By Denchi Minh

If a person is diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor will recommend you go to a licensed dietician. The licensed dietician will help you in creating a suitable diabetes diet menu for your daily food intake.

The main reason a diabetic needs a diabetes diet menu is to regulate the carbohydrate and sugar intake in his everyday meal. Regulating does not necessarily mean having to stop eating sweets and your favourite dishes. This diet menu only aspires to immediately lower the glucose levels in the blood.

Below is a sample diabetes diet menu that will provide you the right number of nutrients for your daily needs. Keeping carbohydrate intake at minimal level is the key to checking the insulin levels to normal levels.

Everyone knows that a diabetes diet menu is hard to follow. Many people have started to take this for granted due to their daily menu being bitter or tasteless. These menu ideas can help you have a diet that is not the same each passing day.

For breakfast: Diabetics are recommended to take their breakfast at least after an hour upon waking up.

• 3/4 cup of cereals with a cup of strawberry together with a cup of low - fat milk will do.

• 2 slices of whole wheat toast laced with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a banana.

For Lunch: Remember to prioritize this one. This should be your biggest meal of the day. A mix of protein, carbohydrates, dairy and vegetables or fruits is the ideal meal for a diabetic.

• 1 cup of vegetable soup. A turkey sandwich (1 ounce turkey) on a whole wheat bread together with a small apple.

• 1 cup steamed broccoli together with 3 ounces lean roast beef on a whole bread. The sandwich could be laced with 2 tablespoon of mustard.

For dinner: A diabetic's dinner plate should be well balanced. You can add additional calories in this meal provided you add additional minutes of exercise in the morning before eating breakfast.

• 4 ounces of chicken breast seasoned with herbs and cooked in mono-saturated cooking oil. 2/3 cups of rice and a vegetable salad dresses in low - fat dressing. A small slice of angel food cake may be added in this menu.

• 6 ounce of broiled white fish together with a mixed green salad dressed with reduced fat dressing. A 2/3 cup of whole wheat couscous is recommended to be added in this menu.

By Carolyn Hansen

It seems that our society thinks that as long as we go to the doctor and they give us a clean bill of health that we are doing what we can to protect our well-being. This, however, is not true. In fact, we are doing just the opposite. The foods that we consume along with the lack of physical activity are killing us from the inside out. Just because a doctor says you are healthy does not mean that there are not things going on, from the inside, which are not yet seen.

See, this lack of physical activity and the nasty toxic foods that we are filling our bodies with are killing our metabolisms. It is our metabolism that keeps our body running; it is what burns the calories that we consume and turns them to energy. The slower it is, the less fuel it can burn. When this happens, fat begins to pile up. As you may have imagined, this is a vicious cycle. See, the more your metabolism slows down and the more fat that is added to the body, the less the body wants to move. The less motivation you or your body has to move, this vicious circle begins to move faster and faster. One of the main reasons is because the less active we are the more strength we lose. Without strength your body cannot fight off the health issues that come along with the excess fat.

One of the greatest issues causing this problem is the type of foods that we eat on a regular basis. You know all those processed foods that line the shelves of our supermarkets? These are just some of the food products that are killing us; restaurants are another cause. See, these foods are filled with sugars, fats, and chemicals that counteract any good you may do for your body. On top of this, the lack of exercise of physical activity means a loss of muscle, the one thing that can fight these negative reactions.

All of this also plays a role in your blood sugar levels, which are crucial to good health. When blood sugar and insulin levels get out of whack it can lead you down the path of hypoglycemia and diabetes; neither of which are easy to maintain over a lifetime. Staying active will help to keep your lean muscle mass at a healthy level, which will help to burn fat. Eating whole, natural foods on a regular schedule also help to keep blood sugars where they need to be.

One of these things, on their own will not suffice, you need to do both. If you want to avoid the dangerous path that thousands of Americans are headed down, it is time to start working out and eating right. Get yourself involved in a proper strength training regime and start eating foods that help rather than hurt your body. There is no time like today; change your future.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are approximately 28.5 million people in the United States known to be suffering from diabetes and around 1.9 million new diabetics are diagnosed every year.

Diabetes is one of the top causes of morbidity and mortality in this United Stated. In this nation where freedom abounds, many diabetics become slaves of their blood sugar levels. Most diabetics become trapped in the anti-diabetic medication merry-go-round that simply ends with long-term complications. And so, for most of these people, one question keeps popping inside their heads: "can Type 2 diabetics really avoid the medication merry-go-round? "

The good news is: there is a way to free yourself from anti-diabetic medications and escape unscathed. Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease. It is the end result of being inactive and being overweight or obese. And because it results from an unhealthy lifestyle, changing your ways can give a real solution to your ongoing metabolic problem.

Your activity: Believe it or not, your regular physical activities serve as a great contributor to better control of your blood sugar levels. Being physically active makes your large muscles contract more. And with more muscle contractions, more sugar is converted to energy resulting in a lower blood sugar level. Remember the days when you were quite young? Did you ride around your local streets on your bicycle with your friends, or play team sports? But as you grew older and took on the responsibilities of earning an income, even building your own business, exercise became a neglected activity. And with decreased physical activity, you became overweight and obese and maybe developed Type 2 diabetes. To prevent this from happening, or to help reverse your condition, why not add more physical activity to your life; you will become more physically fit. As your become more physically active, the muscles firm, and your body becomes slender and fit.

Your diet: Diet is another important cornerstone in the management of Type 2 diabetes. With a healthier well-balanced diet, much better blood sugar control can be achieved.

According to the American Family Physician, eating a healthy high fiber diet is a great help for anyone with Type 2 diabetes. A high fiber intake also helps you to lower your blood cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it adds bulk to your food helping you feel full for longer with a lower number of calories or kilojoules.

And don't forget, a high intake of soluble fibers gives you better blood sugar control by delaying the absorption of glucose.

Type 2 diabetics should never rely only on their anti-diabetic medications to have control of their blood sugar. If you are tired of the endless cycle of oral anti-diabetic medications... then insulin injections... then oral anti-diabetic medications again, changes need to be made in your lifestyle. After all, Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease and so, lifestyle modification plays an important role in controlling it.

By Roland Fournier

At present, there are certain dietary guidelines developed by The American Diabetes Association for individuals with Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. In this short article, you can find some of the recommended diets for Type 2 Diabetes.

When you have this type of diabetes, weight control should be your main focus. You could improve your blood sugar or blood glucose levels if you are following a diet plan with fewer calories, equal amounts of carbohydrates and healthier monounsaturated fats, rather than certain carbohydrates

Some of the examples of the food items with monounsaturated fats are almond or peanut butter, walnuts and almonds. It is possible to substitute these food items for carbohydrates, while eating smaller portions because they are loaded with calories.

More often than not, it is possible to significantly boost your control of the Type 2 diabetes with modest weight loss, such as 10 pounds and heightened physical exercise for about thirty minutes of walking daily. Some individuals will take oral medication, use insulin and make certain lifestyle changes.

Meal Planning - Diets for type 2 diabetes

By far the most difficult aspects of controlling diabetes will be the meal planning. As a result, it is best to work closely with a nutritionist and a medical doctor when you are designing a meal plan to maintain normal levels of blood sugar or glucose. This meal plan must provide you or a young child with the right amount of calories that is needed to maintain a healthier body weight.

Starchy vegetables, beans and grains: You daily diet should include six or more portions of these items. Foods such as bread, beans, grains, pasta, rice and starchy vegetables will be at the bottom level on the pyramid, since they should act as the basic foundation of your eating plan. As a group, those foods are rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber and the healthier carbohydrates.

As a diabetic sufferer it is important to eat fiber rich foods. Choose whole grain products such as crackers or bread, tortillas, brown rice, bran cereal or beans. Try to eat low fat breads like pita bread, English muffins, bagels and tortillas.

Vegetables: You can eat frozen or fresh vegetables in 3 to 5 servings daily without adding salt, sauces or fats. Choose the deep yellow and dark green vegetables, which include romaine, spinach, peppers, broccoli and carrots.

Fruits: Opt for whole fruits with rich fiber content rather than juices and eat 2 to 4 servings daily. It is best to eat citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines and grapefruits.

Milk: You can drink 2 to 3 servings of non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt.

Meat and fish: You should eat poultry and fish in 2 to 3 servings daily, but ensure that the skin is removed from turkey and chicken. Select lean beef cuts, pork, veal or wild game. After removing all the fat, you can roast, bake, grill, boil or broil rather than frying.

By following the correct diets for type 2 diabetes, you control your symptoms and reduce your chances of developing other health problems.

Would you like to reverse your diabetes naturally? For FREE easy to read information on controlling your diabetes, please go to http://www.no-diabetes.com.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

According to a study performed by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College of London, poor blood sugar control can be associated with depression. The results of the study were published in the journal Psychological Medicine in January 2011.

Earlier studies showed associations between high blood sugar and depression, but it was not clear whether the Type 2 diabetes causes the depression, or vice versa. Depression has been found to be twice as common in people with diabetes, and often the depression is much more severe and lasts longer than in non-diabetics. The London researchers looked at glycosylated hemoglobin percentages, (HbA1c), which is a "real" measure of how well blood sugar is controlled, and the mood of the volunteers two years later.

Four thousand three hundred and thirty-eight older adults were recruited for the study:

* symptoms of depression were assessed at the beginning of the project and again two years later
* the HbA1c percentage, fasting blood sugar levels, and behavior were assessed at the beginning of the study

After two years 11.5 per cent of the participants were diagnosed with depression. The number of diabetics with symptoms of depression increased as the HbA1c percentage increased. People with diabetes had more signs of depression than those with normal blood sugar levels. It was therefore concluded that diabetes and high blood sugar levels had increased the risk for depression two years later.

Your HbA1c level: If you do not know your HbA1c percentage, now would be a good time to find out. Normal values are below 7. If your level is above 7, then your blood sugar has been too high over the past three months.

There are two ways of improving your HbA1c level, and the best way is a combination of both.

1. Eating a healthful diet will help by switching to smart carbohydrates, emphasizing low-glycemic (low-GI) load foods. So think about the glycemic index of foods before choosing them. The glycemic index measures how much and how quickly a particular food will make your blood sugar rise. It is determined by the type of carbs and fiber contained in the food. High-GI foods, such as white bread and white rice, gives you a quick blood sugar boost that also fades quickly, leaving you hungry again. A GI of 50 or below is considered low. Fruits and vegetables tend to have low-glycemic indices, while highly processed foods with high carb content tend to have high indices. Ten large cherries, for instance, have a GI of 22. One deep-fried doughnut, on the other hand, has a GI of 75.

2. In conjunction with a healthy diet, physical activity will help to burn calories and help to increase insulin sensitivity. If you can't exercise for 30 minutes in one sitting, split it into three 10 minute smaller workouts. Ten minutes here and there adds up to health benefits for your body. Any way you can increase your physical activity during your day will help.

According to research at Washington University, Saint Louis, people with Type 2 diabetes also respond well to psychological counseling, anti-depressant medications, or a combination of both. Making special effort to lower your stress level through exercise, meditation, or other means, can also help.

Controlling blood sugar can also lead to improvements in depression.

By Geneva M Edwards

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which is a disease that attacks the body's own cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body attacks and destroys the beta cells of the pancreas, the cells that are responsible for producing a hormone called insulin. Insulin is the hormone that lowers blood glucose levels, maintaining a proper balance between glucose and insulin in the bloodstream. If these pancreatic cells are destroyed, an individual will not be able to produce insulin and as a result high blood glucose levels (known as diabetes) occur.

Diabetes is not curable and as with all autoimmune diseases, it has not yet been determined exactly what causes it. However, according to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, inheritance plays a significant part and there may be an association in the development of type 1 diabetes and a virus.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that there are one to two million people who have Type 1 Diabetes. This form of diabetes was once called Juvenile Diabetes, primarily affected young children between the ages of 10 to 14 years of age. However, in the 1980s, medical researchers concluded that this type of diabetes can affect people of all ages and therefore changed the name from Juvenile Diabetes to type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes

Common Symptoms Associated with Type 1 Diabetes:

Increased thirst
Increased urination
Weight loss even with increased appetite
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
Tiredness,
Absence of menstruation

Any of the above symptoms could be indicative of diabetes, and therefore a follow-up appointment with a physician is necessary for anyone exhibiting a combination of these symptoms. Physicians will perform tests (urine and blood tests) to determine if the early signs of this disease are present. If these tests are positive, physicians will then perform more testing to confirm type1 diabetes as a diagnosis.

Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes

The focus of the treatment plan for this disease is to control the high blood glucose levels. This will prevent a serious life threatening condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Since people with type 1 diabetes are no longer able to produce the cells that produce insulin, this disease is not considered to be insulin-resistant, but it is insulin-dependent, and therefore will require injections of an artificial form of insulin. The type of insulin and the amount to be given to diabetics will be determined by their healthcare provider.

Weight control and exercise are also extremely important in the management of this disease. Therefore, a treatment plan that includes proper exercise along with a calculated caloric diet (such as a diet plan designed by the American Dietetic Association (ADA),) is imperative to maintain an optimal level of health with this disease. Physicians and dietitians will work together to determine the amount of calories a diabetic's diet will require based on present weight, goal weight and exercising program. Diabetics will also be provided diabetic educational classes to teach them how and when to test their own blood sugar, how to prepare and inject insulin, and what signs and symptoms to look for to help manage this disease.

Conclusion

Diabetes is a chronic disease, and as with all chronic diseases the continuous demands of proper treatment gets to be somewhat overwhelming. However, diabetics need to keep in mind that untreated diabetes destroys the major arteries of the body, resulting in kidney disease, blindness, loss of limbs, and eventually premature death. Diabetic must seek expert advice from their physician and allow the American Diabetes Association to provide them information as well as guidance in treatment of this disease.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

One of the most common complaints that comes from the mouth of many diabetes patients is the number of diets they have to remember or follow. It's not unusual to hear a newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic mutter: "and now I have to follow this too? I already have a diet for my cholesterol and my high blood pressure".

Sure enough, hypertension and diabetes are kissing cousins. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that three out of four diabetics also have hypertension. Like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension significantly ups your heart disease and kidney disease risk.

Believe it or not, but there is such a thing as one stop diet shopping that can combat both your Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Cut Processed Food: Processed food, which includes fast food and packaged snacks, tend to be higher in calories, sugar and sodium than unprocessed food. Simply switching from reduced fat chips to an apple is enough to drop your caloric and sodium intake significantly.

For this strategy to be most effective, consider adopting a caveman diet. This diet replicates the eating habits of our caveman ancestors. The caveman diet shuns any man-made food like grains, candy or fast food. A 2009 study out of Lund University found diabetics who adopted this diet lost more weight and lowered their blood pressure more than those that stuck to a typical American Diabetes Association diet.

Drop Pounds (Kilograms): Also, Consumer Affairs notes the intake of processed food is associated with the risk of obesity. Losing weight... and keeping it off... is one of the most effective ways to fight both Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

In fact, it's quite rare for someone with a healthy weight to have either of these two chronic conditions.

Get Active: A single bout of moderate intensity exercise is enough to significantly boost your insulin sensitivity. Also, exercising helps keep stress under control... an important step towards controlling blood pressure.

DASH Diet: The DASH Diet is a diet plan designed specifically to dramatically lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. Literally dozens of research studies back the plan as one of the most effective interventions for hypertension... often outperforming prescription drugs such as Beta Blockers.

The diet has been adapted to treat many other heart disease risk factors, including diabetes. To try the DASH diet for yourself, start eating generous amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat meats. Also, make sure to include at least three servings of reduced-fat dairy per day... a crucial part of the DASH diet. The calcium and magnesium in dairy work together to make insulin in your body work more effectively.

By Shana Ekedal

Diabetes is an epidemic. The United States spends over 174 billion dollars a year on Diabetes. The American Diabetes Association says, "Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure." Approximately 1.6 million adults a year are diagnosed with diabetes. What is the solution? The solution is each one of us learning how to prevent and cure diabetes. The numbers will keep growing until we start taking the necessary steps to end this epidemic and heal ourselves and our country. There is hope for your health and healing diabetes IS possible. These 5 steps are the easiest way to cure type 2 diabetes. They are the beginning to a life free of diabetes!

DIET

You often hear the phrase, "we are what we eat" and this is very true. The phrase that is even more accurate is, "we are what we absorb". There are two major factors that make it difficult for bodies to thrive and maintain health. They are lack of nutrients and toxicity. In the Standard American Diet we have an abundance of calories with a lack of nutrients. We eat a large amount of food that does not have the nutrients to support the functions of our body. Our bodies were built to eat simple, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and lean meats. We were not built to eat potato chips, lasagna, cookies, ice cream, eggs Benedict, pizza and the myriad of other foods that most Americans enjoy. I know this is tough news, but to regain or maintain health we need to understand what our bodies need to function optimally at the cellular level. The body knows how to absorb the nutrients from foods when they are simple and in their natural state. The more your diet consists of foods such as raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds the healthier you will be and this alone is an easy way to cure type 2 diabetes.

TOXICITY
There are so many toxins in our environment. Again, our bodies were not created to live with this abundance of foreign substances. We all have a very advanced detoxification system that functions to remove toxins from our bodies. Most people have taxed their bodies to a point where the detoxification system is too overwhelmed to do its job properly. There are toxins in our food (pesticides, herbicides), water (chlorine, fluoride) and in the air we breath (pollution). Every human being is affected. There are toxins in food containers, in our cars, in our homes (carpets, paint, flooring), in our soaps, lotions, shampoo, perfume, etc. Are you starting to see that it is everywhere? With a lack of nutrients and the amount of toxins in the environment it is a recipe for a health disaster. That is the reason we are seeing such high numbers of disease and a plethora of new diseases emerging. The easiest way to lessen your toxic load is to use products without toxins, eat organic, and start learning alternatives. This will help the body to use its energy to cure type 2 diabetes and not be expending all its energy trying to process toxins.

EXERCISE
We were built to move around. Our bodies need to move to circulate oxygen and release toxins. We were not made to sit at desks all day, play video games or watch hours of television. These are all fine to do, but at some point in the day we need to move around. Preferably, thirty minutes of uninterrupted activity. Walking, running, and biking are all good ways to get moving. This is a powerful way to get toxins moving out of the body and nutrients circulating to all of your cells. The important thing is to start small and be consistent. If it is fifteen minutes to begin with that is great. Commit to a plan of three days a week at first. Then make it five days a week. Work your way up slowly. It is better to have a manageable goal you can stick to.

GLYCONUTRIENTS
This is a revolutionary new technology that is going to magnify the results of proper nutrition, reduction of toxins and exercise. This is an all-natural catalyst to the other important steps in curing type 2 diabetes. The glyconutrients are going to assist your cells in repairing. It makes absorbing nutrients easier and faster. It helps the body detoxify in a safe and gentle manner and it provides oxygenation to the cells so exercise becomes even more efficient. Glyconutrients will help insulin to deliver glucose in to the cells. Glyconutrients are the most important technology for repairing cells thus making it easy to cure type 2 diabetes.

BELIEVE
The final component is to believe in your body. Many people have become so disconnected from their bodies and their health. Life is busy and we often forget to take care of our most important vehicle. The body is an amazing system that is built to restore itself. Your body has the ability to heal if you believe, learn and take the easy steps outlined above. For anyone to heal they must believe in their body and believe that it is possible. I have healed myself and I have watched countless others do the same. It is possible if you believe first and then take the 4 easy steps above to cure type2 diabetes.

By Shana Ekedal

Rice has been a staple food for over 4000 years in China and many civilizations since then have built their diet around this beneficial food. Rice is one of the most important staples in the diet with over half the world's population dependent on it for sustenance. Cultures with rice as a staple have had fewer occurrences of some degenerative diseases including Type 2 diabetes that are strongly present in the Westernized culture.

Nutrients

The following is the nutrient profile of rice. There is great discussion of the benefits of rice and the wide array of nutrients available in rice that most people are not getting in their diets. Are these nutrients a pathway towards a cure for type 2 diabetes?

* Vitamins - Riboflavin, folate, niacin, thiamin, biotin
* Minerals - calcium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, phosphorus
* Essential Fatty Acids - omega 3
* Enzymes - lipase
* Proteins - Most all of the amino acids

Eating table rice is not enough to get the full spectrum nutrients described above. Certain strains of rice are made bio-ready for quick assimilation by the body. There is an important group of nutrients in these stains called glyconutrients. Glyconutrients are important part of a cure for type 2 diabetes. Glyconutrients is a coined term that refers to eight important sugars required by the body for optimal health. Beyond providing fuel to the body, glyconutrients are used by the body to repair and heal the cells as well as maintain optimal system functioning. These are not the typical sugars that are damaging to the human body. These are sugars called healing sugars that are very rare in the standard diet. There are few dietary sources for these sugars which are a necessary component of functioning at an optimal level and being a cured of type 2 diabetes.

Glyconutrients are a key component is creating energy in each cell. They nourish the cell easily and effectively and feed the power house of the cell (the mitochondria) what it needs to create an abundance of energy (ATP).

How Is A Cell Like A Car?

Picture the cell like a car. If the car is being fed sand in the gas pipe (low nutrient food choices) and the driver is pushing hard on the gas, how far will the car go? It may get down the road a bit, but it sure will struggle and eventually will stall out. The car just can't do much with an unfamiliar fuel. Now on the other hand, If the driver put the highest octane gas in the gas pipe and filled it up (glyconutrients) then stepped on the gas, that car is going to zoom off and take the driver far distances. The importance of fuel in your car is the same importance of providing your body with the specific nutrition that will maximize energy production in the cells and and fix cell abnormalities. Fixing cell abnormalities can be a pathway towards a cure for type 2 diabetes.

In the presence of increased energy each cell is able to carry out its "job" and function at an optimal level. If there is an overabundance of energy the cell is able to repair its DNA and correct abnormalities in the cell. Since disease happens on a cellular level, providing energy to correct the abnormalities in the cell is a requirement for having optimal health.

By Denchi Minh

The condition when a woman who normally doesn't have high levels of glucose becomes diabetic when she gets pregnant is called gestational diabetes. This rare condition occurs to about 5 percent of pregnant women in the entire world.

The pregnant woman is given a gestational diabetes diet plan in order to keep her blood sugar levels in check. The blood sugar levels are to be check and monitored in order to avoid any complications during her delivery of the baby. High levels of glucose are dangerous for a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

A hormone that the body produces in order to normalize blood sugar levels is called insulin. When a person becomes diabetic, this means that the body is not reacting or not producing to the insulin it needs. The cells couldn't properly convert the sugar in the blood to the energy it needs.

Gestational diabetes is a mild kind of diabetes. It can easily be controlled and moderated with the proper diet. In rare cases insulin make be required in order to lower blood sugar levels.

Physicians world recommend a gestational diabetes diet plan so that it wouldn't reach the point where one has to inject insulin to lower her blood sugar. The right gestational diabetes diet plan would give you a draft of food you can eat without losing any necessary vitamins and nutrients that you would need every day.

Below is a sample gestational diabetes diet plan that you could use every day. The reason for a small minimal amount of food per meal is to control the number of carbohydrate intake of the pregnant mother, since it is much easier to control small amounts of glucose in small meals than one big breakfast with lots of carbohydrates combined.

Breakfast:
• When morning comes blood sugar is typically low. A pregnant woman should start with a small high protein meal. A whole grain toast and a glass of milk or low calorie yogurt would be a nice complement to this.

Breakfast Snack
• Vegetable sticks (for example carrot sticks) dipped with a low calorie dip. Served together with small servings of fruits or cottage cheese and whole wheat crackers.

Lunch
• Vegetable salad or a whole grain pasta

Afternoon Snack
• Vegetable or fruit juice together with a whole grain bagel with a dash of cheese

Dinner
• A whole grain chicken wrap together with a vegetable salad. This could be combined with a sugar free cookie

Midnight Snack
• Apple or whole grain muffin

By Beverleigh H Piepers

In a recent prospective study conducted in the United Kingdom, it was shown less than twenty-five percent of people with Type 2 diabetes who rely on diet and exercise are able to maintain their blood sugar level within normal limits, according to APC Diabetes Care Guide.

Furthermore, less than ten percent of these diabetics achieve their blood sugar goal after nine years. As a result of this rather poor blood sugar control, diabetologists around the world agreed that the use of drugs to help fight the disease is an integral part of management of Type 2 diabetes. The hope is more diabetics can control their blood sugar levels. The more this blood parameter is controlled, the more chance there will be of preventing long-term complications.

Although many people find they can bring their blood sugar back to a normal range by limiting their carbohydrate intake, not everyone is prepared to follow such a restrictive plan for the rest of their lives.

What are the different types of anti-diabetic medications?

1. Insulin: Insulin is a special hormone synthesized within the body to facilitate the transport of glucose across the cell membranes to provide energy which is required both for cell function and survival. In diabetics, the pancreas which is the producer of insulin, becomes exhausted resulting in lesser amounts of insulin circulating in the blood. Decreased amounts of insulin leads to less energy being transported to the cells and this, in turn, results in an array of complications that may have been prevented with the normal level of insulin.

So, with the administration of insulin via injection, immediate and long-term complications may be prevented. And with the regular use of insulin, glucose utilization within the cells can be normalized and, of course, blood sugar level will be better controlled.

2. Oral anti-diabetic medications: Oral anti-diabetic medications are more frequently used in people with Type 2 diabetes compared to insulin. It is usually started when a Type 2 diabetic is unable to achieve normal blood sugar levels despite lifestyle modifications. There are different kinds of oral anti-diabetic medications and these can be classified according to their particular method of action in achieving better blood sugar control:

* Insulin secretagogues stimulate the pancreas to secrete more insulin. The best known include sulfunylureas: glyburide (Micronase, DiaBeta, Glynase), and glipizide (Glucotrol), and non-sulfunylureas secretagogues which include repaglinide (Prandin) and nateglinide (Starlix)
* Insulin sensitizers enhance the sensitivity of muscles and fat to the stimulation of insulin. With better insulin sensitivity, the transport of glucose across the cell membranes of muscles and fat is more efficient. The types of insulin sensitizers biguanides, includes metformin (Glucophage). The ADA recommends metformin should be the first drug prescribed for a person with Type 2 Diabetes. Unlike so many other drugs metformin does not cause weight gain. Metformin is also used in combination with insulin or other oral anti-diabetic medications.

The natural course of Type 2 diabetes results in progressive insulin secretion failure from the pancreas and worsening of insulin resistance, or a decreased response of cells and tissues to the action of insulin. But with appropriate and timely administration of these medications, problems can be prevented. Later stage complications of uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes and blood sugar such as:

* cardiovascular diseases
* renal complications
* nerve complications, and
* eye complications

can also be avoided or, at least, delayed.

It should also be stated that oral anti-diabetic medications have limited power... alone they cannot bring your blood sugar levels back into the normal range... they are an add-on to dietary control.