Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Healthy Food Habits For Diabetics

Diabetes is a very serious illness and proper care is essential in remaining healthy. People with diabetes have to beware of what they eat and when they eat it. This particular illness is very sensitive and any little mistake can cause the blood sugar levels to go up tremendously. Very often, people who suffer from this disease are also stricken with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or obesity. Taking all of these things into consideration, a healthy diet for a diabetic is a must.

One healthy food habit for diabetics is to monitor their intake of carbohydrates. The proper carb intake is as important as the proper sugar intake. Carbs are simply a different type of sugar and they can impact the blood levels just the same as sugar in a cake or in candy. Some foods that should be served in controlled portions include pastas, potatoes, and breads. These foods along with other carb rich products raise blood sugar levels. A good diet for someone suffering from this illness should be low in sugar, fat, and carbohydrates.

Another thing to consider when you are a diabetic is to be consistent with meal times. Try not to let your blood sugars become too low by not eating or too high by eating too often. Also, when making a meal, be sure to understand what is written on the food label. Be aware of the ingredients, serving sizes, and any additives that a product may contain. Certain products may contain ingredients that will unknowingly add to your daily sugar intake. Therefore, it is important to be aware of what you are consuming. And for those people who are overweight and suffer from diabetes, it may be beneficial to consult with a doctor regarding any all natural supplements which aid in weight loss and blood sugar control. Natural supplements, along with all of the other tips presented earlier in this article, may aid in reducing the unpleasant side effects of diabetes.

Lauren S. Johnson writes health articles about fitness and nutrition.
Some of her favorite passions include studying the medicinal benefits of herbal remedies, diet pills, and hoodia gordonii.

The Causes of Diabetes

There is still much research being done into diabetes, what its causes are and how it can be detected. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems is people not realizing they have diabetes. They don't do anything until they see other severe symptoms and by then it's often too late.

Only approximately 10% of diabetes sufferers have type 1 diabetes. This is usually diagnosed in childhood; hence the name juvenile onset diabetes. However, it can technically occur into adulthood. Type 1 diabetes is largely still a mystery. The body, for some reason, destroys its own insulin producing cells. This leaves the person with no insulin. The sufferer is then completely reliant on being treated with insulin. There are genetic factors at play with the onset of type 1 diabetes. There can other factors as well, such as certain viruses or other environmental causes.

Type 2 diabetes is the far more common version of the disease. Up to 90% or more of all diabetes sufferers have this version of the disease. The body develops a complex resistance to insulin. Insulin in the body is used to control blood sugar. When the body produces insulin, the blood sugar in the body is lowered. In this way, insulin regulates the energy you receive from blood sugar (glucose) as well as monitoring the level naturally.

With an insulin resistance, the body does not regulate itself as well. Blood sugar levels become higher than normal due to this. Type 2 diabetes can be passed from generation to generation and is often found in overweight people or those with very bad diets. However, there are skinny and healthy people who suffer from this version of diabetes as well.

What you eat can play a big factor with type 2 diabetes. If you catch it before it's too late, you can even reverse the trend in your body. Taking out carbohydrates, which are broken down into sugar, is one step. Another step you can take is eating smaller meals more frequently, as opposed to larger meals just two or three times a day.

The most important step you can take however is to be informed. You need to get your blood sugar tested and evaluated. This is particularly true if you have a family history or if you notice other symptoms. Symptoms are wide ranging and could include lethargy, or in men, erectile dysfunction. Type 2 diabetes can be controlled effectively in most cases without the need for insulin shots.

Staying informed and living a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise is the best thing you can do to prevent the onset of diabetes, and to battle it once you are diagnosed.

Please consider participating in our free Diabetes Community. A lot of people put a lot of hard work into this site. You can meet new friends and talk about your experiences at our Diabetes Day Forum or you can learn more about what causes diabetes.

Got Diabetes? Alkaline Water Helps a Lot of People!

What exactly is Diabetes anyway?

Well first there are two types of diabetes and they have different characteristics even though the symptoms may feel the same.

Type 1 Diabetes, also called Insulin-Dependent Diabetes usually occurs in young people. You just don't produce enough insulin and daily injections are needed to metabolize your blood sugar.

A person can be born with Diabetes 1 or it is developed by those who cannot or will not control Diabetes Type 2 with proper medication, diet and exercise.

Type 2 diabetes, also called Adult-Onset Diabetes, occurs almost exclusively in adults. Usually high GI diets are the culprit and the sufferers are overweight.

Diabetes 2 is one of the diseases, which results when the pancreas starts to feel the strain of excessive insulin stimulus from long term blood sugar spikes and the muscles become insensitive to insulin. If we keep the food we eat in balance (low and high carbohydrates), the spiking of blood sugar levels can be avoided, and a more harmonious functioning of our organs will ensure future health and longevity.

But Type 2 Diabetes is not the only physical health issue related to obesity. People who are overweight and/or obese are at major risk for contacting severe chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and hypertension.

Type 2 Diabetes is a terrible thing to get. It is a progressive disorder and should be avoided at all costs. Early corrective action is critical. It can usually be controlled with diet, exercise and oral medication some times combined with insulin.

This is a very serious issue. If you are a diabetic then your very life is at risk!

But don't think that prescription medications are the only solution to this crippling illness. There are many natural treatments that show significant success.

You can start by losing some weight and alkalizing your body!

Many people experience significant relief from diabetic symptoms by consuming 6 to 8 pints of ionized alkaline water daily. You will reduce the acidity of your body and create an environment where it is difficult for disease to thrive.

Ordinary tap water can be run through a water ionizer and will produce pure ionized water that is both highly alkaline and rich in negative ions which act as a powerful anti-oxidant to neutralize the hordes of free radicals in our bodies.

Would you like to learn about the miracle of Ionized Alkaline Water?

Read other peoples amazing recovery stories.

Download my Free Book: Acid/Alkaline Balance

You can download it FREE here: Acid/Alkaline Balance