Original Limu dramatically reduces glucose absorption balance” according to Reproductive Nutrition and Development.

What this study suggests is that the polysaccharides in seaweed (fucoidan) slows the infusion of glucose into the blood stream. By doing this the blood sugar levels are kept stable and excessive insulin responses are prevented. In other words Limu may help to keep the blood sugar levels within normal limits.

Now, I have never worked with anyone who has diabetes that didn’t benefit from Original Limu. Even the most brittle diabetic responds dramatically to it. The rule of thumb I use is simple: If you eat three meals a day you drink Limu three times a day, if you eat 5 meals a day, divide the Original Limu into 5 amounts.

I start out each person on 6 oz of Original Limu a day: 2 oz with breakfast, 2 oz with lunch and 2 oz with dinner. If they are eating an unusually large dinner you can always increase the evening dose to 3 oz.

Don’t forget you’re working with a food, not a medicine. If they’re going to have a treat, they can drink an extra dose of Original Limu to help balance it. They need to keep track of their Blood Sugar levels anyway so increasing the Limu until it works for them is not a big deal. Original Limu can be very flexible!

There will be times when diabetics may not need as much and also times when they need more. After they have been on Original Limu for a period of time they will be able to tell where they need to be. Never tell anyone to stop taking their medicine. That is their doctor’s job and we’re not practicing medicine. We are using food to help our body’s work the way they were intended to work.

A man I know who was so brittle that any amount of carbs would send him sky high. He could not even eat a small baked potato. With all his medicines they were still unable to keep his sugars regulated. On Limu he did even out, and was able to have small portions of carbohydrates without problems.

Another lady on Original Limu was taken off her diabetic medicine by the doctors because she didn’t need them anymore, as long as she was on Limu. She drank an extra dose of Original Limu just before she went to bed because she had gotten in the habit of eating ice cream late every night.

Diabetics are used to watching their Blood Sugar. They are able to regulate and experiment with the amounts of Original Limu they need to maintain a good sugar level. So start out with the 2 oz with each meal. They know their body better than anyone, and you can never overdose on original Limu. It’s only food… a powerful food!

If the 2 oz at each meal is not making a difference within a couple days, increase that amount to match the size of the meal. Maybe 2 oz at breakfast and lunch and 3 oz with dinner. It’s possible that after being on Limu for an extended period of time, they may find that they can decrease it and their blood sugars will stay the same.

Incidentally, that’s the way they are prescribed their medicine from their doctors. They’re given a certain scale they adjust according to their needs as they watch their blood sugar. In the hospital they use a Sliding Scale; if you’re above the parameters you get more insulin, if you’re too low you get juice or maybe 50% dextrose injection. So what would you prefer to work with?

Now, you know all the problems diabetics have with this disease… Yes, the neuropathies, blindness, kidney damage, the list is endless, slow healing of wounds, etc, etc, etc…. Well, with Original limu, many of those problems disappear.

Diabetes is a killer. It’s one of the most devastating diseases that we see in the hospital. It causes people to lose their quality of life long before they eventually lose their live’s. If Limu was able to stop the progression or even reverse the problem and you had diabetes….. wouldn’t you want to know about Original Limu?

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Diabetes now afflicts 20.8 million Americans, or 7% of our population. Only 5-10% of Diabetics are type 1, where through autoimmune destruction of insulin producing beta-cells, they now have a lifelong dependence on insulin. The rest are classified as type 2, resulting from insulin resistance (the cells of the body stop responding to insulin) combined with insulin deficiency. According to the ADA there are 54 million Americans who have prediabetes, or 17% of our population.

What’s causing this epidemic? Is it really “bad genes” or what we are putting into our bodies?

Diabetes is a serious, life-threatening condition that has everything to do with what one eats (excessive and poor food choices) and what one does not eat (nutritional deficiencies), and much less to do with the supposed biological fatalism of our genes. While geneticists apply vast amounts of time, energy and money to finding the “causes” of disease in our genes, much less attention is placed on research that has already proven that the consumption of foods like wheat, dairy and soy are major contributing factors in the development of type 1 diabetes, or that the consumption of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Blaming “bad genes” on diseases like diabetes is a convenient way to escape the obvious things we can do individually, and as a culture, to prevent the escalation of an already epidemic problem.

We shouldn’t settle for the unlikely prospect of a future “cure” via the pharmaceutical pipeline, gene therapy, stem cell research or similar scientific fantasies, when the cause (and therefore the cure) of diabetes may be as close to us as what is at the end of our fork.

It is universally accepted that type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system attacking the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Eventually the pancreas is no longer capable of producing insulin. While geneticist look for the “bad genes” that are supposedly “causing” the autoimmune problem, it is well documented that in susceptible individuals something in wheat known as gliadin stimulates diabetogenic class II HLA antigens on the surface of the pancreatic islet cells (cells that normally do no display these antigens), marking them for autoimmune destruction. [Do dietary lectins cause disease? BMJ 1999;318:1023-1024].

Not everyone who eats wheat will develop diabetes. Different people will exhibit differing degrees of susceptibility to wheat lectin and this is why it is right to say that there is a “genetic component” to the development of type 1 diabetes, or to any disease. But acknowledging the existence of genetic differences and differing susceptibilities to illness in a population is not to say that genes are “causing” the disease. In the case of wheat lectin, it is not the gene that is causing the islet cell to present an antigen on its surface. It takes wheat lectin to activate the genes necessary for this cellular transformation. To use an analogy, the genes predisposing one to higher risk for diabetes are like an “unloaded gun.” The “bullets” are certain allergenic foods like wheat, dairy and soy. The “triggers” that “fire” this “loaded gun” are varied, from prolonged exposure to these foods, to increased intestinal/gut permeability, vaccinations, viral infections, and perhaps a multitude of as of yet unknown factors.

If we know that the three most commonly lauded “health foods,” wheat, dairy and soy all are implicated in the development of type 1 diabetes, wouldn’t it be a good idea to remove them from the diets of our young as a precaution? What is the other alternative? Succumb to the fatalistic fallacies of the “gene theory” of disease, and just hope that our children won’t develop the disease because they do not have “the bad gene,” or have just been lucky in the game of nutritional Russian roulette?

Type 2 Diabetes - a preventable and reversible disease!

Type 2 diabetes, and the prediabetic state of insulin resistance that precedes it, are caused by the following preventable factors:

1) excessive consumption of calories.

2) inactivity; lack of exercise.

3) Consumption of high glycemic foods (foods that make the blood sweet):

a) primarily sugar and grain derived carbohydrates, e.g. pasta, cereal, crackers.

b) high fructose corn syrup, and other sources of concentrated fructose: e.g. sugar, agave.

4) hydrogenated oils

5) nutritional deficiencies of minerals, especially magnesium, chromium and zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids, as found in foods like flaxseed, walnuts and wild fish.

When we eat beyond our capacity, excess energy is stored in the body as glycogen and saturated fat. When through prolonged over-consumption of food our body no longer has room to store these unneeded calories, insulin resistance emerges. As if to protect itself from caloric over-saturation, the fat cells and muscle cells begin to lose the number of insulin receptors, thus reducing the amount of glucose that may enter. This causes the blood sugar to raise to unhealthy levels leaving the pancreas with no other option than to overcompensate and produce more insulin. If this cycle continues, eventually the insulin producing beta cells become enervated and lose their ability to produce insulin, resulting in full blown type 2 diabetes. Caloric restriction becomes of vital importance in forestalling the development of type 2 diabetes.

Exercise is essential in helping the body use up stored energy, converting calories consumed into calories burned. Exercise has the opposite effect of over-eating, increasing the number of insulin receptors in muscle, and increasing the sensitivity of the body to insulin; hence, releasing the pancreas of the burden of constant insulin production. Exercise also results in the release of appetite suppressing hormones and neurotransmitters which help to forestall over-eating.

Carbohydrates generally have an insulin secreting effect on the body because they have a high glycemic rating. That is to say, carbohydrates cause the blood to become sweeter than protein or fat, which are broken down slowly in the body, independently of insulin. Even so-called “complex carbohydrates” like puffed rice have higher glycemic ratings (110) than white sugar (80), which is 50% fructose, and therefore less likely to induce an insulin response than these “whole grains.” On the flip side, fructose while having a low glycemic rating, can raise blood sugar on the back end by reducing the affinity of insulin for its receptor, hence contributing to insulin resistance and elevating blood glucose.

When it comes to “whole grains,” no food category is associated with greater misunderstanding in realm of blood sugar disorders. The perception that “whole grains” are good for our health and should be consumed in plenty is based on the assumption that the millions of years of biological evolution that preceded the advent of the agrarian revolution (circa 10,000 b.c.) are no longer relevant. We spent 300,000 years as archaic homo sapiens in the capacity of hunters, gatherers and foragers, where the consumption of cereal grasses, and especially the seed form of these grasses, would not have occurred with any regularity, if at all. Our metabolism is simply not designed for large amounts of starch, sugar, and synthetically produced sweeteners and fats. We need fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts, and high quality animal protein in plenty. Moreover evidence exists demonstrating that the glycoproteins in starchy grains known as “lectins,” can bind to the leptin receptors in the hypothalamus blocking out the appetite suppressing effects of the hormone leptin. This is one reason why bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, etc, can generate incessant cravings and contribute to a condition known as “leptin resistance.”

High Fructose Corn Syrup has been shown to cause insulin resistance in rats and humans. It also been associated with insatiable hunger and increased production of fat by the liver, along with other blood lipid alterations associated with “metabolic syndrome,” which includes high triglycerides, increased blood pressure, low HDL and elevated LDL.

Hydrogenated oils dramatically reduce the responsiveness of our muscle and fat to insulin, whereas, omega 3 fatty acids increase that responsiveness. A search of the biomedical citations on www.pubmed.gov shows a treasure house of research proving omega 3 fatty acids help to correct insulin resistance.

Numerous clinical studies have also been done showing that magnesium, gtf chromium, chelated zinc, alpha lipoic acid, cinnamon (ceylon or true cinnamon; not cassia or false cinnamon) all help to prevent, reduce or reverse the progression of type 2 diabetes.

The reason why these truly remarkable dietary supplements receive less attention than they deserve is because they are not “patentable drugs.” Mother Nature’s formulas are proprietary, but She does not grant patents! Rather, she offers these things to us to use freely for self-healing, if only we would listen and consider ourselves deserving enough to use them.

High blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia occurs in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. When the levels are too high the result is one or two more other symptoms such as:

• frequent urination
• excessive thirst and an urge to drink large amounts of fluid
• fatigue
• blurred vision
• difficulty concentrating
• a headache

These symptoms are all related to your blood sugars being high and your body’s inability to clear it from the blood-stream and convert it to energy.

There are two types of hyperglycemia:

Fasting: This is where the level is higher than 130 mg/dl (7 mmol/l)

After-meal or Postprandial: A level higher than 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/l) is considered high.

• need a higher dose of insulin
• have forgotten to take your insulin-injection or insulin-stimulation medication
• didn’t take your medication at the right time
• need to check your carbohydrate ratio; perhaps it exceeded the dose of your medication
• ate too much food generally and did not adjust your medication. The food you eat and the medication you take need to be balanced
• could be under emotional pressure, or stressed
• have an infection or are ill
• exercised less than usual
• have lost weight
• have taken another medication which has blocked the effect of your insulin medication

Hyperglycemia happens to most diabetics at one time or another but if your have high blood sugars often, please consult with your health care provider.

Dawn Phenomenon: Another reason for high blood sugar levels early in the morning is because as dawn approaches, usually six to ten hours after bedtime, the insulin-action wanes. The liver appears to do a rapid clearing of insulin around this time. Also many insulin-dependent diabetics have an early morning surge of growth hormone which is an insulin-antagonist and this too can be responsible for the sugar levels to be high. If your blood sugars are often above 126 mg/dl (7 mmol/l) upon wakening, try to lower them by doing some type of physical activity in the evening. This moves glucose into the muscles for hours afterwards.

If you are having insulin-injections, your health care provider may need to adjust the timing or the amount of your evening dose.

One of the most important things for people managing their diabetes to do is to check their blood glucose levels daily, sometimes multiple times a day as recommended by their doctor or diabetes educator.

Using a glucose meter is an easy process - it just needs to be done every day. Here are the important steps to remember when testing your blood glucose levels.

1. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands whenever your test your blood. It’s safer and more sanitary, but it will also ensure more accurate readings.
2. You will need a meter, test strips, a lancing device, and a lancet.
3. Carefully place the lancet in the lancing device and remove the cap from the needle. Do not touch the needle. Set the spring on the lancing device so that it is ready to stick your finger, but don’t set off the trigger yet.
4. Get out a test strip and put it in the meter. (In most cases, this will turn the meter on.)
5. If you are beginning with a new box of test strips and have a meter that needs to be coded, make sure that the meter matches the code on the box or bottle of strips you are using. Improperly coded meters give substantially inaccurate results.
6. The test strip symbol should flash on the screen to let you know that the device is ready.
7. Prick your finger with the lancet. Using the side of your finger rather than the tip will be less painful because there aren’t as many nerves there.
8. Squeeze your finger so that you get a big drop to fill the test area on the test strip. Wait a few seconds (time varies with meters)
9. Make sure to record your reading. Take any necessary action according to your reading (take insulin, eat something, etc.) and throw away the test strip and the lancet, and put away the rest of your supplies for the next time you need to test.

Make sure that you work closely with your doctor or a diabetes educator to make a plan for safely managing your diabetes.

Normal blood glucose levels are a luxury for those who are not affected by diabetes in all forms. Hopefully your are someone lucky enough to have your blood sugar under control. If you or someone you know is having problems in this area, read on.

What is glucose? Glucose is a form of sugar that travels through the human blood stream. It usually enters your body in the form of foods high in carbohydrates. You can regulate glucose levels through the body’s use of insulin and glucagon hormones which are produced by the pancreas. The problem arises if the pancreas is unable to generate the proper amount of glucose to keep your body in check.

Normal blood sugar levels register between 70 and 150 mg. The level in someone’s body will change during the day and is affected by many factors including what time of day it is as well as what your most recent meal was (or was not). There is danger associated with levels either below or above the range. If your level is below 70, you most likely have a condition called hypoglycemia or more commonly called low blood sugar. Other symptoms of hypoglycemia include lack of energy, focus and irritability. You can even lose consciousness if your glucose is too low.

If your blood sugar is over 150 mg, then you are considered to be hyperglycemic, also more commonly known as having high blood sugar. If you have persistent high sugar, then you are at risk for diabetes which can result in serious organ damage to your eyes, kidneys and other organs. If you do not have normal blood glucose levels, you should take all necessary steps to reverse the condition. If you have a lifestyle that includes poor habits - including nutrition and exercise practices and decisions that have an adverse impact on your health, now is the time to change your habits and bring your blood sugar under control.

A vicious circle is in operation and we have no idea of how devastating the outcome will be. In the past it was easy to diagnose a child with juvenile onset or type 1 diabetes. This child typically presented with weight loss, dehydration and thirst. Now there is a new picture; obesity has spread to younger children and there is a much higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes than ever before.

A recent report stated:

• one child in four, born in the year 2000 will end up being diagnosed with this condition
• nearly one child in ten with diabetes now has type 2
• twenty years ago this condition was unheard of in young children or adolescents
• we do not yet realize the damaging effects of childhood obesity
• this could mean the complications now seen in mature people, will be seen in young adults and lead to a lower-life expectancy

Add to that the difficulty these children will experience with their peers:

• obesity is a burden for a child, even without diabetes
• maintaining high self esteem can be very difficult for overweight children
• in adolescent years attractiveness equates with body shape and intelligence

The younger a person is at the time of diagnosis, the more likely they are to develop devastating complications during their lifetime. They could develop:

• blindness
• kidney failure
• a higher rate of heart disease than older adults with type 2

The cycle continues as babies born to young women with type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of inheriting the same.

Just as in adults, this condition in young people takes several years to develop. Children:

• are usually overweight or obese
• have a strong family history of diabetes
• are likely to have acanthosis nigricans, a velvety darkening of the skin especially around the neck and under the arms. This is a due to insulin resistance
• girls are more likely to have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• if still studying, often lack the ability to concentrate so have poor grades
• suffer from fatigue
• often only have a mild increase in thirst and urination

How is this treated?

Once diagnosed by your health care provider, managing young people with type 2 diabetes is a family affair. A healthy eating plan and lifestyle changes the whole family can join in, is often suggested. The best news is these changes are great for everyone’s health.

The aim is to:

• normalize blood sugar levels
• reduce blood fats
• prevent the development of complications

People who are scared of getting hereditary diabetes may need to carefully study every health supplement they’re about to try. And because there is still no concrete proof that points to a leading cause of diabetes, it’s good to be careful whenever deciding to take in a new kind of food product.

Diabetes can be hereditary or caused by a lifestyle disparity. In the case of the former, it is inevitable. But in the latter case, something can be done to prevent it.

Acai berry, perhaps the most well-known of all of Dr. Perricone’s Superfoods, has caught a lot of attention due to its seemingly endless health benefits. And according to many researchers, Acai is capable of averting inflammation, improving metabolism, enhancing digestion, maintaining cholesterol, improving energy levels, treating cancer, and so on.

Acai is also acknowledged as an efficient weight loss and anti-aging agent. It is also safe for diabetics since it has a particularly low glycemic content. Foods with low glycemic contents help remedy situations like the slow releasing of blood sugar and insulin in the body, a situation that diabetics know is hard to handle.

However, be careful about Acai that comes in liquid or powder form. Some of these products contain other kinds of juices and ingredients, which may contain sugar and other substances that can worsen diabetes.

If you plan on buying Acai products, make sure that the items you’re buying are made up of 100% pure Acai Berry extract, and not from concentrate, so that you can reap the benefits of the Acai Berry completely.

When you or someone you love is at high risk for developing diabetes or has already been diagnosed with this nearly epidemic disease, fear can sometimes take over. That is only natural, as diabetes does really carry some serious health risks and increase your chances of developing more health concerns than those who are not diabetic. One of the major concerns often becomes what foods to eat; don’t worry, you have a lot to eat without fear.

Nutritionists and physicians will tell you that any sound nutritional plan is not really all about making strict lists of what you can eat and what you can’t eat. It is more about being aware of what you eat and how those foods are likely to be metabolized by the body, and having a balanced diet full of foods rich in fiber and low in calories.

You may have to cut down on sweets, starches, and processed foods, which may be difficult if you are used to eating a lot of them, but that does not mean you will suddenly be subjected to eating only tasteless, yucky foods. You have a lot to eat without fear.

Vegetables, especially fresh or frozen veggies, are delicious and provide all sorts of nutritional value. Broccoli has recently been touted as a blood sugar wonder food, in addition to all its other benefits, so if you are a fan like I am, you are in luck. Just about all vegetables are beneficial, like tomatoes, green beans, cabbages, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, celery, and the like are great for you.

Fruits, even though they do have a bit of sugar in them, are also nutrient dense. You may have to watch which ones you eat, but you do not need to eliminate tasty fruits from your diet altogether.

Protein is important for your muscles, so eating lean meats is healthy and nutritious. Fish, poultry, and lean beef and pork should have a spot on your plate. If you prefer not to eat animals, tofu or some other high protein food will also do well.

Well, the former President of the United States may not have to eat all his broccoli if he doesn’t feel like it, but if you have diabetes or are at risk for diabetes, you should consider consuming the little green tree vegetable - broccoli - the blood sugar wonder. Even without research regarding diabetes, every mom has known for ages that broccoli is just plain good for you, but in case you don’t put much stock in what mom used to tell you, science is ready to back her up.

Research has shown that broccoli has all sorts of wonderful properties that can help you live a longer and healthier life. It is full of antioxidants, is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is full of fiber; at the same time, it has very few calories. All those things are just plain healthy. Now, added to that list, scientists are telling us that an ingredient in broccoli - sulphoraphane - may just help to reverse or prevent some of the damage that diabetes can cause.

One of the big problems that diabetes can cause is damage to the blood vessels; that is why many diabetics have problems with circulation to their feet and lower legs and hands, and it is also why people with diabetes tend to be at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. But broccoli - the blood sugar wonder - is here to help with those issues. Sulphorophane, a phytochemical that is found in large amounts in broccoli, can help. And it is not just beneficial for diabetes; there is some research that shows it may help fight colon cancer and breast cancer as well.

So, I don’t care what the ex-President thought about broccoli. When I fill up my plate, I’m going to include some beautiful green steamed broccoli - the blood sugar wonder. Diabetes runs in my family, and I want to be the one who doesn’t get it.

A calorie diabetic diet allows you to take control of calorie intake. We get calories from basic food content which are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We get energy from carbohydrates but it affects our blood glucose level. More carbohydrates results in high sugar levels in your blood.

With the help of calorie diabetic diet you can control per day calorie intake and hence can manage diabetes effectively. The need of calories is not same for everybody, the amount lies between 1200 and 1800. But in the case of gestational diabetes calorie range should be between 2000-2500 calories per day.

In calorie diabetic diet you have to be careful about foods which you include in your meals. Plan your meal according to your calorie diet. The menu depends upon which calories diet you choose. Your doctor suggests you a calorie diet according to your diabetes type and physical status.

If you choose 1800 calorie diet then plan your whole day meals such that throughout the day you get only 1800 calories and not more than that.

A sample menu for 1800 calorie diet is: In breakfast include two slices of wheat toast, one cup low-fat yogurt, 1/2 cup orange juice, two teaspoon margarine, four teaspoon sugar free jelly and coffee or tea.

The lunch should be of four oz grilled chicken, two dinner rolls, two oz fat-free or low-fat cheese, two cups green salad with one tablespoon dressing, one teaspoon margarine, one peach and one cup skim milk.

Dinner include one bread, 2/3 cup pasta noodles with 1/2 cup pasta sauce, 1/4 cup eggplant and zucchini, and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce.

This is one sample of 1800 calorie diet. You need not follow this plan every day, you can make variations in your meal but remember that plan your meal in such a manner so that it contains only 1800 calories. While choosing foods you can take the help of food exchange list. A food exchange system divides all foods into six groups. Each group contains list of foods having same calories. You can replace the food with another food of same calories but exchanging foods between the groups is not allowed. You can exchange the food within the group. With the help of exchange list you can select the food and exchange it with another food having same calories.

Occasionally you have to eat some food which is not in your regular diabetic diet especially when you go for a party. Then in this case adjust your diet so that you can also enjoy that food. Eat less calories at lunch and have a small portion of cake or ice cream. Instead of sweets drink a calorie free beverage. If you take excess amount of calories than your regular calorie diet then burn the calories by exercise such as walking, cycling etc. Monitoring your blood glucose level is essential because if it goes up you can adjust your next meal and can keep sugar level within normal range.

Thus calorie diets are very effective in diabetes treatment and management.

Drink lots of water because it is calorie free and helps to flush away the toxins. Did you know that flavored carbonated water has no calories, sugar, body, sweetener, color or preservatives? Do you want to know more? Check out tutorials.carbonatedseltzerwater.com/