Both men and women benefit from making healthier food choices, becoming more active, losing some weight and, if needed, taking medicines to improve blood fats (lipids) and lower blood pressure. However, there are differences in how men and women respond to these measures. For example, men recover from coronary artery bypass surgery better than women. This is thought to be because women have smaller arteries in their heart because of their generally smaller body size.]]>
Our bodies use vitamins and minerals to perform basic functions, such as building bone and muscle. If you eat a variety of healthy foods that include vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, you’ll be more likely to meet your body’s needs for vitamins and minerals.]]>
When you have a leaky hose or loose window screen, do you pull out your handy role of silver duct tape and give it a quick fix? That may work for problems around the house, but a duct tape-style repair is no good for your diabetes control. If you often "duct tape" your blood glucose highs with more insulin and your lows with sugary treats, you are doing quick fixes for problems that need better care before they occur.]]>
Many people with diabetes look to natural products and vitamins for added help with their diabetes. And with good reason — some ?of these products can be very helpful. But some can make your diabetes medicines less effective or ?harm you. Janis Roszler MSFT, RD, CDE, LD/N, answers two of the more important questions you should be asking about the natural products and vitamins you buy or are planning to add to the supplements you take. She also leaves you with three tips for the safe use of natural products. Click here to read the full article entitled “Are Natural Products Right For You?”]]>
Diabetes and food do a unique dance. You need to eat a variety of foods to stay healthy, but too much of some foods can lead to weight gain and can affect your diabetes control. Your diabetes food plan should fit your nutritional needs, daily routine, eating habits, food likes, and blood glucose and diabetes goals. You and your diabetes care team should find the method that best helps you plan meals, stay healthy, and maintain proper weight and blood fat (lipid) goals. And if one approach doesn’t work for you, try another. There are many diabetes meal planning methods to choose from. Which one is best for you? Read the full article of “Diabetes Meal Planning: Which Method Is Best For You?” to find out which of the three more popular methods seems right for you. SPECIAL OFFER! FREE OneTouch Ultra?2 or UltraMini? Meter]]>
If your heart could choose where you?should live, it might tell you to move to?one of the lovely countries that border?the Mediterranean Sea. The level of?heart disease there is much lower than?other places in the world. Why? Experts?believe that the Mediterranean style of eating?protects against heart disease. And it may?offer even more: Studies show that this way?of eating may also lower the risk of some?types of cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes.?It may even help prevent Parkinson’s and?Alzheimer’s diseases. The good news is that you don’t have to?pack up and move to Greece or Italy. You?can follow the Mediterranean way of eating?in your very own home. All you need to do?is follow the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid,?adjusting the size of the servings to meet your?daily needs. Read on for more details on how?to fill your plate the Mediterranean way. EVERY MAIN MEAL Eat one or two servings of fruit.?A serving is a small piece of fruit, ? cup?of berries or 17 grapes. Choose fresh fruit?instead of juice or fruit canned in syrup. If?you worry that fruit may raise your blood?glucose level too high, try those that have?a lower glycemic index (GI) value. The?natural sugar found in foods with a lower?GI [...]]]>
Many people with diabetes have heart disease. What foods, vitamins and supplements can help? Start with fish and fish oils. Oily fish—such as salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines and albacore tuna— contain two helpful omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA. Fish oil capsules usually have stronger doses of EPA and DHA. Canned tuna and salmon have the highest levels of omega 3 fats. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests people with heart disease get 1,000 mg of fi sh oil per day and people with a high triglyceride level get 2,000–4,000 mg. Research shows omega-3 fats can: lower the incidence of an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to sudden death from a heart attack or stroke. lower triglycerides in people whose levels are high. reduce buildup of plaque on artery walls, which slows down the narrowing of the heart’s arteries. prevent blood clots from forming and keep the clots from sticking to artery walls. That helps prevent heart attack and stroke. improve health of arteries. lower blood pressure slightly. enhance the power of medicines called statins, which help improve cholesterol levels. Read the full article of Vitamins, Minerals & Glucose Control TRUEresult? Blood Glucose Monitoring System ]]>
In a recent study?published in?in the journal?Diabetes Care,?experts found that?people who ate lots of?fish and limited their?intake of poultry and?red meat lowered their?risk of heart disease?and type 2?diabetes. People in?the study who were?vegetarians in the?study saw the greatest?drop in risk, but you?don’t have to stop?eating animal products?to enjoy improved?health. Here are a few?ways to start to eat like?those in the study. Q: HOW DO I EAT?MORE FISH? Many of the people in?the study who lowered?their risk of diabetes?and heart disease ate?a lot of fish. Fish only?takes a few minutes to?prepare. Bake, broil,?grill or poach your?fish, but don’t fry it.?Fried foods provide?extra calories you?don’t need and may?have unhealthy trans?fats. Find ways to?enjoy heart-healthy?fish, such as tuna,?salmon, herring and?sardines at some of?your meals. Some?people start their day?with a piece of heart-healthy?herring at breakfast or enjoy it?for a snack. For lunch,?have tuna or salmon?salad made with a?fat-free or low-fat?mayonnaise. Make the?sandwich on whole?grain bread or add the?fi sh to a tossed green?salad. Q: HOW DO I?STILL GET ENOUGH?PROTEIN? Protein foods include?red meat, poultry,?beans, nuts, fish,?tofu, eggs and low-fat?cheese. Think about?how much protein?you eat at meals. The?amount of healthy?protein you eat should?fit into ? of a 9-inch?dinner plate and be?about the size of [...]]]>
By Janis Roszler, MSFT, RD, CDE, LD/N Q I’d like to give a holiday gift to my friend with diabetes. Any ideas? A Here are a few items that make great gifts: Diabetes-friendly cook books. A diabetes identification bracelet. An exercise video or gift certificate to a yoga class. Workout-related items, including a gym bag, towel and water bottle. You can always make a donation to a diabetes organization. Here are a few: American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org) Joslin Diabetes Center (www.joslin.org) Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (www.jdrf.org) Q I’d like to donate blood. Does having diabetes disqualify me from doing this? A Having diabetes should not prevent you from giving blood, as long as you feel well at the time that you donate. However, if you used any bovine-derived insulin produced by Novo Nordisk in the early 1980’s, you may not be eligible to give. The concern is that the beef content of this insulin may have introduced certain elements into your blood that make it inappropriate to share. Please discuss your eligibility with your local American Red Cross office or local blood donation center. Giving blood truly saves lives. I plan to do it this month and hope [...]]]>
ACCU-CHEK? Aviva Plus Diabetes Monitoring Kit LAURA DID NOTHING?about her diabetes for years. Her doctors told her that her weight, food choices, and lack of exercise could cause diabetes problems in the future, but she didn’t care. She felt fine and had other matters on her mind. She promised to focus on her diabetes one of these days, but not right now. Unfortunately, problems did develop. She now has pain in her feet and problems with her sight. She is so angry with herself for ignoring the warnings of all of those around her. If only she had done this. If only she had stopped doing that. So Much Depends on How You Look at Life Do you believe that your diabetes problems happened because you ignored past advice? If so, forgive yourself. Some of your issues will improve if you take better care of yourself. For full article click here . . .?]]>
Do you enjoy television reality shows? Many people tune in week after week to watch excited players complete challenges and win prizes. Part of the fun is when you see how they still win despite the efforts of other players to stop them. Your efforts to lose weight may have a lot in common with these popular programs. You also have a test and hope to win a great prize. This prize is to lose weight and become healthier. This is hard to do if those around you try to get in the way of your success. Here are a few examples of how friends and family make it harder for you to win and some good ways to respond...]]>
Viagra and watermelon in the same sentence? Could it be that this lovely fruit, a staple of barbeques and picnics, has suddenly taken center stage in the world of romance? According to researchers at the Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center at Texas A&M University, College Station, the amino acid citrulline, which is found in both the rind and the fruit of watermelon, can relax and dilate blood vessels in a way that is similar to Viagra.]]>
When you check your blood glucose, your home meter gives you a snapshot of your blood glucose level at that time. But it only tells you little about your control in general. There are other things your meter does not tell you. ]]>
I just came back from an amazing, four-day trip to China. I was invited there by Diabetes New World, a Chinese diabetes magazine. They asked me to speak to educators and doctors about some of the methods American educators use to teach about diabetes.]]>