Tips For Staying Active With Diabetes

Tips for Staying Active with Diabetes

Physical activity is key for diabetics because it can help to control blood glucose, weight and blood pressure.
Exercising can also help raise “good” cholesterol and lower “bad” cholesterol. Furthermore, it can also help prevent heart and blood flow problems, reducing the risk of heart disease and nerve damage, which are often problems for people with diabetes.
Starting an Exercise Routine
Before starting any exercise routine, talk to your doctor and work with him or her to come up with an exercise plan that is right for you. Your doctor may check your heart and feet to be sure you have no special problems. It is also advised to see your doctor if you have high blood pressure or eye or foot problems as you may need to avoid certain kinds of exercise.
If you are not used to any kind of physical activity, you may want to start by doing a little bit of exercise and then build up your routine as you feel more comfortable. Try to add a few extra minutes to your physical activity as you become stronger. It is recommended that you try to do some physical activity every day. Walking 10 or 20 minutes each day is much better than walking one hour once a week.
Health experts recommend moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes five days week. Some examples of moderate-intensity physical activity are walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming and bicycling. Do physical activities you will enjoy; do not force yourself to do something you hate. If you have fun, you are more likely to maintain your exercise routine. You can also bring more fun into your Continue reading

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Six of the Best Diabetes Diets

It's difficult to talk about diabetes treatment without noting the importance of diet.
What you eat plays a crucial role in how well you can manage your blood sugar, avoid excess weight gain, and prevent other diabetes-related complications.
If you're confused about what you should be eating, check out these six diabetes diets, which are endorsed by top health agencies and experts as safe and effective.
The DASH Diet
The DASH Diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is ranked as one of the top diabetes diets. The emphasis of the DASH Diet is whole grains, vegetables, fruit, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Free plans are available for helping you determine how many calories you should eat for your age and activity level, as well as where those calories should come from. Another tenet of the DASH diet is to reduce salt intake.
The Biggest Loser Diet
Emphasizing both healthy eating and exercise, The Biggest Loser Diet is based on a simple six-week plan of eating right and incorporating more movement into your daily activities. The claim is that practicing simple techniques like portion control, using a food journal, or eating regular meals can help prevent or reverse diabetes, as well as other health problems. You can choose a Biggest Loser book to follow based on how long you want to be on the diet for, which will include meal plans and fitness tips.
Engine 2 Diet
According to U.S. News and World Report, the Engine 2 Diet comes in third place as one of the best diabetes diets. It's plant-based, following claims that animal products threaten your health Continue reading

Statin scam exposed: Cholesterol drugs cause rapid aging, brain damage and diabetes

Statins, the widely prescribed class of drugs said to lower “bad” cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart problems, has recently come under fire after a study revealed that they destroy human health more than they work to improve it.
Sadly, many people take statin drugs, which are commonly known by brand names including Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor. Prescription drug spending in the U.S. shot up to about $374 billion in 2014, representing the highest level of spending since 2001. Statins undoubtedly made up a significant portion of this spending, and now consumers who take such drugs have much more to worry about than the dent it’s making in their wallets.
The study, which was published in the American Journal of Physiology, states that statins’ “…impact on other biologic properties of stem cells provides a novel explanation for their adverse clinical effects.” Specifically, the study states that such adverse effects include advancing the “process of aging” and also notes that “…long-term use of statins has been associated with adverse effects including myopathy, neurological side effects and an increased risk of diabetes.” Myopathy refers to skeletal muscle weakness.
Experts involved in the study suggest that the health problems associated with statins have likely been downplayed through the years. In reality, those taking such cholesterol-lowering drugs have been experiencing cataracts, fatigue, liver problems, muscle pain and memory loss. Simply put, the drugs have been found to tamper with cells in such a way that their primary purpose of reproduc Continue reading

Mice Have Had Their Diabetes Reversed After Receiving Pancreatic Tissue Grown in Rats

Researchers have managed to reverse type 1 diabetes in mice by giving them a transplant of pancreatic tissue grown inside rats.
The pancreatic tissue was grown from stem cells taken from healthy mice, which means the diabetic mice accepted the transplant without needing immunosuppressive drugs - and the new pancreatic cells successfully managed their blood sugar levels for more than a year without any other medication.
The results suggest the same technology could one day be used to treat humans, and possibly improve the success of all types of organ donations.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys certain tissues within the pancreas, such as the pancreatic islet cells, which are responsible for producing insulin.
Without insulin, the body has a hard time getting glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells, which is why diabetics need to rely on regular injections and blood-sugar monitoring to manage their condition.
But researchers are constantly looking for a more effective, long-term solution.
In the 1970s, scientists found some success transplanting clusters of so-called islet cells in lab mice, prompting hopes that tissue-transplants were just around the corner for diabetics. But progress has been slow, in spite of advances in recent years that have seen transplanted cells survive longer.
Yet these transplants still require a lifetime of antirejection drugs.
Having islet cells that the body accepts as its own would help do away with these antirejection medications, which mask the foreign appearance of another individual’s tissues, and scient Continue reading

Snack Ideas for People with Diabetes

When it comes to diabetes, keeping your blood sugar stable and avoiding excess carbohydrates are the two main goals of a snack.
Snacks will keep you full and help prevent cravings, and they're also important to have on hand when you're traveling or on-the-go to provide healthy alternatives to fast food.
Below are some snack ideas based on the different categories of food. Mix them up to create variety in your routine and try new ones so you're less likely to get bored and reach for junk. Also, pair proteins with veggies or fruits to create a more nutritionally balanced bite.
Proteins
Some protein-filled snack ideas include:
15 almonds
1 hard-boiled egg
8 green olives
1/3 cup hummus (with 1 cup veggies)
1/2 turkey sandwich (1 slice of whole-wheat bread and 2 ounces of turkey with mustard)
1/2 cup tuna
Grains, Nuts and Seeds
Eat grains more sparingly, and pair nuts or seeds with veggies or fruit:
2 saltine crackers
10 Goldfish crackers
2 tablespoons pumpkin or sesame seeds
1/4 cup trail mix
3 cups light popcorn
2 rice cakes with 1 tablespoon nut butter
5 whole-wheat crackers
1/2 English muffin with 1 tablespoon nut butter
1/2 cup whole grain cereal with low-fat milk
Dairy
Dairy products should generally be low- or no-fat:
6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 cup fresh fruit
1 cheese quesadilla (with one 6-inch corn or whole wheat tortilla and 1 ounce of cheese)
1 string cheese stick
Fruits
Remember that fruits are not all created equal. For the most part, stick with fruits that are lower in sugar, like berries.
5 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup blueberries
1/ Continue reading