Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Perhaps you have learned that you have a high chance of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes. You might be overweight or have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes. Maybe you had gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. These are just a few examples of factors that can raise your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and eye and foot problems. Prediabetes also can cause health problems. The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be delayed or even prevented. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop health problems, so delaying diabetes by even a few years will benefit your health. You can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by losing a modest amount of weight by following a reduced-calorie eating plan and being physically active most days of the week. Ask your doctor if you should take the diabetes drug metformin to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.1 How can I lower my chances of developing type 2 diabetes? Research such as the Diabetes Prevention Program shows that you can do a lot to reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Here are some things you can change to lower your risk: Lose weight and keep it off. You may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your starting weight.1 For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, your goal would be to lose about 10 to 14 pounds. Move more. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. If you have not been active, talk with your health care professional about which activities are best. Start slowly to build up to your goal. Eat healthy foods most of the time. Eat smaller portions to reduce the amount of calories you Continue reading >>
Eat These Foods And Fight Diabetes
Tricks for avoiding diabetes About 29 million Americans have diabetes, and 8 million of those people don’t even know it. Another 86 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have prediabetes, which is an elevated blood sugar that's not quite high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis (but probably headed in that direction). Both conditions can dramatically boost your risk of heart disease and stroke. But there's good news. While there's no magic food to prevent type 2 diabetes, there are wise food choices that, along with exercise, can help you avoid it. (Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease and healthy eating can't prevent it.) Even if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, these foods (or food swaps) might help you control your blood sugar. Focus on fiber Not only does fiber keep blood sugar levels down, it can actually lessen spikes caused by other carbs. Expert organizations recommend 25 to 50 grams of fiber a day for people with diabetes, which is much higher than the 15 grams most Americans ingest. How to reach your fiber quota? In addition to whole grains, like brown rice, oats, barley, and quinoa, focus on other foods that are high in fiber, such as beans and veggies. "Combined with protein and whole grains they can add a lot of bulk to a meal without a lot of extra calories," says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet. "They can also make a nice addition to soups and stews." Sprinkle on the spices It's not just the food you eat, but how you spice it that can affect your diabetes risk. A study on spices common in the famously healthy Mediterranean Diet found that virtually all of them—basil, cumin, oregano, parsley, and sage—can help lower blood sugar and boost insulin product Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Reversal — The Quick Start Guide
Type 2 Diabetes Reversal — The Quick Start Guide How to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes — The Quick Start Guide Twenty years ago, when you bought a brand sparkly new VCR machine, you would also get a thick instruction manual. Read this thoroughly before you start, the manufacturer would implore. There would be detailed setup procedures and troubleshooting guides. Most of us ignored the manual, just plugged it in and tried to figure out the rest. That’s why we all had the blinking 12:00 on. Today, most new electronics now come with a quick start guide which has the most basic 4 or 5 steps to get your machine working and then anything else you needed, you could reference the detailed instruction manual. Instruction manuals are just so much more useful this way. Well, I don’t know much about VCRs, but I do know about type 2 diabetes. I could write an entire book about obesity (oh, wait, I did that already), or fasting (oh, wait, done too) or type 2 diabetes (next up for 2018). But many of you will not want to go through the entire instruction manual. So this is your quick start guide for reversing your type 2 diabetes. A Fully Reversible Disease Most doctors, dietitians and diabetes specialists claim that type 2 diabetes is a chronic and progressive disease. The American Diabetes Association, for example, almost proudly proclaims this on its website. Once you get the diagnosis, it’s a life sentence. But, it’s actually a great big lie. Type 2 diabetes is almost always reversible and this is almost ridiculously easy to prove. This is great news for the more than 50% of American adults who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes. Recognizing this truth is the crucial first step in reversing your diabetes or pre-diabetes. Actually, it something that most people a Continue reading >>
The Top 20 Foods For Beating Diabetes
Having diabetes doesn’t mean you have a boring diet Every time you roll your shopping cart into the supermarket, you’re making a decision that goes far beyond whether you’re going to have pork or pierogies for dinner. You’re actually choosing between being a victim and a victor. What you put in your cart goes a long way toward determining whether you’ll be compromised by diabetes or start controlling and eventually even beating it. That’s why we’ve assembled the following list of the 20 best foods for fighting diabetes. Every time you go to the store from now on, take this list with you and check off each item. In fact, if your favourite store has a delivery service, sign up for it so your supplies are automatically replenished every few weeks. Research proves that making a few key changes to your diet such as eating more produce, fewer refined carbohydrates, plenty of lean protein, and more ‘good’ fat’helps improve blood-sugar control and cuts the risk of diabetes-related complications. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that one or two or even five foods on this list will transform you. You need most of them, yes, even the flaxseed, because together they represent a new approach to eating, a lifestyle rather than just a diet. 1. Apples Because they offer so many health advantages, put these at the core of your diet. Apples are naturally low in calories, yet their high fibre content (4 grams) fills you up, battles bad cholesterol, and blunts blood-sugar swings. Red Delicious and Granny Smith are also among the top 10 fruits with the most disease-fighting antioxidants. Eat them whole and unpeeled for the greatest benefit, or make a quick ‘baked’ apple. After washing and chopping one apple, put it in a bowl with a dusting of cinnamon and microwa Continue reading >>
How To Fight Type 2 Diabetes Through Your Food Choices And Diet Plan
If you have type 2 diabetes — the most common form of diabetes — eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is critical to controlling your weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. By enriching your diet and creating a meal plan tailored to your personal preferences and lifestyle, you'll be able to enjoy the foods you love while minimizing complications and reducing further risk. Although there isn’t any research that directly supports individual dietary choices in the fight against type 2 diabetes, it doesn’t hurt to maintain a balanced diet. More often than not, the average diet is lacking in these key nutrients: calcium magnesium fiber potassium vitamins A, C, D, and E vitamin B-12 for those on metformin Adding foods rich in these nutrients is often a great first step in diabetes management. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the following are considered to be diabetes superfoods: Fat-free milk and yogurt are both a good source of vitamin D, which promotes strong bones and teeth. Whole grains containing germ and bran are often rich in magnesium, chromium, and folate. Regardless of the type, berries are an excellent source of antioxidants and fiber. Citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, and limes, are high in vitamin C. Not only are beans high in fiber, they’re a solid source of potassium and magnesium. Omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce your risk of heart disease, so don’t shy away from salmon dishes. In addition to providing magnesium and fiber, nuts can help with hunger management. Some nuts and seeds also contain omega-3s. Tomatoes contain crucial nutrients such as vitamins C and E. Swap regular potatoes for sweet potatoes, which are chock-full of potassium and vitamin A. Dark green leafy vegetables like collards and kale a Continue reading >>
How To Beat Type 2 Diabetes With Diet And Lifestyle Changes
It's no secret that type 2 diabetes is on the rise in the United States and around the world. But if you've been diagnosed with diabetes, there's a lot you can do to improve your health — and the best place to start is likely by making some changes to your lifestyle. “Basic principles of good health like eating right, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight can be as effective as medicine in the management of type 2 diabetes for most people,” says Sue McLaughlin, RD, CDE, lead medical nutrition therapist at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. That's backed up by the Look AHEAD study, a large clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The researchers found that over a four-year period, changes like eating a healthier diet and getting more exercise led to weight loss and improved diabetes control in 5,000 overweight or obese participants with type 2 diabetes. A December 2016 review in Diabetologia similarly found through 28 studies that participants who were able to achieve about 150 minutes per week of moderate activity lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by 26 percent compared with nonactive participants. If you're ready to make positive changes to help control diabetes, here's how to get started. Improve Your Diet to Help You Treat Type 2 Diabetes Naturally Keeping close tabs on your diet is a major way to help manage type 2 diabetes. A healthy diet for people with type 2 diabetes includes fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean meats, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. Focus on eating fruit and non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, and lettuce, and having smaller portions of starchy foods, meats, and dairy products. Be especially careful about loading Continue reading >>
Diabetes Type 2
Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into your cells to give them energy. Without insulin, too much glucose stays in your blood. Over time, high blood glucose can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth. You have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes if you are older, have obesity, have a family history of diabetes, or do not exercise. Having prediabetes also increases your risk. Prediabetes means that your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. If you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, you may be able to delay or prevent developing it by making some lifestyle changes. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes appear slowly. Some people do not notice symptoms at all. The symptoms can include Being very thirsty Urinating often Feeling very hungry or tired Losing weight without trying Having sores that heal slowly Having blurry eyesight Blood tests can show if you have diabetes. One type of test, the A1C, can also check on how you are managing your diabetes. Many people can manage their diabetes through healthy eating, physical activity, and blood glucose testing. Some people also need to take diabetes medicines. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Continue reading >>
20 Foods That Fight Diabetes
Maintaining healthy blood sugar and dramatically cutting your risk of diabetes starts with eating these delicious foods. When we're kids, trips to the ice cream shop, desserts after dinner every night, and junk food on weekends seem like relatively benign parts of everyday life, but as we age, they may become the catalyst for a potentially life-altering health condition: type 2 diabetes. Studies have long confirmed the link between being overweight or obese and the development of type 2 diabetes, with some suggesting that the body's inflammatory response to certain foods may trigger the disease. While some may believe that staying healthy once you've developed diabetes is as simple as monitoring your blood sugar and using insulin when necessary, the complications from diabetes can be devastating, from limb amputations to death. Maintaining a healthy weight isn't the only way to cut your diabetes risk, however; certain foods can drastically reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and keep you healthy and active without making you feel deprived. So which foods should earn a spot on yourdiabetes-prevention plan? Continue reading >>
6 Ways To Control Type 2 Diabetes
Last year during a physical, Lauren Crim of Richwood, TX, got a diagnosis she wasn’t expecting: type 2 diabetes. She had no symptoms, so the news threw her for a loop. “I was devastated,” she says. “My grandmother had diabetes, and I saw her go through major health struggles because of it.” After seeking support from loved ones -- and shedding a few tears -- Crim got to work. With help from her health care team, she changed the way she ate and started exercising. Now, a year later, she’s 22 pounds lighter, and her blood sugar is normal. “My advice to anyone else facing type 2 diabetes is to stick to a plan, stay positive, and put your health first,” she says. A diabetes diagnosis might feel overwhelming, but living well with the condition doesn’t have to be. If you’re ready to take control of your blood sugar levels and get on the path to better health, here’s how to start. “It takes a village to manage diabetes,” says Linda Siminerio, RN, PhD, chair of the National Diabetes Education Program. Along with your doctor or nurse practitioner, you can get help from: Diabetes educators Dietitians or nutritionists Pharmacists Endocrinologists Podiatrists Dentists Psychologists or Therapists Their services are often covered by insurance. Having a health care team is key, but you're the most important member of it. “We want you to be informed and empowered,” Siminerio says. Take an active role in your care. Ask questions. Learn what your medications do and how to take them properly. Practice any other healthy habits your doctor recommends. And know what your A1c levels are and what they mean. “Being overweight is one of the major drivers of the epidemic of diabetes,” says Vivian Fonseca, MD, a professor of medicine and pharmacology at Tulane Uni Continue reading >>
5 Best Foods For Diabetes
Health Concerns: Diabetes , Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S., and doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke.1 However, type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease - our food choices can either prevent or promote insulin resistance and resultant diabetes. Many conventional diabetes diets rely on meat or grains as the major calorie source. However, these strategies have serious drawbacks. High-nutrient, low glycemic load (GL) foods are the optimal foods for diabetics, and these foods also help to prevent diabetes in the first place: Green vegetables: Nutrient-dense green vegetables leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and other green vegetables are the most important foods to focus on for diabetes prevention and reversal. Higher green vegetable consumption is associated with lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and among diabetics, higher green vegetable intake is associated with lower HbA1c levels.2, 3 A recent meta-analysis found that greater leafy green intake was associated with a 14 percentdecrease in risk of type 2 diabetes.4 One study reported that each daily serving of leafy greens produces a 9 percent decrease in risk.5 Non-starchy vegetables: Non-green, non-starchy vegetables like mushrooms, onions, garlic, eggplant, peppers, etc. are essential components of a diabetes prevention (or diabetes reversal) diet. These foods have almost nonexistent effects on blood glucose and are packed with fiber and phytochemicals. Beans: Beans, lentils, and other legumes are the ideal carbohydrate source. Beans are low in GL due to their moderate protein and abundant fiber and resistant starch, carbohydrates that are not broken down in the small intestine. This reduces the amount of calories that can be absorbed from beans; plus, resistan Continue reading >>
5 Surprising Foods That Help Fight Diabetes
Are you bored with sugar-free candy, low carbohydrate pasta, and endless chicken dinners? Having diabetes does not mean that your diet should be boring. In fact, it should be the opposite. Variety keeps your palate interested and ensures that you get a healthy balance of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. The following 5 foods may or may not be a regular part of your diet, but each has a positive effect on diabetes management and prevention. Experiment with some of the “try this” options below for an easy way to incorporate these foods into your meals. Sunflower Seeds Sunflower seeds are a humble snack. They often sit on the shelf overlooked because of the hoards of positive press that almonds and walnuts get. Almonds and walnuts are very healthful nuts, but sunflower seeds are also full of important vitamins and minerals. Some of the nutrients in sunflower seeds that make them unique are copper, vitamin E, selenium, magnesium, and zinc. The presence and combination of so many of these nutrients can be hard to come by in common foods. Sunflower seeds have about 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein in an ounce of kernels. The best part is that sunflower seeds, while high in total fat (about 14 grams), contain mostly polyunsaturated fat, which researchers believe is the best type of fat to combat diabetes. Try this: Swap out your peanuts for sunflower seeds. Or hunt down a jar of sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter for an easy way to get your fix. Salmon Salmon boasts numerous health benefits. It’s a great source of protein that is low in saturated fat and has important omega-3 fatty acid for excellent heart health. The combination of omega-3 and polyunsaturated fats in salmon keeps blood pressure down and protects the heart from disease. Research Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes
Print Overview Type 2 diabetes, once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), your body's important source of fuel. With type 2 diabetes, your body either resists the effects of insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into your cells — or doesn't produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level. More common in adults, type 2 diabetes increasingly affects children as childhood obesity increases. There's no cure for type 2 diabetes, but you may be able to manage the condition by eating well, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. If diet and exercise aren't enough to manage your blood sugar well, you also may need diabetes medications or insulin therapy. Symptoms Signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly. In fact, you can have type 2 diabetes for years and not know it. Look for: Increased thirst and frequent urination. Excess sugar building up in your bloodstream causes fluid to be pulled from the tissues. This may leave you thirsty. As a result, you may drink — and urinate — more than usual. Increased hunger. Without enough insulin to move sugar into your cells, your muscles and organs become depleted of energy. This triggers intense hunger. Weight loss. Despite eating more than usual to relieve hunger, you may lose weight. Without the ability to metabolize glucose, the body uses alternative fuels stored in muscle and fat. Calories are lost as excess glucose is released in the urine. Fatigue. If your cells are deprived of sugar, you may become tired and irritable. Blurred vision. If your blood sugar is too high, fluid may be pulled from the lenses of your eyes. This may affect your ability to focus. Slow-healing sores o Continue reading >>
Managing Type 2 Without Meds: 3 Stories
My goal is to be as healthy as I can. If something happens and one day I'm back on medication, my goal is still to be healthy. It had been about a year since Akua Jitahadi felt like herself. But she was 51 and expected menopause to kick in soon. Plus, she and her daughter had just moved to oppressively hot Arizona. So she brushed off the tired, sluggish feeling as a side effect of being a middle-aged woman adjusting to sweltering temps. And then, overnight, her vision dimmed. Something was most definitely wrong. The verdict from her doctor: type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. "Of course, I broke down in tears," Jitahadi, now 55, says. "I wasn't ready to hear this. I always associated diabetes with 'Oh no, it's really bad.' " After Jitahadi spent a few weeks on medication, her vision cleared and she began to feel better. It didn't last long. "I hated metformin . I had all the colon and digestive issues on it," she says. "I never knew if I would be OK on it or if I'd be nauseous. I'd question whether I wanted to go out with my friends." When she asked for an alternative medication, her doctor said metformin was the best drug for the job, so Jitahadi stuck it out for a year. After that, she decided to make major lifestyle changes in hopes of quitting her medications. That proved more difficult than she had imagined. She hadn't seen a diabetes educator. The only dietitian covered by her insurer was too far away. And her doctor's sole advice was for Jitahadi to watch what she ate. "I was scared in the beginning," says Jitahadi. "It was through friends and starting to read [about diabetes] that I knew I could do this. I could get through this." Jitahadi bought books on diabetes, nutrition, the glycemic index, and diabetes-friendly meals. Instead of slightly modifying he Continue reading >>
How To Reverse Diabetes Naturally
According to the 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report, over 30 million people living in the United States have diabetes. That’s almost 10 percent of the U.S. population. And diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, causing, at least in part, over 250,000 deaths in 2015. That’s why it’s so important to take steps to reverse diabetes and the diabetes epidemic in America. Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous disease that can lead to many other health conditions when it’s not managed properly, including kidney disease, blindness, leg and food amputations, nerve damage, and even death. (1) Type 2 diabetes is a completely preventable and reversible condition, and with diet and lifestyle changes, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting the disease or reverse the condition if you’ve already been diagnosed. If you are one of the millions of Americans struggling with diabetes symptoms, begin the steps to reverse diabetes naturally today. With my diabetic diet plan, suggested supplements and increased physical activity, you can quickly regain your health and reverse diabetes the natural way. The Diabetes Epidemic Diabetes has grown to “epidemic” proportions, and the latest statistics revealed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that 30.3 million Americans have diabetes, including the 7.2 million people who weren’t even aware of it. Diabetes is affecting people of all ages, including 132,000 children and adolescents younger than 18 years old. (2) The prevalence of prediabetes is also on the rise, as it’s estimated that almost 34 million U.S. adults were prediabetic in 2015. People with prediabetes have blood glucose levels that are above normal but below the defined threshold of diabetes. Without proper int Continue reading >>
10 Simple Lifestyle Changes To Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
It accounts for 22,000 British deaths a year and is a major contributor to kidney failure, heart attack and stroke. Type 2 diabetes affects 3.5 million people in the UK and costs the NHS £8.8billion a year but, according to one leading doctor, the disease is far more preventable than most think. Sir Muir Gray, an honorary professor at Oxford University, says Type 2 diabetes is not even a “real disease” at all – and that a few practical lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce our risk of contracting it. “Type 2 diabetes or walking deficiency syndrome?” he asks. “I’m trying to get the name changed. The problem with calling it Type 2 diabetes makes you think it’s like rheumatoid arthritis or a real disease. These are conditions caused by the modern environment.” While some object to Sir Muir’s diagnosis that it is not a “real disease”, doctors agree that we could all be doing more to combat Type 2 diabetes. “It is a very serious and debilitating health condition for patients and can lead to other serious conditions,” says Dr Stephen Lawrence, clinical lead for diabetes for the Royal College of GPs. “Simple lifestyle changes, including being more active and taking steps to lose weight, can have real benefits… But we need to be encouraging patients to do this, not blaming them for having the condition.” So how can you reduce your risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes? A few basic lifestyle changes can work wonders… Park and stride Walk whenever possible: even simple things such as getting off the bus a stop earlier or parking a little further from the shops can make a big difference over time. Once you get into the habit, try to walk as fast as you can at least some of the time. “Picking up the pace even briefly can help with blood suga Continue reading >>
