By Denchi Minh

Having diabetes requires that you be cautious of the food you eat and manage to contain the disease by always being in control of your blood sugar levels. You should carefully plan your meals. This article will help you create an effective Diabetic Diet. Eating the right food at the right time is in itself a cure known in medicine as the MNT or Medical Nutrition Therapy. It involves setting and adhering to specific meal time schedules with each meal full of just the right amount of nutrients your body needs and minimal amounts of calories and fat. It aims to allow the individual to still be able to enjoy eating while also taking his illness into account.

Fruits, veggies, and whole grain are the major components of a Diabetic Diet. Eating healthy is so important to a person with diabetes that the first advice the doctor will give you is to seek the help of a dietician. A dietician is a professional consultant that will guide you on how to adjust your diet to help you prevent the glucose level in your blood from going out of control. He will also help you maintain a desirable body weight. Too much calorie and fat intake is the primary cause for rising blood sugar levels that in severe cases may result to very alarming dilemmas such as uncontrollable excess glucose in the bloodstream which may also damage other organs such as the heart. Losing track of what you eat will most likely cause your blood sugar level to go past the safety limit.

Following a Diabetic Diet that aims on the loss of weight is the best for people with type 2 diabetes. This is because being overweight makes it harder to break down fat and calorie buildups in your body. Such meal plan is normally very hard for average individuals. This is why the services of a dietician are necessary. Explain your goals as well as preferences in food with the dietician and he will be able to give you good advice about what to eat and what not to eat.

It is to be noted that a Diabetic Diet should always focus on quality over quantity. Fruits and vegetables together with whole grains offer the best nutritional value per gram. Refrain from eating fatty foods because diabetes exponentially increases the risks of heart attack every gram of fat provides.

By Denchi Minh

Diabetes is a disease that involves the blood sugar of the person involved. It can affect young children and old people alike. There is a special type of diabetes that occurs only in pregnant women. When a pregnant woman has high sugar levels, her OB gynecologist would suggest seeking the advice of a professional dietician about a gestational diabetes diet plan.

A gestational diabetes diet means regulating the carbohydrate intake of a pregnant woman due to the high levels of glucose in the blood. A diabetic mother would be hazardous for her well - being. This could lead to further complications not only for the mother and for the baby inside her.

The goal of a gestational diabetes diet plan is to give a pregnant woman adequate energy and her nutritional needs everyday without going over the limits. Limiting ones carbohydrate intake at the proper procedure will reduce the levels of blood sugar without compromising the nutritional needs of the mother.

Meal planning for one in a gestational diet means eating small portions of meals throughout the day. Frequent small meals are used to stabilize blood sugar. Eating frequently in small portions is better than eating one large meal in a day when it comes to glucose control. Below is an example of a daily meal menu for an expecting mother suffering from gestational diabetes.

Breakfast Meal Sample

2 tablespoons of peanut butter in 2 slices of toast bread
100% juice (Could be orange of pineapple)

Mid-morning Snack Meal Sample

1 apple
1 cup cottage cheese

Lunch - Meal Sample

1 cup soup (beans)
1 serving grain crackers
2 ounces of low - fat cheese
1 cup baby carrots
Mid-afternoon Snack - Meal Sample
20 raw almonds
1 cup grapes

Dinner - Meal Sample

6 ounces of fish 1 cup
1 cup brown rice
1 cup fat - free milk

Evening Snack - Meal Sample

5 cups air-popped popcorn (no additives)

The primary goal of this diet is to limit a whole meal for the pregnant woman. A pregnant woman is not required to eat a whole meal due to the slow rate of digestion. When a woman is pregnant her metabolism is slow, and breaking down of fats and sugar may take some time. That's the main reason why women are prone to gestational diabetes. Counting the carbohydrates and sugar content in the food the pregnant woman eats is the key to successfully breaking down this special type of diabetes.

By Denchi Minh

When it is conformed that you have any types of diabetes, doctors' advice is always to go to a dietician in order to have your diabetes diet plan. Diabetes diet is a way of regulating the person's intake of carbohydrates and sugar in every meal of the day. A person is considered to be diabetic when one's sugar levels are above the normal or standard required. There are various complications when one is diabetic.

Possible complications could be blindness. Due to the decrease in blood circulation, one may have a heart attack as well. Kidney failure due to the amounts of glucose in the blood is also a complication due to diabetes.

Many people are asking this phrase; what is a diabetes diet? Diabetes diet is a special type of diet given to people who are diabetic. There are required lists of things to eat in a daily basis that are rich in fiber in order to regulate the blood sugar of the person.

Most of the possible things to eat are green leafy vegetables and fruits. Proteins and carbohydrates are to be reduced to minimal amounts. But having a diabetes diet menu doesn't really mean having to stop eating your favourite foods or sweets. You could still eat your favourite dishes or sweets but at a regulated fashion. Exercise after eating sweets and carbohydrates is a good way in regulating the blood sugar in your blood.

Many people wouldn't have to suffer in diabetes. There are lots of available resources you can use in order to prevent it from coming.

Preventing diabetes is a simple thing to say, but very hard to do. Having the proper motivation is the key to preventing diabetes. The following are key subjects in preventing this disease:

• Exercise is an important daily routine of you want to prevent diabetes. Doctors recommend having at the very least 30 minutes of exercise each day. An exercise that will increase the heart rate is good in order to improve blood circulation.

• Weight loss is an integral part of stopping diabetes. 80 percent of diabetic people in the world are either overweight or have excessive weight.

• Having a balanced diet will always be the number one key factor in preventing the disease. Eating fatty or salty foods is okay. There is also nothing wrong in eating sugar filled goodies every once in a while. Moderation is the key in preventing Diabetes. Having the self-control is one of the biggest reasons some people have a lesser chance of having diabetes than others.

By Gerald Tellier

Diabetes is a disorder characterized by high amounts of sugar or glucose in the blood. It is usually inherited from the family tree, or acquired through unhealthy eating practices.

In diabetes, there is usually something wrong with the pancreas and its production of the hormone insulin. Your system needs insulin in order that blood sugar can enter body cells and be converted into energy. The pancreas may well not produce any insulin in any way or produce inadequate insulin to maintain blood glucose at normal levels.

To measure blood glucose levels, diabetic testing supplies are required. Here are some of today's most commonly used diabetic testing supplies:

Glucometer - The Glucose Meter

A glucometer or blood glucose meter is usually a popular technique for diabetics to evaluate and monitor blood sugar levels at the comfort of their homes. The glucometer is a small, hand-held device that can provide a blood sugar reading within a number of seconds.

For a reading to become made, a small amount of blood will have to be procured by pricking your sensitive skin using a lancet and after that placing the blood on the test strip. The glucometer will analyze the blood on the test strip and determine the blood glucose level.

Diabetic Test Strips

Test strips are diabetic testing materials that are useful to hold a small amount of blood when calculating blood glucose with a glucometer. They can be thin plastic planes designed for one-time use. They must be discarded right after a blood glucose reading is made.

You will need to use a test strip which are appropriate for the glucometer being used. Some are designed for specific glucometers and won't focus on other diabetic testing supplies.

Diabetic Lancets

Lancets are devices used to prick your skin, typically the finger, so that you can extract blood for glucose monitoring. It is accessible in many sizes or gauges. The larger the gauge of the lancet, the thinner it can be.

It will be less painful to lances of higher gauges for the reason that skin tear produced is small. The tiny perforation, however, will sometimes help it become difficult for diabetics to attract enough blood to have an accurate reading.

Diabetics should take extra care to never reuse lancets accidentally simply because this may lead to infections and diseases.

Diabetic lancets can be utilized alone or having a lancing device. Lancing products are diabetic testing supplies which might be accustomed to mechanically puncture your skin with a lancet. These devices permit diabetics to modify the deepness of a skin puncture that is beneficial in reducing pain.

Good blood glucose monitoring kits will frequently incorporate a lancing tool and other essential diabetic testing supplies.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

If you're a diabetes veteran you probably think you've heard everything there is to know about Type 2 diabetes at least once. The tired mantra of "lose weight, count carbs and exercise" has been drummed into you so many times you're ready to assault the next health care provider that says it.

Believe it or not, there are a few gems out there that most diabetics... even long-standing ones... don't know about.

1. Choose Your Doctor Wisely: Many doctors tend to have an unholy alliance towards medical treatments for Type 2 diabetes. Instead of helping patients improve their health and quality of life through diet and exercise, they tend to scribble a prescription on a piece of paper and move onto the next patient.

Besides screening your physician candidates based on experience, consider adding empathy to your list of important factors. A study out of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital found that doctors that listened to and emphasized, helped their diabetic patients significantly more than those that rushed them out the door.

2. Limit Grains: It's no secret that whole grains are a much better choice for Type 2 diabetics than refined grains like white rice and refined pasta. However, that doesn't mean that "gorging" on whole grains is a good idea either. The glycemic index, a measure of how rapidly carbs get absorbed by your body, is surprisingly high in many grains... even whole grains!

For example, the glycemic index of whole grain cereals, like Special K and Grapenuts, are uncomfortably close to that of Wonder Bread!

Try to get the majority of your carbs in the form of fresh vegetables and fruits, fat-free dairy and beans.

3. Watch Your Fat: Many diabetics zero in on carbs and forget the importance of fat in their blood sugar management. If diabetics do care to note fat, it's usually to avoid it as much as possible. However, being fat-phobic doesn't help your blood sugar levels or your waistline. Fat provides your body with a source of energy that doesn't shoot up blood sugar levels like grains or sugary foods. Also, including healthy fats from sources like nuts, fatty fish and tofu combats inflammation... the underlying cause of insulin resistance.

4. Scary Motivation: If you can't seem to get your healthy lifestyle off the ground, consider this sobering statistic from the New England Journal of Medicine: diabetics are 80% more likely to die prematurely than those without diabetes.

This news isn't meant to scare you into action, it's just to give you accurate information on what the disease does to your health. Whether you choose to ignore this advice or use it as a tool to a new life, actively fighting Type 2 diabetes is one of the most important decisions you can ever make.

By Denchi Minh

The Diabetic Diet is commonly the first thing a doctor will mention to a person who has just been diagnosed with diabetes for the first time. This is because food intake influences a person's blood sugar level more than any medicine can. As a matter of fact, people who have Type 2 Diabetes can live healthy without any medication as long as they eat the right foods and have enough exercise. Eating the right foods however is not so simple. A diabetic cannot simply avoid eating foods with glucose because his body still needs sugar. He therefore needs to be able to determine exactly how much glucose per day is advisable for his condition.

The Diabetic Diet should also be made up of meals that have balance between the three Food Groups while at the same time also following the Food Pyramid. Diabetics should also keep track of their fat and carbohydrate intake in order to avoid gaining too much weight as being overweight can lead to complications such as heart and kidney disease. The size of the meals as well as the time they are eaten should also be consistent. The glucose level in the bloodstream of someone with diabetes is very sensitive. Any sudden rise or fall in the sugar level can lead to very serious problems.

Adapting to a Diabetic Diet can be very difficult especially for individuals who are used to eating whatever they like. This is the reason why doctors often recommend their diabetic patients to see a dietician. A dietician is a food expert that specializes in creating food and meal combination that cater specifically to a person's needs. They can help you create a meal plan that is not only healthy for you, but also made up of foods that you will enjoy. Sacrificing taste for nutritional value is not necessary. There are many healthy foods that also taste good.

The Diabetic Diet should be comprised of as many meals that can fit conveniently in your lifestyle. The normal setup of three meals per day is not recommended for diabetics. They should eat only small meals to avoid disturbing the stability of their blood sugar level. An eating plan of at least six meals per day is recommended but it would be better if you could fit even more on your schedule. Starch is considered as the most optimal food for diabetics. Bread, cereal, and vegetables are the most common sources of starch.

By Denchi Minh

Diabetes is a very common illness. It can lead to very serious and even fatal complications. Surprisingly, simply eating the right foods and getting enough exercise is enough to keep the diabetic healthy. This article tackles the two most difficult to manage foods for diabetics which are sweets and carbohydrate-rich dishes.

Sweets
The Diabetic Diet should not completely eliminate sugar because even a person with diabetes needs glucose in his or her blood. One can eat sweets once or twice each week. It should be noted however than in each meal that has sweets included there should be a corresponding decrease in the carbohydrate content of the rest of the meal. This will help maintain a stable blood glucose level even after eating sweets. This however should be done in moderation because sacrificing carbohydrates for sugar is not good for the body. If you really like sweet foods you can also choose to find alternatives that taste as sweet by have lower sugar content. Also, eat sweets slowly. Savor each small bite so that the treat lasts longer.

Carbohydrates
The Diabetic Diet should include an accurate carbohydrate count to make sure the carbohydrate consumption does not exceed the safety limits nor go below the minimum dosage required. Carbohydrates are the primary energy suppliers of the body and too little carbohydrate intake can lead to lack of energy and even increased body weight. It is also ideal if you select the type of carbohydrates that you eat. Simple carbohydrates such as those found in processed and preserved foods have very low nutritional value while complex carbohydrates also come with a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals. Complex carbohydrates also take longer to digest which means that you will stay full longer. Complex carbohydrates are very helpful in helping you lose weight which is also one of the goals of a Diabetic Diet.

Diabetic Diet
The meal plan for each day should include just the right amounts of sugar and carbohydrates. Too much is never good, as well as too little. The details of the diabetic's illness therefore should first be clear so that the dietician is able to determine the exact amount of vitamins, minerals, sugar, and carbohydrates that the diabetic's body requires. Each meal should be small so as not to let the body absorb more nutrients than what it can handle. The meals should also come in regular intervals to maintain the stability of glucose in the bloodstream.

By Jenny H Jordan

Have you been worried for either yourself, or someone near to you, & who may be showing early signs of diabetes such as frequent urination, or thirst? We have listed several of the top warning signals below, which will help you to differentiate between type one diabetes, which is controlled by insulin and type two diabetes, which is lifestyle and dietary changes. If you are fortified with the details about both of these diseases, then these early warning signs of diabetes will give you ample time to pursue diagnosis and treatment.

Diabetes Insipidus which rarely occurs, and Diabetes Mellitus possess comparable symptoms. When your body cannot make enough insulin, or if your cells are not responding to insulin, you get an upper level blood sugar print out.

People with diabetes may complain about having the following ailments or diabetic symptoms:

• Loss of weight
• Deep breathing
• Insistent thirst & hunger
• Tiredness or fatigue -- beyond the normal
• Urination that's often
• Throwing up or feeling sick
• Sores that take longer than usual to heal
• Itchy skin
• Blurred vision
• Numbness in feet or hands
• Pain in the abdomen
• Yeast infections in skin, vaginal area, or mouth
• Skin itchy patches

During the initial stages of diabetes, a person gets insulin sensitivity. During this stage, a few or measures can be taken or medicine given to improve on any insulin sensitivity, or a reduction in glucose production by a person's liver. When diabetes progresses, insulin production stops altogether, & an insulin replacement may be necessary in some people.

Some early symptoms can be very subtle or even seem harmless. A person may also have diabetes symptoms for many months or even longer, along with no evidence of symptoms at all. Two top warning signs are the increased need to ingest fluids, along with the increased urge to urinate. When your kidneys are doing their thing overtime to filter out extra glucose, it can build up in your blood. Any extra glucose that cannot be processed is gotten rid of along with fluids. This is the trigger for excessive lots of bathroom trips. As well, this can leave you feeling dehydrated. When you take in more fluids more because you are feeling thirsty, you'll keep increasing your visits to the bathroom.

You can feel fatigued for many reasons. If you're dehydrated, then you may feel tired. Also, since your body is less able to use glucose for energy, you may tire more easily. Blurry eyesight is another possible symptom for diabetes, some of the time. Blood sugar at high levels pulls fluid from your tissues, and this includes your eyes. You cannot focus properly. If left untreated, diabetes may cause some new blood vessels to form in your retina. If you gain pounds, then also watch out for these early signs of diabetes.

By Denchi Minh

The Diabetic Diet is considered the best treatment for people suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. Contrary to what many believe, it is not composed only of meals comprised only of sugar-free foods. It can also contain food with glucose as long as both the sugar content per meal and the daily dose of sugar does not exceed the limit. Depending on the level of the illness the individual's body can still process effectively certain amounts of glucose. This is the reason why diabetic meals are often small and taken more often. The generally recommended meal plan is serving five to six small meals in intervals of two to three hours each day.

The Diabetic Diet is also a very powerful tool in helping the individual reach or maintain a desirable weight. Being overweight is a very big handicap for the body of a person with diabetes because the more unnecessary fat build up in his body the slower the processing and absorption of glucose will be. This results to further decreased tolerance to sugary foods. Overweight diabetics also have significantly higher chances of being hit with heart attacks because the unbroken down sugar has high tendency to end up clogging veins and blood vessels. Eating just enough calories and carbohydrates is essential to a person with diabetes.

There is no universal Diabetic Diet because there are many factors to consider. The current status of the individual's illness is obviously the most vital consideration as it determines the limit of glucose intake the body can absorb without any repercussions. Another factor is lifestyle. The meal schedule should as much as possible not interfere with the daily activities of the person. Another consideration is taste. It is easier for a person to adjust to the meal plan if it consists of foods he also likes to eat.

Recommendations of diabetic diet differ for person to person, based on their nutritional needs, lifestyle, and the action and timing of medications. For example, a diet for a Type 1 diabetic, focus mostly on matching food intake to insulin whereby one needs to know when insulin peaks and how fast the body metabolizes different type of foods. In a Type 2 diabetic the concern may be more oriented to weight loss in order to improve the body's ability to utilize the insulin it does produce. Thus, learning about the basic of food nutrition will be able to help in adjusting diet to suite the particular condition.

Keeping the blood sugar level of the person with diabetes as close as possible to the blood sugar level of someone without diabetes should be the foremost goal of the Diabetic Diet. This means that the meals should not be to high nor too low in glucose content.

By Denchi Minh

The Diabetic Plan is essential for someone with diabetes to be able to reach a healthier weight. Being overweight can lead to fatal complications for diabetics. Too much glucose in the bloodstream not only slows down the absorption of fats by the body but may also clog veins that may result to heart attacks and other chronic illnesses. The unneeded fat also further hinders the body from utilizing insulin to stabilize glucose levels. Having a desirable weight is very important for people suffering from diabetes because it mitigates or even totally eliminates the need for medication. If a diabetic is able to eliminate excess body fat he will no longer need medicine to regulate his body's usage of insulin.

The Diabetic Diet not only encompasses your food intake but also everything else that you consume, including cigarette smoke. The chemicals from cigarettes are many times more hazardous to diabetics than any fatty or sugary food. These harmful substances speed up the clogging of arteries and veins. Diabetics who smoke often end up getting their legs and feet amputated because cigarette chemicals normally settle on the lower extremities and prevent proper blood circulation on the legs and feet. The chemicals in cigarettes also reduce the body's ability to absorb oxygen that results to slower blood circulation.

The Diabetic Diet also includes the moderation of drinking alcohol. The individual should be aware of the maximum amount of alcohol his body can tolerate so he can refrain from reaching his alcohol limits. Alcohol intake while having an empty stomach can also be very disastrous as it can lead to glucose levels dropping too much. The meals should also take the length of time the body absorbs food substances into the blood stream to make sure that a safe blood glucose level is maintained.

A Carbohydrate Count can also be incorporated in formulating an individual's Diabetic Diet. A Carbohydrate Count involves determining the carbohydrate contents of the foods that make up your meals. The total numbers of carbohydrates contained in all of the meals you are scheduled to consume in a day exceed the recommended carbohydrate count per day then changes should be made. The foods in the one or more meals can be substituted with other foods that have the same nutrient value but lower carbohydrate count.

Adjusting the new meal plan can be very difficult at first. You can opt to consult a dietician to help you make the change.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Vegan diets are known to be the best kind of diet for Type 2 diabetics. Researchers in the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health and the Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, studied the relationship between animal fat and protein and how carbohydrates are processed. Their work was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2011. Forty thousand four hundred and seventy-five participants were included in the study and followed up on for twenty years in many cases. Three low carbohydrate diets were followed.

* one group was identified as consuming high total protein and fat,
* the second group ate high animal protein and fat, and
* people in the third group ate a diet high in vegetable protein and fat.

These diets were examined every four years with food frequency questionnaires put to the volunteers. Two thousand six hundred and eighty-nine new cases of Type 2 diabetes were documented. Those who ate the diet highest in animal protein and fat had the highest risk of acquiring Type 2 diabetes. It was therefore concluded that people following low-carbohydrate diets should get their protein and fats from other sources besides red and processed meats.

Where can you obtain healthy protein and fat? Good sources of vegetable protein include beans and nuts, although all fruits and vegetables have at least some protein. One cup of chopped celery or iceberg lettuce has one gram of protein, or about 2 per cent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 50 grams per day for an adult.

If you have one cup of oatmeal for breakfast you get 11 grams of protein. Have a salad for lunch with:

* a cup of lettuce
* a cup of celery
* half a cup of garbanzo beans
* a cup of chopped carrots, and
* an ounce of sunflower seeds

and you will get 14 grams of protein.

Have an afternoon snack of fifty blueberries and you will get another gram of protein. For dinner if you have: ·

* two green peppers filled with a cup of brown rice
* 15 ounces of black beans
* chili powder, and
* tomato sauce

you will get another 21 grams of protein, bringing the total to 46.

The RDA for fat for an adult is 65 grams per day. Add a tablespoon of olive oil mixed with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to your salad and you have 14 grams. A half-a-cup of garbanzo beans supplies about a gram of fat. An ounce of sunflower seeds supplies another 14 grams. If you make your tomato sauce with pure, extra virgin olive oil, a little over two tablespoons will supply the rest of the fat you need, and it's all unsaturated oil, the most healthful.

Why not discuss with your doctor or dietitian the possibility of getting all your necessary protein and fat from plants, along with your low-carbohydrate count. Good sources of vegan (entirely plant-based) recipes include the magazine Vegetarian Times and Vegweb.com.

By Don Penven

All of us can benefit from a high fiber diet-not just those folks with diabetes.

So what is dietary fiber?

Fiber is the part of many plants, nuts and seeds that is not digested by the body. Fiber passes through the stomach, small intestines and the colon and it does not contribute any fats, proteins or carbohydrates.

Dietary fiber is not loaded with vitamins and minerals-so what good is it?

Here's what the world-famous Mayo Clinic has to say, Dietary fiber - found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes - is probably best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. But fiber can provide other health benefits as well, such as lowering your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Plant fiber comes in two flavors:

Soluble: Fiber that dissolves in water. It helps to lower cholesterol and glucose (sugar) levels. It can be found in peas, beans, carrots, oats, apples, oranges, and barley.

Insoluble: Fiber that enables movement of food through your digestive system and benefits those struggling with constipation. Good sources of insoluble fiber are wheat bran, whole wheat, some nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.

The amount of each type of fiber varies in different plant foods. To receive the greatest, overall health benefit, you are challenged to eat a wide variety of fiber-rich foods.

Some benefits of a high-fiber diet:

• Lowing "bad" cholesterol levels in the blood stream. The soluble fiber found in beans, oats, flaxseed and oat bran may help reduce serum cholesterol levels by lowering triglyceride levels. Studies have shown that when you increase fiber consumption in your diet you can reduce hypertension (high blood pressure) and inflammation of the blood vessels, which of course helps to promote a healthy heart.

• Soluble fiber can actually slow the body's absorption of sugar, thus helping control blood sugar levels, which for those people diagnosed with diabetes, will bring down blood sugar levels. Some researchers indicate that a diet including insoluble fiber is known to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Since some research indicates the possibility of genetic influences for becoming diabetic, those people with a family history of diabetes are best advised to take every precautionary step possible to prevent diabetes from even getting started.

• Adopting a high fiber diet is a method many overweight people use as an aid to weight loss. High fiber foods usually are more difficult and time-consuming to chew, and this effect relieves hunger pangs-in other words-high fiber foods gives you a full feeling for a longer time. And most high fiber foods contain a lower level of calories since they contain a much lower energy-source.

It's taking some time for the medical community to accept the fact that the so-called Western Diet is the cause of many of our health problems. But more and more healthcare providers are beginning to get the message. Doctors who are more concerned with healing diabetics-rather than just treating them-are beginning to suggest both additional fiber and an alkaline diet.

By Jonathan Berns, D.C.

The treatment of Type II diabetes requires a team approach. Many diabetics do not have a team of professionals to help them control their diabetes or even give them valuable information on their condition. Diabetics are often ill informed on the many professionals that are available and who can help them control their condition.

There are a number of professionals who specifically deal with diabetes and are especially qualified to work with patients with Type II diabetes. The following is a list of professionals that are available to help you with your condition.

• Medical doctor
• Nurse educator
• Registered dietitian
• Endocrinologist
• Eye doctor
• Podiatrist
• Social workers
• Dentists
• Exercise physiologist
• Chiropractors
• Functional endocrinologist

People are often surprised to see that chiropractors are a part of health care professionals that can assist diabetics. Chiropractors are actually required to have nutrition education as part of their degree, which makes them especially qualified to work with Type II diabetes patients. Chiropractors are necessary for patients suffering from diabetes because nutrition is a big part of controlling diabetes. With proper nutritional advice, many people with Type II diabetes are able to take back control of their lives as well as reverse some of the damage caused by diabetes.

Many chiropractors, naturopathic doctors and some medical doctors today are explicitly trained in functional endocrinology. This means that they have an intricate knowledge and understanding on how the different organ systems work and also establish which organs are not working as they should. Functional endocrinologists are a necessity if you are to have a medical team that is able to effectively control your diabetes.

A traditional endocrinologist uses blood work and your blood sugar levels to determine what medication is necessary to control your diabetes. A health professional that practices functional endocrinology on the other hand looks at the same blood sugar levels on the blood work and seeks instead to determine what caused them to be high or low in addition to helping you control your blood sugar levels. A health professional that practices functional endocrinology is more likely to get to the source of the problem and then effectively work towards reversing it. This also results in much better outcomes for a person suffering from Type II diabetes.

For more information about Type 2 Diabetes, diabetic treatments, or even if you just have questions regarding having diabetes, please consult a physician right away. Don't ignore your diabetes, your life may depend on it.

By James Boulay

When looking at Americans from the outside inwards, you may notice we are a very odd set in the way we go about things. For instance the New England area is fast paced while the Southern states are more laid back in their ways. You may also notice we fancy, as a country, the type two diabetes diet. I am not saying we go out of our way to induce or increase our chances of getting type two diabetes, it seems as if we simply push it to the back of our minds. I am not sure that there is a specific type two diabetes diet, but leave it to us to create one. We live off fast and processed foods and exercise, especially in the North East takes a backseat to an active work lifestyle. That is a very strong reason we should look into Gymnema as an additive to our diets. There has to be a case being made for Gymnema, and here I will point out a few of the stronger reasons.

What is so special about gymnema, that is a good argument to continue ignoring it. However gymnema actually acts as your Swiss army knife, as it has multiple uses. Gymnema manages and stabilizes blood sugar which will be the focus of this article. However gymnema does far more than that including helping to fight viruses. It has, along with antiviral properties, the ability to help lower cholesterol levels. For a curveball, gymnema has been known to reduce the effects of some snake bites in its home countries.

Any halfway decent nutritional supplement store carries this item. Normally it is available in a pill form that you can supplement or complement your health routine with. The plant is normally grown and cultivated in Central and Southern India, but has also been known to be found in various smaller areas of Africa. It is not a new phenomena that is quick to come and even quicker to go. In fact, Gymnema has been used in India for over two thousand years for various conditions. In India, gymnema has been used mainly as a cure (over there they call it a cure, in the states it is NOT a cure and you should not consider it to be, yet) for India's version of the type two diabetes diet. India's working class is catching up to the US' obesity rate at a slow, yet noticeable pace and one of the attributes to this is an increase in diabetes among other things.

Gymnema has been getting noticed by some pretty large groups in the United States lately. It has been a treasure for herbologists and holistic healers, and pretty much every other alternative medicine practitioner for decades, but there is a new expert added to the mix. The popularity of this plant has caught the attention of Harvard Medical School, which is a pretty enormous deal for the plant. Alternative medicine fights and normally loses to pharmaceuticals, however with Harvard Medical School now investigating the effects of gymnema that could be changing. It should not be taken as a political or anti-pharmaceutical stance, however alternative medicines are difficult to give attributable effects for conditions. An odd occurrence with alternative medicine can be compared to the lottery. Although there are known benefits for certain herbs and the like, they normally act in different ways in different people. Green tea for example helps some lose weight through thermogenic properties while it does not help others lose weight, instead bettering their immune system. An easy way to explain this occurrence is the fact that we are not robots and are individually unique in a multitude of areas.

Where does destroyer, as mentioned in the subject, come in? When you consider destroyer you may think of Alexander the Great, maybe George Patton, possibly a mammoth army. You could even when asked what a destroyer is respond that it is a warship in the United States Naval fleet. In fact it is all the previously mentioned items, but would you consider a simple small plant to be a destroyer? If not you answered the same way I had and we are both wrong. The Hindu language attributes the power of one plant those of the battleship and legendary warriors. Gumar means "sugar destroyer" in Hindu. How does sugar Destroyer relate to type two diabetes diet and gymnema?

The type two diabetes diet is known to cause insulin to have an inability or a lack of effectiveness to process sugar, thus giving the body higher blood sugars. Gymnema is used to treat, as previously mentioned, diabetes by helping to make the cells in our body more receptive to insulin in turn lowering our blood sugar. What about the destroyer, Gumar? That is simply another name for Gymnema. Although they do not say it Directly, Harvard Medical School apparently believes the type two diabetes diet can be eased by allowing gumar (gymnema) to act as the" sugar destroyer".

By Dave Woodgate

Let's say that I have made a career of natural health and finding trouble-free, natural cures for diabetes has been my passion for some years now since I was set free from this severe disease. During my research, I have noticed a lot of folks asking the same question: "If there is no natural diabetes cures, then why do thousands of diabetes cases get cured naturally yearly?"

This disease called diabetes has been labeled an epidemic by some health experts. There are more than sixty-two million cases of diabetic or pre-diabetic Americans. It means that twenty percent or 1 in 5 is plagued by diabetes or the problems of insulin. American Diabetes Association (ADA) still maintain that there is still no cure for diabetes and believes that insulin treatments are still the most excellent alternative to deal with diabetes. Likewise pharmaceutical companies, who have made and are still making billions of dollars off from diabetes victims.

On the other hand, thousands of folks and some physicians say that diabetes can be cured naturally with simple changes to daily life and diet. So who is actually telling us the real truth?

Some Facts About Natural Diabetes Cures

Research carried out in the year 2003 by Duke University scientists discovered that a low carbohydrate/high fat diet caused seventeen of twenty-one subjects to decrease their usage of insulin or to stop taking it entirely after sixteen weeks.

Also diabetes researchers have visited tribal folks living in countries for instance Greenland and have discovered that diabetes is really uncommon in a lot of indigenous societies. Only one in every 2,000 Inuit folks have been found to have diabetes or be pre-diabetic. So, natural diabetes cure is something we should embrace sine it does not have side effects.

Furthermore, a lot of other studies are showing some surprising results, such as how to naturally reverse the effects of diabetes. I tell you this day that you have very good chance to cure your diabetes naturally in a few weeks from now.

Ways To Naturally Cure Diabetes

- It is true that diabetes takes years to develop, but I tell you today that it may just take 4 weeks to reverse it naturally. This can only be possible provided that you are very serious. Maybe the greater parts of your life have most likely been spent developing some bad habits, and which may have possibly played a role to the development of diabetes. It maybe difficult to you breaking those habits, but it is still possible. So, keeping up a positive attitude is very vital in your quest to natural diabetes cures.

- The nutritional habits of diabetes victims are mostly filled with processed foods which are low in vitamins and minerals and high in carbohydrates. A good beginning is to stay away from processed foods, including boxed foods, canned foods, and fast food. So, raw fresh foods are always the best for diabetics. This old adage that says "you are what you eat" is the right statement to use here. You don't just eat anything you see if you really want to reverse your diabetes naturally.

- Despite the fact that the American Diabetes Association recommends a diet that is rich in carbohydrates, but the truth still remain that the body ends up in converting the carbohydrates to sugar. So, staying away from carbohydrates and making food choices that are high in protein with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to go.

- Another truth is that the average body is filled with plaque, cholesterol, toxins, and even more garbage that you would want to know about. Luckily, water can resolve that very fast. So, take no less than sixteen ounces every 2 hours while you are awake as it will help out and flush out your system without delay.

- The best thing is to educate yourself about human body and diabetes. I am sure it won't be a surprise to you to know that lots of folks make a fortune off of your disease each year by selling expensive medicines and insulin. So, learning how to thwart the effects of diabetes with natural diabetes cures methods is something you should pay close attention to now. In 4 weeks you can naturally reverse your diabetes. I mean you can begin right now after reading this article.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Nearly half of all diabetics develop vision loss the National Eye Institute reports. High blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels that feed the eyes, literally starving your hungry eye cells. Also, both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes contribute to plaque formation in these same vessels, further blocking crucial blood flow.

However, just because you have diabetes, be it Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, this doesn't mean that you need to reserve your Seeing Eye Dog for next year. There are a number of practical ways to keep your eyes vibrant and healthy, even if you have diabetes.

Blood Sugar Levels: Diabetics with the best blood sugar control have the lowest rates of vision loss. To keep your blood sugar levels in check, focus on the "big three":

* lose weight
* exercise, and
* eat healthy.

All other steps pale in comparison.

Omega 3s: The healthy fats in fish, nuts and soy knockout inflammation... a harmful process that interferes with insulin and damages vulnerable eye cells. Research conducted by Harvard Medical School found that omega 3 fats are effective for reducing vision loss in older people.

Before taking fish oil supplements, check with your doctor as these can interfere with certain medications diabetics commonly take.

Lutein: You may have already heard about antioxidants... special nutrients in fruits and vegetables that shield your cells from harm. While nearly all antioxidants are good for your body and eyes, a special type known as lutein goes the extra mile for your vision.

Lutein actually forms the pigment of your eyes. The pigment helps you to see in the dark, but also prevents your eye cells from excess sunlight exposure. Studies have found that lutein rich diets greatly reduce the risk of macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in older people. Lutein rich foods include:

* spinach
* corn, and
* egg yolks.

See and Be Seen: If you have diabetes, it's critical that you get eye exams regularly. The National Institutes of Health reports regular eye checkups can reduce your risk of blindness by 95 percent. Eye exams can spot issues early while they're still treatable. If you wait, it might be too late to prevent your vision from going dark.

Note that vision loss can begin even before you notice symptoms. Even if you're a proud 20/20 vision card holder, if you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, see an eye doctor at least twice a year.

Holistic Approach: Other health problems that many diabetic face, like hypertension and high cholesterol, also contribute to vision issues. Be sure to take charge of all aspects of your health... not just blood sugar levels... to keep your eyes in tiptop shape.

By Antoi Filip

I have handled several patients who have already asked me about how to start their diet for diabetes type 2, the most common kind of diabetes. When the body does not produce enough insulin that is needed to absorb glucose or when the insulin is not properly used, type 2 diabetes occurs. One way to control this condition is to have a proper diet.

When my patients ask me to guide them on their diet for diabetes type 2, the first thing I teach them is how to count their carbohydrate intake. With this conscientious practice of counting carbohydrates, you can eat what you want in limited servings. How? You can actually count the grams of carbohydrates and take limited servings per meal to control the sugar in your blood.

To start off this habit, you have to know that one carbohydrate serving is equivalent to 15 grams of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates, when broken down to the glucose form, are the source of energy of all the cells in the body. There are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, and fructose can be found in fruits and refined sugar.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates (starch) are found in vegetables, beans, and whole grains. If you have type 2 diabetes, complex carbohydrates are better because they can be slowly digested, which can stabilize the source of energy. Moreover, they contain high amounts of fiber. Thus, it is important to take complex carbohydrates rather than the simple ones. If you take the former, the rate of production of insulin could actually be better.

Fiber is another important component in this diet since in digestion, fiber helps move foods along the digestive tract. There have also been a lot of studies that showed that high fiber intake is associated to lower risks of heart diseases, stroke, and high blood pressure.

Thus, if you want your diet for diabetes type 2 to work, always remember to practice counting your carbohydrates intake and your fiber as well. These two components will improve your overall absorption of sugar and insulin production.

Actually, there is still a way with these few diabetes recipes that are low in sugar. You can try them out and even research more online.

Banana Bread

Banana bread is ideal because of the carbohydrates and other vitamins that it contains. To make banana bread, you will only need mashed ripe bananas, fat-free yogurt, eggs, vanilla, margarine, flour, baking powder and baking soda, and low amount of salt. You will beat most ingredients except for flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, which you have to mix separately. You will then combine the two different mixtures and bake for about 40 minutes.

By Maggie David

They say that you do not have to wait for diabetes to strike to start treatment or the medicines. You can always take preventive measures to stall its onset, especially if there are hereditary factors or sedentary lifestyles that present within your family. Therefore, when you are looking for dessert recipes, it makes a lot of sense to go for diabetic friendly desserts as these do not only cater to the family member who suffers from diabetes, but the rest of the family will enjoy and benefit from them equally.

The best thing about diabetes desserts is that these recipes not only curb the craving for sweets (a normal phenomena with most diabetes patients) but it can go a long way to prevent the onset of the disease for others in the family, cure or reduce the diabetic surges for the patient concerned. However much we may realize the importance of balanced diet and physical exercise, there may be a member in the family who eats lots of fats and sugars and is probably overweight. The diabetes desserts in such families can serve multiple people with multiple needs.

We all know that one of the ways to keep diabetes under control, is to have foods from all the four food groups and delete alcohol, fats and sugars from the daily diet. The good news is that it is not always necessary to do away with desserts and snacks, even when you are a type two diabetic! Here is the recipe of one of the simplest but the tastiest desserts for diabetics, which can be served to every member of the family freely, without feeling the usual pangs of guilt:

Diabetic Fudge: One of the simplest of many diabetes desserts, the ingredients that you need include 1 14 1/2 oz. evaporated milk, 3 tbsp. cocoa, 1/4 cup of liquid sweetener to equal 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or any water cracker you can get) and 1/4 cup of nuts.

Mix the cocoa and the milk in a pan. Add the sweetener and salt to the mixture and bring to boil. Stir the remaining ingredients except the graham crackers. After removing from heat, let the mixture cool for about 15 minutes. You can now divide the mixture into balls. (You choose the dimensions, but golf ball size should make about 30 portions). Roll in the cracker crumbs and allow the whole thing to chill.

Now, does this sound delicious yet simple? It tastes delicious too and no one would ever know that you had put in that extra bit for your diabetes desserts! As is evident, with a bit of creativity, you can cook up some delicious snacks and diabetes desserts, which the whole family can enjoy. Of course, if you back your diabetic diet with some physical exercises every day, you may be able to say "goodbye" to this killer disease forever.

By Harold Franklin

Introduction

To help control blood sugar there are several things you should do these include the following:

* Eat right
* Eat blueberries
* Exercise
* Take your vitamins
* Avoid unnecessary sweets

These ideas are briefly discussed in this article.

Eat right

A diet full of green vegetables is a good way to promote a healthy life and help control blood sugar. Eat 2 cups of blueberries daily. You should include a small amount of protein in each meal.

Eat blueberries

Blueberries help nutritionally support healthy life style and blood sugar levels when used in conjunction with a healthy diet. Thousands of people have decided to make it part of their diet. Grow your own pesticide free blueberries. You can purchase the plants from a reputable on line-source. You should have at least 2 plants per person. You can grow enough to eat during the fruiting season and freeze others to use during the rest of the year. Research has shown that the nutritional qualities and antioxidants are well-preserved in frozen blueberries. Thus you can enjoy them year around. I personally eat blueberries daily and have found it makes me feel better.

Depending on your preferences for taste you many want to grow some of those that have the best reported flavor. These varieties include Legacy with a rating as one of the best flavored varieties in USDA trials in the northern regions, Hannah's Choice (Early season) This is a sweet, size, flavor early represents an improvement in sweetness, firmness, and flavor over currently grown early cultivars. O'Neal has one of the very best flavored berries of the southern varieties. You can purchase these and others from a reputable on-line source.

Exercise

One of the best and easiest ways to exercise is walking. Walk 1 hour a day; walking can get you outdoors to enjoy the scenery. When the weather is bad you can walk in a mall or other convent place. Working in your garden and your blueberry field is good healthy productive exercise that you can enjoy. Exercise does not need to be strenuous. Running although many people enjoy it is hard on your knees.

Take your vitamins

You should make a practice of taking several supplements every day, including vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B, Coenzyme 10, baby aspirin, and a multiple vitamin.

Avoid unnecessary sweets

You do not have to deprive yourself of sweets but they should be eaten in moderation. Avoid sugar where possible and use stevia as the sweetener. Stevia can be used in your cooking and sweetening your drinks. You cannot use stevia if you are cooking something that needs to be caramelized. In this case you may need to use sugar.

Summary

By following the steps outlined above you can have a healthier life style and feel better than if you did not follow these practices. The key is to do this consistently.

By Susan Solo

Diabetes is a life-long medical condition that does not have a cure, as yet. It can be debilitating if not managed properly, but with the right diabetic supplies and equipment for use in the home, it can be overcome. This disease may affect your life, but it should never be allowed to rule your life. With the right tools, you can control it to the point where it has very little effect on your quality of life, and we will show you how.

What is Diabetes?

The body takes in proteins, vitamins, minerals and sugars through the food we eat, and processes it all into making glucose. Diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce enough glucose to sustain it, or when there is an overabundance of it. Type 1 diabetics suffer from a definite lack of blood glucose, and must take in specified amounts of insulin to compensate. Type 2 diabetics will at times have too much blood glucose, and their condition is primarily controlled through diet and exercise, needing insulin only when their level of blood glucose drops to a dangerous low.

The ones who will need diabetic supplies at home most often are those who are suffering from Type 1, and their list of needs is more prolific than those who have Type 2. Type 2 diabetics will primarily use only glucose metering devices and test strips to maintain their health, having been educated in what to do when their blood glucose reaches certain levels and what can be done to correct it. Type 1 diabetics need more supplies because their condition must be constantly and closely monitored 24/7.

Basic Supplies

Glucose Meter: These can be invasive or non-invasive meters that test the current level of blood glucose in a diabetic through the use of test strips which are inserted into the meter. In the invasive version, the diabetic pierces their fingertip with a lancet and places a drop of their blood on a test strip. The meter calculates the glucose level, showing it on the screen of the meter itself. There is a defined range for every patient, and it is meant to be a guideline for daily glucose maintenance. The non-invasive meter does the same thing, but without piercing the skin or drawing blood.

Test Strips: Thin strips similar to litmus test strips; they are used to transport blood from the diabetic to the glucose meter. They are available primarily through prescription. If using a coded meter, the meter needs to be adjusted to match the code on each new vial of test strips; otherwise your blood glucose readings can be wrong.

Diabetic Socks: People with diabetes tend to have problems with their feet. Diabetic neuropathy can cause them to lose feeling in their feet due to poor blood circulation, and these socks will help prevent blisters and other wounds from forming, and can help with circulation issues.

Glucose Tablets: Typically used by both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics as a quick means for restoring the proper level of glucose without resorting to insulin injections. This quick fix meant to be taken before or after eating a proper meal.

Insulin Supplies

Insulin itself is only available through prescription, and must be kept at a particular temperature in the refrigerator to preserve its potency. Home health care supplies dealing with insulin use are generally limited to insulin cases for transporting it outside the home, and insulin pumps. The insulin cases are meant only for temporary transport of insulin injectors, vials and needles, and are designed to protect the insulin from extreme temperature changes.

Insulin pumps are only recommended for home use as diabetic supplies in extreme cases. Having to use an insulin pump means that your condition is to a point where it is hard to manage without a ready source of insulin being always at hand. They deliver fast-acting insulin to the patient subcutaneously over a 24 hour period of time, at the end of which the blood is tested to see if levels have been restored. The pumps are usually the size of a pager, and contain replaceable cartridges of infusion insulin, and a cannula for insertion under the skin.

By Scott Isaacs M.D.

You probably keep hearing about the epidemic of diabetes because it has been going on for the past 30 years. The rate of diabetics continues to climb in the United States and throughout the world. Once considered an unusual diagnosis, diabetes has become one of the most common forms of chronic illness in the world today.

According to a 2011 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 million Americans have this condition and 79 million have prediabetes. In 2008, the CDC reported 23.6 million had diabetes and 57 million had prediabetes. In 1993, there were 15 million people with diabetes and there was no such thing as prediabetes. 27% of people with this condition or 7 million people have not yet been diagnosed. More than one quarter of Americans over the age of 65 have diabetes and half have prediabetes. 35% of Americans over age 20 have prediabetes. It is important to diagnose prediabetes because complications traditionally associated with diabetes like eye, nerve and kidney problems can occur in the prediabetic state. The increase in diabetes rates is due to several factors:

* increasing rates of obesity
* people with diabetes are living longer
* new criteria for diagnosing diabetes

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, it's important to get a diagnosis to prevent complications. People with prediabetes can work aggressively on diabetes prevention by losing weight, becoming more active and getting healthier. A major government-funded study, known as the Diabetes Prevention Trial evaluated patients with prediabetes. The study found that diet and exercise can reduce the risk of progressing from prediabetes to diabetes by 57%. Medications were also found to decrease a person's chances of developing diabetes, but not nearly as effectively as good old diet and exercise.

Reversing insulin resistance is a critical step to preventing diabetes, since it's not incurable. People who are genetically disposed to insulin resistance, still can avoid obesity, diabetes, and a host of other ailments. The answer to this resistance is a healthy diet and lifestyle. Even modest diet and lifestyle improvements can improve resistance to diabetes and dramatically lower your risk of getting complications like heart attacks, strokes and early death. Although improved nutrition and increased physical activity are the best way to treat insulin resistance, medications can improve insulin resistance and can treat many of the complications of insulin resistance. Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements can also be helpful, but should be a substitute for diet and exercise.

In my experience as an endocrinologist, medications alone are never adequate. I've been known to say "you can out-eat any medication." But when combined with the right type of diet and daily exercise, medications can be very helpful. The most common medication used to treat insulin resistance is metformin, but a whole host of other medications can have an effect, either positive or negative. If you are gaining weight or have been told that your blood sugar level is elevated, you should ask your physician if you might have insulin resistance.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

In Type 2 diabetes the usual indication for the administration of injectable insulin is glucose or blood sugar control in those people who are not responsive to oral anti-diabetic medications, as stated by Medline Plus. Insulin is a hormone which facilitates the transfer of sugar into individual body cells enabling glucose to be converted into usable energy.

In Type 2 diabetes there is resistance to insulin in the bloodstream reacting to the receptor sites on cell's surfaces, therefore preventing the receptors designed to absorb glucose from reacting as they are meant to. More and more insulin is produced in an attempt to get the cells to allow sugar to enter. Eventually there is decreased insulin produced by the pancreas necessitating the use of external insulin sources. Insulin administration prevents sudden increases in blood sugar levels. And with more consistent control, acute and long-term complications of high blood sugar can be prevented. According to Medline Plus, insulin therapy by itself is not a cure for Type 2 diabetes. It is only used to give much tighter blood sugar control.

However, in several recent studies, insulin therapy begins to change the face of management of Type 2. It is now known that insulin therapy given early in the course of the disease can help improve remission in people suffering from this metabolic problem. In a study published in May 2008 by Lancet, it was shown that intensive insulin therapy in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetics results in:

* better function of their beta cells, the producers of insulin in the pancreas, and
* better blood sugar control

resulting in the recovery of the person diagnosed with diabetes. In this study, 382 diabetics with ages ranging from twenty-five to seventy years old and with a blood sugar value ranging from 126 to 300 mg/dL (7 to 16.7mmmol/L) were recruited and randomly assigned either insulin administration or oral anti-diabetic medications. The anti-diabetic medications were stopped after normal blood sugar levels were achieved. These diabetics were then placed on lifestyle modifications consisting of regular physical exercise and diet.

Blood sugar levels were taken and recorded before and after the observational period of one year. After one year, the researchers noted the Type 2 diabetics who received insulin therapy had a better recovery rate compared to those who took the oral anti-diabetic medication. Thus, they concluded early intensive insulin therapy in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetics have a higher chance of remission compared to those taking oral anti-diabetic medications.

The management of diabetes has been constantly evolving, especially during the last few years, With continued research and experimentation, the treatment for this metabolic problem just keeps improving. Sooner or later Type 2 diabetes management will not only be focused on blood sugar control. It is looking like In the future, there will be a real cure.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

For most people, Type 2 diabetes hits them because they have been living an unhealthy lifestyle including obesity, low-fiber diets and sedentary behavior. But new research is finding that there's more to the story, at least in certain people.

Everyone knows that obesity is tightly correlated to the Type 2 diabetes risk. But what most people don't know is where that fat actually hangs out makes a huge difference in your diabetes risk and blood sugar levels.

And while it may be too late for you to undo that diabetes diagnosis, being proactive about this particular Type 2 diabetes contributor can help you manage your blood sugars better than following the same old tired treatments like prescription drugs.

In general, the fat around your midsection tends to promote insulin resistance more than fat in your arms or legs. Scientists at the German Institute for Nutritional Research in Potsdam-Rehbrücke found that how much fat you have in your belly predicts your diabetes risk much more than the tried-and-true body mass index or BMI.

Why? The fat in your belly cranks out pro-inflammatory cells like there's no tomorrow. These cells get in the way of insulin's action, shooting blood sugar levels though the roof. Importantly, belly fat also ups your risk of heart disease and dementia... two more reasons to trim down your belly fat.

A large belly is considered dangerous if your waist measurement is over 40 inches (101 cms) for a man and more than 35 inches (89 cm) for a woman.

Here's how to turn on your body's belly fat burning machinery:

Healthy Fats: Healthy fats don't make you fat. However, "bad" saturated and trans fats do. When they're not clogging arteries, they're rushing to your midsection to become is latest tenant. A study in "Topics in Clinical Nutrition" found that women who ate high amounts of saturated fat tended to have large waists.

Become a Low-GI Joe: When you eat a rapidly digesting high-GI food, blood sugar shoots up like a NASA rocket. Your body cranks out massive amounts of insulin to get that blood sugar back under control. Unfortunately, this insulin spike also promotes belly fat storage.

Pump Iron: Resistance training increases the amount of muscle you have on board... which burns belly fat throughout the day. Lifting weights also reduces insulin resistance, something that will improve your blood sugar management and reduce your belly fat.

It is also found Type 2 diabetics who combine aerobic exercise and resistance training have improved blood sugar levels compared with diabetics who do not exercise.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Learning to live with the physical and emotional aspects of Type 2 diabetes is difficult enough without having to deal with the financial aspects of it and how it can impact your wallet. While even perfectly controlled diabetes costs money, you can anticipate and manage many treatment costs to some extent. For people who have been diagnosed with this disease it is important to know what is available and the challenges that might lie ahead.

Since Type 2 diabetes is typically considered a self-managed disease many of the factors associated with it are in the hands of the individual. When diabetic supplies such as test strips, lancets, insulin, meters, etc., are needed, these may, or may not, be covered under standard insurance plans. Since these are vital components of the treatment process it is important to know how to acquire them.

Shopping around will save you money on items you must purchase out of your own pocket as costs vary from pharmacy to pharmacy, and some items are available online. You will find rebates are often offered on glucose testing meters, and a few meters are almost free.

There will be occasions when diabetes medications, including insulin, might not be covered under a general insurance plan. Since all insurance plans are different it is up to you to determine what is covered and what isn't. In the instance where there is no coverage, there may be other options available. If you are a regular customer who purchases several medications, you may be able to negotiate discounts with your pharmacy on medications and diabetic supplies. Also you could do some "price shopping" and then present evidence of the lowest prices you can find, asking your pharmacist if he is prepared to match these prices.

Medicare is a source for diabetes supplies. They will typically require the diabetic to attend a Type 2 diabetes education program before coverage will begin, but it is useful information that will assist in the day-to-day aspects of diabetes. It is always a good idea to have your doctor involved when working with Medicare, as Medicare often requires special documentation.

For those people who are over 65, Medicare offers a wide variety of supplies. Some limitations are imposed, but if the individual works with their doctor they can have the recommended amount of diabetes equipment prescribed to ensure coverage. There is also coverage available through the Social Security Administration.

There are also programs for what are classified as "high risk pools". This is coverage for those who might be considered "uninsurable" due to any number of reasons. The coverage is similar to that which is offered by private insurers, but often carries higher deductibles or limited coverage to justify the risk by the company.

If someone loses his or her job there is often the opportunity to continue their health coverage through a COBRA plan. This might only be available for a specific time, but it will allow the diabetic to continue receiving treatment.

Often people simply do not have the financial means to care for their disease. When this occurs there are organizations that are in place that can assist with supplies, and sometimes even basic office visits.

Checking with the County Health Department is another option, as they will sometimes offer insulin for specific groups of individuals who qualify. Your doctor may also have other recommendations.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Type 2 diabetes is becoming more and more of a problem in our society. With the seriousness of this condition it is important to know what you are looking for to be able to make an accurate diagnosis. Since it generally takes years for the symptoms to be accurately identified it is imperative that individuals stay informed.

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by two factors; abnormally high blood sugar levels, either before breakfast or after eating, and abnormally high levels of insulin. In pre-diabetes, blood sugar or insulin levels, or both, have begun to creep up.

When looking over a list of early warning signs some of them can be easily confused with other conditions, which is why many people who are in the beginning stages of the disease are not necessarily in denial, but in confusion. They take their symptoms and inaccurately apply them to something else. Since this disease can progress into more serious conditions if left untreated, it puts even more emphasis on correctly spotting what these signs mean.

However, denial does play a part in this, too. We do not like to accept that something may be wrong with our health, but in this case Type 2 diabetes is a condition that not only will refuse to go away but also will become progressively worse over time. This will lead to further complications than if the diagnosis were determined early. In fact, early diagnosis for example in the pre-diabetic stage, gives you the easiest and most likely outcome of reversing the disease.

Some of the early symptoms include fatigue and headaches, which most people will typically place in the same category, since not getting enough restful sleep can result in headaches and feeling run down. Increased thirst and dry mouth can also be possibly associated with an increase in salt intake, a hot, dry time of the year or feeling as if the individual is not consuming enough water.

Even something as telltale as blurred vision can be considered a natural aspect of aging if the sufferer is getting into middle age. This is typically when the eyes start requiring the assistance of glasses, anyway.

But the dangerous signs that should really be focused on more are:

* frequent urination
* unexplained weight loss, and
* increased hunger, especially when it occurs right after eating.

Putting an increased feeling of hunger with weight loss is a definite red flag, especially since the body's metabolism starts slowing down as we age.

But the list can continue from there. Numbness and a tingling feeling in the hands and feet, itching of the skin around the groin area, and wounds and cuts that are slow to heal are also signs. Symptoms can even be gender specific. Women can experience frequent yeast infections while men can be hit with impotency.

This list is even more important to keep in mind if there is a history of the disease in your family. When a parent develops the disease it puts their children at an increased risk also. If both parents develop it, the likelihood increases even further.

Knowing the early signs of Type 2 diabetes is important not just from a diagnosis standpoint, but to prevent further damage to the body form residual complications. If any of these symptoms start to appear, don't hesitate to check with your doctor immediately.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Consuming a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and lean meat are the optimal approach to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. But sometimes Type 2 diabetics do not get the recommended daily allowance of what they need. Whether in the foods they eat, or through supplements, there are some key vitamins and minerals that should be consumed to help ward off the side effects of Type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is an important place to start since it helps in the digestion of sugar, fat and starches. This, of course, helps to maintain blood sugar levels. When diabetics consume too many refined carbohydrates, magnesium is given since it is required in the secretion of insulin. It also produces stomach acid and digestive enzymes, both of which are crucial for diabetics, and helps to ensure that energy is present in muscle cells.

Manganese plays an important role in metabolizing protein and fat while it also produces energy for the body's needs. But aside from that it is essential for the proper absorption of vitamins such as E, C and B, which are, in themselves, important.

Vitamin E is one of the most important elements for a diabetic since it prevents damage to the vascular system; mainly arterial degeneration. Besides it's role of protecting the heart, it appears to directly improve insulin sensitivity.

Vitamin C is widely used to regulate glucose tolerance in diabetics, helps to reduce the amount of protein that is lost from urination and lowers levels of the sugar, sorbitol. This is important, in and of itself, since the accumulation of sorbitol damages different parts of the body, predominantly the kidneys and the eyes. Besides all that, Vitamin C is believed to reduce glycosylation. This occurs when increased amounts of glucose (sugar) are allowed to bond to red blood cells, which causes a series of further complications.

Even Vitamin D has its own place in the life of a diabetic. It appears to maintain adequate levels of insulin in the blood, as it has been observed that a deficiency of Vitamin D weakens the secretion of insulin.

Vanadium is another excellent regulator of blood sugar and sends sugar to your muscles, where it's needed. It's widely known in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes not only for its ability to enhance the effects of insulin, but to also act like it. Low levels of this particular mineral have also been associated with high cholesterol.

Another mineral that helps regulate glucose levels is Chromium. Deficiency in this mineral can lead to intolerance in sugar. Chromium doesn't help the body make more insulin; it helps insulin work better. Biotin also improves insulin sensitivity.

Vitamin B12 not only helps to fuel the body, but it assists in the normal function of nerve cells.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Consuming a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and lean meat are the optimal approach to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. But sometimes Type 2 diabetics do not get the recommended daily allowance of what they need. Whether in the foods they eat, or through supplements, there are some key vitamins and minerals that should be consumed to help ward off the side effects of Type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is an important place to start since it helps in the digestion of sugar, fat and starches. This, of course, helps to maintain blood sugar levels. When diabetics consume too many refined carbohydrates, magnesium is given since it is required in the secretion of insulin. It also produces stomach acid and digestive enzymes, both of which are crucial for diabetics, and helps to ensure that energy is present in muscle cells.

Manganese plays an important role in metabolizing protein and fat while it also produces energy for the body's needs. But aside from that it is essential for the proper absorption of vitamins such as E, C and B, which are, in themselves, important.

Vitamin E is one of the most important elements for a diabetic since it prevents damage to the vascular system; mainly arterial degeneration. Besides it's role of protecting the heart, it appears to directly improve insulin sensitivity.

Vitamin C is widely used to regulate glucose tolerance in diabetics, helps to reduce the amount of protein that is lost from urination and lowers levels of the sugar, sorbitol. This is important, in and of itself, since the accumulation of sorbitol damages different parts of the body, predominantly the kidneys and the eyes. Besides all that, Vitamin C is believed to reduce glycosylation. This occurs when increased amounts of glucose (sugar) are allowed to bond to red blood cells, which causes a series of further complications.

Even Vitamin D has its own place in the life of a diabetic. It appears to maintain adequate levels of insulin in the blood, as it has been observed that a deficiency of Vitamin D weakens the secretion of insulin.

Vanadium is another excellent regulator of blood sugar and sends sugar to your muscles, where it's needed. It's widely known in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes not only for its ability to enhance the effects of insulin, but to also act like it. Low levels of this particular mineral have also been associated with high cholesterol.

Another mineral that helps regulate glucose levels is Chromium. Deficiency in this mineral can lead to intolerance in sugar. Chromium doesn't help the body make more insulin; it helps insulin work better. Biotin also improves insulin sensitivity.

Vitamin B12 not only helps to fuel the body, but it assists in the normal function of nerve cells.