Eat to Beat Diabetes

This article by Julia Hanf was one that caught my eye. If it helps you please let me know:

You are what you eat - for a diabetic nothing could be truer. When it comes to maintaining good blood sugar levels, a healthy diet is vital. People with diabetes have to take extra care to ensure their diet is properly balanced with their insulin and oral medications.The right meal plan will help any diabetic improve blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. It will also keep their weight on track.
All diabetics must control their refined carbohydrate intake. These types of carbohydrates increase blood glucose levels. While some promote health, others when eaten often and in large quantities, may increase the risk for diabetes.Carbohydrates come from a wide array of foods including fruit, vegetables, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti and corn. The most common and abundant ones refined in are sugars, fibers and starches. It is advised diabetics avoid white bread, rice and pasta, along with foods containing unnaturally added sugars.The body will convert all types of refined carbohydrates into glucose.
Eating extra servings of rice, pasta and bread will make blood sugar rise. Just because an item does not contain added sugar, does not guarantee it is a safe food.Diabetics should consume carbohydrate-rich foods close to their natural form. These items have greater vital nutrient density. Whenever possible, replace highly processed grains, cereals and sugars with natural whole-grain products.Eating complex carbohydrates rich in fiber significantly lower blood sugar levels.
It is suspected that soluble fiber may play an important role in glucose control. It is capable of slowing down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and increasing the sensitivity of tissues to insulin, thereby preventing rises in blood sugar.It is recommended diabetics eat 13 fiber-rich servings of fruits, veggies, beans and grains daily. Soluble-fiber rich foods include orange and grapefruit segments, prunes, cantaloupes, papayas, raisins, lima beans, zucchini, oatmeal, oat bran and granola.
Other foods high in soluble fiber include barley, peas and strawberries.The glycemic index system, or GI, is a good guideline for diabetics to follow.Invented in the early 1980s by University of Toronto researchers, the glycemic index ranks carbohydrate foods by their effects on blood sugar levels.
The GI assigns carbohydrate-containing foods a number based on how they affect blood sugars. The number indicates how quickly the food breaks down during digestion. The longer the body has to break an item down into glucose, the slower the rise in blood-sugar levels, and the lower the GI. Products with a GI less than 55 are preferred.
Natural supplementation is a good ingredient to implement in the fight against diabetes. Adding a half a teaspoon of cinnamon to any meal can stabilize blood sugar swings. Many diabetics also supplement with vitamins, herbs and medicinal teas. Incorporating natural ginseng into a diet can produce positive affects. This herb, which is recognized throughout China to have healing properties, has been known to help improve fasting blood glucose levels and increase insulin secretion.
The easiest method to control diabetes is through proper diet. An eating plan high in fiber and low in refined carbohydrates will ensure the best strategy to beat the disease.

Warmest regards Julia HanfJulia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free.

Bad Food, What Is It?

Thank you Dale for this wonderful article:

In today’s day and age with the hustle and bustle and no time for anything you do have to be smart and start eating smarter. In this article I hope to be able to inform at least some people on the hazards of bad food and the importance of eating smarter.50% of all men will die from heart disease. If that alone isn’t enough to scare you then I don’t know what it is. You have to be very careful, it’s so important that you watch what you eat. It doesn’t matter if you’re a body builder or a secretary you have to be totally concerned with your health.
Crisco or other shortenings instead of lard isn’t a good idea. Use the lard if you’re baking a pie crust or something like that. In all actuality the lard is better for you. At least the lard is natural and not some processed product that will last forever. There isn’t much to say about deep fried foods except that they are really no good for you and you should definitely stay away from them.Whole wheat flour is way better for you than the refined white stuff that you buy at the grocery store. The white stuff has been bleached with all the healthy stuff removed from it. You might think that tastes will be affected and for the most part you are right because when you get used to it the whole wheat will actually taste better.
Okay now comes the white rice. Whether you like it or not this rice is just not good for you. Actually no rice is good for you but if you absolutely need to eat rice then you should get used to the brown rice.
Need I say much about sugar? I know it’s impossible to cut all sugar out of your diet but its definitely not impossible to cut back. Fructose is a building block for cholesterol. You should keep that in mind when reaching for your next can of soda.
Canned soups are full of salt. Your heart really doesn’t like that much salt. If you must buy canned soup then make sure you buy the low salt ones. Even better would be going to your local deli and having a home made bowl of soup. This bowl is likely to have very little salt.
There are many other foods that are no good for you. I could list them on more and more pages. At some point common sense has to come into play. Were not dummies and we know when the food isn’t good for us. So go ahead and enjoy what you eat but be careful.