Killer diseases like hypoglycemia and diabetes develop due to sugar. Although sugar is beneficial in providing a temporary boost of energy, too much of intake can disturb the organs and glands that regulate blood-sugar levels. Even if you do not add sugar to your food, you are still consuming a tremendous amount of it if your diet contains a lot of prepared foods.
You must restrict the consumption of sugar to control your blood sugar level and stay healthy. If you wish to restore your healthy blood-sugar levels then you must refrain from all forms of sugar which includes sucrose, glucose, maltose, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, barley malt, and molasses.
Here are some of the important ways that you can adapt to control blood sugar levels in your body:
Try to consume more of the unprocessed sweetness of fresh fruits and sweet vegetables such as yams, carrots, and winter squash. This will be a good alternative and your craving for sugar will diminish. Refrain from the refined carbohydrates such as breads and pastas made from white flour and white rice. These are rapidly broken down into simple sugars in the body. Stimulants such as caffeine that strain the adrenal glands must also be avoided.
In order to maintain and check the blood-sugar levels, it is advisable that you eat a diet high in fiber, especially soluble fiber. This slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and therefore controls the rapid rise in blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber also keeps the pancreas from secreting too much insulin. It does so by enhancing the cell sensitivity to insulin and improving the use of glucose by the liver.
Try to include at least 35 grams and preferably 50 grams of fiber each day in your diet. You can also take one to three teaspoons of a fiber supplement with a glass of water twice daily before meals.
Protein is also an essential element that helps in the proper functioning of the adrenal glands, pancreas and liver. It also acts as a substitute and prevents the cravings for high-carbohydrate foods. It is safe too as protein does not stimulate the release of insulin as do carbohydrates. It helps in controlling and stabilizing the blood-sugar levels.
Another good way of stabilizing the blood-sugar levels is eating frequent small meals. Do not skip meals or stay empty stomach for more than 3 hours. Regular and healthy meals will help checking the blood sugar levels in the long run.
quinlanmurray
Does high blood pressure normally run in your family’s blood?
If yes, then you must take into consideration having a regular blood test. In this process you will be able to know whether you might have an underlying ailment.
The blood glucose is normally expressed in millimoles pr litre (mmol/l). Typically, its level is lowest in the morning and higher after mealtime than its narrow limits right through out the day which is 4 to 8mmol/l.
Note: Glucose is normally the only sugar found in the blood. Blood glucose concentrations are kept within a relatively narrow range by such factors as hepatic and renal uptake and release, glucose removal by peripheral tissues, hormone influences on uptake and release, and intestinal absorption. The only endogenous sources of glucose are the liver and kidneys which convert glucose-6-phosphate to glucose. Insulin is the main hormone that affects glucose blood levels.
However in the case of diabetes, it blows out of proportion until it is treated or at least maintained. Yet, though treated, there will still be some time where it will go adrift from its normal level.
Now, if you happen to discover that you have failed to escape this kind of illness. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) which was introduced by the Lousiana State University Ag Center in their research could be of so much help.
The study states that a healthy food preparation will be able to trim down your blood pressure and reduce the possibility of reducing it to normal levels. It also shows that blood pressure may be decreased by taking foods which are low in salt, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Likewise it also advises a diet loaded with fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy foodstuffs and vegetables.
In addition, the study also showcased the usual American diet sodium cutback. According to the results the minimal intake of sodium also minimizes the blood sugar level.
Since high blood pressure threatens the chances of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, which ranks as the first, third and ninth chief causes of death in the American populace. It is therefore important to do the necessary measures to prevent it from happening.
Three things may help you prevent high blood sugar:
- Testing your blood sugar often, especially if you are sick or not following your normal routine. You can see when your blood sugar is above your target range, even if you don’t have symptoms of high blood sugar (increased thirst, increased urination, and fatigue).
- Visit your doctor if you have frequent high blood sugar or your blood sugar is consistently above your target range. Your medication might need to be adjusted or changed.
- Drink extra water or noncaffeinated, nonsugared drinks to prevent dehydration
Hector Milla
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-bloody-high-blood-sugar-82469.html
Although it is most often referred to by the name diabetes, diabetes mellitus is a treatable, chronic metabolic disorder, affecting the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates. Whether it is due to the body’s inability to produce insulin to disperse the sugar from the blood stream or the inability of the produced insulin to do so is what determines which stage of diabetes mellitus from which a person suffers.
Type I diabetes mellitus is when the body cannot produce insulin due to the destruction of the cells that produce insulin while Type 2 is when the body’s tissues offer a resistance to the insulin being produced. A third type, gestational diabetes, typically has its onset during pregnancy. Although considered Type I, 2 and 3 diabetes mellitus, it is not really three separate diseases, but different stages of pancreatic failure.
Failure to properly treat diabetes mellitus can lead to other major health issues, including damage to small blood vessels. Consistently high levels of glucose in the blood will damage the smaller vessels, especially in the retina. The common occurrence of vision loss among those with diabetes mellitus makes it one of the most common causes of blindness among non-elderly in the country.
Complications Compounded If Left Untreated
There are serious life-threatening complications involved with diabetes mellitus, especially if left untreated, or even under treated, as cardiovascular problems such as coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease can develop. The disease can also cause damage to the kidneys, leading to renal failure and stroke.
Strokes suffered by those with diabetes mellitus are typically the ischemic type, during which brain cells die due to being oxygen starved, even for a short period of time. Depending on their location in the brain and primary function, there may be no noticeable impairment caused by ischemic stroke. An ischemic chain involves one minor stroke following another, not always in linear order, and some may be in circular motions. This can be diagnoses through the use of MRI examination.
While the complications involved with diabetes mellitus have rendered the illness incurable at this point, it is treatable and many people live a normal lifestyle by taking the necessary precautions so as not to exacerbate their symptoms. Knowing that an increase in blood sugar can lead to a hypoglycemic episode and spark additional health problems, people with diabetes mellitus usually stick with their diet and new lifestyle.
Ann Marier
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/sugar-not-handled-by-diabetes-mellitus-99542.html
Diabetes is something we hear about often these days. Over 20 million Americans have diabetes.
When the world went fat-free, sugar took over to add taste to otherwise lame tasting foods. Unfortunately there is sugar in most packaged and fast food. You have to really study the labels to see if sugar is added to even seemingly non-sugar needing foods. Take packaged smoked salmon for example. Why do I need sugar in my salmon, or my tomato sauce? In my sushi? Or salad dressing?
Is it only the sugar ?
Omitting the processed sugary snacks, cookies, and foods with sugar added is not the only thing to do for prevention of a potential sugar overload lurking around the corner. Whether you already have diabetes, pre-diabetes, or just want to bring more awareness around sugar into your life, this hopefully will help you out. Most people think that diabetes is only about getting the sugar and simple carbs out of the diet. It is NOT. Meat and dairy plays a role as well. Surprise to most of you?
A new study that just came out says that a low-fat vegan diet treats type 2 diabetes more effectively than a standard diabetes diet, according to a study in Diabetes Care, a journal published by the American Diabetes Association. Study participants on the low-fat vegan diet showed dramatic improvement in four disease markers: blood sugar control, cholesterol reduction, weight control, and kidney function.
This is not surprising news to the macrobiotic world though. Michio Kushi has for years recommended wholegrain, especially millet, round sweet vegetable, especially pumpkin, and beans, especially adzuki beans, for diabetes. These are foods that help strengthen the pancreas.
In her book What to Eat, Marion Nestle talks about how children with type 1 diabetes often have antibodies against cow-milk proteins, which might have cross-reacted and destroyed the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
In another study, just one egg per day added to the diet of diabetics doubled their risk of heart disease.
And how does meat fit in? Excess meat not only makes you highly acidic, it also affects your pancreas, which then can affect insulin production. Animal fat and saturated fat is actually linked to insulin resistance.
Diabetes Prevention: Where does the sweetness in life come from?
Replace sugary substances with naturally sweet foods; omit cookies and candy. But also remember the fruit juices, sport drinks, and all those so-called naturally sweetened ice-teas.
Watch out for granola bars and other health fakes that promise energy. They are normally loaded with sugar, which indeed gives you energy, here and now. But increased health? No.
Instead blend fruit juices with water, put some fresh lemon in water, have chilled peppermint tea or unsweetened green tea. Choose fresh fruit and nuts instead of granola bars.
Replace refined grain and flour with wholegrain. People who eat wholegrain have a lower risk of diabetes, say researchers at the University of Minnesota. Wholegrain, fiber from grains, and the magnesium found in wholegrain seem to have a positive effect on diabetes, the study concluded.
Refined grain converts to sugar too fast as it does not have the same fiber content as wholegrain. This means omit or at least limit, all refined flour, wheat, tropical fruit, most cold cereals (normally coated in a sweetener), regular refined wheatflour pasta and white rice.
It is also best to omit bread because of the yeast. Yeast can cause bacteria overgrowth and increase mycotoxins, which are linked to diabetes. You can get bread from sprouted grain instead that are actually quite delicious. As for the yeast, this also includes beer, wine, and all other baked goods.
Add more fiber rich food:
-Wholegrain (millet, oats, rye, bran, brown rice, quinoa, barley and buckwheat) – Legumes; beans, lentils, peas. – Have lots of most vegetables. For some root vegetables are fine, for others, be careful with the glycemic index. The more fiber in the vegetables, the slower the sugar is absorbed. Pumpkin is also recommended. – Fresh fruit (dried fruit has a higher glycemic index). – Alkalize with a lot of green food and chlorophyll. Dark leafy greens such as kale, fiber rich green food such as broccoli, brusselssprouts, string beans, asparagus; and green drinks from cereal grasses such as wheatgrass, if you are on a health track. – Limit saturated and animal fats. This means meat and dairy products such as cheese, butter, and milk. There are also mycotoxins found in meat, again linked to diabetes. – Instead, get your healthy fats from foods rich in omega 3. Nuts, seeds, avocado, flaxseed, olive and flaxseed oil. Some fish can be implemented especially those higher in omega 3 fatty acids. (Wild salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines). – And of course, do not forget to exercise, move, breathe, de-stress (stress causes acidity in the body as well)
In his book, The Healing Power of Illness, Thorwald Dethlefsen draws the parallel between the pancreas (the organ weakened in diabetes) and our longing for love. Is that why we crave the sweet stuff?
SO: Since I always come from the perspective of Self-Nourishment, consider where your sweetness in life is coming from. Don’t let it be the substitute of sugar, let it be the real stuff as in good healthy food, nature, love, community, laughter, and some nice ME-time.
In a nutshell:
1. A carefully balanced diet based on whole foods; wholegrain, beans and lentils, vegetables and fruit, plus low in saturated and animal fat.
2. A pure, positive, and creative mind. -Try some meditation. And a loving, open heart. -Especially when it comes to loving yourself.
3. An active lifestyle, which includes work, physical movement, and breathing exercises. -Yoga works well, so does nice walks or bicycle rides.
LIFE IS SWEET AFTER ALL.
Jeanette Bronee
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/is-it-only-the-sugar-diabetes-awareness-77158.html
Some of you (especially the older baby boomers) might remember “The Magnificent Seven”, a blockbuster western movie from 1960 featuring an incredible cast that included Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, and Charles Bronson.
Well, this article is NOT about those Magnificent Seven. It’s about seven food items that are downright excellent and “magnificent” for your health, particularly if you’re someone dealing with low blood sugar symptoms or hypoglycemic symptoms. The characters in the movie were good guys, the items on this list are good foods. All seven of them.
Here they are, in all their glory, in alphabetical order:
Magnificent #1: Berries
Fruits, in general, have a high sugar (fructose) content, so if you’re just starting out on your hypoglycemic diet, you may want to limit the fruit you eat – avoid bananas, for instance.
The best fruit for someone dealing with low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, even hyperglycemia, is berries. Berries are lower in sugar and calories than many other fruits, and they’re packed with nutrients.
Take blueberries, for example. Many health benefits have been attributed to blueberries, and they’re also a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin E and antioxidants. Choose wild blueberries for even more antioxidants than cultivated blueberries provide.
Try blueberries on your cereal, in your yogurt, or blend some into your protein shake.
Magnificent #2: Eggplant
Yes, your mom was right! Eat your veggies for good health! And this one in particular: eggplant. We don’t all eat eggplant, but according to recent research, we probably should.
Purple-skinned eggplant is a good source of phenols, a nutrient that helps your body use sugar more efficiently. Phenols have also been found to help with high blood pressure, and provide antioxidant protection as well.
Try eggplant in Greek Moussaka, a tasty dip, or even Eggplant Lasagna!
Magnificent #3: Fiber
Low blood sugar and hypoglycemia expert Anita Flegg recommends you eat nine handfuls of fruit and veggies and one ounce of nuts every day. Eat only whole grain breads and cereals. These are all allowable hypoglycemia foods. The fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole grains all help you address one of the most important points of an hypoglycemia diet: Eating lots of fiber.
If you’re eating lots of vegetables, you’re getting good carbohydrates AND lots of vitamins and minerals. Best of all, vegetables are a great source of dietary fiber, especially if they’re raw or lightly steamed.
Dietary fiber is crucial to the hypoglycemia diet. Fiber slows down the absorption of sugars that are a part of all foods and reduces the possibility of a low blood sugar episode later on.
As an added benefit, having your fiber throughout the day means you’ll never be hungry, and it’ll be easier to stay away from sweets. And if you also find yourself losing a little weight, hey, even better!
As hypoglycemics, we should eat our meals – not drink them. Juicers were all the rage for a while, and they certainly had their value. People who would otherwise not eat enough fruits and vegetables to get their required vitamins were at least getting a vitamin boost.
While getting your vitamins is a great idea, juice isn’t the best way to get it. Whether you buy it or make it yourself, juice is a poor choice for hypoglycemics because processing has removed all of the fiber and some of the vitamins (some B vitamins are destroyed by processing).
Without the fiber to slow the sugar response, the natural sugars in both fruits and vegetables can cause a very fast sugar spike. For hypoglycemics, this is a major problem because of the symptoms related to both the sugar spike and the sugar crash that is sure to follow.
If you’re dealing with low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, even hyperglycemia, stick with fresh fruits and vegetables for quality vitamins and better sugar control.
Magnificent #4: Fish
Low blood sugar and hypoglycemia expert Anita Flegg also recommends you eat fish three times per week.
There are two kinds of fish: white fish and oily fish. Examples of white fish are cod, halibut and monkfish. White fish are a great low-calorie source of protein and there are dozens of tasty ways to prepare them.
Oily fish like salmon and mackerel are also tasty sources of protein, and although they’re not particularly low-cal, they have the added benefit of omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids are great for improving and maintaining the health of your heart, and they’re great for your skin and hair, too. Keep in mind when you get ready to cook it that pan-frying and deep-frying fish, especially at high temperatures, appears to destroy the omega-3 fats.
So go ahead and choose fish. Bake, poach, grill or steam it. It’s delicious and a great source of protein that’ll help keep your blood sugar level steady and you feeling great.
FYI (while we’re talking about fish…) insulin resistance is part of the hypoglycemia problem in that your body has to produce more and more insulin over time to deal with the sugars in your diet. Reversing this is crucial to improving your sugar-handling, and reducing your hypoglycemia symptoms.
Now, did you know that taking fish oil (1000-4000 mg every day) not only lowers cholesterol and reduces inflammation, but also improves insulin sensitivity?
And if you just can’t eat enough fish, also add omega-3 fatty acids capsules.
Magnificent #5: Nuts
Go Nuts!… Recent research shows that eating nuts and nut butters at least 5 times a week can reduce your risk of developing Type II diabetes by 27%!
Why “go nuts?” Because they have the top three components to keep your blood sugar steady and improve your insulin sensitivity: protein, fiber, good fats.
It’s recommended to consume one ounce of nuts every day. Looking for ways to add nuts to your diet? Try some of these: add a handful of slivered almonds to your next stir-fry, take a small bag of pistachios or cashews to snack on at work, put peanut butter on your breakfast toast.
Magnificent #6: Rye
I talked about fiber earlier in this article, and new information about whole-grain rye should move it to the top of your list.
According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in December of 2005, when rye bread and pasta were compared to oat and wheat bread and potato, insulin secretion (an indication of the reduction of insulin resistance) increased six times more in the rye bread group than for the other two groups.
This result was supplemented in August of 2007 (Journal of the American Dietetic Association), when it was found that a rye pasta diet actually caused changes in genes linked with Type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome!
The key to understand here is that the biggest risk inherent in being hypoglycemic is that it increases your risk of getting Type II diabetes.
Because hypoglycemia progresses to insulin resistance, and from there to diabetes, it is important for hypoglycemics to maintain and shore up your insulin sensitivity as much as possible, and however you can.
In reactive hypoglycemia, you have too much insulin because of insulin resistance – it takes more and more insulin production to get the cells to respond. That’s when you get an avalanche of insulin that causes a hypoglycemic episode.
As this progresses and gets worse over the years, the risk of developing Type II diabetes goes up.
Whole-grain rye seems to make a difference in insulin sensitivity, so the studies seem to suggest that whole-grain rye products should be good for everyone who is insulin resistant, whether hypoglycemic or Type II diabetic.
Magnificent #7: Tomato
Eat 10 tablespoons of cooked tomato foods every week to get the anti-oxidant lycopene.
Oxidation is a natural process that causes your cells to age. Topping up on antioxidants like lycopene can slow cell aging and keep you feeling healthier.
Anything that helps your overall health will also help your hypoglycemia symptoms. Do your body a favor: add foods containing tomato to your diet.
Eat well, be well, live well!
Daniel G. St-Jean
Editor of Help For Hypoglycemia
Publisher of the Help For Hypoglycemia Blog
Daniel St-jean
