By Beverleigh H Piepers

How do Type 2 diabetics fill the protein corner of their plate? Chicken, fish, meat and meat substitutes such as beans, soy products and low-fat cheese are great sources of dietary protein when you have Type 2 diabetes. These protein sources have less total cholesterol and saturated fats compared to red meat. Red meat contains fat, which is a drawback because fat means calories or kilojoules. Not that you should eliminate fat from your diet... fat adds flavor, richness and texture to foods. But that doesn't mean you can eat all the fat you want or that every fat is good for you. In fact, beans and soy products do not contain cholesterol at all making then one of the best choices for diabetics.

Diabetes and cholesterol: What is the relationship between the two?

Type 2 diabetics tend to have higher cholesterol levels compared to non-diabetics. High cholesterol levels cause you to have a greater risk for the development of cardiovascular problems such as: atherosclerosis, the hardening of blood vessel walls due to fatty plaque accumulation; heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

If you really like red meat; can you take a bite once in a while?

According to the American Heart Association, it is OK to take a bite of your favorite red meat once in a while, as long as you limit your intake. And the red meat must definitely should be lean!

When you chose to eat chicken or turkey in place of red meat it should be skinless, and fish should be less than a 3.5 oz per serving. The American Heart Association even recommends you eat omega-3 fatty acid-loaded fish at least twice a week because this can reduce your risk for certain heart problems.

Useful tips to help decrease the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your meat?

* limit your serving to a size of a small card which is approximately three ounces
* eat lean cuts only. Tenderloins and sirloins are the best options
* before cooking, trim off as much fat as you can and skim off all the melted fat after cooking
* try baking, broiling and grilling your meat instead of frying it. These cooking methods will give you the best opportunity to remove excess fats and cholesterol from your meat

What is the good news about beans?

Beans, are vegetables but they are packed with plant protein as well as carbohydrates. White beans particularly contain amylase inhibitors which helps your intestine decrease the absorption of carbohydrates into your blood stream. Less carbohydrate absorption means the chances of having increased blood sugar level is reduced. Beans also contain high amounts of dietary fiber which is good both for your digestive system and your blood cholesterol control.

By Denchi Minh

If a person recently found out he or she is diabetic, his or her doctor would recommend him to go see a dietician. A licensed dietician will provide you a diabetic diet menu that you would have to follow. Since diabetes is a sickness that doesn't have a cure.

Once you have diabetes in your system it cannot be removed, it can only be managed. If managed correctly you could live a normal life even if you have diabetes.

Diabetes would come to people as a shock. What is more shocking is the amount of food and the types of food you can only eat in a daily basis. It's very hard to adapt directly to a diabetic diet menu if you were just recently diagnosed of diabetes, given the fact that they are used to have all varieties when it comes to food choice.

Even those who have an adapted to their diabetic diet menu are still trying to keep in pace with the diet. For most people this menu maybe good for you but it still is tasteless or bitter. Family members should support their kin who has diabetes. It is the only way he or she could freely adapt towards the diet menu he or she would have to take for the rest of their lives.

On the bright side of things there are now products in the market that are good for diabetics. There are now delicious diabetic cakes, muffins and even ice creams that can be eaten by diabetics.

These products may not taste exactly as your old sweets, but could help satisfy your craving without the increased danger of high glucose levels. You should ask your dietician or doctor if these things out there in the market could help you in adapting to your diabetic diet menu.

Provided below is a sample of a diabetic diet menu used by diabetics in a daily basis.

For breakfast:

• 1 cup of low-fat yogurt
• ¾ cup of gooseberries
• ¼ cup of granola
• ½ cup of pineapple juice
• coffee or tea

For Lunch:

• ¼ cup of cottage cheese
• ½ cup of mangoes that are sliced
• ½ cup of pears that are sliced
• 2 dinner rolls laced with 2 tablespoon margarine
• Tea or water

For dinner:

• 3 ounces of roasted pork
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 cup of vegetables that are stir-fried
• 2 tablespoon of peanut oil
• 1 cup of low - fat yogurt
• Tea or water

By Vangeepuram Satakopan

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which affects just about every part of the body and the accompanying chronic complications can turn out to be very dangerous. While diabetes is characterized as a disease with elevated blood glucose levels, it is not actually that simple. There are actually several variants of the disease. The rarest form is the type 1 diabetes and only about 5% are affected by this form.

This type of diabetes is characterized by the total absence of the pancreatic hormone insulin. The only available and life- sustaining treatment is the injection of insulin. This form of diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes because the age of onset is usually below the age of twenty. It is an autoimmune disease because the immune system turns against self and destroys the insulin producing cells.

The second form of diabetes is called type 2 diabetes and is the most common form of diabetes. It is also called maturity onset diabetes as this disease usually strikes after the age of 50. This form is usually characterized by a deficiency of insulin and is treated with oral hypoglycemic agents which act by stimulating the secretion of insulin. This form of diabetes is also easier to tackle compared to type 1. Yet another form of diabetes is called insulin resistant diabetes and is gradually becoming common. The major reason for this type of diabetes is obesity. In obesity, there is a drastic reduction in the number of insulin receptors and thus, insulin although present, is unable to act. These diabetics also progress to type 2 diabetes. Yet another form of diabetes is called gestational diabetes. This is encountered in pregnant women and is usually transient in nature.

Another form of diabetes has been discovered in the year 2005. This has been called type 3 diabetes. This has also been called by several other names. These other names are 'double diabetes', 'hybrid diabetes' and 'type 1.5 diabetes'. It has been discovered that the brain can also produce insulin. The type 3 diabetes is brain specific and not much is known about it. Plaque formation is seen in the brain and is part of ageing.

It is believed that plaque formation reduces insulin synthesis in the brain. The brain insulin has several functions. The major function of insulin is to form memories at the synapses and in type 3 diabetes, this memory formation suffers. It is believed that the accumulating plaques destroy the insulin receptors. In this sense, this diabetes is similar to insulin resistant diabetes where also there is a decline in the number of insulin receptors.

Diabetes increases the risk for the Alzheimer's disease by 65%. This neurodegenerative disorder is dreaded by everyone because it robs an individual of his memories. It has been suggested that type 3 diabetes is closely linked to the development of the Alzheimer's disease. The brain produces its own cholesterol and the maximum amount of cholesterol is found in the brain.

In diabetes, the expression of the genes concerned with the synthesis of cholesterol is reduced. The deficiency of insulin in the brain as encountered in type 3 diabetes may be responsible for this decrease in cholesterol synthesis. The defective synthesis in cholesterol in the brain is believed to be the factor behind several neurological problems like eating disorders, impaired memory, depression, altered sensation of pain and impaired motor activity.

By Denchi Minh

When one is living with diabetes there are certain things in life that he or she should change. Monitoring blood sugar levels effectively is the key to properly managing diabetes. This is the best way to live a normal life despite suffering from this disease.

Diabetes is not something you can remove from your system once acquired. There is no possible cure to remove diabetes, it can only be managed. In order to properly manage diabetes, monitoring blood sugar levels effectively is required.

A glucometer or glucose meter is required for one to effective monitor blood glucose. A small amount of blood is needed in order for the glucometer to read the blood sugar levels in your body. Lancets are included in glucose monitoring kits. This is used to prick one of your fingers to produce the blood needed to check your blood glucose.

A glucometer is required in order to effectively prepare the meals a diabetic should eat. It is also used to determine the kind of activities he or she could do for that day. Diabetes is not a disease that should be taken for granted or laughed at.

If monitoring blood sugar levels are effectively is not done by someone who is diabetic; this disease can cause major complications such as heart failure, kidney failure and high blood pressure. Your doctor and dietician should team up in order for you to know the dos and don'ts of one who is diabetic. With their help and your willingness to follow them, managing this disease should be a piece of cake.

In order to effectively monitor blood sugar levels, one is required to take a blood glucose reading several times a day. Changing one's lifestyle is the key to effectively managing diabetes. By eating the right food and having a healthy lifestyle, one may conquer diabetes with ease. Exercising is a good way to normalize blood levels for it improves blood circulation.

When one is a type 2 diabetic, he or she is required to reduce weight. Fat or obesity is the biggest concern for this makes the body immune to the insulin that normalizes blood sugar levels. In order to effectively reduce weight, one must exercise.

Diabetes is something everyone shouldn't fear. Self control is the key to having a normal life with diabetes. Of course one should check blood glucose levels in order to properly manage and plan the diet and actions you can do for the day.