tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361786922023-11-15T10:12:51.630-08:00My Free Diabetes GuideGet your best diabetes tips and diabetes info here.SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1166756131465110152006-12-21T18:52:00.000-08:002006-12-21T18:55:31.630-08:00Stress Treatments Help Control Type 2 Diabetes<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Patients with type 2 diabetes who incorporate stress management techniques into their routine care can significantly reduce their average blood glucose levels.<br /><br />Stress can increase glucose levels in people with diabetes, making them more susceptible to long-term physical complications such as eye, kidney or nerve disorders.<br /><br />This is the first large study to show that a simple, cost-effective treatment can have a meaningful therapeutic effect on the control of blood sugar, said the researchers. Such stress management techniques include instructions on how to identify everyday life stressors and how to respond to them with such techniques as progressive muscle relaxation and breathing exercises.<br /><br />Patients in the stress management group showed, on average, a 0.5 percent reduction on the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test- a standard laboratory test used to determine average blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.<br /><br />However, 32 percent of the patients in that group showed an even greater improvement by lowering their glucose level by 1 percent or more. That amount of glucose level reduction is what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers sufficient when reviewing drugs seeking approval for diabetes control.<br /><br />The patients were randomly enrolled in the educational sessions either with or without stress management training. Stress-management techniques were taught by nurses or graduate students specifically trained for the study.<br /><br />The training included progressive muscle relaxation, mental imagery, breathing techniques and instructions on how to modify one’s physiologic, cognitive and behavioral responses to stress.<br /><br /><em>Diabetes Care</em></span></div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1166755884312624412006-12-21T18:46:00.000-08:002006-12-21T18:51:24.803-08:00Exercise And Type 2 Diabetes<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Exercise alone can play an important therapeutic role in patients with type 2 diabetes by contributing to glucose control and to beneficial carbohydrate metabolism and insulin sensitivity.<br /><br />Exercise habits of diabetics with good diabetic control were compared with those having poor control. Regular exercise correlated “positively and significantly” with glycemic (blood sugar) control. However, most adults with the disease do not exercise regularly. The association of exercise with diabetic control is independent of age, body mass index, race, smoking, alcohol intake, diet, and diabetic medications.</span></div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1165799304461162622006-12-10T17:07:00.000-08:002006-12-10T17:08:24.560-08:00Did You Know?<div align="justify">The brain gets most of its energy from blood sugar, so if glucose stays in the bloodstream rather than being metabolized into body tissues, the brain has less fuel available to store memories.</div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1165799202331286002006-12-10T17:05:00.000-08:002006-12-10T17:06:42.476-08:00Sugar Blocker<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">More than 2, 600 years ago, Charaka a famous Ayurvedic physician, wrote about a strange plant. Writing in ancient Sanskrit, he noted that this herb could block the absorption of sugar. Over the centuries, it became known in Hindi as “gurmar” which roughly translates to “sugar destroyer.”<br /><br />Today, we call this herb <em>Gymnema Sylvester</em>. Find more about this herb with Google Search Box.</span></div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1165798904251616422006-12-10T16:58:00.000-08:002006-12-10T17:04:41.306-08:00Drugs and side effects<div align="justify">Diabetic drugs keep blood sugar down. However, you will have to be on them for life. Worse still, there are side effects. Indeed, in August 2000, the United States Food and Drug Administration asked the manufacturer of the drug Rezulin (troglitazone)-a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus-to remove the product from the market. Severe liver toxicity as a result of drug usage had resulted in deaths.<br /><br />However there are natural approaches that work remarkably well for those with mild and moderate diabetes.<br /><br /><strong>Diabetes Treatment<br /></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>Modern Medicine (Western)</em></strong> </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Drugs </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Insulin <br />Low fat diet<br />Objective: Symptom treatment </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em></em></strong></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong><em>Traditional Medicine (Eastern) </em></strong><br />Herbs<br />Minerals-vanadium and chromium</div></span><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Low carbohydrate diet </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Objective: Looking for the cause</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164875542825438302006-11-30T00:30:00.000-08:002006-11-30T00:32:22.936-08:00Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes?<div align="justify">Some recommendations for a diabetic diet depend on the type of diabetes you have. In Type 1 diabetes the focus is mostly on matching food intake to insulin. You'll need to know when your insulin peaks and how quickly you metabolize different foods. In Type 2 diabetes the concern may be more oriented to weight loss in order to improve the body's ability to utilize the insulin it does produce.<br /></div><div align="justify">In both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as in gestational diabetes, the overall goal is to gather enough nutritional information to maintain a healthful diet and avoid large fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.</div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164875208586870432006-11-30T00:25:00.000-08:002006-11-30T00:26:48.690-08:00Noninsulin-dependent diabetes<div align="justify">Noninsulin-dependent diabetes (Type 2), also called adult-onset diabetes, results from the inability of the cells in the body to respond to insulin. About 90% of diabetics have this form, which is more prevalent in minorities and usually occurs after age 40. Although the cause is not completely understood, there is a genetic factor and 90% of those affected are obese. As in Type I diabetes, treatment includes exercise and weight loss and a diet low in total carbohydrates and saturated fat. Some individuals require insulin injections; many rely on oral drugs, such as sulphonylureas, metformin, or acarbose.</div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164874870542358022006-11-30T00:15:00.000-08:002006-11-30T00:21:10.773-08:00Insulin-dependent Diabetes<div align="justify">Insulin-dependent diabetes (Type I), also called juvenile-onset diabetes, is the more serious form of the disease; about 10% of diabetics have this form. It is caused by destruction of pancreatic cells that make insulin and usually develops before age 30. Type I diabetics have a genetic predisposition to the disease. There is some evidence that it is triggered by a virus that changes the pancreatic cells in a way that prompts the immune system to attack them. The symptoms are the same as in the non-insulin-dependent variant, but they develop more rapidly and with more severity. Treatment includes a diet limited in carbohydrates and saturated fat, exercise to burn glucose, and regular insulin injections, sometimes administered via a portable insulin pump. Transplantation of islet cells has also proved successful since 1999, after new transplant procedures were developed, but the number of pancreases available for extraction of the islet cells is far smaller than the number of Type I diabetics. Patients receiving a transplant must take immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection of the cells.</div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164781884936561762006-11-28T22:26:00.000-08:002006-11-28T22:31:25.706-08:00What is Candida?<em></em><br /><div align="justify"><em>Candida albicans</em> is a yeast-like fungal organism found in small amounts in the normal human intestinal tract. Normally kept in check by the body's own helpful bacteria, C. albicans can increase in numbers when this balance is disturbed to cause candidiasis of the intestinal tract, or yeast infections of other parts of the body. C. albicans causes thrush. Also called Monilia albicans. </div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164737127214337452006-11-28T10:00:00.000-08:002006-11-28T10:05:28.466-08:00Believe it or Not?<div align="justify">Smoking may increase the risk of developing diabetes, according to new research by investigators at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.</div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164733168051379352006-11-28T08:47:00.000-08:002006-11-28T09:41:18.346-08:00What is Stevia?<div align="justify"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/1600/stevia.0.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/320/stevia.0.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Stevia is processed from the herbal plant “Stevia Rebaudiana”. When refined into a white powder extract (stevioside), Stevia becomes 200-300 times sweeter than sugar creating an intense effect upon the taste buds without raising blood sugar levels and contains no carbs or calories. Research indicates that both diabetics and persons suffering from hypoglycemia may use Stevia.<br /></span><br /></div></span><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Benefits of Stevia:</strong><br /><strong></strong></span><br />1. Stevia is almost calorie-free.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">2. It prevents cavities.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">3. It does not trigger a rise in blood sugar.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">4. It does not feed yeast or other microorganisms such as <em>candida</em> which can cause vaginal infection to diabetics.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">5. It increases energy and aids digestion by stimulating the pancreas</span>.</span></div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164731046184820142006-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:002006-11-28T08:24:06.556-08:00How can you satisfy your sweet tooth without sugar?<div align="justify">There are a number of strategies:</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">1. Create desserts from fresh, unprocessed fruit, with no sweeteners added. Sugar free fruit salad is a classic example of this approach. There are a number of classic desserts that can be served in a version based on this theme, such as Ambrosia, Balsamic Berries and Minted Melon.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">2. Cut out desserts, or only serve dessert as a very occasional treat. Believe it or not, even the strongest and most demanding sweet tooth will eventually quiet down, if your sugar addiction is not being fed.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">3. Use alternative or natural sweeteners. Which alternative sweetener you use will be influenced by your reasons for giving up sugar, and by your own taste buds. Natural sweeteners include honey, and Stevia.</div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164202448602408142006-11-22T05:27:00.000-08:002006-11-22T05:34:09.020-08:00Special Diabetic Barley Soup<strong><span style="color:#333399;">Ingredients<br /></span></strong>1 cup pearl barley<br />5 cloves whole garlic, roasted<br />2 litres chicken stock, steeped from 1 ½ chicken breasts<br />simmered in three litres water<br />2 tbsps vegetable oil<br />2 large onions, diced<br />2 carrots, diced<br />2 stalks celery, diced<br />150g turkey ham, cut up<br />1 tsp ground white pepper<br />1 ½ tsps sea salt or to taste<br />1 tbsp chopped parsley<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#333399;">Method<br /></span></strong><br />1. Wash barley and soak it in a bowl of water for three hours. Drain.<br />2. Heat oil in pan and fry onions.<br />Add carrots and celery, then the barley and fry for three minutes.<br />3. Add chicken stock, pepper and roasted garlic and simmer over low heat for at least an<br />hour, or until barley is soft.<br />4. Add salt to taste and serve the soup garnished with chopped parsley.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/1600/barley%20soup.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/320/barley%20soup.jpg" border="0" /></a>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164201855551653852006-11-22T05:18:00.000-08:002006-11-22T05:24:15.840-08:00Hot Pick<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/1600/diabetes%20cartoon.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 285px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 247px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="160" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/320/diabetes%20cartoon.jpg" width="177" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Maybe my blood sugar will start to fall too!</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164201313224543572006-11-22T05:06:00.000-08:002006-11-22T05:15:13.443-08:00Lowering blood glucose levels with Barley<div align="justify">Barley, whose Latin name is <em>“Hordeum vulgare”</em>, has been cultivated for more than 10, 000 years. <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/1600/barley.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/320/barley.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><p align="center"><br /></p><p align="justify">Since ancient times, barley has been used for healing purposes and has been known to the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Athletes in Greece and Rome in those days were known to eat barley bread to give them strength.<br /><br />Eating barley regularly is a preventive measure against diabetes. Evidently this is true because barley is high in fibre which prevents blood sugar levels from rising too high.</p></div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164127661330174932006-11-21T08:39:00.000-08:002006-11-21T08:47:56.440-08:00Tips<div align="justify">15. Walk whenever you can. Walk the stairs, walk if you don't need to drive, park as far as you can and walk to your destination.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">16. If you have been sedentary for a long time, gently ease into the active lifestyle.Take a couple of weeks to slowly condition your body until you are able to exercise for 30 minutes each time at a reasonable intensity.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">17. Help out at home by washing the car or doing the gardening. Keep active.</div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1164001547124380582006-11-19T21:37:00.000-08:002006-11-21T07:35:22.153-08:00Tips: Continued<div align="justify">11.<span style="font-size:85%;">Take insulin or medications as prescribed.<br />12. Take good care of your feet as diabetes may damage nerves and reduce the blood flow to your feet.<br />13. Get regular eye exams. Diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness. Early detection and treatment can slow the process and save your sight.<br />14. Have regular medical checkups. </span></div>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163735457455451842006-11-16T19:27:00.000-08:002006-11-16T20:10:46.013-08:00Retinopathy:Diabetic Blindness<p align="left"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/1600/d2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 107px" height="118" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/320/d2.jpg" width="154" border="0" /></a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that can cause decreased vision and blindness. Depending on a patient's condition, diabetic retinopathy can progress quickly or slowly. Factors that may hasten the progress include heavy smoking and poorly controlled hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol).<br /><strong>It occurs when the eye vessel leaks and the retina becomes <em>ischaemic</em>, or half-dead. Since the retina lacks oxygen, it produces a substance which induces the formation of new </strong><strong>blood </strong><strong>vessels which are abnormal. </strong><br />These abnormal blood vessels can bleed suddenly and lead to immediate blindness. It is not easy to reverse this as it requires major surgery.</p><p align="left"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/1600/d2.jpg"></a> </p>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163733733324720192006-11-16T19:15:00.000-08:002006-11-16T19:22:14.766-08:00Tips-Continued7. Read the labels of processed food before buying,either low in, or free of fat and sugar.<br />8. Eat sensible amounts of complex carbohydrates: rice, noodles, bread, tubers, etc.<br />9. Eat more beans, vegetables and fruits as these yield low amounts of calories.<br />10. Get your doctor/dietitian to design the diet plan for you.SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163640097701236982006-11-15T17:19:00.000-08:002006-11-15T17:21:38.170-08:00Diabetes Complications<span style="font-size:85%;">Diabetes affects the way the body handles fats, leading to fat accumulation in the arteries and potential damage to the kidneys, eyes, heart, and brain, and statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) may be prescribed to prevent heart disease. It is the leading cause of kidney disease. Many patients require dialysis or kidney transplants. Most cases of acquired blindness are caused by diabetes. Diabetes can also affect the nerves, causing numbness or pain in the face and extremities. A complication of insulin therapy is insulin shock, a hypoglycemic condition that results from an oversupply of insulin in relation to the glucose level in the blood.</span>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163639638631808652006-11-15T17:04:00.000-08:002006-11-15T17:13:58.853-08:00Symptoms of Diabetes<span style="font-size:85%;">1. Dry mouth.<br />2. Increased thirst<br />3. Frequent urination<br />4. Increased appetite (Type 1 only)<br />5. Unexplained weight loss (Type 1 only)<br />6. Feeling week, tired and dizzy<br />7. Frequent skin infections<br />8. Slow healing wounds<br />9. Recurrent vaginal infections<br />10. Blurry vision<br />11. Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet<br />12. Fast, shallow breathing<br />13. Fruity-smelling breath</span>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163565326711183272006-11-14T20:30:00.000-08:002006-11-15T20:27:31.350-08:00Tips-Continued4. Avoid oily and fatty food (e.g. deep fried dishes, chicken skin and fatty cuts of meat;they're rich in calories.)<br />5. Cut down on sugar and highly sweetened foods and drinks.<br />6. Resist the urge to snack unnecessarily.SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163406594912196812006-11-13T00:27:00.000-08:002006-11-14T20:46:38.416-08:00How to lower your blood sugar levels<span style="font-size:85%;">The bittergourd is famous for its ability to help diabetics in decreasing sugar levels. This is not a joke but a reality where I and my mother have benefited a lot from its juice. Believe it or not, I managed to bring down my blood sugar level from 20 to 7 in just a month, naturally without pills.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Here is the recipe of the healing juice:</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1. Wash and clean 1 kg of bittergourds</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">2. Peel off the skin and cut them into small pieces.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">3. Put all the pieces of the bittergourd into a mixer or a blender and blend them until you get a smooth solution.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">4. Don't strain the juice and don't add sugar or honey into it.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">5. Now, the juice is ready for you to drink;drink once daily and regularly.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">6. Keep the remaining juice in your fridge.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/diabetic+recipe" rel="tag">diabetic recipe</a>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163406105573752922006-11-13T00:15:00.000-08:002006-11-13T00:21:45.660-08:00Bittergourd-The Wonder Vegetable for Diabetics<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/1600/peria.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1427/2717/320/peria.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The bittergourd is the climbing crop and needs support.When young, the seeds of this plant are white and are coated by aril that is red after ripe. This unique vegetable is eaten during the period of the young level and has bitter taste.The bittergourd or so called 'peria' in Malay language, is eaten as 'ulam' or salad boiled with chilli sauce or is mixed in cooking like curry or stir-fry ketchup.</span>SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36178692.post-1163404374398056122006-11-12T23:47:00.000-08:002006-11-12T23:58:22.610-08:00Tips-How To Fight Diabetes<span style="color:#000000;">1. Don't overeat.</span><br />2. Eat smaller than normal portions.<br />3. Stick to breakfast, lunch and dinner times.SMK Kijalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04590622762964736884noreply@blogger.com