diabetestalk.net

Frequently Asked Questions About Diabetes

Frequently Asked Questions about Diabetes

Frequently Asked Questions about Diabetes

1. Why do you recommend a vegan diet for diabetes?
Vegan diets, which contain no animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, or other animal products), are healthier than other diets, because they contain no cholesterol and less fat, saturated fat, and calories than meat-based diets or ovo-lacto vegetarian diets. Scientific research shows that health benefits increase as the amount of food from animal sources in the diet decreases, making vegan diets the most healthful overall.
2. I want to try a vegan diet. How should I start?
If a plant-based diet is new to you, you’ll be pleased to discover a wonderful additional benefit to vegan eating: It’s a fun way to explore delicious new foods. Start by checking out our Vegan Diet: How-to Guide for Diabetes and our Vegetarian Starter Kit, both of which explain the New Four Food Groups and offer useful tips, the “whys” and “hows” of a healthier diet, and easy-to-make recipes.
To order a Vegetarian Starter Kit, please visit PCRM's literature store.
3. Are carbohydrates bad for you?
Some people imagine that pasta, bread, potatoes, and rice are fattening, but the opposite is actually true. Carbohydrate-rich foods are helpful for permanent weight control because they contain less than half the calories of fat, which means that replacing fatty foods with complex carbohydrates automatically cuts calories.
It’s important to remember to eat healthful carbohydrates, such as whole grains, pasta, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. Processed carbohydrates, such as white bread and white rice, are not as healthful a choice because they have lo Continue reading

Rate this article
Total 1 ratings
23 Interesting Facts About Diabetes

23 Interesting Facts About Diabetes

Trivia can be fun and interesting, especially when you are learning about something that is close to home. Whether you have diabetes or know someone who does, you might want to learn some interesting facts about this disease. Seeing how greatly treatment has evolved can be empowering. In addition, learning more about this disease can help to increase your awareness and motivate you to take control.
As the saying goes, knowledge is power.
23 Interesting Facts About Diabetes
The earliest known written record that likely referred to diabetes was in 1500 B.C in the Egyptian Ebers papyrus. It referred to the symptoms of frequent urination.
Diabetes symptoms such as thirst, weight loss, and excess urination were recognized for more than 1200 years before the disease was named.
The Greek physician Aretaeus (30-90CE) was credited with coming up with the name "diabetes." He recorded a disease with symptoms such as constant thirst (polydipsia), excessive urination (polyuria) and weight loss. He named the condition "diabetes," meaning "a flowing through."
Dr. Thomas Willis (1621-1675) called diabetes the "pissing evil" and described the urine of people with type 2 diabetes as "wonderfully sweet, as if it was imbued with honey or sugar." He was also the first to describe pain and stinging from nerve damage due to diabetes.
In ancient times, doctors would test for diabetes by tasting urine to see if it was sweet. People who tasted urine to check for diabetes were called "water tasters." Other diagnostic measures included checking to see if urine attracted ants or flies.
In the late 1850 Continue reading

Reversing Diabetes with Food

Reversing Diabetes with Food

I can commiserate on one score — I just went to my retinal specialist today (I think she’s one of the best in the state) but she won’t TELL me anything unless it’s been proven in a study. Very frustrating as my eyesight keeps deteriorating and the studies aren’t being done.
I’m not diabetic myself but I’ve decided to try a very low-fat diet anyway. I’m going to try a cross between the Dr. McDougall diet and the Pritikin diet:.
http://www.pritikin.com/?ibp-adgroup=PPC&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Branded&utm_term=pritikin%20diet&utm_content=79005588322&creative=79005588322&keyword=pritikin%20diet&matchtype=p&network=g&device=c&gclid=Cj0KEQiAu9q2BRDq3MDbvOL1yaYBEiQAD6qoBjfIuOMOspFJonPMagX2nerjqiF1JQ-MzNXx2K85yN8aAlLu8P8HAQ
On the McDougall diet you never get meat; on the Pritikin diet you get meat once a day. Both sites have recipes and info for diabetics. There are other people too with very low-fat diets but with different twists. Here’s a life story from a compulsive over-eater chef who is now a size 4 and has her own site:
I called the Pritikin site this week. They have a nutritional consultation as part of a membership package that includes a week’s worth of lunch/dinner food shipped to your door. I din’t want to buy the food but they said I could purchase just the consultation. I think it will be worth it to me to talk to someone with a lot of experience with this type of diet. (Also, your local hospital might have somebody on staff that you could hire.)
There’s a Canadian site called eatracker that I like. You write in everythin Continue reading

Essential Foods for Seniors with Diabetes

Essential Foods for Seniors with Diabetes

One in 10 Americans have diabetes and another 84 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing the disease, according to Health.gov. One of the best ways for people with diabetes to lower their risk, is to eat right and live a healthier life.
November is American Diabetes Month and to recognize the month, we’ve compiled a list of must-have foods, shopping tips and resources for seniors with diabetes.
Foods for Seniors with Diabetes
Making healthy food choices can be challenging — particularly for seniors with diabetic restrictions — but it’s a critical part of managing diabetes without health complications. Simply by controlling portion size, eating right and sticking to regular mealtimes, it’s possible to help keep blood sugar and body weight within the target range. That’s the core of a diabetes diet.
A diabetes diet, according to A Place for Mom Senior Nutrition experts, is also naturally rich in nutrients and low in calories and fat, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
But what does that mean for your shopping list?
Foods That Diabetics Should Avoid
If you or a loved one has diabetes, there are a handful of foods whose intake must be limited. It doesn’t mean you have to go through your kitchen and pitch every grain of sugar you see, but it does mean paying attention to how much of these items you consume.
Seniors with diabetes should avoid or limit:
Alcohol intake
Cholesterol: The Mayo Clinic suggests no more than 200 mg per day
Fat: In particular, avoid foods containing saturated fat or trans fat
Salt: Canned, pac Continue reading

Best Diabetes Apps

Best Diabetes Apps

Diabetes management largely centers on monitoring and managing blood glucose levels. This is done by controlling what you eat and knowing how foods affect your blood sugar. For many people with diabetes, it also involves taking medications that help manage blood sugar levels.
One thing diabetes apps have in common is that they help to simplify diabetes management.
BG Monitor Diabetes
Android rating: Free
Interface: Slick and elegant, BG Monitor is a breeze to navigate.
Usability: Track everything, calculate how much insulin you need, set reminders, and create spreadsheets and graphs of your data. You can also organise all of your entries with tags.
Favorite thing: There’s a lot to love about this app, but we particularly like being able to create a photo log of your meals. It’s great for when you’re out with friends and don’t want to take the time to record your food.
BlueLoop
iPhonerating:Free Androidrating:Free
Interface: Made for children and the adults in their life, the interface is simple and intuitive.
Usability: Perfect for children with diabetes and the many people who care for them, BlueLoop allows for everyone to connect and share updates on food intake, insulin, and blood sugar levels.
Favorite thing: You can receive text messages at work when your child or the school nurse enters new information.
Calorie Counter PRO
iPhonerating:US$3.99 Androidrating:Free
Interface: Comprehensive and text-focused without being overwhelming.
Usability: A weight loss app that can help you track your daily eating can be extremely useful when you’re managing your diabetes Continue reading

No more pages to load

Popular Articles

  • Leeds diabetes clinical champion raises awareness of gestational diabetes for World Diabetes Day

    In the lead up to World Diabetes Day (WDD) on 14 November, Clair Ranns, a Pharmacist at NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Partnership, is raising awareness of a type of diabetes that affects pregnant women. Clair Ranns, Pharmacist at NHS Leeds CCGs Partnership and a Clinical Champion for Diabetes UK, said: “With this year’s WDD we’re raising awareness of gestational diabetes in ...

  • Diabetes doctors: Which specialists treat diabetes?

    Diabetes is a condition that affects a person's blood sugar levels and can require various treatments. Understanding which doctors help treat diabetes can simplify the process, making it less stressful. This article helps people with diabetes to understand the key differences between the various diabetes specialists. It also covers some common guidelines to follow for visiting each of these expert ...

  • World Diabetes Day 2017: Women and diabetes

    Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. The most common is type 2 diabetes, usually in adults, which occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or doesn't make enough insulin. In the past three decades the prevalence of type 2 d ...

  • November: World Diabetes Day and Diabetes Awareness Month!

    With November being National Diabetes Awareness Month in the U.S., you can imagine there’s a slew of awareness campaigns and fundraising events that go on throughout the month. This effort has taken on more international importance in recent years, with the growth of global observances of World Diabetes Day that takes place annually on November 14, the date marking the birthday of insulin co-dis ...

  • Diabetes and Hypertension: A Position Statement by the American Diabetes Association

    Hypertension is common among patients with diabetes, with the prevalence depending on type and duration of diabetes, age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, history of glycemic control, and the presence of kidney disease, among other factors (1–3). Furthermore, hypertension is a strong risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), heart failure, and microvascular complications. ASCVD— ...

  • Type 1 Diabetes vs. Type 2 Diabetes

    Diabetes affects over 29 million people in the United States, and 1 in 4 of those affected are unaware that they have diabetes.[1] Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in younger people and occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the body cannot use the insulin it produces. This disease, frequently related to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and genetics, is most oft ...

  • Diabetes and Sleep Apnea: How Sleep Affects Blood Glucose and Diabetes

    Treat Apnea to Control Diabetes? Sleep apnea can affect diabetes control in many ways. Struggling for air may put your body into fight-or-flight mode, releasing stress hormones that can raise blood glucose levels. If you're tired, you won't want to take that walk around the block after lunch. While you're at work, you might keep snacking to stay awake. But can treating sleep apnea lead to better b ...

  • Diabetes and life expectancy: What effect does type 2 diabetes have?

    Diabetes can cause serious health complications and have an impact on life expectancy. How much a person's life is reduced depends on a combination of factors, such as the severity of the case, additional complications, and response to treatment. After being diagnosed, most people with diabetes want to know how the condition will affect the length and quality of their life. Each individual varies, ...

  • Body Odor & Diabetes: Does Diabetes Cause Body Odor?

    Are you diabetic? Does your body emanate bad breath which it has never done before? Do not worry. You are not the only one experiencing something of this sort. The high level of blood glucose combined with many complications in diabetes tends to cause body odor in the patients. In this article, we shall analyze the reasons and the relationship between diabetes and body odor. Join in for the articl ...

Related Articles