The treatment for type 2 diabetes is the diabetic meal plan. This is the most effective treatment. The diabetic diet will allow you to lose those extra pounds, lower your cholesterol and reverse your diabetes.

Example of weight loss diets below:

Low Fat Low Cholesterol Diet - very low fat diet to help you lose weight and lower cholesterol

Fasting - giving up food for a period of time for weight loss. This one is pretty drastic and usually not recommended for a diabetic.

Atkins Diet - reducing your carbohydrates but allow fats.

South Beach - lower carbohydrates and lower fats

There are many options to lose weight but there is one diabetic meal plan that has been released by corporations to help you lose weight and reverse your diabetes and it is free online.

This diet will give you the right amount of calories and fat to help you lose weight, but allow you keep your energy for everyday tasks.

The most important part of this diet if that if you strictly adhere to this diet then you will lose 30 to 40 pounds, reduce your blood sugar and lower your cholesterol.

Even losing a little weight will reduce your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol.

Make an effort to look at any fat that you might have in your diet. Read the labels in the grocery store so you will know exactly what you should or should not eat.

Allow yourself to lose 30 to 40 pounds, reduce your cholesterol, reduce your blood pressure and reverse your diabetes. Feel better than you have felt in a long time. Free Online.

What is the key to losing weight if you are a type 2 diabetic? Reducing your calories is the number one way to lose weight. You can look at many other diets but the truth is that reduction of calories is the first and foremost way to lose weight.

In this country today the portion size of food has increased dramatically and in so doing so has our calorie intake. The next time you eat out cut that portion into a third and carry the rest home or let someone share your meal with you. You can save money and save calories.

How many calories do you need a day? Multiply your weight by 10. (Example 140 pounds = 1400 calories).

If you are very active male then you might want to add 40% more in calories.

What can weight reduction do for you?

Lower your blood pressure

Lower your blood cholesterol

Lower your blood sugar

Reduce your risk of progression of prediabetes to diabetes

There are companies that have released diabetic meal plans due to the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The meal plans will help you reduce your calories, lose up to 30 to 40 pounds, and reverse your diabetes. This company makes that diet simple for you.

You will know exactly what you need to do to lose those extra pounds and reverse your diabetes.

Also consider adding fiber to your diet as it will help lower your cholesterol. Fiber is in fruits and vegetables and whole grains. This will be also discussed in your diabetic meal plan.

Take that first step in changing your health for the better.

The increased spending on healthcare for Type 2 diabetes in recent years appears to be of value in terms of the adverse outcomes prevented, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Joseph Newhouse (Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) and colleagues explain that chronic diseases account for a large share of total healthcare spending, but it is uncertain whether increases in spending always buy better outcomes for patients.

To address this issue, the researchers performed an economic analysis using data from an observational cohort of 613 Mayo Clinic patients with Type 2 diabetes to determine the net value of healthcare for this population.

The authors assessed changes in inflation-adjusted annual healthcare spending and in health status between 1997 and 2005. Two approaches were used to determine change in health status: 10-year risk for nonfatal and fatal coronary heart disease, and changes in each patient’s predicted remaining life expectancy and quality-adjusted life-years (QALY).

Spending data were obtained for all medical care, whether or not related to patients’ diagnosis of diabetes.

The authors defined net value as the present discounted monetary value of improved survival and avoided treatment spending for coronary heart disease minus the increase in annual spending per patient.

During the study period, control of coronary risk factors such as glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and serum lipids, improved with a consequent decrease in modifiable 10-year risk estimates.

Overall, there was a mean increase in predicted life expectancy and QALYs based on all diabetes-related complications of 0.123 years and 0.087 years, respectively.

Total spending during the study period more than doubled, with the greatest increases for inpatient services and pharmacy costs (142% for both).

Assuming that 1 life-year is worth $200,000 (€136,444) and accounting for changes in modifiable cardiovascular risk, the authors estimated the net value of changes in healthcare for patients with Type 2 diabetes as $10,911 (€7,444) per patient between 1997 and 2005.

“A positive dollar value that suggests the value of healthcare has improved despite increased spending,” explain the authors. Estimates remained positive when values of $100,000 (€68,222) and $300,000 (€204,666) were used.

A second approach based on diabetes complications yielded a net value of $6931 (€4,728) per patient.

“We estimate that the value of improved survival from lower cardiovascular risks exceeds or approximates the increased spending on care,” write the authors, although they caution that the estimates are based on a small group of patients and on many assumptions.

In their conclusions, they acknowledge that it is unlikely that the current spending increases can be sustained. “It is still necessary to enhance value for money spent on care for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes,” they write.

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a part of Springer Science+Business Media. © Current Medicine Group Ltd; 2009

Free abstract

Use of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) to measure glycemic control underestimates glucose level in Type 2 diabetics infected with HIV, report investigators.

They believe this is caused by use of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and say that fructosamine may provide a better estimate of serum glucose.

“Current guidelines for the management of diabetes in HIV are similar to diabetes guidelines for the general population,” say Colleen Hadigan (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA) and colleagues.

“However, a previously published case series and a retrospective study noted elevated glucose values relative to HbA1C levels in HIV-infected subjects,” they add.

To investigate this further, Hadigan and team carried out a cross-sectional study of 100 HIV-infected adults with Type 2 diabetes (77%) or fasting hyperglycemia (23%) who were compared with 200 adults with Type 2 diabetes, but no HIV.

As reported in the journal Diabetes Care, the team found that, compared with controls, HbA1c underestimated glucose levels by 29 mg/dl in HIV infected individuals.

They observed that factors associated with this discordance included use of NRTIs, higher mean corpuscular volume and hemoglobin, and lower levels of HIV RNA and haptoglobin; although only current NTRI use, particularly abacavir, and higher mean corpuscular volume remained significant following multivariate analysis.

Use of fructosamine, an alternative method for assessing glucose levels, proved to be a more accurate measure than HbA1c in Type 2 diabetics with HIV.

“Our study suggests that HbA1c may not be accurate for assessing glycemia among HIV-infected patients on NRTI-based therapy, especially those with macrocytosis or those on abacavir,” conclude Hadigan et al.

“Fructosamine may be an appropriate alternative for assessment of glycemia in this context,” they suggest.

MedWire (www.medwire-news.md) is an independent clinical news service provided by Current Medicine Group, a part of Springer Science+Business Media. © Current Medicine Group Ltd; 2009

Free abstract

Science does not have an answer as to why the pancreas stops making insulin, or why when it is produced the body is resistant to it. We do know that a mutant gene handed down from long ago ancestors may be responsible. Other possible causes include:

Genetics

Obesity/potbelly

Stress

Physical inactivity

Pancreatic infections

Elevated Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels

You will find that most risk factors responsible for diabetes, also are factors that exist for heart disease.

Diabetes is due to insulin that is either insufficient or ineffective leading to increased blood glucose levels. This leads to symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (excessive thirst). Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas. When glucose levels are elevated, insulin changes glucose into energy that the body can use for fuel.

Inefficient insulin and it’s affect on the body:

When insulin is produced but the body fails to use it appropriately, it is said the body is resistant to insulin. A second reaction is when the body does not produce enough insulin to change glucose into energy. In both cases the insulin is inefficient and causes blood glucose levels to rise in the blood.

Is it curable?

Presently no, but there are several exciting and experimental procedures being performed that are showing high success rates. these procedure include;

Pancreatic Transplant: For those with uncontrolled Type 1 DM, but have a functioning kidney. Thankfully, these patients no longer need insulin injections to keep them alive. Additionally, their risks for developing complications associated with diabetes is greatly decreased.

Kidney/Pancreas Transplant: Reserved for patients who have substantial kidney failure, as well as uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes. This surgical procedure allows the patient to be free of dialysis treatments and insulin injections. Patients who avoid rejecting their organs in the first year after surgery, have a greater likelihood of non-rejection for 10 years and more.

Islet Transplants: This procedure is currently in clinical trials and involves replacing the bad Islets Of Langerhans with good islets from a deceased donor. Islets of Langerhans are the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas. The islets are extracted from the donor pancreas and injected into the liver of the receiver. The cells start manufacturing insulin which works to regulate blood sugar levels.

All of these procedures are currently experimental and are not yet approved by the FDA. In a study of 36 patient who received islet transplant, only five remain free of the need for insulin 2 years after their transplant.

The search for better treatments and a cure for diabetes is on-going, and it is hoped that a cure will present itself in the very near future. But until then, lifestyle changes will help those who are living with diabetes to live a long and productive life in spite of having the disease.

If you are diabetic, then your doctor, or dietitian, will have discussed the glycemic index, and how important it is to eat foods that are low in this listing.

The GFI is a measure of the effect that carbohydrates have on blood sugar levels. A carbohydrate food, which breaks down quickly during the process of digestion, releases glucose rapidly into the blood stream, has a high GI.

Low gi foods break down slowly, and release glucose slowly into the bloodstream. Whether you have diabetes, or not, foods with a low index score have important health benefits.

A Doctor at the University of Toronto developed the glycemic index of food, during research into the best diet for people with diabetes. Foods which are low on the scale are not only slower in the digestive system, but also take the load off the liver.

A lower glycemic response means the body needs less insulin. A food, which is seventy or more, is high in the list. You may be surprised to find that cereals like Rice Krispies, and Cornflakes were rated as high.

Between fifty-six and sixty-nine is considered medium, and fifty-five or less, is low. You will be equally surprised to find the index number of vodka, beer, and alcohol is low, but this is because there are no carbohydrates in vodka. Fruits and vegetables all have low ratings.

If you are diabetic and need to eat a low GI diet, then there is a good deal of information available on the Internet. There are many websites, which display a comprehensive food listing.

This is especially useful as some foods, for example carrots and rice, have a large range of values. This varies according to the way you prepare the food, and is also because of natural botanical differences. Another example is the musa paradisiaca (banana). Research has shown that the carbohydrate content of bananas depended on how ripe they were.

On one website I found a table to calculate values, and a free calorie chart. There were ideas for recipes for those times when you need to create something special, and even a shopping list. You can save a lot of time, and frequent visits these websites, by making a printed copy of the food list. You can then refer to this guide whenever you want.

The gi diet has been incorporated into some of the top weight loss diets, such as the South Beach, and Atkins. This is because when your body digests foods, which are low on the index ratings, you feel fuller for longer. This allows you to eat fewer calories without the hunger pangs.

Body builders also use knowledge of the GFI in a product called weight gainer 1200, to feed muscle.

Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, so it is interesting to note that when you add a food from the low index chart to your meal, it lowers the level of the whole meal. Additionally research has shown that a 1000-calorie low index diet facilitates greater weight loss in obese adults with high insulin secretions.

If you are still confused about all this, you may like to consider buying software, the GI diet meal planner. This software doesn’t show you how to calculate the values, but does it all for you.

Diabetes in women is caused mainly due to obesity. There are various signs of diabetes in women such as feeling thirsty, dry skin, tiredness etc. Most women in US suffer from this deadly disease. Obesity makes our body more prone to diabetes. Due to excess indulgence of junk food and soft drinks, excess amount of fat is deposited in our body. They make us look ugly while this lethal disease makes the whole situation worse. Usually Type 2 diabetes affects a middle-aged woman. Usually ineffective insulin, which is unable to maintain the blood sugar level in your body causes this problem.

Symptoms and cures for Diabetes In Middle Aged Women

. Signs of diabetes in women are tiredness, frequent urination, dry skin, infections and weight loss. It is always advisable to consult a doctor if these symptoms are found in a woman. Due to aging your insulin becomes less effective hence the maintenance of blood glucose level is disrupted.

. Exercising and dieting can cure middle-aged women from diabetes. You should completely avoid sugar intake as they can raise the level of blood glucose in your body. You should also avoid food containing fats. Avoidance of red meat is extremely beneficial and prove to be effective cure for diabetes in women.

. Exercising regularly is the best cure for this disease. Aerobic dances are basically combination of aerobic exercises and various dance forms such jazz, salsa etc. They can tremendously help you in getting a disease free body while you can lose a serious weight by this process.It will effectively eliminate the signs of diabetes in women by curing the disorder upto huge extent.

. Eat more green leafy vegetables and fruits and drink lots of water to get rid of this problem. One can easily discard this problem by following a healthy lifestyle.

Type 1 Diabetes is an auto immune disease that destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. Type 1 Diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because it usually struck people under 20. In type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas produce little or no insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter body cells. Once glucose enters a cell, it is used as fuel.

Type 1 Diabetes is largely inherited.

Without adequate insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells. The body is unable to use this glucose for energy despite high levels in the bloodstream, leading to increased hunger.

In addition, the high levels of glucose in the blood causes the patient to urinate more, which in turn causes excessive thirst. Within 5 to 10 years after diagnosis, the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are completely destroyed, and no more insulin is produced making people with type 1 insulin dependent.

Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it usually starts in people younger than 30. Symptoms are usually severe and occur rapidly.

The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not known. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 3% of all new cases of diabetes each year. There is 1 new case per every 7,000 children per year. New cases are less common among adults older than 20.

The result is Type 1 Diabetics are hungry all the time trying to make up for the shortfall of insulin. Amazingly though since the body cannot process the nutrients weight loss is symptomatic along with extreme thirst and excessive urination. The kidneys try to process the excess glucose to balance things out. Weakness is another symptom.

Diabetic must know that what and how much they eat is related to the sugar in their body. The more food you have then the more sugar your body will have. To control diabetes you need to consume the right food for you.

Do I need to follow certain diet?

It would be better if you would consult a dietitian for this so that he can create a meal plan specifically for you. A meal plan is a manual that will help you choose what kind of foods you can eat and how much of it is needed. Some experts recommend 40% to 60% of calories from carbohydrates, 30% or less from fat, and 20% coming from protein.

Can I eat sweets?

In the earlier period, doctors told their patient to stay away from sweets but recent studies has proven that including sweets on the diet would not cause some difficulty on people with diabetes as long as they are including it on their diet. Just be wary about the amount of sugar that you are going to consume.

What food to eat?

Always consult an expert for this since they know what hey are doing. Dietitians would instruct you on how many carbohydrates, proteins, and fats your body needs.

Fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy foods are good sources of carbohydrates. When choosing between fresh fruit and canned fruits, select fresh ones. Other sources of carbohydrates are condiments mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

Some vegetables, beans, meat, poultry and dairy goods would be fine sources for protein. Make a habit of eating more poultry and fish than red meat. When eating poultry never it the skin.

Fats are found on butter, margarine, lard and oils. The dietitian will advise on how much fat you need to consume each day.

I wasn’t able to get a post up yesterday because I was having computer issues. I have a WP app on my IPhone, but there’s no way that I can type that much on that phone. So it’s Saturday afternoon and I am at the Spanish River Library in Boca Raton with a nice venti bold from Starbucks, with my beautiful girlfriend and getting some work done. Why am I at the library on a Saturday afternoon when I am no longer in college? Because football officially begins tonight which means I will have just about zero time left from now until January to do anything at all. Tonight my Virginia Tech Hokies kick off against the Alabama Crimson Tide. It also means that my diabetes gets tougher.

For those that have been following me for a while probably know that my Hokies and Philadephia Eagles screw with my blood sugars big time. This year I have a CGM and vow to wear it for every single game so I can monitor how my sugars are going up and down. At my last Endo visit I was told that I need to track my blood pressure a little more frequently as well since it was 140/80 when I came in and also when I left the visit. During Eagles games I can feel my heart pounding rapidly on big plays and also at the end of the game. When they are winning easily it doesn’t really affect me. More on the Eagles in a further post when their game is coming up. Right now, it is all about the Hokies.

I am already becoming a little nervous because our star running back is injured and not going to be playing. Not to mention that we are playing the #5 team in the country. Grant it, we are #7 in the country, I hate having to play these top teams during the first game of the year every single year. Let’s get into the diabetes part of it though. And the reasons for why my sugar goes up. I have narrowed it down to 5 different reasons why they are all over the place.

# 1 - Passion and Nerves

I am a very passionate and die hard sports fan. I have been fans of the teams I am fans of pretty much my whole entire life. I grew up an Eagles fan, became a Hokies fan when I was about 7 or 8, so I feel attached to these teams. I have also had no luck with my sporting teams winning championships, except the Phillies last year, that I want them to win every single game. When they lose I become upset and pissed and feel like I am part of the actual team. Obviously I don’t want to feel pissy but when it is fourth down or there is 2 minutes left in the game and we are down by 6 my blood pressure is shooting through the roof. My goal this year is to take deep breathes and relax and tell myself that my life is not affected by this game.

# 2 Food Choices

During sports games I am not always able to watch the game at my own home just because of regional TV decisions. So, at times I must go down to the local sports bar. While I am there, I may as well make a meal out of it and eat also. This leads to a game long appetizer of homemade buffalo fried chips from Bru’s Room in Delray Beach, FL. Second part of the meal is usually a Memphis pulled pork sandwich or some sort of non-healthy meal with some mashed potatoes. You may have guessed why I named a specific food, because I am extremely superstitious and don’t like to go away from something that I ate when my teams have won while I ate that. I know, I know, I’m crazy!

# 3- Beer

Beer and football, just makes sense. Do I really need to go into why the beer intake messes with my blood sugar? I don’t think that I do, your educator can take care of that.

# 4 Guessing, not Testing

If I go to the sports bar then there is about a 5% chance that I take my meter with me. During that 5%, there is about a 1% chance that I will test my sugar. I also am kind of guessing how many carbs are in the food. Usually what I do is just take a 25 unit max bolus and then eat to cover my insulin. If I “feel” that I am getting low then I will just eat more of the chips or maybe even order a dessert or something else. Not a great decision for a diabetic.

# 5 Stress

This one comes during the game which I started to get into during reason #1. The stress gets even worse after a loss. I will be stressed out and down in the dumps for a few hours or even the next day until I finally get over it and realize that next week we get another chance to win. The later into the season the worse the stress gets.

I now know the reasons why sports affect my blood sugars, now it’s time to do something about it and fix these 5 things. Well I am going to the sports bar tonight even though the game is nationally televised, but I am going to eat healthy. No beer, no pulled pork. I will have an un-sweetened iced tea, a cobb salad and maybe a cup of French Onion soup. Maybe, just maybe I may cheat and get some jalapeno poppers because Amanda also likes them.