Sunday, November 6, 2011

What diabetics sufferers need to know about insulin

Insulin is a hormone secreted by groups of cells within the pancreas called islet cells. The pancreas is an organ that sits behind the stomach and has many functions in addition to insulin production. Sugars and carbohydrates are absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream after a meal. As a result, the blood sugar of the body increases. Insulin is then secreted by the pancreas in response to the increase in blood sugar.

Type 1 diabetics cannot make insulin in their bodies and require insulin shots to stay healthy. Type 2 diabetes can result from genetics defects that cause both insulin resistance and insulin deficiency. In type II diabetes, the beta cells produce insulin, but cells throughout the body do not respond normally to it.

Insulin hormone cannot be taken orally as a pill because it is a protein that can easily be broken down. Once it is rapidly digested, it is no longer effective. Hence, insulin has to be injected in the form of shots so that it enters your blood slowly and remains there longer.

Long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) require insulin to get through the cell wall but medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) can penetrate the cell walls without the help of insulin. Thus, MCFAs are a good source of nutrition for diabetics to get their cells working and to reduce their dependence on insulin shots.

Coconut oil and palm kernel oils are the best natural source of MCFAs. Coconut oil improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose. Coconuts and coconut oil have a lower potassium / higher sodium ratio, which helps sustain higher blood sugar levels.

Fruits for diabetics

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects quality of life and may even shorten a person’s life span. Diabetes decreases the body’s ability to use blood sugar for energy. Diabetics have blood sugar levels that are out of balance and require treatment to be maintained within a normal range. Proper diet that is low in fat and simple sugars and high in fibre and complex carbohydrates can help balance the blood sugar and control weight. Avoid processed sugars, including those in cookies, candies, cakes, ice cream, sodas, honey, chocolate, and desserts. Avoid dried fruit. Choose the diet such that the approximate calories from the various components of the food.

A diabetic can choose from a wide list of fruits that mother nature provides in order to get rid of disturbed diabetes. The following is a list of fruits for diabetic:
  • Rose apple.
  • Grapefruit
  • Powder of rose apple stones.
  • Bilva.
  • Bananas.
  • Oranges.
  • Bitter melons.
  • Lemons.
  • Berries
  • Apples, etc

All these fruits are rich in pectin and have a lot of nutritional values. Diabetic patients can wander in garden of nature and pluck any of these nutrition rich fruits in order to control the disease that they have been fighting with various kinds of medications. Apples reduce inflammation, have low sugar levels and have rich water content. Grapefruit lays 25 on the glycaemic index. Oranges are a low fat snack, good in taste and low and burning sugar properties. Bananas have been misinterpreted for having high sugar levels or fattening; instead they are low fat treat which does not raise glucose levels. They also contain potassium which reduces sodium in the body. Do not consume too many bananas but 1 small one is ok in a day. Natural fruits are always better to have rather than indirect consumption or fruit juice.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Foods for diabetic children

Diabetes in children is a common disease. One has to keep in mind that diabetic child's nutritional needs are same as those of other children of their age who do not have diabetes. Proper meal planning should be done and also the diet should be revised so as to keep the child's growth in mind. In general one should keep in mind a child of average weight needs about 1000 calories a day at age one, with additional 100 calories a day added each year. 
Same principals should be followed as elders as in children, regarding insulin injections the timings should be matched to eating times. To minimize a precipitins drop in glucose, child should be given snacks in between meals and at bed times.

School authorities should be taken into confidence if one's child is actually suffering from diabetes. If the school provides food nutritionist they can make certain that one's child eats properly without creating special attention. One can have more control if the mothers pack the lunch themselves. Special permission should be obtained from the authorities for the child may be allowed to eat a snack in between when necessary. But with children the common problem which occurs is they often don't eat what there mothers pack in lunch, often the lunch is either traded with their pals and in few cases they tend to eat junk, and extreme cases actually throw in the garbage. 

Children at certain age do need to handle with special care as they need to feel as though they also are integrated member of their peer group, and different in any way whether with appearance, physical deformity and even with so called a small issue of wrong hair cut. If a child does not feel comfortable with the diabetic meal it might be thrown out to prove that the child is no way different from anyone.

It is one of the basic natures of a child to test limits. This is a normal part of growing up, reaching for independence and testing waters of larger worlds. These children actually give try to the diabetic food plan also. Care must be taken that they may not push there blood glucose level to dangerous limits and at the same time they may not stuff themselves with heavily saturated foods. Children should made aware that they'll get in to trouble as a result it is so important that as a parent the children must be prepared for what to do in case of emergency.

To conclude one must firstly be prepared one self with confidence and knowledge as of how to handle ones child with diabetes. As a parent one should be aware of special needs of the child which are required but without showing much stress to the child. The ADA guidelines list the foods in categories from which one can make exchanges to create flexibility and variety.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Nutritions to keep blood sugar levels

It's important that you know what and how much to consume, in order to keep your blood sugar levels in control. 

Protein is required for fuel energy. However, most of the people consume more protein than needed. Lean meats, fish, chicken, and lean beef products are the best sources of protein. Remember; the way of cooking them is important too. Avoid the high fat methods of cooking. Switch to grilling or broiling your food. It tastes delicious and is low in fats. If you are suffering from kidney problems, it's vital to keep a check on your protein intake.

All fats are not bad. Your body does need fat to protect your inner organs. Fat contains concentrated energy. It regulates your body temperature, and helps in healing inflammation and pain. Fats also help in the absorption of fat soluble Vitamins like A, D, and E.  

It is the excess fat that is harmful. Avoid transfats completely and reduce the intake of saturated fats so that it is below seven percent of your total intake of calories everyday. Start reading the food labels. There are many foods that contain zero transfats. Include fish products such as salmon or sardines in your diet. Also, start using vegetable oils to get sufficient essential fats for your body.

This is another important component of our diet. Like fats, carbohydrates are also good and bad types. The steadiness of your blood sugar levels depend on the type of carbohydrate you are taking. It is easy to count your carbs. Every packet of food that you pick up from the store has carbohydrates in each serving. You should go for complex carbohydrates and avoid the simple ones.

Most of the simple carbohydrates are found in sugar related foods. It includes most of the sweets. Simple carbohydrates are broken down right away to convert them into fuel. However, complex carbohydrates, which are good for your body, take longer to be processed. The most popular sugar substitute used by the diabetics is Splenda. You can utilize it to bake with. As long as you are sure that your blood sugar levels are in control, it is okay to consume a little sugar. 

If you are keeping a track on your calories as a technique to reduce weight or control your blood sugar levels, then you make sure that you are taking plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables so that your body gets sufficient vitamins and minerals. Include beans, peas, green leafy vegetables, fruit juices, nuts, and other healthy foods in your diet.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Information about foods for diabetic

It is true that if you have diabetes there are limitations to what you can eat but that does not mean you will no longer be able to enjoy your food. Regrettably, to stay healthy it will require strict adherence to a special diet which for some people may be the grounds they contracted diabetes in the first place. The situation today is much simpler than it used to be as there are particular diabetic recipes available which make the task of arranging a diet much simpler.

Firstly, one of the main ends for a diabetic diet is to lower your weight and maintain it. Diabetic diets actually help you here by ensuring you only consume the correct amount of food from the four main groups. Two complications linked with diabetes are coronary illness and strokes but by sticking to your diabetic diet plan you should reduce the risk of having these problems. 

Diabetic recipes are designed to be healthy, ensuring a low fat diabetic diet which should help with some of the familiar symptoms associated with the condition such as blurred vision, low energy levels and endless thirst.

Eating healthy involves eating a wide assortment of nutrients that embrace the whole diet spectrum with the help of the diabetic menu containing the food pyramid of vegetables, entire grains, fruits, non fat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry, and fish. 

In diabetic, low carbohydrate diets, the foodstuffs that are approved are meats, fish, poultry, eggs and cheese and certain vegetables like kidney beans, carrots, avocados. Diabetic recipes should not contain saturated fats and foodstuffs that are low in cholesterol such as skinless poultry, with fresh fruit and vegetables as talked about previously.

A diabetic is not just about eating the right foodstuffs, as it is also serious that the amount consumed is correct to ensure the calorific intake is not too high, so weighing the food will become second nature. Using the food labels in the supermarkets will also become second nature when you are preparing your diabetic recipes as they contain useful information, usually based on a diet of 2,000 calories per day. 

If you have been prescribed 2,000 calories per day on your diabetic diet program then for breakfast you may be allowed some sugar free yoghurt or skimmed milk two slices of bread or alternatively pasta or rice cakes plus an egg and some fruit. However, if a lower one thousand eight hundred calorie per day has been advised for your diabetic diet program then your diabetic recipes book might suggest something like a cup of skimmed milk, a tablespoon of cheese, a couple of slices of bread and a serving of fruit.

In the afternoon a snack might comprise of a half cup of tea or coffee with substitute sweeteners a couple of crackers and some more fruit. Alternatively, to vary your diabetic diet you could always have a cup of skimmed milk or yoghurt to replace the tea or coffee. There is no reason for you to believe that you can no longer savor your food if you're restrained to a diabetic diet, because diabetic recipes are designed to have plenty of variety.