.

1. Add spice and variety to your life. If you are bored of doing the same exercise again and again, try something else. Do a different exercise everyday. This will keep you interested in your workouts. If you are tired of swimming, try cycling. Is there any exercise that you like very much, such as tennis or running? Then do it over and over again. Then when you are bored, try something else.

Being a diabetic doesn't mean that you have to eat boring foods all your life. You can easily satisfy your cravings for delicious foods without ruining your health. Take a cooking class or read a cooking book, and learn about the different types of tasty, diabetic recipes. Then create a meal plan. In the plan, list the foods that you are going to eat for the week. Have different groups of foods for each day of the week. Then just go to your local grocery and buy all the ingredients you'd need for the week.

2. Motivation will help you get rid of diabetes faster. Do you have a friend who loves to exercise as well as understands your situation? Then ask him to go with you to the gym. Your friend doesn't need to be a diabetic patient either; he just needs to be someone who is sympathetic to your problem. Watching a friend performing workouts will motivate you to continue with your exercises.

3. Sometimes, you got to get out of monotony and give yourself some fresh air. What I mean is that when feel frustrated or dejected, visit a spa and get a message. This will help you feel refreshed and rejuvenated, and you will feel an all-new enthusiasm for your life once again!

Diabetes Levels: How To Get Rid of Diabetes

Of all the diseases that afflict human beings in this century, diabetes is perhaps the most common disease. In this article I will tell you how you can get rid of diabetes easily.

The awful thing about diabetes is that it is not easy to detect its symptoms. Sometimes a diabetes patient will show no symptoms at all, until the disease has reached malignant proportions. Some people think that too much craving for sweet foods is an indication that the person is suffering from diabetes. In my opinion, it is nothing but a myth. There are far too many people who have a sweet tooth but don't suffer from diabetes. Do you know what causes diabetes?

Diabetes is usually caused because of lack of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps us to derive energy from foods. We may eat lots of foods, but since our body is deficient in insulin, these foods never add to our nutrition and we don't derive any energy from them.

Diabetes doesn't mean the end of life. It can be easily controlled, if you are willing to follow the rules. I would suggest that you also join a diabetes membership site or a diabetes support group. This would help you keep focused on your health and you will be able to recover from diabetes faster.

Diabetes - What Are The Risk Factors?

Diabetes is like the film that was "years in the making"-it takes literally years for Diabetes to develop. If you know what to look for you can see it coming and actually prevent it all together. If you don't see it coming until you have it-it is too late.

The risk factors are as obvious as the nose on your face. Here's how you can overcome some of them and possibly avoid this terrible disease

The risk factors for Diabetes basically fall into two basic categories: Controllable and Uncontrollable. Most of them are interrelated.

The CONTROLLABLE risk factors are:

WEIGHT. Too much body fat particularly around the mid section. As we get older our metabolism slows down making it more difficult to maintain/lose weight. Unless you have been under a rock somewhere you probably have heard about the growing obesity problem in America.

SMOKING. Smoking makes it more difficult to get your blood sugar under control. Smoking has all sorts of other associated risks as well.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. A direct result of being overweight and a risk factor for other serious diseases.

HIGH CHOLESTEROL. A direct result of diet and indirectly weight.

DEPRESSION. People who are depressed often are inactive and gain weight.

Some UNCONTROLLABLE risk factors are:

FAMILY HISTORY. If mom or pop had it your chances of getting it are pretty good.

ECONOMIC STATUS. There is a growing amount of scientific evidence that relates income levels to diet which relates directly to obesity. I have had a gut feeling that obesity is more a problem of the poor than the well to do. These studies seem to bear this out. In other words, poorer folks don't eat as well which leads to obesity.

AGE. If you are over 50 you are more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Guess why? After 50 your metabolism slows down, you're less active, etc. You are more likely to gain weight and on and on.

Are you starting to see a theme here? As my doc used to say "it is all about the weight." Lose weight and your blood pressure goes down, your cholesterol is lowered, you will probably be exercising making you sleep better and a happier person. What's not to like with that?

Plus you will lower the major risk factors for a disease you do not want. What are you waiting for?

Jack Krohn has had Diabetes, Pre-diabetes and Syndrome X for nearly fifteen years. He speaks from the experiences he has had during that time. He is also a free lance writer-the #1 author of Home Security Articles in the country according to EzineArticles.

To find out more about Diabetes click the link below.

What Exactly Is Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes has a much larger genetic link, generally resulting from a predisposition toward the disease and lifestyle choices that cause the disease to develop. Parents may pass this disease on to their children at birth, though it is possible to reduce the risk of ever developing type 2 diabetes: this involves wise choices when it comes to lifestyle habits and diet, such as reducing or eliminating the consumption of high-fat foods and excessive alcohol, keeping active, and being careful to avoid becoming overweight.

It is possible for type 2 diabetes to become onset with age, regardless of previous lifestyle choices, simply due to genetics. Risk for genetically onset diabetes tends to increase at around 45 years old, and after 65 the risk becomes even greater.

In addition, there are certain ethnic groups whose genetic predisposition toward developing type 2 diabetes is much higher. These groups include African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Japanese Americans. Individuals belonging to these ethnic groups would do well to take extra care when it comes to diet and lifestyle, in order to ensure a long and happy life.

Glucose Meter- Dealing With Diabetes

Having diabetes can be worrisome especially since this disease can be the source of countless complications including gangrene which leads to amputations and loss of limbs. To avoid this and other untoward complications from happening, it is important to include regular home testing with your own blood glucose meter.

There are many different blood glucose meters and most brands and types are pretty much standard. If you are having difficulty deciding on what type of blood glucose meter to use, ask around and be sure to seek the advice and guidance of your health care provider. Together you can decide on what type of blood glucose monitor is best for you to use.

You may also call the consumer hotlines of each popular brand of blood glucose meter. The qualified consumer assistant that will answer you call can help give you the answers that you need. Naturally, if you will be asking them for opinions they will endorse their own product over the rest of the blood glucose tester brands out there. Instead of asking subjective questions, learn what objective queries you need to ask to be able to find out the pertinent answers that you have about a blood glucose meter.

Remember that if you have had more than one blood glucose meter then you may have more than one type of test strip with you. Take note that different blood glucose testers use different test strips and some will use the same. Be sure to check and recheck whether you are using the right type of test strip for the particular blood glucose meter with you. The fact that the strip fits into the blood glucose monitor is hardly the best way to tell if you are using the correct one.

To ensure that you are using your blood glucose meter correctly, be sure to get a tutorial. You may ask assistance from the company that manufactures your glucose meter or you may ask your health care provider to help you. It is also a good idea to bring your blood glucose tester with you when you visit your doctor or go for a lab test. This way you can check the accuracy of your blood glucose monitor with actual lab test.

Be ready to note a difference from the lab test reading and the reading from your blood glucose meter. It is normal to have a plus or minus 20% in the absolute number you get from your glucose tester as compared to the lab test result. Anything higher or lower than that in variance should alert you to the fact that your blood glucose monitor may be defective or not properly calibrated.

It is also possible that the big variance in test results from the actual lab test and the one from your blood glucose meter stems from the fact that they are using two different ways to measure your blood sugar. The lab test may be using a test that reads your whole blood while your blood glucose meter may be reading from a plasma sample. In this case, the variance is normal.

Learn what type of reading does your blood glucose monitor give off and how to convert one type of reading to another to be able to understand the result of your test.

Your Glucose Meter And You

Having a blood glucose meter allows you to test your blood sugar levels at the comforts of your home. Aside from a sensible diet and exercise, your blood glucose meter is essential for you to be able to practice proper diabetes care. If you don't have the means to test your blood sugar levels, you may not realize that you should do something about your condition. Regular testing with your blood glucose monitor will be able to help you determine whether you need to do something to normalize your blood sugar levels or not.

Depending on the experience of physical symptoms to be able to tell whether there is a fluctuation in your blood sugar levels is highly inaccurate. For one thing, most people with diabetes rarely ever experience symptoms that come with having either low or high blood sugar levels. Most people who have been living with diabetes for a while can get accustomed to the symptoms and lose the ability to tell whether they are experiencing indications of blood sugar fluctuations or not. Therefore it is better to depend on a blood glucose meter to correctly monitor the levels of sugar in your blood.

Remember though that the result from your blood glucose meter is not absolute. There can be many factors that can affect your test results and therefore making the readings from blood glucose tester incorrect. For instance, if your fingertip from which you have drawn a blood sample from is dirty or covered in some small amounts of food and other substances, the reading of your blood glucose monitor will be incorrect. You may also accidentally use the wrong test strip on your blood glucose meter and in which case, again, your results will be inaccurate.

You will have to do your part in ensuring that your blood glucose meter is able to give you the proper results every time you do a test. If you do not take the time to be meticulous in this process then the fact that you have a good reliable blood glucose tester is pretty much irrelevant. You will need to learn how to properly use your blood glucose meter and you will need to learn all the dos and don'ts in using it as well. Getting accurate test result from your blood glucose monitor is important. The right results can mean the difference between losing your sight and keeping it as well as many other serious complications that can arise from irregular blood sugar levels.

In this sense, your blood glucose meter can be your best friend or your best enemy. Be sure to learn all about how to use this device properly as well what to do and not to do when doing tests at home with your blood glucose tester. Things like proper calibration, proper conversions and the like are essential to learning how to use your blood glucose monitor correctly.

Remember that your continued health depends on your ability to manage the risk of fluctuations in your blood sugar level. The blood glucose meter and the proper use of it is the right tool to help you monitor blood sugar levels correctly and manage risks. However, you still should have regular lab testing scheduled to ensure the accuracy of your device.

Type 1 Diabetes - All About Type 1 Diabetes Causes and Treatment

Read this article to know about Type 1 Diabetes Causes and Type 1 diabetes Treatment

We can call Type 1 diabetes an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys or damages insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Once those cells are destroyed, they won't ever create insulin again. This type of diabetes usually occurs under the age of 30 and often in childhood.

Type 1 diabetes normally develops in children or young adults, but can found at any age. Type 1 diabetes can cause many problems. It is a life-long disorder that can happen in children or adults. It is a totally different disease than Type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs normally in children, adolescents or young adults, and most often at puberty. This type of diabetes is also called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes symptoms:

Type 1 diabetes often appears abruptly. However, each individual may experience symptoms in a different way. Type 1 diabetes symptoms may include:

• high levels of sugar in the blood and urine when tested

• unusual thirst

• frequent urination

• extreme hunger but loss of weight

• unclear vision

• nausea and vomiting

• extreme weakness and tiredness

• bad temper and mood changes

In children, type 1 diabetes symptoms may be alike to those of having the flu.

Type 1 Diabetes Complications:

Type 1 diabetes can cause different problems, but there are three key complications:

1. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar; also called an insulin reaction) occurs when blood sugar drops too low level.

2. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) occurs when blood sugar is too high, and can be an indication that diabetes is not well forbidden.

3. Ketoacidosis (diabetic coma) is loss of consciousness due to untreated diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes Causes:

Type 1 diabetes is the result of the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter the cells of the body to provide fuel. Insulin is a protein that is speedily broken down in the digestive area. In type 1 diabetes, the body can no longer create insulin, so the glucose can't acquire into the body's cells.

Although no one knows for certain why this occurs, scientists think it has something to do with genes. But just getting the genes for diabetes isn't usually sufficient. A person most likely would then have to be exposed to something else - like a virus - to get Type 1 diabetes

It's important to also be alert of the different myths that over the years have arise about the Type 1 diabetes causes. Eating sweets or the wrong kind of food does not cause diabetes but it can cause obesity which is the cause of Type 2 Diabetes.

Stress does not cause diabetes, although it may be a cause for the body turning on itself as in the case of Type 1 diabetes. It does, however, make the signs worse for those who already have diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes Treatment:

Type 1 Diabetes Patient need to monitor and control their glucose levels. They need to:

• give themselves insulin injections or use an insulin pump

• eat a balanced, healthy diet and pay special attention to the quantities of sugars and starches in the food they eat and the timing of their meals

• get habitual exercise to help manage blood sugar levels and help avoid some of the long-term health problems that can cause diabetes like heart disease

Insulin therapy is the origin of type 1 diabetes treatment. When insulin was first discovered and made accessible for people with diabetes, there was only one type of fast-acting insulin and this required several injections in a day. Today, there are a variety of insulins that can be selected and/or combined to help you best control your diabetes.

Drug Used To Treat Diabetes In Texas May Kill Patients

The state's propensity to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer doesn't help. The prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. increased a staggering 49% between 1990 and 2000, and Texas was hit hard, possibly linked with an obesity rate hovering just above 60% of the adult population. Thirty-five percent of children are now clinically obese statewide, and Houston boasts a population in which 86% of its residents are either overweight or obese. This is significant due to the problems that often accompany the condition, including heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and, of course, type 2 diabetes.

For Texas, none of this is good news. With one-quarter of the state going without health insurance, 60% of the population obese, and over half a million diabetic, any problem affecting a large number with any of these conditions could completely overload the already stressed system. A flood of Avandia patients coming in with complications, uninsured, and possibly suffering from other conditions as well, just might send the healthcare system of Texas into meltdown.

Much of the problem, it would seem, stems from the FDA itself, which is slowly but surely nurturing a reputation of extreme negligence into maturity. Once a drug is approved, its actual effects on the population are not as closely monitored as they should be, according to many in the industry.
Dr. Jerry Avorn, of Harvard Medical School, believes that such problems with the FDA will continue to exist "until we are able to get a better system of drug approval and surveillance." That's a powerful statement, considering that this is precisely what the FDA is supposed to do.

It's a wakeup call, really. While it shouldn't be as a result of government agency negligence, in all reality, we should be more responsible for our health on an individual basis -- going for annual physicals, asking our doctors as many questions as we need in order to feel comfortable with a diagnosis or prescription, and doing what we can to take care of ourselves. Simple, common sense principles of nutritional eating and exercise may cut off many conditions requiring drugs before they even have a chance to exist.
Until the nation's health catches up with better habits, however, make sure to keep up with the latest recalls.

When Diabetes Is Not Diabetes

Mention the word diabetes and the vast majority of people will assume that you are talking about either type 1 diabetes, which affects about 10% of diabetes sufferers, or type 2 diabetes, which is the most commonly seen form of the disease and is currently growing alarmingly. But did you know that there is a third type of diabetes which has no connection whatsoever with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, apart from sharing the name diabetes.

There are four types of diabetes insipidus:

Neurogenic Diabetes Insipidus

Gestagenic Diabetes Insipidus

Gestagenic diabetes insipidus (also known as gestational diabetes insipidus) occurs during pregnancy and is often the result of destruction of vasopressin within the placenta.

Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus occurs when, in spite of the normal production of vasopressin, the kidneys still fail to properly concentrate urine. This form of diabetes insipidus can be inherited and can also be the result of kidney disease and taking certain types of drug.

Dipsogenic Diabetes Insipidus

There is also a second type of primary polydipsia known as psychogenic polydipsia which, as its name would suggest, has a variety of psychosomatic causes.

Despite the fact that there is some similarity in the symptoms of diabetes and diabetes insipidus it seems strange, and more than a little confusing, that the medical profession should have decided to give these two quite different conditions the same name.

Nine Surprising Diabetes Risks For Texans

Many individuals in Dallas, Houston and other places around Texas don't know that they may be slowly working toward a permanent, chronic disease -- diabetes. Untreated, diabetes can lead to heart and blood pressure problems, dependence on insulin shots, blindness, neuropathy and an early death. Here are nine risks for you to evaluate:

1. Watching two plus hours of TV daily.

Increases your risk: 14%

How: More hours in front of the tube equals less activity.

The fix: Limit TV time to 10 hours a week and get off the couch and move around. Take a walk. Go for a swim. Enjoy life outdoors.

2. Drinking one soda daily…if at all.

Increases your risk: 83%

How: Soda adds extra and empty calories, which can easily lead to weight gain. Most non-diet pops are full of sugar. More than you'll probably add to your coffee.

The fix: Switch to water, diet soda, or even better, unsweetened tea, which actually protects against disease. Green teas are gaining in popularity because of their health benefits.

3. Skipping breakfast.

Increases your risk: almost 50%

How: Not having that morning meal increases the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, making you hungrier and, as a result, you're actually more likely to eat more.

4. Major depression

Increases your risk: 23%

How: Depression may alter body chemistry in a way that makes us more prone to developing diabetes.

The fix: Exercise. Even taking a walk, just 30 minutes, three times a week, has been shown to improve symptoms of depression.

5. A large waist line, even if you are of a normal weight.

Increases your risk: 330%

How: Fat in the abdomen produces compounds that make cells insulin-resistant. Women should keep their waist size below 35 inches and 40 inches for men.

The fix: A half-hour to one hour of cardio, three to five times a week.

6. Waking up in the middle of the night.

Increases your risk: 98%

How: Middle-of-the-night awakenings means you're not getting enough sleep, making you more prone to developing insulin resistance, leading to diabetes.

The fix: No caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. No TV and alcohol right before bed. Try yoga or meditation to relax.

7. Consuming fast food more than twice weekly.

Increases your risk: 100%

How: Individuals who eat burgers, fries and soda more than twice a week put on 10 extra pounds and were twice as likely to become resistant to insulin.

The fix: Stay away from fast food dining. And if you have to eat it, satisfy cravings with smaller portions.

8. High stress.

Increases your risk: 184%

How: Constant high stress can interfere with your ability to make insulin and process glucose.

The fix: Allow 10-15 minutes a day to relax. Try yoga or meditation.

9. Consuming lots of processed meats.

Increases your risk: 43%

How: These meats, like hotdogs, bacon and salami, are loaded with preservatives that may destroy insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.

The fix: Cut back on these meats or eliminate them from your diet altogether. A recent Harvard University study found that women who ate these meats less than once a week had the lowest risk. If you need to satisfy a craving, try preservative-free brands.

Glucose Meter - Living With Diabetes

It is important to understand that a glucose meter is a pretty complicated piece of machinery in the sense that you need to be very meticulous about many things about it. For one thing, you will need to take extra care in storing and keeping the blood glucose tester and the accompanying test strips. Heat and humidity can affect the performance of your blood glucose monitor and may very well ruin your test strips. When this happens, you will no longer have accurate readings from your blood glucose meter.

You will also have to take special care in understanding and practicing the correct procedures surrounding testing with a glucose meter. For instance you will need to know whether your blood glucose tester accepts blood samples from alternative sites aside from your fingertip. Some glucose monitors will readily be able to read results accurately from alternative testing sites such areas from the thigh, upper arm and the like. However, not all blood glucose meters will be able to the same. Besides, the general accuracy of testing from blood samples from other than your fingertip can really produce results that are askew.

Taking blood as samples from alternative sites other than from your fingertip will show varying degrees of results especially if you have just eaten or taken an insulin shot. The best place to draw samples from to use on your blood glucose meter is still the tip of your finger. If your fingertip has become sore from previous testing, vary the finger that you use to prevent the same soreness on other fingers.

Remember that the fingertip that you will be taking blood samples from must be completely clean. Even a minute trace of food or sugar can throw the test results completely off mark and this could mean trouble. Make sure that you thoroughly clean your finger and hands before doing a self test with your glucose meter.

If you suffer from diabetes and do not have a glucose monitor, go ahead and get yourself one. Having a blood glucose tester if you have diabetes is essential to proper diabetes care. This is a special tool that can help you cope and live with diabetes so it is important that you have one.

If you are having difficulty in deciding on what brand or type of glucose meter to use, consult your health care profession on what are the possible types that you can use easily and readily.

Begin Weight Training To Lower Blood Sugar

As we get older our bodies change. Our hormonal system produces less of the hormones than it did in our teens or twenties. Our metabolism, in most cases, slow down. Our body and its defenses become more vulnerable to outside stresses. But, during this time in life, our stresses seem to grow exponentially. We are going place with our careers. We have families. These families have demands on us physically and psychologically. Homes, automobiles, vacations, as well as many other thing s add to the stress load. This creates a downward spiral for our health. That is, unless we take measures to counteract the stresses that affect us daily.

Lets see how this affects a person afflicted with diabetes, in particular. We are going to narrow it down to the exercise factor. We will even narrow it more to just weight training. Everyone knows, or is in denial, that exercise can only be beneficial in diabetes care. The importance of weight training has not been emphasized enough to the diabetic world. Let us address this.

As we get older, our bodies change, unless we act to prevent that change. After the age of 30 years, our body adds one pound of fat each year. Not only that, but we lose about one-half pound of lean tissue mass (muscle ) each year. Add these up and we gain 15 pounds of fat every 10 years. This is preventable. This is the reason for weight training.

Muscle is a major factor in clearance of circulating blood glucose. As lean body mass increases, greater amounts of blood glucose are cleared from the blood. Muscle tissue takes in the blood glucose and stores it as glycogen. And even cooler, the greater the proportion of muscle mass to fat, the more calories are burned at rest. And weight training further increases metabolism, even after working out.

Remember, if you have diabetes, Eat a snack prior to workings out. Hydrate during and after working out. Check your blood sugar level before and after working out to prevent any episodes of hypoglycemia.

Discover Vitamins and Herbs for Diabetics

Indeed, many sufferers of diabetes have an interest in learning all about vitamins and herbs for diabetics in order to help or ward off the risk of complications that can arise if insulin levels are not maintained at a constant level. However, before we delve into vitamins and herbs for diabetics, we would be remiss if we didn't make a few dietary recommendations. As such, the following are a few suggestions:

Become good friends with fiber-rich plant foods. Eat a diet rich in fiber as it seems to be helpful in reducing blood sugar surges.

Trim the saturated fat and cholesterol. Put simply, eat less or eliminate animal products and eat more whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.

Say hello to antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants are disease-fighting substances that mop up the continuous onslaught of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that damage cells as they travel through the body and are responsible for laying the groundwork for the most serious complications of diabetes if left unchecked. Plant-derived foods are rich in antioxidant nutrients.

Get nuts and seeds. Include in your diet nuts and seeds.

Slash the refined sugars. Your diet should be low in refined sugars.

Now, before we discuss vitamins and herbs for diabetics it's important that we make a few comments. Indeed, there are many nutrients that may help aid a person who suffers from diabetes, but one should never stop taking their insulin or any medication prescribed. However, it may be possible to take these vitamins and herbs for diabetics as well as other nutrients in conjunction with your prescription medications or insulin if you consult your physician first. Moreover, you need to make sure these herbs or nutrients are appropriate for your condition.

That said, let's delve into vitamins and herbs for diabetics. In fact, let's begin with the herbal kingdom.

Become familiar with Ayurvedic medicine. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia), gudmar (Gymnema sylvestre), and gulvel (Tinospora cordifo), are highly respected herbal remedies used to regulate blood sugar levels in Ayurvedic medicine. In addition, gudmar (Gymnema sylvestre) reduces the cravings for sweet foods. As such, it is known as the "sugar killer."

Look into this exciting new herbal called Banaba Leaf. Banaba is a medicinal plant grown in the Philippines and Asia where its leaves have long been used as a folk remedy for treating diabetes as well as kidney disease. New research has shown this medicinal plant can lower unwanted levels of glucose in the blood.

Meet the berry family. Cedar berries are excellent nourishment for the pancreas and huckleberry may help promote insulin production. Juniper berries have been found to lower blood glucose levels and bilberry helps prevent diabetic eye damage. In addition, bilberry has shown to reduce blood sugar levels.

Stop! Don't mow down that nasty back yard weed just yet. Dandelion root is a liver protector, which converts nutrients into glucose. Moreover, some studies have found that it may lower blood sugar levels and, as such, possibly benefiting those with diabetes.

Fill up on fenugreek seeds. Fenugreek seeds have been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels in studies. However, there is a one drawback to this herb. You have to take a lot (15 to 100 grams daily) of fenugreek seeds to obtain an effect, and it is also associated with mild gastrointestinal upset. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to have this knowledge and it is indeed on the list of vitamins and herbs for diabetics.

Discover Gingko biloba. Ginkgo is a well-known powerful antioxidant that is prized for its ability to enhance circulation.

Other herbs that may possibly help lower or improve blood-sugar levels include: Garlic, Ginseng, Psyllium, and Nopal (prickly pear cactus).

Now, let's move forward on our topic of this article, vitamins and herbs for diabetics and discuss vitamins.

Befriend vitamins A, B, C, and E. First, vitamins A, C, and E are antioxidants. Vitamin A with carotenoids is needed to maintain eye health. The B vitamins help produce enzymes that convert glucose to energy. In addition, the Bs may be helpful as an aid in preventing diabetic nerve damage. A deficiency in vitamin C may lead to vascular problems for diabetes sufferers. Vitamin C with bioflavonoids may slow or prevent complications that occur in this condition. Vitamin E improves circulation and helps prevent complications as well.

Check out Inositol. Inositol is considered a B-complex vitamin that has shown to relieve numbness and tingling in the hands in feet. As such, it may be helpful in protecting against peripheral neuropathy.

But wait, there are other helpful nutrients for diabetes that goes beyond vitamins and herbs for diabetics. Let's discover who they are now.

Get real acquainted with Alpha-lipoic acid. Alpha-lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant that helps control blood sugar levels. It has been used as a supplement to treat diabetic neuropathy, the nerve pain or tingling or numbness in the hands and feet that is common among individuals with diabetes. In fact, alpha lipoic acid is approved in Germany as an effective prescription drug for diabetic neuropathy.