Type 2 Diabetes, Angina, Exhaustion, And 50 Pounds Gone In 18 Months

Type 2 Diabetes, Angina, Exhaustion, and 50 Pounds Gone in 18 Months

I have had a love affair with food my entire life. Growing up, my dinners consisted of meat, potatoes, fried vegetables, white rolls, and desserts topped with ice cream. The winter holidays were filled with cooking and entertaining. And every New Year’s Eve, I would make a resolution to go on another diet to get control of my weight. I never thought about the consequences of what I was eating. In July of 2007, just after my 58th birthday, I went to the hospital because I was not feeling well. Blood tests revealed I had type 2 diabetes and a dangerously high blood sugar of 441 mg/dL. I was prescribed five pills and two injections of Byetta a day.
In February 2008, I went to the hospital again because I was short of breath and had pain in my left arm and jaw. I failed the stress test within several minutes. My angiogram revealed five of my arteries were 80 to 100 percent blocked, and I had to have coronary bypass graft surgery. After the operation, I was sent home with a one-page dietary guideline and instructions to limit my saturated fats. It still didn’t register with me that my food choices were the problem. I was too overwhelmed by the scary turn of events and thought the bypasses had “fixed” me. I knew absolutely nothing about nutrition.
Even after the surgery, I continued to have angina due to an 80 percent blockage in my diagonal artery, which had not been repaired. I was given medication to dilate my arteries and relieve the angina. Over the next few years, the dosage was increased several times. Meanwhile, my diabetes was raging out of control. I remember cr Continue reading

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How to Adjust Recipes for Diabetes

If you have developed type 2 diabetes or you are pre-diabetic, making changes to your diet and letting go of certain foods you used to enjoy can be hard.
You may wonder what makes certain recipes okay for someone with diabetes, whether you should use sugar or completely avoid fats.
Luckily, if you learn and keep the basics of diabetes meal planing in mind, you can turn your favorite recipes into diabetes-friendly food.
The Basics
Exchange Lists
When trying to develop a meal plan you can resort to exchange lists, which provide detailed information about the carbohydrate, protein, and fat content of foods that you eat every day. You can work with a dietitian to develop a meal plan that is specifically tailored to your personal needs. Following an exchange list can ensure that you get all the nutrients you need for good health and will also allow you to control the amount of carbohydrates in your diet.
Carb-Counting
Another important step that can help with meal planning is learning to count carbohydrates. Work with a dietitian to learn how each type of carbohydrate you eat affects your blood sugar. You can monitor your blood sugar level to determine the effect of various carbohydrates and adjust your insulin injections accordingly.
Four Ways to Adjust Your Favorite Recipes
Here are some tips on how to go about tweaking your recipes to make them diabetes-friendly:
Use liquid fats instead of solid fats. Solid fats often include saturated or trans fats, which are not good for the health of your heart. Many liquid fats can be healthy when used in moderate amounts. Try to use oils Continue reading

Bitter Melon Can Treat Pancreatic Cancer and Diabetes (According To A Research)

Bitter melon, also known as wild cucumber or bitter apple, grows in Asia, East Africa, South America and the Caribbean. It is consumed as food and also has many medicinal effects.
Science is now looking at this plant’s therapeutic effects, especially in relation to treating diabetes and some types of cancer. The findings are promising and suggest there might be yet another alternative for chronic conditions often considered incurable.
Bitter melon helps regulate insulin levels, and this is what might make it efficient in treating conditions related to pancreas where this hormone is produced.
In vitro and animal studies also showed antiviral and lipid (fat) lowering effect. Traditionally, this fruit, which is believed to be the most bitter among all fruits and vegetables, was used to treat colic, fever, pain, skin conditions and burns.
Bitter Melon And Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is one of the fastest progressing cancers and doesn’t respond to conventional treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
A study performed at the Colorado University examined the effects of bitter melon on pancreatic cancer. The study was done in vitro on four different lines of pancreatic cancer cells, and on mice injected with pancreatic tumor cells.
The researchers observed that bitter melon juice stopped cancer cell proliferation and caused them to die. Tumor growth was reduced by 60% compared to the control group that received water. There were no signs of toxicity or side effects on the body.
Further studies are required to establish the effect of the plant on human patients. Continue reading

10 Amazing Reasons to Eat Chia Seeds Daily

Salvia hispanica, or Chia, is an herb in the mint family. This small plant, is an absolute gold mine of nutrition; it yields the precious chia seed. I consider the chia seed one of nature’s most efficient super foods. Two tablespoons of the tiny seeds contain 138 calories, 9 grams of fat, 10 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein and a relatively large amount of calcium. The seeds are jam-packed with omega-3s. Chia seeds contain the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-lipoic acid that your body can convert to EPA and DHA.
In fact, research from top tier universities in the United States have proven that chia seeds are an invaluable source of nutrition. In pre-Columbian times, chia seeds were a component of the Aztec and Mayan diets and the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors. Supposedly, 1 tablespoon of the seeds could sustain a person for 24 hours.
Where do Chia Seeds come from?
Chia seeds were first cultivated in 3500 BC by the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. These cultures realized the value of these seeds and used them as currency. At that time, chia seeds were consumed as a grain alone or mixed with other seeds. They were also used to create beverages when dissolved in water, crushed into flour, included in medicines, and pressed for oil and used as a base for face and body paints. Aztec rulers received chia seeds as annual tributes from conquered nations. The seeds were even offered up to the gods during religious ceremonies.
Why you should eat chia seeds
1. To Get Full and Get Better Sleep
Chia seeds do a fabulous job of satisfying your hunger and keeping you feeling full for Continue reading

Diabetes and Blood Donation

Just because you have diabetes doesn't mean you can't help your community by being a blood donor.
When persons with diabetes maintain good control over their diabetes, and can meet any other requirements for blood donation, they are eligible to donate blood – with one exception: If, at any time, the person with diabetes has ever received bovine-derived insulin, they are not eligible to donate.
Animal-Based Insulin
Bovine-derived insulin (from a cow) and porcine-derived insulin (from a pig) were the first types of insulin administered to humans. It was not until the 1980s that human insulin and human analog insulin became the standard for treatment of diabetes. By 1998 Americans could no longer purchase domestically manufactured bovine insulin, and in 2006 domestic manufacturers ceased producing porcine insulin. Both types of insulin are still in use in other countries, but are illegal for Americans to import unless specific need can be proved.
The concern about use of animal-based insulin is the fear of transmission of animal genetic anomalies to humans. BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or "mad cow disease") is a chronic neurological disorder of cows with an incubation period of from several months to several years. It is believed to be closely related to a similar disease called vCJD (new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) in humans. Because these are neurologically devastating diseases with no known cures, bovine-based products are heavily regulated.
Standard Requirements for Blood Donors
Aside from the issue of bovine-based insulin, persons with diabetes are subje Continue reading