Ten Foods That Improve Insulin Sensitivity & Help Prevent Diabetes

Tweet
When it comes to protecting yourself against diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome, diet is one of the most effective tools available. By choosing foods that moderate blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity, it’s possible to prevent disease and keep your body lean and healthy.
This article provides a list of ten foods that have been shown in studies to improve insulin health and balance blood sugar. Before we get to the list, it should be noted that strength training and an active lifestyle are essential for insulin health. One of the primary predictors of diabetes is lack of physical activity.
For best results, put just as much effort into being physically active as you do into optimizing your diet.
Blueberries are packed with bioactive antioxidants that improve insulin action, possibly by lowering markers of inflammation. A recent study found that obese, insulin resistant volunteers who consumed blueberry smoothies for 6 weeks significantly improved insulin sensitivity compared to a placebo group. Take note that the subjects removed other foods from their diet to offset the calories in the blueberry smoothie so as not to gain body fat over the course of the study.
Vinegar improves pancreatic function so that your body releases less insulin in response to the carbs your eat. This is useful because when you eat high-glycemic carbs, such as bread, cookies, or fruit juice, the pancreas tends to overestimate the amount of insulin needed, releasing too much, which is associated with inflammation and blood sugar imbalances.
Similar to blueberries, leafy gre Continue reading

Rate this article

Total 1 ratings

Healing After Surgery: Concerns and Expectations for People with Diabetes

For diabetics who eat well, exercise and have excellent blood sugar control, the incidence of post-surgery problems is not much higher than for non-diabetics.
The risk of slow wound-healing and post-surgical infection increases with years having diabetes, difficult to control or poorly controlled blood glucose, and the presence of diabetes complications such as neuropathy (nerve damage).
The possibility of slow wound-healing is owed to the effects of high glucose on blood vessels and nerves, and the risk of infection is greater when healing is slow.
Slow Healing, Sensitive Nerves and Infection
Post-surgical tissue repair requires our smallest blood vessels to carry nutrients and oxygen to organs and nerves. When these blood vessels are damaged by the effects of high blood sugar, the healing process is slowed, and our nerves get stressed.
If our nerves do not receive adequate oxygen they are forced to work harder, just as we breathe harder when the atmosphere is thin. The nerves become irritated which may cause prolonged or increased post-surgery discomfort. Constant irritation can damage the nerves.
When a surgical incision is slow to heal, bacteria have increased opportunity to enter and enjoy the nutrient rich sugar buffet inside our body. Severely damaged nerves may not register the pain and swelling caused by the bacterial invasion.
The potential for an infection increases if the incision is on an extremity such as a hand or foot, where blood vessel and nerve damage can be more severe.
Infection and High Blood Sugar
Once within our body, bacteria reproduce quickly and b Continue reading

A New Paradigm for Cancer, Diabetes and Obesity in Companion Animals

Our mission has always been to provide information that will help pet parents to make the best choices when deciding on how to feed their companion animals and achieve optimal wellness.
We provide foods that are often the solution to a guardian’s quest to find nutritional answers to chronic or recurring health problem. To that end, we have, for over 30 years, provided foods that help pet parents to feed their companions a daily diet that is made from fresh, safe and healthy ingredients. We have seen miraculous improvements in so many dogs, cats and birds and we have helped healthy animals to remain healthy.
In our quest to provide continuing education and cutting edge information on animal nutrition we continue to search for the newest research available.
We recently attended the 2nd Annual Conference on Nutritional Ketosis and Metabolic Therapeutics in Tampa, Florida where we were privileged to hear scientists, doctors, veterinarians and researchers from around the world discussing the benefits of a ketogenic diet for humans and animals.
There is a great deal of evidence that this diet may help certain conditions such as seizures, and other neurological conditions, cancer, obesity and diabetes in both humans and animals.
What is a Ketogenic Diet?
This diet is high in fat, supplies adequate protein and is low in carbohydrates. This combination changes the way energy is used in the body. Fat is converted in the liver into fatty acids and ketone bodies. Another effect of the diet is that it lowers glucose levels and improves insulin resistance. An elevated level of ketone b Continue reading

Diabetes warning: THIS is why you should never go to bed drunk

Regularly missing out on sleep can lead to a number of serious conditions.
“In the long term, poor sleep has been linked to an increased risk of numerous serious illnesses such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and even some cancers,” said Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert.
While traffic noise or a snoring partner will not help, certain lifestyle habits can affect our sleep quality.
These include drinking alcohol too close to bedtime.
It takes an hour to break down one unit of alcohol - the equivalent to a third of a pint of beer - which you need to take into account if you are drinking in the evening and want to sleep well.
According to the NHS, even a small amount of alcohol in your system when you fall asleep can cause a problem.
It takes an hour to break down one unit of alcohol - the equivalent to a third of a pint of beer - which you need to take into account if you are drinking in the evening.
A 24-hour sleep guide, created by Furniture Village, suggested that if you plan to fall asleep by 11.30pm it is best to have your last drink by 7pm.
Similarly, the guide recommended eating dinner no later than 8pm - or at least three hours before bed.
Fri, August 19, 2016
Diabetes is a common life-long health condition. There are 3.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 500,000 who are living undiagnosed with the condition.
Dr Stanley also warned against scrolling on your phone just before bed.
“Give yourself the best shot at switching off, by switching off. Reduce blue light and avoid looking at digital devices and Continue reading

Kidney Disease Diet Tips for People with Diabetes

Individualized nutrition plans are an important component of the treatment and management of kidney disease. Depending on your kidney function and treatment plan you may need to adhere to certain dietary restrictions. When your kidneys are not working at full capacity they have a hard time getting rid of extra nutrients, toxins, and fluids that build up in your blood. During this time it is extremely important to follow a good eating plan.
Most of the time people who have an advanced stage of kidney disease are referred to a renal dietitian - a dietitian that specializes in kidney disease. A proper kidney disease diet takes into account your specific treatment goals and health status. If you have type 2 diabetes and kidney disease it can become difficult to balance good nutrition when dealing with dietary restrictions, but it is not impossible. There are certain key nutrients that must be taken into consideration:
Sodium
Although sodium is necessary for your body to function properly, it can build up when kidneys start to fail. Excess sodium in the body can cause fluid to accumulate in the tissues. This is called edema. Edema usually occurs in the face, hands, and lower extremities.
A low-sodium diet is usually the first line of defense when kidney function starts to decrease. Most organizations recommend limiting sodium to 1,500-2,300mg/daily.
The best way to reduce sodium in the diet is to cut back on processed foods. Learning how to read labels will help you to cut back on your sodium too.
Limit high sodium foods such as bacon and ham; cold cuts; bottled sauces (soy, bar Continue reading