The “diabetic diet” doesn’t exist. There is too much controversy — but there shouldn’t be. It is becoming more and more evident that a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet is the way to go for controlling diabetes, while the high-carb, low-fat diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association simply does not work.

The ADA has “breads, grains, and other starches” at the base or foundation of its food pyramid. Then come fruits and vegetables on the next level. It isn’t until the third and fourth levels of their pyramid that we find dairy products, meat, fish, and so on. This makes carbohydrates the foundation of their nutrition plan.

Since diabetes is a disease of carbohydrate intolerance, this seems a bit strange, to say the least. Carbohydrates in the amounts the ADA suggests serve only to raise blood glucose levels and raise the necessity for more insulin to control those glucose levels. The ADA pyramid contributes to complications from diabetes, it doesn’t minimize or lessen them.

If, however, the ADA pyramid were turned on its head, it would be a pretty good diabetes diet plan. Make proteins the foundation: meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Add some vegetables at the next level, such as salad greens, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, gourds and squash. On the third level place slowly-digested starches such as kidney beans and lentils, and at the top of the pyramid leave room for a serving of alcohol or nuts.

Even the ADA has come around to admitting that the low-carb diet helps control diabetes, but can’t bring itself to actually recommend such a diet. They seem to think it is too difficult to maintain it for the “long term”.

Nevertheless there is a growing population of diabetics who are thriving on the low-carb, high protein diet. They have maintained it for years. It is not difficult, because cravings for carbohydrates decreases after the first few weeks. A high-carbohydrate diet on the other hand perpetuates itself by creating cravings for more carbs. But the cravings pass when hunger is satisfied with protein.

The upside-down ADA diet also lends itself to easier weight control. It isn’t always true that you are what you eat. Fat doesn’t make you fat as much as carbohydrates make you fat. A low-fat, high carbohydrate diet will make you fatter than a low-carbohydrate, high-protein (with its fats) diet.

If there were any commercial diet plan out there that we would recommend as the “diabetic diet”, it would be a low-carbohydrate, high protein diet. Lose weight, lose the carb cravings, and most important, control the carbohydrate-induced blood-sugar levels.

Have you just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Are you looking for a type 2 diabetes cure? Find out the truth about the type 2 diabetes cure.

The Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes can either be type 1 or type 2. Most people would consider type 1 diabetes to be more critical and serious because people suffering from this condition do not produce adequate insulin to regulate glucose levels. It is believed that genetic factors may play a big role in the development of type 1 diabetes. Type 2 on the other hand is characterized by insulin resistance. A type 2 diabetic’s pancreas may be fully functional but the body’s cells are resistant to the influence of insulin and do not take in as much glucose for cell energy production.

What is most common in Americans is the type 2 diabetes. Although it is as devastating as type 1, it can be easier to manage especially when detected early because it does not involve a defective pancreas.

The Type 2 Diabetes Cure

Up to the present, science has not yet come up with a type 2 diabetes cure. Even insulin shots in severe type 2 cases are not considered a cure because an individual would still have to rely on external sources of the hormone to regulate glucose. Some researchers are now currently exploring the possibility of pancreas transplants for type 1 sufferers which may also work for severe type 2 patients. Even transplant research however has not yielded a suitable type 2 diabetes cure. Transplants could be rejected by the host’s cells or still end up failing to supply insulin.

People with type 2 diabetes are simply coping with the condition with prevention and some treatment. With proper treatment, individuals can lead lives that are close to normal even without a type 2 diabetes cure.

Risk Factors

Treating the condition before it develops into a full-blown type 2 diabetes condition is the first step to take. Treatment however relies on recognizing the symptoms early. Millions of Americans however do not show any diabetic symptoms until complications that affect the heart, eyes and skin have developed. One way to detect diabetes without the symptoms is to look at the risk factors. A family history of diabetes is most certainly a sign that you should watch over your blood glucose level or at least have it checked regularly. You should also be worried if you are heavier than the ideal weight for your age and height.

Prevention

Prevention is the closest thing you can ever get to a type 2 diabetes cure. Not much can be done if you are genetically predisposed to diabetes. Genetically inherited diabetes can simply be regulated through diet, exercise and medication. A lot can be done however if you have diabetes because of your weight and your lifestyle.

Some researches have shown that development of the type 2 diabetes condition can actually be delayed or prevented if treated in its early stages. Prevention lies mainly in strictly maintaining a planned diet and exercise program. Ask your doctor to teach you how to count your carbohydrates and come up with planned meals to keep your blood sugar level constant.

A lot of people underestimate the importance of having first hand type 2 diabetes info. Even non diabetics however should make it a point to be informed. Gathering type 2 diabetes info may save your life or that of a loved one.

Why You Need Info

Most people think that people who have genetic history on genes are the only ones who are at risk of getting a diabetes type 2. Latest information on type 2 diabetes tells us, however, that improper diets, stressful lifestyles and being overweight are also considered to be factors leading to diabetes.

What is alarming is that all you may have as a clue of your condition are the risk factors. This is because not everyone has the typical symptoms of diabetes like frequent hunger and thirst and extreme tiredness. You should search for reliable type 2 diabetes info if you are at risk even if you do not show any symptoms.

Early Detection

Compared to type 1 diabetes, type 2 is more common even among young, overweight people.

Sensible type 2 diabetes info can help you minimize the risk of developing diabetes. If you have the condition already, reliable type 2 diabetes info can help you prevent complications from developing. Diabetes after all does not just affect your blood sugar level. Having diabetes may mean that in the future you could also suffer from heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage and even limb amputation. Not knowing that you have type 2 diabetes or are at risk of developing it may increase your chances of dying from these complications.

Dealing With Diet

One other main reason why you should get type 2 diabetes info as early as possible is that finding out early about your condition may give you cheaper, easier and more convenient methods to battle your condition. Individuals with pre-diabetes or those who detect their conditions early on may simply be provided with type 2 diabetes info on diet and exercise. You may not need extensive medication at all since your blood sugar level which is not yet at an alarming level may be lowered by following your natural recommendations from your dietician or endocrinologist.

Reliable Sources of Type 2 Diabetes Information

The most reliable source for type 2 diabetes info should be your doctor. Making your own diet adjustments will only prove to be dangerous as this experimentation could result to fluctuations in your blood sugar level that could lead to a complications. However, it is advisable to research ahead for diabetes information on your own before seeing your doctor.

Knowing something about your condition ahead of time will help you formulate correct and complete questions to ask your doctor. If you re considering gathering information from the internet, always look for government and scientific organization web sites that can help corroborate whatever you read on other sites. You can also log on to forums and support group sites that can offer you valuable information about how to cope with diabetes.

Good adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is associated with a reduced incidence of Type 2 diabetes in White individuals, report investigators.

“Intervention studies have shown that in addition to a blood pressure??”lowering effect, the DASH diet has beneficial effects on total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, and weight management,” explain Angela Liese (University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA) and colleagues.

“To date, however, findings from observational studies have not been encouraging, suggesting that very high adherence levels might be needed to produce an impact and that those may be achievable only in intervention settings.”

The team assessed whether degree of adherence to the DASH diet, measured using 1-year food frequency questionnaires at baseline, affected incidence of Type 2 diabetes in 862 participants of the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) after 5 years of follow-up.

The DASH diet is rich in vegetables, fruit, and low-fat dairy products. Participants were graded according to their DASH score into three adherence tertiles, with an average score of 38.4, 49.5, and 60.2 in tertiles 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

As reported in the journal Diabetes Care, the researchers found that overall there was a weak, but not statistically significant, inverse association between DASH score and incidence of Type 2 diabetes.

However, when stratified by ethnicity, compared with those in tertile 1, White participants in tertile 3 had a significant 69% reduced risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, but no such risk reduction was observed for Black or Hispanic individuals.

The researchers say this is “possibly because of the key limitation of our study??”the relatively small sample size,” adding that “differential accuracy of diet assessment may play a role.”

Liese et al conclude: “Therefore, replication of our study findings in a larger cohort is needed.”

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

Blood pressure (BP) lowering or intensive glucose control does not significantly reduce the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy, report researchers in the journal Diabetologia.

The ADVANCE Retinal Measurements (AdRem) study did find significant reductions in some retinal lesions with both interventions, however.

Raised levels of both BP and blood glucose are associated with an increased risk for diabetic retinopathy. AdRem is a substudy of the ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular disease) study evaluating the effects of target driven intensive glucose control and placebo-controlled BP lowering on retinal vascular changes.

A total of 1241 patients had gradeable seven-field stereoscopic retinal photographs of both eyes available at baseline and the final visit. The primary outcome was the incidence and progression of retinopathy as assessed by at least two steps of progression in the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) classification.

The team led by Joline Beulens (University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands) reported that retinopathy progressed in 59 (4.8%) patients and developed in 128 (10.3%) patients during a median follow-up of 4.1 years.

Neither BP lowering nor intensive glucose-lowering therapy significantly reduced the incidence and progression of retinopathy, although both treatments were associated with trends towards benefits.

Any retinal vascular lesion occurred at a similar frequency among patients receiving BP lowering treatment and those on placebo. However, BP lowering treatment did significantly reduce the occurrence of macular edema, the most common cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes, and arteriovenous nicking, compared with placebo.

There was no difference in any of the specified retinal lesions between intensive glucose lowering and usual treatment. But, after adjusting for the presence of retinal hemorrhages at baseline, intensive glucose lowering was associated with lower risks for microaneurysms, hard exudates, and macular edema, although these differences were of borderline significance.

“A longer period of active treatment and larger numbers of patients are needed to demonstrate more definitive benefits,” the authors conclude.

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

The 1800 calorie diet means eating no more than 1800 calories worth of food each day. This may be something which is needed if you are diabetic; it may be 1800 calories, 1200 calories or somewhere else in between. The diabetic diet differs from each person due to the individual calories needed for each person. The calorie restrictions are set to ensure diabetics can control their blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Through restricting your diabetic diet plan with a certain amount of calories to take in per day you are not only controlling diabetes you are also able to ensure a healthy eating habit.

A diabetic diet limits how many carbohydrates, fat and protein you eat. The 1800 calorie diet for diabetics is low in calories and fat.

A sample of an 1800 calorie diet is below

Breakfast should consist of 2 pieces of bread or bagel or 1 and a half cups of bran cereal. 1 piece of fruit and 1 glass of skimmed milk or a sugar free yogurt.

Lunch should consist primarily of protein such as turkey breast however it should be cooked with as little oil as possible. As well as this a vegetable such as a tomato, 2 pieces of bread and a piece of fruit.

You can also have an afternoon snack which could be a cup of skimmed milk and 1 piece of bread. Instead of a cup of milk you can have sugar free yogurt.

Dinner should consist of protein either fish or meat, a small quantity of vegetables a piece of fruit a cup of brown rice and a cup of skimmed milk or a sugar free yogurt.

Evening snack should consist of a piece of bread and a meat or protein such as cottage cheese or one ounce turkey breast.

A diabetic diet plan is built primarily on your own diabetes however it is possible to create a diabetic diet plan from standard diets. An 1800 calorie diet is great and ideal for people suffering from diabetes and you can find lots more information in guides and eBooks.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says it does not know what causes diabetes. However, even though many major players appear to be pro-economic rather than pro-diabetic, the ADA gives a good piece of advice in their publication, that all diabetics need to pay attention to. It says, “The cause of diabetes is not known, but there are things you can do to treat yourself.” - Diabetes A to Z.

What is not stressed enough is the well-documented fact that even though you may already have developed the disease, you can control or remove the symptoms of diabetes to the extent that you have a completely nondiabetic profile, without using medication.

Type 2 diabetes is largely a condition resulting from lifestyle habits AND when we know what factors give rise to the condition, we can reverse those symptoms by removing the conditions that caused them in the first place. But there are 2 great hurdles that we face with this seemingly “simplistic” approach.

The first is that it requires a disciplined and persistent approach to naturally control blood sugars. Our doctors, medical care givers, and the pharmaceutical communities know this all too well.

Secondly, a change of lifestyle can be so powerful that if every diabetic were to successfully control their blood sugars by natural means, it would mean significant loss in revenue to the medical and pharmaceutical communities, and…

That I am not really sure that economics would consider sensible… seriously!

If we Knew the Cause of Type 2 Diabetes…

Okay, so there are tens and hundreds of articles that make it clear that certain key factors such as lack of proper sleep, lack of proper diet, uncontrolled body weight, and lack of regular physical exercise are more significant factors than even heredity that cause the development of adult onset of diabetes.

What if the same effort that is used to get people to educate their children was used to encourage people to care for their bodies What if there were not so much competition and rip-off by the drug companies in selling their drugs What if we weren’t “programmed” to think that a pill is the answer to everything even a bad thought What if we had not gotten accustomed to always have to expect instant correction to a problem that we have taken years to develop

Do you see the problem

Not too long ago, I spoke to a nurse about this situation and she said: “Don’t you believe that we [medical professionals] know that natural intervention, i.e. dietary and lifestyle change could give many patients better and more long-term results We know that, but we also know that most patients are not able to stick with such a program.” She went on to tell me that, that is why doctors have to prescribe synthetic drugs - patients will not adhere to a lifestyle change.

Four Simple Anti-diabetes Things You Can do Now

In dealing with type 2 diabetes, we must simply consider what causes diabetes - and we do know a lot. But what do to make sure we have better health, ESPECIALLY during challenging economic times The time has past for us to be acting carelessly, depending continuously on drug intervention for relief.

Type 2 diabetes is largely a condition resulting from a damaged lifestyle. We can fix that. Here are four key steps that I have used to remain prescription-drug free since 2006, and maintaining an A1c of 5.2. Anyone with type 2 diabetes can do this:

[1] Change to a high fiber, complex carbohydrate, low protein plant-based diet. I know this is contrary to many popular beliefs, but consider that carbohydrates are not the culprit in diabetes, high fat diet is. Most dietary considerations have been formulated to maintain good economic health; a high fiber, complex carb diet is patterned after the way nature provides our food and is better in the long run.

[2] Get regular physical exercise. It does not matter if you are physically challenged. You don’t need to go to a gym of fitness center either. The key is to be consistent in whatever you do. When it comes to exercise, however, the more aggressive and consistent you are the better the results. For example, walk at a brisk pace [don't run!] for 30 - 60 minutes every day, 7 days a week for 8 to 12 weeks and see what that does to your high blood sugar. You will lose your medication! It happened to me.

[3] Rest. There are several studies that link development of symptoms of type 2 diabetes with improper sleeping habits. Today’s lifestyle lend itself to late nights watching television and getting no more than a few hours. The research is showing that 7-8 hours of good sleep promote longevity.

[4] For extra boost, use a supplement that lowers blood sugar. There are hundreds of claims all over, but I can only speak for a couple that I am able to “swear” by. Milagro de la Selva diabetes tea and Diametrix Blood Sugar Support. The good thing about ALL these four suggestions is that their effects go beyond helping in diabetes control - they benefit other conditions and improve overall health WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS.

As any true Southerner I find it difficult to give up my sweet tea even though I am diabetic. As a diabetic I found this delicious diet drink to vary things up from the typical diet sodas and juices. The drink is called Milos sweet tea. Milos has a variety of different teas such as sweet tea, unsweet tea, but for us diabetics they now have diet tea. This diet tea is sweetened with splenda so there is no sugar or carbs in the drink. Not only is there no sugar or carbs but there is also zero calories, zero fat, zero sodium, and zero protien.

Another advantage of this drink is that it only contains three ingredients where your diet sodas and juices contain several ingredients along with many preservatives and things that are harmful to your body. Another major advantage of Milos Sweet Tea is that it is not very expensive and can be found in most grocery stores. You can find it in gallon sized jugs or in smaller single serving bottles. While there are other diet teas out there such as the drink packets and store brand teas, Milos Tea is my favorite by far. The flavor is much better and the taste is richer, it almost tastes the exact same as true sugar sweetened tea. As a diabetic this delicious tea will allow you to have a great tasting beverage with zero sugar/carbs/calories.

Thank you very much for reading this article about Milos Tea.

If one or both of your parents have diabetes, chances are you will not escape the genetic consequences. But here is what you can do. You can be proactive and never have to take an insulin medication or stick yourself up to 2 times a day just to maintain normal blood sugar.

Even if you argue that it has not been proven that there is such a thing as a genetic link, don’t throw caution to the wind.

If you have a family history though, you owe it to yourself to know the symptoms of pre-diabetes otherwise know as hypoglycemia. Unlike diabetes the symptoms of prediabetes or hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. This happens when there is an over secretion of insulin by your pancreas in an effort to get the sugar, glucose from your blood stream into your body cells. This causes you to have symptom that you might not associate with diabetes.

Some of the symptoms are fatigue, irritability, dizziness, depression, and anxiety, craving for sweets, night sweats, a feeling of tightness in the chest, constant need to nibble, insomnia, lightheadedness, swollen feet, and weakness in the legs. Some of these feelings occur in between meals that are high in sweets and fat or after drinking sweet alcoholic drinks. If these symptoms are over looked after a while you might be faced with a diagnosis of diabetes.

Genetic diabetic links are strongly influenced by lifestyle. If you have adjusted your palate to a modern way of eating with highly processed fatty foods, gigantic soft drinks, large serving sizes at meals and snacks, you might want to note these symptoms.

Being aware of lightheadedness and a feeling of tightness in my chest after eating a Greek salad and a Margarita helped me to nip diabetes in the bud. First I got the feeling of tightness in the chest. Then I got light headed. I got so light headed I passed out. I had stopped to fill my car up and fainted at the pump. The person behind me waiting to fill up got out of his car and helped me up. This was so very scary for me, because I thought what if I was driving? I remember the feelings I had just before I fainted, and I thought this is more than a drink. This is bigger; this must be my double genetic link to diabetes nudge. This must be the onset of hypoglycemia. If both my parent did not have diabetes, I probably would not have made this association.

I was determined not to succumb to diabetes so I decided to nip this in the bud. I decided to do a major overhaul of my diet. Knowing my history with one parent dying in a diabetic coma, I was totally motivated. No turning back and definitely no diagnosis of diabetes.

This first thing I resolved was to remove sweet alcoholic drinks from my diet. I removed all packaged food drinks from my diet in an effort to lower my consumption of sugar, artificial colors, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. I mixed my juice with water or drink half the serving size on the label.

That was a great start. That was 15 years ago. During this time I have fine tuned my diet based on the glycemic index so that I never have any symptoms of hypoglycemia or diabetes. My diet has such a variety of foods; I do not get bored with it. Most of what I eat is found in my book Eat Yourself Younger Effortlessly. I hesitate to call it a diabetic book because it brings so much contentment, it is much more. I have my thyroid function checked since reduced thyroid function is associated with hypoglycemia.

I go to the gym 3 times per week and concentrate on preserving my muscle. I do yoga to increase my oxygen, retain muscle strength and balance and to quiet my mind.

This is a small price to pay for tip top health free of diabetic symptoms. So far my genetic link is inactive. Over the years my blood sugar remained normal and I have never been diagnosed as diabetic or taken any prescription drugs for hypoglycemia or diabetes.

I guess very few of many diabetic patients know the effects of weight on diabetes. Those who are obese have a much greater chance of gestational diabetes as compared to those persons who are not obese. The type 2 diabetes is mostly common in obese people as compared to those who have the ideal body weight. According to an survey result, it was concluded that more than 90% of people who have been suffered from Type 2 diabetes seem to be overweight. So if you are really into controlling your diabetes, you should consider reducing your weight as well.

Another interesting information I would like to share is those people who suffer from type2 diabetes, 35% out of them have high blood pressure. So being overweight also tends to increase the chances of other diseases as well.

There are things that can be done by yourself to help control this dreaded disease called diabetes which has been making your life miserable. The first thing you need to do is to lose those extra pounds, although it is not as easy as being said.

I know, I understand it’s hard for an average person to have a diet routine, believe me it’s very hard to manage but hey nothing is impossible, but if you want to enjoy the life in long run you have to sacrifice on this. You can do exercises in several ways like playing with your kids and if you are a grand father then with your grand kids and do some house work yourself. Avoid the use of car and instead of it, use a cycle or walk yourself to go to nearby markets.

Another thing need to be noted is how much you eat? And how much you burn? You need to have an adequate control on this figure. Instead of using sugars in your diet, try using those sweeteners which will help you control those extra calories and help in your diabetes control as well. Avoid excessive salt intake. Always look at the labels of the food that you eat and avoid that food which you are not supposed to eat.