Weight Loss Health Benefits: Drinking Water Instead Of Diet Beverages May Help Diabetes Patients

Being overweight puts you at risk for serious health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. According to the American Diabetes Association, dropping just 10 or 15 pounds can make a big difference for your longevity. Patients with Type 2 diabetes looking to drop weight may want to swap out diet beverages for water, suggests a new study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
Researchers found that participants who switched to water and stopped drinking diet beverages experienced a decrease in weight and body mass index. They also saw greater improvements in fasting blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.
Researchers studied of group of 81 overweight and obese women who all had Type 2 diabetes who participated in a 24 week weight loss program. Participants were asked to either substitute water for diet beverages or continue drinking the diet drinks five times per week after lunch for the duration of the trial, the study reported.
In 2014, 29.1 million people in the U.S., or about 9.3 percent of the population, suffered from diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported, so the results could have wide-ranging implications for those with Type 2 diabetes.
This study is part of a growing body of research showing that major health risks, especially for women, are associated with consuming diet beverages. Recent findings have also linked both diet and regular soda to possibly compromising a woman’s fertility and chances of successful artificial reproduction.
An older study published back i Continue reading

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Pre-diabetes label 'worthless'

Labelling people as having pre-diabetes is "unhelpful and unnecessary", researchers claim.
The definition, given to people on the "cusp" of type 2 diabetes, has no clinical worth, a joint UK-US team argues.
There is no proven benefit of prescribing drugs as many will not develop diabetes, the researchers write in the British Medical Journal.
But a charity said being identified as being at high risk was helpful.
It offered the chance to reduce risk by eating a healthy diet and being physically active, said Diabetes UK.
'Medicalisation' concerns
People with pre-diabetes have no symptoms of ill health, but their blood sugar levels are at the high end of the normal range.
The term is not recognised by the World Health Organization but has been used in many scientific papers.
Eating a healthy balanced diet, low in salt, sugar and fat and rich in fruit and vegetables, as well as being physically active, is the best way of reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetesBarbara Young, Chief executive, Diabetes UK.
According to a new wider definition of pre-diabetes, adopted by the American Diabetes Association in 2010, a third of adults in England and half of those in China fall into this category.
Prof John Yudkin, of UCL, and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, US, said current definitions of pre-diabetes risked "unnecessary" medicalisation and created "unsustainable burdens" for healthcare systems.
He said for pre-diabetes, the risk of developing diabetes was probably 10%-20% over 10 years.
"Pre-diabetes is an artificial category with virtually zero clinical relevance," Continue reading

Are You ON The CGM Rollercoaster? Get OFF With These PRO Tips

byBrian Lucido; Editor Scott King
It is generally accepted that tight blood sugar control can reduce the risk of microvascular complications (kidney disease, nerve damage, and eye disease) in people with diabetes. Tight control can be dangerous if you dip too low without warning. CGMs (Continuous Glucose Monitors) make tight control more feasible by giving us a layer of safety with automatic warnings when blood sugar is too high or too low. The technology to achieve instantaneous readings with 100% accuracy hasn’t arrived yet, but it’s coming. The Dexcom G5 with a MARD (Mean Absolute Relative Difference between CGM and fingerstick) of 9%[1] is close. Lower is better, and when we reach 0% with instant results, we will have some fantastic tools in our hands. For comparison, the Medtronic Enlite has a MARD of 13.6%[2], and the Abbot Freestyle has a MARD of 11%[3].
In spite of these official MARD results, this technology varies in different hands and bodies. Here we present some strategies to get the best possible results with the Dexcom.
Roller Coaster Glucose Connection
First, we must discuss the limitations of modern CGM technology. Foremost, modern CGMs measure the glucose concentration of the interstitial fluid — NOT blood. This is very important to know because it means that your readings from the CGM are delayed by about 15-20 minutes from your actual blood glucose levels. (The lag time varies greatly depending on many things and whether glucose is going up or going down.)
To conceptualize this, imagine a roller coaster where the front car is your blood glucose (fi Continue reading

Chia Seeds, Diabetes

Health-food fans have been talking up chia seeds for years. Now some studies show benefit for these seeds in diabetes. Possibly, chia seeds could help you.
Chia is an herb in the Lamiaceae plant family, related to mint and sage. It grows in Mexico and Central America. It is the same plant that became a fad a few years ago as a “Chia Pet.” When you water a Chia Pet, it grows a “fur” and becomes kind of cute. But we’re talking here about eating the seeds and their health benefits. Why is chia getting so much media buzz now?
Writing on Diabetic Connect, Jewels Doskicz, RN, explained: “Chia seeds are a total protein” (which not many plants are). “They are high in fiber, rich in healthy omega-3s (actually higher than salmon), and are also high in calcium and antioxidants.”
A report in Harvard Health Blog highlights studies of animals in which a high-chia diet led to lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and higher HDL, the good cholesterol. Eating a lot of chia also lowered triglycerides (blood fat levels). In a study of 20 humans with diabetes, one variety of seed called Salba helped participants control blood glucose, reduce blood pressure, and lower C-reactive protein, a major marker of heart disease risk. The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care.
The omega-3 oils and antioxidants in chia are healthy, but the fiber content may be a bigger benefit. Chia seeds seem to slow glucose passage into the blood. They fill you up and so reduce appetite. The oils are a good energy source — Aztecs used to carry bags of them to keep going on long walks at hig Continue reading

Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds For Type 2 Diabetes

Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are a hallmark of trail mix and of many ‘healthy cereals.’ But a lot of people don’t know just how tasty they can be on their own.
These charming, flat little seeds are native to the Americas. They were a very important food to many Native American tribes – and for so many good reasons!
With a satisfying crunch and a whole lot of healthy fats and protein to keep you full, they’re a fantastic addition to any diabetic diet and can actually be an integral part of a clean eating plan to help with weight loss.
The list of pumpkin seeds’ mind-blowing benefits is long, but we’ll touch on the major benefits of pumpkin seeds for diabetes below.
What are Pumpkin Seeds?
As their name suggests, pumpkin seeds are scooped out from the insides of pumpkins.
You can do this on your own at home by simply scooping out the seeds, washing them thoroughly, then drying them on some paper towel. It’s a rather time-consuming process, but the delicious outcome is totally worth it.
Or of course, you can buy the pumpkin seeds at the store, either flavored or unflavored (recommended).
And for a small seed, they certainly pack a punch of benefits…
Pumpkin Seeds Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin seeds are moderate in calories – one quarter of a cup contains 160 calories. But they’re very nutrient-dense, meaning that you don’t have to eat much to get a ton of benefits and stay satiated (full and satisfied) for hours.
That same quarter cup also contains 9 grams of protein, 14 grams of healthy fat, and 3 grams of fiber. Best of all, they are a low carb foo Continue reading