Here's Exactly What I Ate To Cure My Type 2 Diabetes & High Cholesterol
Mary Jenkins is 51 and lives in Kanab, Utah. Last December, before starting her new diet, she weighed 225 pounds. She has since lost 50 pounds—and the weight is still coming off. This is her story. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, so I lived off a Southern-fried diet for most of my life. As a result, I had extremely high blood pressure for over 30 years. I tried every eating plan out there to get it under control: low-carb diets, high-protein diets—all that stuff. None of it worked for me. I was still obese, and my cholesterol levels didn’t improve. We hope you enjoy the products we're recommending as much as we do! Just so you know, Prevention may get a share of sales from the links on this page. (Discover the ONE simple, natural solution that can help you reverse chronic inflammation and heal more than 45 diseases. Try The Whole Body Cure today!) Then two years ago, my doctor ordered an A1C test. He had a hunch I may have type 2 diabetes as a result of my weight. My score was a seven, which meant his suspicions were correct. (A normal A1C level is below 5.7. ) It got worse: Because I’ve had high blood pressure for so long, he said I could have long-term organ damage now that I also had diabetes. You’d think at that point, he would have sat me down and talked to me about how I could improve my diet, but he didn’t. He just said something like, “Watch your carbs and exercise.” That was it. So I basically kept living as I had before. My motivation Then my doctor moved away, and I found another doctor in a larger town nearby. My new physician told me that I needed to go on metformin (the generic name for a drug used to treat high blood sugar levels) immediately. He also told me that I should ramp up my exercise routine. So last year, I started hikin Continue reading >>
Shopping List For Diabetics
Control Type 2 Diabetes, Shed Fat Our Shopping List for Diabetics is based on the Pritikin Eating Plan, regarded worldwide as among the healthiest diets on earth. The Pritikin Program has been documented in more than 100 studies in peer-reviewed medical journals to prevent and control many of our nation’s leading killers – heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, metabolic syndrome, and obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, pay special attention. Research on newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics coming to the Pritikin Longevity Center illustrate how profoundly beneficial early intervention can be. Scientists from UCLA followed 243 people in the early stages of diabetes (not yet on medications). Within three weeks of coming to Pritikin, their fasting blood sugar (glucose) plummeted on average from 160 to 124. Research has also found that the Pritikin Program reduces fasting insulin by 25 to 40%. Shopping List for Diabetics – More Features Here’s another big plus to our Shopping List for Diabetics. In addition to icons that are diabetes-focused like “sugar free,” this list uses icons like “low cholesterol” and “low sodium” because many people with diabetes are working to control not just diabetes but related conditions like high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. This list can help you identify those foods most advantageous in helping you reach your personal health goals. Diabetic Food Taboos? Not Anymore! Have you been told you have to give up juicy watermelon or sweet grapes? What if we told you those foods really aren’t taboo? Watch the Video Our Healthy Shopping List for Diabetics also lists the top 10 things to put back on the shelf if you’re trying to: Lose Weight Lower Blood Pres Continue reading >>
Heal Yourself With Food: Recipes
Take control of your health! Try these recipes from the eating plans mentioned in Heal Yourself With Food, and get on the road to a healthy recovery. Pritikin Diet to fight diabetes When combined with exercise, the Pritikin Diet can improve heart-disease risk factors; prevent and control Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and several cancers; promote weight loss. It's low in fat and sodium and rich in natural unrefined carbs, vitamins, minerals, beneficial phytochemicals, antioxidants and dietary fiber with adequate amounts of protein and essential fatty acids. Pritikin Diet Recipes: Also try Prevention's New 30-Day Diabetes Diet to help manage your condition. Portfolio Diet to lower high cholesterol Relying on four categories of foods known to help prevent heart disease--soy, nuts, plant sterols, and foods high in sticky fiber--and restricting meat, fish, and dairy (high cholesterol foods) the Portfolio Diet produces fast results and works about as well as statins in people with moderately high cholesterol. Portfolio Diet Recipes: DASH Diet to lower high blood pressure The DASH eating plan, which can prevent and control high blood pressure when used along with lifestyle changes such as exercise, calls for a certain number of daily servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, fat-free dairy, lean meats, and nuts. DASH Diet Recipes: [pagebreak] Recipes for diabetes from the Pritikin Eating Plan Ingredients: 2 ½ lb. portabello mushrooms, stems removed & washed 1 cup red peppers, de-seeded and diced ½ c yellow pepper, de-seeded and diced 3 tablespoons basil leaves, chiffonaide 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, picked & chopped 1 teaspoon oregano, dry ½ cup garlic, chopped ½ cup red onion, peeled and diced 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, ground 1 cup eggplant, peeled and diced ½ Continue reading >>
High Cholesterol Meets Ketosis: An Update
A couple of years ago I started using the ketogenic diet to manage my blood sugar as a type 1 diabetic and to enhance my athletic performance. I wrote a series of blogs and an ebook to share that experiment because adopting a low carb high fat (ketogenic) diet has become the single most beneficial thing that I’ve done for my diabetes management and my ability to be active in the 20 years I’ve been living at this difficult metabolic crossroads. Eating ketogenic has improved my life and my ability to make photography, climbing and moving around in the outdoors the center of my life rather than fleeing the complications of diabetes. I didn’t expect those posts to take off because I’m not a dietary blogger. I just wanted to share the ups and downs of what I was trying in hopes that it would help other people. One of the major issues I encountered was the sharp increase in my LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and initially I considered abandoning the ketogenic diet because I feared that I was just trading one risk factor for another. If you want to read that post and the comment thread check it out here! I am writing this post to update you since two years have passed and I have found some information that I believe is useful. I also want to clarify my current position on the cholesterol issue and why my LDL is still high and why I’m not letting that fact deter me from eating ketogenic. In fact, I am going to share a couple more blog posts in the future detailing some new experiments I’ve been doing using intermittent fasting and exogenous ketones which has been nothing short of mind-blowing! Exhibit A: Biohacker’s Lab podcast (non-iTunes) or Biohacker’s Lab (iTunes) : Ep8: High Cholesterol Levels on a Keto Diet Experiments by Dave Feldman If you have concerns abou Continue reading >>
What Diet Works Best To Manage Diabetes?
Imagine having endless energy that doesn't seem to fade over the course of a day. More and more, research is demonstrating that our blood sugar levels are vitally important in maintaining high levels of energy and supporting a number of important functions in the body. Fortunately, through diet and exercise, you can control blood sugar levels - avoiding unwanted blood sugar spikes, reducing energy level crashes, and lowering your risk for diabetes. Blood sugar, or blood glucose, is the sugar that travels in the blood and provides energy to the body; this sugar comes directly from the food we eat. Typically, a normal, non-diabetic’s healthy blood sugar level is between 70 and 120; it is common for blood sugar to rise after eating, returning to normal levels in an hour or two. If you have diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA)[1] advises keeping your blood sugar levels before meals from 80–130 mg/dl and your levels 1–2 hours after meals under 180. Many people with diabetes and doctors shoot for levels closer to those of people without diabetes, because they are more protective against complications. Lower numbers require more careful diet and more frequent monitoring to prevent lows, but they are doable for many people. As we consume carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose, the body’s main source of energy; glucose goes right into the bloodstream. At nearly the same time, the pancreas releases a substance called insulin. Insulin carries glucose from the blood into the cells. glucose needs insulin in order to enter cells; think of insulin as key that unlocks each cell’s front door. Once in a cell, glucose is used to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), also known as energy. The body stores excess glucose in the liver and in the muscles. As it is Continue reading >>
Microsoft Word - Dysglycemic Diet.doc
Best Foods for Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, and Weight All these conditions involve a genetic sensitivity to refined carbohydrates. In many people, refined carbohydrates leads to abnormally high and low blood sugar levels, a condition called dysglycemia. This information sheet helps you reduce this abnormal response. Did you know that what you eat is a critical determinant of how much you eat? Whether you want to lose weight, or want to maintain your present healthy weight, choosing the right kinds of foods will help you achieve your goals. Let's leave calorie counting to the mathematicians. If you are overweight, you know what happens when you ask your doctor for help. The usual response is "follow this diet and get more exercise.†That doesn't work all by itself, does it? That is because it is based on a partial truth - that the reason people gain weight is that they eat too much and exercise too little. Let's look at the facts. The fact my overweight patients have been telling me for years is "Doc, it's my metabolism." Let’s see how and why your food choices influence that metabolism, so that you can know what to eat, and what not to eat, to improve your health and lose weight. First, I suggest you watch our videotape on weight gain. You can borrow it from our receptionist. Here is part of the script for that videotape… �������� � ������ ������������������������������������������ “To help you understand what to do about this kind of metabolism, Continue reading >>
Cholesterol And Diabetes
When we hear about cholesterol, we think of it building up in our arteries and contributing to long-term health problems, but it isn’t just the bad guy – its healthy levels are vital for our cells to function and to make vitamin D and some hormones. There are two main types – HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol). If the levels of your bad cholesterol become too high and the good cholesterol too low you are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications. There are also triglycerides, which can have bad effects on your health if levels are high, too. For most people, eating a healthy, balanced diet and being physically active is enough to keep cholesterol levels healthy. But for people with diabetes, it is important that you have your levels checked every year. Do you have high cholesterol? So if you are told your levels are too high, what can you do? Firstly, ask your GP to refer you to a dietitian who can help. They will advise you to cut down on saturated fat and increase your intake of fibre. There are natural foods you can eat to help protect your heart and products on the market than claim to lower your cholesterol – but do they work? We looked into the best foods to eat and looked at the products you can buy. Natural foods that help protect your heart There is evidence that some foods can protect our heart, either by their effect on cholesterol, triglycerides or through other means. The way that you prepare all of these natural foods has a huge effect on your health. It’s better to boil, steam or grill them. Oily fish For example: herring, salmon, sardines and mackerel. Eat 1–2 portions a week. They are good sources of omega-3 fats. For ideas on how to cook with oily fish, visit our recipe finder. Fruit and vegetables Evidence Continue reading >>
Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-eating Plan
Your diabetes diet is simply a healthy-eating plan that will help you control your blood sugar. Here's help getting started, from meal planning to exchange lists and counting carbohydrates. Definition A diabetes diet simply means eating the healthiest foods in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes. A diabetes diet is a healthy-eating plan that's naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories. Key elements are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In fact, a diabetes diet is the best eating plan for most everyone. Purpose If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your doctor will likely recommend that you see a dietitian to help you develop a healthy eating plan. The plan helps you control your blood sugar (glucose), manage your weight and control risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high blood fats. When you eat excess calories and fat, your body responds by creating an undesirable rise in blood glucose. If blood glucose isn't kept in check, it can lead to serious problems, such as a dangerously high blood glucose level (hyperglycemia) and long-term complications, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage. You can help keep your blood glucose level in a safe range by making healthy food choices and tracking your eating habits. For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make it easier to control blood glucose and offers a host of other health benefits. If you need to lose weight, a diabetes diet provides a well-organized, nutritious way to reach your goal safely. Diet details A diabetes diet is based on eating three meals a day at regular times. This helps your body better use the insulin it produces or gets through a medication. A registered dietitian can help you put together a diet based on your health goals, tas Continue reading >>
High Cholesterol Diet Guidelines
If you have high cholesterol you aren’t alone: nearly half of all American adults have high cholesterol. Not all cholesterol is bad. In fact, your body makes its own and uses it for many important functions, such as producing cells and certain hormones. However, too much of this waxy substance in the blood clogs arteries. Cholesterol is carried through the blood in molecules called lipoproteins. The two most commonly discussed in relation to heart health are low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL (bad) deposit cholesterol inside your arteries. HDL (good) carry cholesterol to the liver to dispose of it or recycle it for future cell and hormone production, which makes it less likely that excess cholesterol in the blood will be dumped in the coronary arteries where it can build up. Your genes determine how much cholesterol your body produces naturally. The rest comes from the foods you eat. EatingWell recommends taking the following steps to help prevent, or lower, high blood cholesterol levels. Cut back on saturated fat Saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol. Keep your intake of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of your total daily calories. (If you eat 2,000 calories per day, this is less than 15.5 grams of saturated fat.) The main sources of saturated fat are whole milk and full-fat dairy products, butter, red meat, chocolate and palm oil. Watch out for trans fat Manmade trans fats are created when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil – a process called hydrogenation. Trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, but are more harmful to your lipid levels than saturated fats. It’s important to keep trans fats to less than 1 percent of total calories (under 2 grams if you’re eating 2,000 calories per day) because these fa Continue reading >>
Hypertension, Diabetes, Cholesterol. What Can I Eat?
Hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol are the first causes of coronary artery disease which leads to heart failure. This triad is also known as Syndrome X or metabolic syndrome and can be prevented by nutrition. Hypertension Hypertension is diagnosed when your blood pressure is higher than usual for a certain amount of time. This condition can affect your health in many ways and puts you at a higher risk for cardiovascular failure. It is possible to control your blood pressure by increasing your intake of magnesium and potassium which both create a dilatation of the blood vessels and decreases blood pressure by allowing more blood to go through. The fatty acid omega-3’s also helps to decrease the diastolic and systolic pressures which are the 2 numbers that we are reading while measuring blood pressure. The optimal numbers are 120/80. Foods that contain magnesium: Oatmeal, tomatoes, potatoes with skin, carrots, beans, peas, squash, spinach, apricot, banana, grape, orange, grapefruit, melons, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, soybeans and lentils. Foods that contain potassium: Beans, potatoes with skin, fish, squash, spinach, broccoli, melons and bananas. *Don’t take potassium as a supplement Foods that contain omega-3: Sardines, mackerel, salmon, tuna, shrimp, crab, lobster and linseed or supplements as fish oil or flax oil. Diabetes Diabetes is diagnosed when the level of blood sugar is higher than usual for a certain amount of time. Diabetes is known to contribute to increase the oxidant activity in the body. This accelerates the degeneration of cells and arteries. The antioxidants, usually present in fruits and vegetables may prevent the damaging action of oxidants. Fiber plays an important role in regulating the sugar level in the blood. It also Continue reading >>
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Diabetic/low Cholesterol Diet: What Can You Eat?
Expert Q&A Help! I am on a diabetic/low cholesterol diet! What can I eat? -Carol from South Carolina You are in luck! Following a low cholesterol diet is the best way for diabetics to eat. To follow this diet, you should be aware of the foods high in cholesterol as well as foods that easily increase cholesterol levels. That way, you can consume less of, or altogether eliminate, these foods. In addition, because blood cholesterol is raised by saturated fats and trans fats, you should also avoid these foods. Reduce your intake of: Red meats Whole or 2% diary products Eggs Cheese Butter Crisco Lard Tropical oils. Omit the trans fats in your diet by checking food labels on baked foods and packaged foods. To identify trans fatty foods, look for the term hydrogenated fats. Your diet should be loaded with: Fruits Vegetables (especially leafy greens) Olives Small amounts of lean meats and skinless poultry Fish (especially deep water fish) Whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds. You will be on the right track if you use substitutes. Here are some suggestions: Drink 1% milk or low-fat buttermilk instead of whole or 2% milk Eat nonfat cream cheese or laughing cow cheese instead of regular cheese Eat less cheese by selecting stronger flavored cheeses such as sharp cheddar, feta, or parmesan Use 2 egg whites or ½ cup egg substitute instead of a whole egg Use nonstick cooking spray instead of oil, margarine, or other fats Use a trans fat free margarine instead of butter Grill instead of fry meats Eat colorful vegetables and fruits instead of high-fat snacks Eat homemade, low-fat cookies and pastries instead of store-bought varieties that are high in sugar, butter and usually trans-fats Spice up food with herbs, soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. And finally, keep an eye on your Continue reading >>
Cholesterol Abnormalities & Diabetes
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is made by the body and found in some animal-based foods. Blood cholesterol levels describe a group of fats also known as lipoproteins which includes HDL-C, or "good" cholesterol and LDL-C or "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol is important to overall health, but when levels are too high, cholesterol can be harmful by contributing to narrowed or blocked arteries. Unfortunately, people with diabetes are more prone to having unhealthy high cholesterol levels, which contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD). By taking steps to manage cholesterol, individuals can reduce their chance of cardiovascular disease and premature death. Using a blood sample taken after a brief period of fasting by the patient, a lipoprotein profile reveals the following lipid measures: Low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol = "bad" cholesterol A high LDL-C level is associated with a higher risk for CVD. However, your LDL number should no longer be the main factor in guiding treatment to prevent heart attack and stroke, according to the latest guidelines from the American Heart Association. For patients taking statins, it’s important to work with your doctor to manage your LDL appropriately. A diet high in saturated and trans fats can raise your LDL cholesterol. High-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol = "good" cholesterol With HDL-C, higher levels are associated with a lower risk for CVD. Low HDL cholesterol puts you at higher risk for heart disease. People with high blood triglycerides usually also have lower HDL cholesterol. Genetic factors, type 2 diabetes, and certain drugs, such as beta-blockers and anabolic steroids, also lower HDL cholesterol levels. Smoking, being overweight and being sedentary can all contribute to lower HDL cholesterol. Triglycerid Continue reading >>
How To Eat When You Have Gout And Diabetes
1 Avoid purine-rich foods. Since uric acid is produced from the metabolism of purine in the body, it is best to avoid foods that contain purine. Urate crystals accumulate in the joints if uric acid is elevated and this can aggravate joint pain in gout. Also, uric acid elevation can increase insulin resistance which is a condition wherein the body do not respond to the function of insulin[1]. This can further elevate the blood sugar levels of a person, leading to diabetic symptoms. Purine-rich foods are mackerel, anchovies, organ meats, dried beans, peas, canned goods, instant noodles, wine and beer. 2 Avoid foods rich in fructose. Foods rich in fructose consume a lot of adenosine triphosphate (or ATP) when metabolized. This ATP is an energy-supplying molecule that the cells in the body use. Over-consumption of ATP leads to its depletion and results in the generation of substances such as lactic acid and uric acid, thereby increasing the levels of uric acid in the blood. Also, fructose is considered a sugar. Consuming foods rich in fructose can elevate the blood sugar of a person and lead to occurrence of symptoms. Foods to avoid are apples, bananas, pears, agave, melons, asparagus, beans, broccoli, cabbage, onion, tomato, peanuts, raisins, figs, carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, ketchup, canned goods, chocolate, pastries and breakfast cereals. 3 Avoid alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the removal of uric acid from the body. When alcohol is converted to lactic acid, it reduces the amount of uric acid that is eliminated from the body through the kidneys. This is because the lactic acid competes with the uric acid in terms of being removed by the kidneys through urine. Increased levels of ethanol (alcohol) in the body increase the body's production of uric acid by increasing Continue reading >>
Diet And Cholesterol
Cholesterol levels are used as a marker of heart risk and dietary changes can lead to a significance improvement in cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease. Research shows that people with diabetes face a higher risk of developing heart disease. Despite there being a large amount of research into diet and cholesterol, there are still a lot of misconceptions within the media and even sometimes within the advice provided by healthcare professionals. How cholesterol affects diabetes Fat and cholesterol It was once widely believed that eating fat directly resulted in poor cholesterol results and a higher risk of heart disease. Research has since shown this to be far too generalised an assertion. What is true is that having a high calorie diet, without sufficient exercise, will lead to poorer cholesterol results and a higher risk of heart disease. Fat, however, should not be singled out as the nutrient to blame as any high calorie diet, be it high in fat or high in carbohydrate can lead to poorer cholesterol levels. Cut out energy dense processed foods Key to keeping cholesterol levels healthy, as well as improving your overall health, is to ensure your diet does not regularly include foods that are energy dense and nutritionally poor. Many convenience foods are energy dense foods, meaning they are high in calories even in small portions. Packaged sandwiches, many ready meals, chips, biscuits, crisps, muffins and store bought pastry products such as pies, sausage rolls and lattices are all examples of energy dense foods. In addition to being high in calories, these foods typically offer little in the way of other nutrition. The growing prominence of processed food in the diet has meant that a growing prevalence of people are classified as suffering from malnutritio Continue reading >>
Easy Ways To Lower Cholesterol And Reduce Blood Pressure
6 tips for getting your heart in shape from an NFL nutritionist. You might think you don’t have much in common with professional football players, but it when it comes keeping your heart healthy, you’d be smart to follow the same advice that Leslie Bonci, R.D., nutritionist for the Pittsburgh Steelers, gives the team. These heart-healthy “plays” can help you lower your cholesterol, reduce your blood pressure and improve your overall health. 1. Get Trim Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch dropped 12 pounds and reduced his total cholesterol about 20 percent between the end of one season and the start of the next. (Major diet changes: making better choices when eating out; swapping wine in place of apple martinis, sugar free Jell-O for gummy worms and popcorn for Doritos.) Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can result in better blood pressure, lower risk for diabetes and improved cholesterol levels, according to various research studies. When Pittsburgh Steeler Casey Hampton (a.k.a. “Big Snack”) arrived at training camp a few years ago too heavy to play, team nutritionist Leslie Bonci worked with the team’s chef to create meals designed to slash Hampton’s intake of calories and saturated fats, which can elevate “bad” LDL cholesterol, leading to plaque buildup in arteries. In place of fried chicken wings, Bonci gave Hampton grilled chicken strips with low-fat dipping sauces. Other ways to reduce saturated fat: replace butter with olive and canola oils, which contain good amounts of heart healthy monounsaturated fats; choose lean meats, poultry, fish and beans instead of higher fat meats; select nonfat or low-fat milk and yogurt in place of whole-milk versions; eat full-fat cheeses sparingly. Avoid trans fats, which also increas Continue reading >>
