By Beverleigh H Piepers

It's no secret that Type 2 diabetes rates are skyrocketing worldwide. Contrary to popular belief, some sections of the world are holding back the tide of diabetes... while others are getting pummeled by the diabetic tidal wave.

In fact, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently dubbed 15 US states the "Diabetes Belt". People who live in the belt... including West Virginians and Alabamians... are at a heightened risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Even if you're miles away from the fringe of the diabetes belt that doesn't mean that you're safe. Here are some lessons to be learned from this region of the US:

Tighten Your Belt...or Become Part of The Diabetes Belt: It's not genetics or a love for college football that's behind these Southern states horrific diabetes rates... it's obesity. The states with the highest diabetes rates are also those with the most alarming numbers of obese people.

While there's a lot of talk about eating this versus that for prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes, there's little question that your weight is the single most important determinant of Type 2 diabetes.

Start walking, cut out the junk food, or move to a healthy state like California if you have to. No matter what it takes, lose the weight you need to lose or else become Type 2 diabetes next victim.

Move It and Lose It: Studies show people who exercise are less likely to get diabetes. No shocker there. But what may surprise you is the fact that those that exercise and don't lose a pound (or kilogram), still reap a number of diabetes-preventing benefits. Those that work out regularly tend to have lower levels of inflammation... a chronic process that interferes with your body's natural insulin in doing its crucial job.

Eat Slow Food: The West Virginia State Journal notes that the incredible popularity of fast food is fueling their rank as the #1 Type 2 diabetes US state. While the fat in fast food make most health conscious people cringe, there's a lot more than just fat to be concerned about in your drive-thru meal.

Dozens of research studies have found people who dine out often have significantly higher obesity rates than those who eat at home. Even if you're health conscious while perusing the fast food menu, the calories in most restaurant choices will amount to more than a home-cooked meal.

Make a significant effort to shun the drive-thru window and cook healthy meals at home. With serious health and financial savings, this one move is enough for you to tighten two belts at once.

By Denchi Minh

The Renal Diabetes Diet Menu is a meal plan for diabetic people who also have kidney problems. It helps you meet your nutritional needs while at the same time avoiding foods that strain your kidneys.

Potassium
Potassium is essential in keeping the muscles and nerves working properly. Its presence in the bloodstream is being regulated by the kidney so absorbing too much potassium is bad for the kidneys. Avoid too much potassium-rich foods in your Diabetes Diet Menu.

Protein
Protein helps repair and keep body tissues healthy as well as facilitate the generation of new tissues. It also boosts the body's resistance to infections. Protein breakdown results to the production of urea which is being regulated by the kidneys. Too much urea buildup is very harmful to the kidneys. One with kidney problems should try to urinate after consuming protein-rich foods.

Fluids
The kidneys regulate the excretion of liquid waste through urination. Many foods turn into liquid waste and leave the body as urine. Keep track of your intake of this kind of foods and make sure you don't consume too much fluid in your Diabetes Diet menu.

Sodium
Sodium is important to the body because it facilitates the contraction of the muscles as well as it helps maintain proper blood pressure and fluid balance in the bloodstream. Excess sodium can lead to swelling in the eyes and extremities. The kidneys prevent such situation from happening by getting rid of excess sodium through urination. Avoid stressing the kidneys by taking just the right amounts of sodium.

Phosphorus
Phosphorus together with calcium is essential in keeping bones healthy. The kidneys help maintain the right balance between phosphorus and calcium by getting rid of the excess phosphorus through urination. With failing kidneys, excess phosphorus cannot be excreted and the body will result to getting calcium from the bones to maintain the balance between phosphorus and calcium in the blood. Such occurrence will make bones lack calcium and become weak and brittle. Do not eat too much phosphorus-rich foods.

Glucose
The body gets rid of excess glucose in the blood stream through urination. This help the body avoid unnecessary fat buildup and too much blood sugar. Both fat build up and high blood sugar levels are very dangerous to diabetics, and become even more perilous with failing kidneys. This is the reason why maintenance of stable glucose levels is always the core of any Diabetic Diet Menu.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Prolonged exposure to high blood sugar levels results in nerve damage leading to the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy: a family of nerve disorders that causes symptoms of tingling, pain and numbness. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, sixty to seventy percent of people with diabetes end up having some degree of diabetic neuropathy.

A diabetic may develop neuropathies anytime in their lifetime. However, it was noted that people who have had Type 2 diabetes for more than twenty-five years have the highest rates of diabetic neuropathy. And it is also true that most people who have painful neuropathies don't even realize they may have Type 2 diabetes. Often they don't find out until they visit their doctor to find out the reason for the pains they are experiencing. It could start off simply as a tingle in your toes and then progress up your legs.

What causes diabetic neuropathy?

There are several reasons for nerve damage taking place. High blood sugar levels damage blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to the nerves. The cells cannot live without oxygen so the neurons starve to death. Other factors such as:

* abnormal levels of fat within the blood
* blood vessel problems
* autoimmune factors
* excess weight
* smoking, and
* alcohol use

may also speed up the development of symptoms associated with neuropathy.

What are the most common symptoms?

Diabetic neuropathy results from nerve damage, therefore symptoms are usually seen in the nerves being affected by this problem. The most common symptoms of diabetic neuropathy includes:

* tingling
* muscle pain and weakness
* numbness
* burning pain
* shooting pain
* balance problems
* loss of bladder control
* nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation
* frequent dizziness
* impotence
* vaginal dryness in women

What are the risk factors?

1. Poor blood sugar control: The MayoClinic.com considers poor blood sugar control as the top risk factor for neuropathy in diabetics. So, if you are a diabetic, you should always keep your blood sugar in check to prevent the possible onset of nerve damage.

2. The number of years of being a diabetic: The older you are, the more likely you are to develop nerve pain.

3. Kidney problems: Diabetes causes damage to the function of your kidneys. And once your kidneys begin malfunctioning, toxins may not be eliminated efficiently from your body resulting in further damage to your nerves.

4. Cigarette smoking: Smoking decreases the blood supply to your hands and feet by narrowing and hardening your blood vessel walls. With decreased blood supply to your extremities, poor wound healing and damage to your nerves usually follows.

How can diabetic neuropathy be treated?

According to Mayoclinic.com, there is no cure. The focus for the management of neuropathy is then to slow the progression of this problem. While lowering blood sugar levels will eventually help reduce your pain and may help to prevent the type of severe damage that will be irreversible, this will take time.

If you happen to have any of the above mentioned symptoms, visiting your doctor is the best option. A few simple blood tests could determine whether you have Type 2 diabetes, at which point you could then start to repair the nerves. The earlier your blood sugar level is controlled, the lesser will be the damage to your nerves.

By Shana Ekedal

If you are diabetic or know someone that is diabetic you know there is a great deal of conflicting information on what to do. Some say there is a natural cure for diabetes others will tell you once diagnosed you will have the disease for life. With all of the conflicting information, what are you supposed to believe? I have talked to many people who are just plain confused and do not know which way to turn to help themselves and those they love. Are there really natural cures for diabetes and do they work?

Is Diabetes A Life Sentence?

One definition of diabetes is that it is a chronic lifelong disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar levels. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, insulin resistance or both.

It is important to understand the process. Food is broken down and used by the body for energy. A few things happen when food is digested:
• A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is fuel for the body.
• An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because:
• Their pancreas does not make enough insulin
• Their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally
• Both of the above

The goal of this modality is to understand the disease, manage the symptoms and attempt to prolong life without experiencing the most difficult symptoms such as blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, and amputation of limbs. The medical modality does not include natural cures for diabetes, but a maintenance plan for minimizing symptoms.

Natural Cures For Diabetes

A natural cure for diabetes is largely dependent on the functionality of your cell membranes. There are trillions of cells that make up the human body and each one of them has an exterior casing called the cell membrane. The healthy cell membrane is the barrier that protects the cell. Hormones such as insulin act like the couriers for the cell allowing nutrients to flow into the cell and toxins to be released from the cell.
When we eat the body breaks down the food into nutrients and one of the nutrients is glucose. The glucose then needs to be carried the specific cells to be used as fuel. If the cell membranes are healthy the glucose is couriered into the cell by insulin and used as fuel for each cell.

If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic a major contributing factor is a break down in the cellular transport system. You cell membranes are not allowing the glucose into the cell and therefore the cell is not receiving the nutrients it needs to operate optimally. All natural cures for diabetes are reliant on the health of your cell membranes.

Eating a diet deficient in nutrients and toxic overload is likely to have largely contributed to damaged cell membranes. Trans fat is the one of the primary culprits with deterioration of a healthy cell membrane. Foods such as crackers, doughnuts, French fries, cookies, vegetable shortening, margarine, pastries, and fast foods often contain trans-fat. The trans-fats make the cell membrane ridged and interferes with insulin "the courier" bringing glucose into the cell. The result is glucose staying in the blood stream and the cell being void of the nutrients it needs to perform its job.

Great News, There Are Natural Cures For Diabetes!

The great news is that you can start right now, today in taking steps to heal with natural cures for diabetes.
By cutting trans-fats out of your diet and replacing them with omega-3s such as flax seed oil, fish oil, coconut oil or olive oil. You are making the first steps in reviving your cells and repairing cell membranes. By eating more whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and lean meats you can further help your cells. You can make a difference in your health and in your future and the future of those you love.

Revolutionary Technology As A Natural Cure For Diabetes

There is a revolutionary technology that will jump start the restoration of the cell abnormalities. This technology provides specific nutrients that are so small and powerful they are able to enter the cell even through the most damaged cell membrane. They provide the nutrition needed for each cell to function optimally. The product is natural and simple to use. It is reported by many users that they see benefits within the first week of using the product. There are natural cures for diabetes.

By John C Sampson

Diabetes is one of the most widespread chronic illnesses in the developed world, and it is on the rise. As our lifestyle becomes less and less healthy, more and more of us are suffering from this condition. While this sounds very ominous, there is good news. Since our lifestyle is the main cause of type 2 diabetes, we can get to the root of the problem by changing our lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes can be treated, even reversed, with the right diet.

*DISCLAIMER: This article is for reference purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If you suspect that you have a medical condition, you should certainly seek competent medical help.

The standard medical practices for treating diabetes are somewhat effective, but they do not get to the root of the problem. Medication can keep blood sugar levels under control, but if you keep eating food that contributes to the condition, the medication is only acting as a temporary fix. By changing what you eat, you can eliminate the cause of type 2 diabetes and reverse it in most cases. Does this sound too good to be true? It's not. There are wellness programs that consistently help type 2 diabetes patients get off their medications in a short period of time.

So what's the ticket to reversing diabetes? It's a minimally processed, whole foods, plant-based diet. While you can go into great detail on nuances of this diet, the overall concept is pretty simple.

The term "minimally processed" means that you should eat food that has had the least amount of processing possible. The best example is fresh fruits and vegetables. If you were to pick a fruit from a tree, this is coming straight from nature with no artificial additives or alterations. Once you take that fruit and add preservatives, cook it and change its molecular structure, you've robbed it of most of its nutrition and added toxins that will do damage to your body. Food that starts out natural and healthy can become harmful once it is heavily processed.

The term "whole foods" means that you eat natural foods in their natural state. This is somewhat similar to the idea of minimally processed foods. It's better to eat a fresh apple than an apple flavored snack that has artificial substances added. If you look at the ingredients of a snack food and see lots of strange words with lots of syllables, it's better to avoid eating it. Whole foods provide your body with optimal nutrition while avoiding harmful toxins.

The term "plant-based" refers to a diet that does not have any animal products. This means no meat, no chicken, no fish, no milk, no cheese, nothing that comes from an animal source. This is an essential point, since animal proteins, along with other harmful substances in animal products, contribute significantly to type 2 diabetes.

For many people, the idea of giving up meat seems highly undesirable. If you're feeling this way right now, ask yourself if it's worth it. If you're suffering from type 2 diabetes, do you think it might be worth giving a plant based diet a try if it can reverse your diabetes forever? You can try it for 4 weeks and see what happens. Many people who have type 2 diabetes get off their medication in less time than that. If you're willing to give it a try, here are some guidelines.

These foods should be avoided:

* Fried, baked, grilled, boiled, microwaved, and roasted foods
* Soft drinks, store bough fruit juice, alcohol, coffee, etc.
* All forms of meat: pork, beef, chicken, turkey, and any kind of fish
* Dairy products (including, yogurt, cream, cheese, butter, ice cream, sherbet, etc.)
* Egg and egg products
* Oatmeal, grits, processed cereals
* Food with wheat and/or wheat gluten
* Cooked grains (rice, pasta, bread, corn)

Foods to Eat:

* Raw fruits (preferably organically grown)
* Raw vegetables (preferably organically grown)
* Blue-green algae supplements
* Fresh sprouts

At first, this diet may seem very restrictive. However, if you search for plant-based, raw food recipes you will find that there are countless dishes, appetizers, snacks and desserts you can make with these ingredients. If you have the right focus and positive attitude, you can implement a minimally processed, whole foods, plant-based diet into your lifestyle and see the amazing changes that come about as a result. Try doing research on the topic and find a support network. There are many people out there who have made this transition to truly healthy eating. Why not join them?

By Denchi Minh

A diabetes diet menu is the best tool a diabetic can use to help him maintain healthy eating habits and ensure his body receives adequate nutrition. Coupledd with exercise, it is everything a person with Type 2 Diabetes needs to conquer the illness to the point that medicine will no longer be required. Creating the proper meal plan however is not so simple. In fact many people find creating the right combinations of foods very overwhelming. This is because stability is the core goal of the meal plan. The level of blood glucose should be kept from becoming neither too high nor too low.

A diabetes diet menu is so vital to the health of a Type 2 Diabetic that it is the first thing the doctor will recommend to a patient who has just been diagnosed of having the illness. The doctor will first give an example of a proper meal plan. But since most people do not know the proper ways of creating a meal program the doctor will eventually recommend seeing a dietician. A dietician is an expert in formulating meal plans tailor fit to the needs of an individual. Remember that diabetics have different needs and therefore have different nutritional requirements. The dietician will carefully analyze your situation including your lifestyle and taste in food to create the best meal plan for you.

A diabetes diet menu does not work only for diabetics; it can work for virtually anyone. It in actuality is just a healthy meal plan. It was only named after the disease because most people who follow such diet are diabetics. Following the said program will greatly reduce one's risks of developing the disease. Healthy foods can be made and served to the entire family. This will not only keep each family member healthy, it will also give the diabetic family member a feeling of support and he will not feel alienated because the rest of the family eats the same food as he does.

There is no diabetes diet menu for all. But there are characteristics common to all healthy meal plans. The program should consist of foods that are rich in fiber and low in glucose. Whenever fatty foods are unavoidable you must choose only foods that have complex fat and not those that have simple fat. Complex fat not only has other vitamins and nutrients with it but it is also absorbed by the body slowly thus sudden spikes in blood glucose levels is avoided and person also stays satisfied longer.

By Lynn Woods

It's been called both a "dieter's dream" and a "health expert's nightmare". Marketed by Proctor & Gamble (P&G) as a fat replacer, Olestra is a chemical combination of table sugar and soy bean oil, creating a substance called "sucrose polyester". Olestra has the same texture as fat, but no calories or cholesterol, and its molecules are so large that they pass through the body undigested and unabsorbed.

Olestra has been on the US market as a food additive under the brand name Olean since 1998, when it received FDA approval for use in "light" and "fat free" versions of savory snack foods such a potato chips, tortilla chips, popcorn, and crackers. In late 2008, the FDA expanded the approval to include the use of Olestra in pre-packaged cookies.

Olestra has been refused approval in Canada, the United Kingdom, and many other countries, largely because it depletes the body of fat soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K, and natural substances called carotenoids. Carotenoids are pigments believed to protect against heart disease, cancer, stroke and blindness. As a result, the FDA requires that Olean-containing products be fortified with vitamins A, D, E and K.

But Olestra's biggest downside remains the more than 20,000 reports of adverse gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhea, cramps, fecal incontinence and "oily" bowel movements that flooded in during the product's first years on the market.

The FDA required that products containing Olestra carry warning labels stating the product may cause "cramping and loose stools" until 2003. P&G claims to have eliminated these problems by modifying the Olestra structure, but the best known of these gastrointestinal disturbances, the infamous "anal leakage" (fecal incontinence), gave the product a public black eye it's never really recovered from.

According the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Olestra is "the most complained about food additive ever", with 7% of people complaining of symptoms after eating snacks containing the fat replacer. The benefits of Olestra simply don't outweigh the risks, the CSPI insists.

The American public seems to agree. Once referred to by a prominent stock analyst as "the single most important development in the history of the food industry", Olestra never really caught on with consumers, and sales have been steadily declining for years.

Today, P&G continues to market Olestra as suitable for "today's health conscious lifestyles", targeting diabetics, heart patients and the weight-conscious. The CSPI remains vociferously opposed to the product, and public health experts voice concerns that, while eating Olestra-laden versions of foods can reduce the amount of fat in your diet, the product will tempt people to eat more empty-calorie snack foods.

The last word goes to P&G, who point out that eating too much of any food may cause gastrointestinal upset. " Olean is a replacement for fat," a P&G spokesperson said succinctly, "Not for common sense."

By Denchi Minh

The real treatment for diabetes is having a sound nutritional diet. What and how much food you intake everyday derives a significant change is the glucose levels in your body. Improper diabetic diet plan when you are already diabetic leads to disastrous results. A licensed dietician will be a diabetic's guide to good health. Together as a team, they could decide what diet plan they will use.

A diabetic diet plan ensures the person with the proper number of calories, nutrients and carbohydrates he will need for the day. This is without going over the limit on the food they eat. According to the American diabetic association, there is a certain grouping of foods with the same number of calories. Each grouping could be swapped with each other depending on the needs of the person each day. A registered dietician can help you determine the food you could exchange each they while still properly managing your glucose levels.

Carbohydrate counting is important in a diabetic diet plan. This method offers an easier control in maintaining blood glucose levels. There are different types of carbohydrates some are good and some are bad. Good carbohydrates can be found in fiber rich foods. Fruits, green leafy vegetables and whole grain are good food for one who is diabetic. Low fat content dairy products are also good for one who is maintaining their blood sugar levels.

The glycemic index of food is a subject that is debated by diabetic associations throughout the world. There are foods with a relatively high glycemic index that can cause a sugar rise in blood sugar rather than low glycemic foods. High level of glycemic food includes potatoes, water melon and white bread. Low Level of glycemic food is whole grains, dried beans and non-starchy vegetables. A licensed dietician would recommend eating foods that are low in glycemic index for the diabetic diet plan.

A right diabetic diet plan includes not only checking the food you eat. Exercise is one of the best ways to naturalize blood sugar levels. It not only promotes blood circulation but it also reduces the fats and cholesterol in the body. Our body becomes slightly immune to insulin when we are overweight. The insulin levels secreted by the body cannot properly normalize the blood sugar. When this happens the cells couldn't absorb or transpose the glucose to the much - needed energy it needs daily.

By Jeff A Wise

Practically every time your child turns around, they are given some sort of candy or sugary treat. Grocery store bakeries give free cookies to kids. Banks and other business hand out suckers with each visit. School-aged children have a party for every birthday and teachers hand out candy for correct answers given.

This doesn't even include the sugar-filled holidays like Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day and Christmas. Parents tend to keep candy pieces around for months, hating to be wasteful. It's time we start being mindful of how much sugar our kids actually consume and start limiting how much of it we allow them to eat.

The majority of candy given to children is filled with ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar and artificial food coloring. These harmful substances contribute to childhood obesity and childhood diabetes, which can lead to diseases and a shortened life.

According to the CDC, one-third of American adults will have diabetes by the year 2050. The kids you know right now who consume so much candy will probably be part of that group by then. If they're likely to have diabetes as adults, what's stopping them from having diabetes as children?

The answer is you, the parent. Examine your child's life to see how much candy they're actually getting. Most parents either don't realize the amount or they just don't think it will harm their children. You've got to start putting limits, especially in the situations where you have complete control.

Here are some ways to limit your kids' candy intake. Gracefully decline the cookies and suckers from your neighborhood businesses. At home, give your kids rewards that don't involve food. Talk to your child's teacher about healthy snacks being provided at parties. Also offer to buy stickers and pencils to hand out to kids as rewards instead of candy.

And for the holidays, try this. A week after each holiday, dispose of any remaining candy or desserts. This will not only keep your child from grazing on sweets every day for months, it will also make them appreciate the candy more when they do get it.

There's one more important aspect of this. For your kids to want to eat healthy, they have to see you do it. Add more fruits and vegetables to your family's diet. Your family will feel better and look better. Limit the sweets in your child's life and they'll be healthier and happier.

By Denchi Minh

A diabetic diet plan is a way to minimize or reduce the glucose levels in the body. What it does is eating a variety of food and nutrients in moderate amounts and sticking to the 3 time a day meal plan.

A recommended diabetic diet plan is not the typical diet that restricts food rich in carbohydrates or sweets. To simply put label it, a diet plan for diabetics differ in a certain aspect wherein it gives emphasis to fruits, whole grains and green leafy vegetables most of the time. This doesn't really translate as not eating sweets and your favourite dishes. It only means limiting one's intake or taking an extra 10 minutes of exercise for the dish or sweet you ate.

When a person is diagnosed with diabetes, a doctor will recommend that he or she goes to a licensed dietitian. A dietitian will be the one to provide him a diabetic diet plan that will help him control the glucose levels in his blood or manage his weight.

When a body acquires excessive calories and fats, the cells could not properly use the insulin secreted by the body. When insulin is not properly used to normalize blood sugar levels it could lead to major complications such as nerve, heart and kidney damage.

A diabetic diet plan means keeping in track of your daily meal intake. This is taking notes of the calories they contain for in order to reduce blood sugar, calories should be minimized. A healthy diet plan means not only minimizing calorie intake but improving blood circulation through exercise.

Below is a list of recommended food for diabetics.

• Health carbohydrates rich food

o Fruits
o Vegetables
o Legumes (beans, peas and lentils)
o Whole grain
o Low fat dairy products

• Food rich in fiber

o Grean leafy vegetables
o Nuts
o Fruits
o Legumes (beans, peas and lentils)
o Wheat bran
o Whole wheat flour

• Fish that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. This helps promote blood circulation by lowering the fats in the blood like triglycerides.

• Food with good fats. Foods like avocados, walnut, olives and canola oil contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol levels in the body.

List of things to avoid when in a diabetic diet:

• Saturated fat rich foods like high fat dairy products and food rich in proteins.
• Trans fats that are found in snacks
• Food with high levels of cholesterol
• Sodium is to be avoided by someone in a diabetic diet.