Diabetes Portion Control and Weight Management!
I think that Amy has the right idea in this article about diabetes portion control and weight management. None of us like to think about dieting and it one of the most important factors in a diabetic’s lifestyle. Instead of “dieting” maybe we should look at how we eat from the viewpoint, that we are in “control” of what we eat.
Portion Control and Manage Your Weight! by Amy Stephens
Americans with Type 2 diabetes eat too much food and exercise too little. Studies indicate that diabetic Americans not only eat too much food, but we have a poor picture of the right amount of food. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are specific portions of certain food groups that everyone needs to eat every day in order to stay healthy.
Portion control is understanding how much a serving size is and how many calories a serving contains. Portion control is important for weight management as the weight is defined by the total calorie intake. Healthy diabetes meal plans, using Aristotle’s philosophy, is the desirable middle between the extremes of excess and deficiency (over-eating and not eating enough), the “golden mean.” Portion control is eating a healthy diabetic diet meal with a balance of amount and types, of varied foods.
Diabetic’s Superfruit The Maqui Berry
What makes the Maqui Berries a superfruit for diabetics? Diabetes is more than just blood sugar levels it is cardiovascular disease, inflammation all over, arthritis and yes our blood sugar levels. Dr. Juan Hancke, who is a medical doctor, has spent several years of intensive research into this super berry and his findings are very interesting.
These are a few of the things that make the Maqui Berry so beneficial to us and along with the many natural compounds that are found in very high amounts.
- Maqui is unusually high in anthocyanins (the purple pigmentation,) which are called delphinidins. In fact scientific research has shown that the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) rating of maqui berry contains more disease busting antioxidants than any other well known Superfoods, including concord grapes, cranberries, the goji berry and the very popular acai berry.
- Delphinidins are a potent anti-inflammatory and help to decrease the effects of inflammation of degenerative diseases like; cardiovascular disease, arthritis (Inflammatory diseases are basically any illness that end in “itis”) and diabetes.
- Cardiovascular disease is brought on by oxidation of cholesterol which contributes to strokes, heart attacks and your arteries hardening. The antioxidant in Maqui berries will help in the prevention of oxidation.
- Diabetics seem to have a lot to gain by eating Maqui berries, drinking the juice or taking daily supplements. It can help aid in the suppression of blood glucose, prevent the forming of new fat cells by leveling out your highs and lows. The bonus for the diabetic using Maqui berries is that when your blood sugars level out your body stops the forming of new fat and will benefit you in controlling your weight.
Diabulimia, a Dangerous Way For Diabetics to Lose Weight
Recommended Exercise Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetics
Who would of thought that there would be exercise guidelines geared for Type 2 Diabetics. I like so many type 2 diabetics, are allergic to exercise and we have some 
extremely unique reasons for not exercising. However, I was in the mood to think about the possibility of taking my 30 minute a week workout to the next level when I came across Diane Fennell’s article about the new exercise guidelines established by both the ACSM and the ADA. The benefits of following the panels recommendation will be an overall improvement to our health. I’m sure that you will find this just as informative as I did.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) have issued a joint position statement establishing new exercise guidelines for people with Type 2 diabetes. These replace the ACSM guidelines issued in the 2000 position stand “Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes.”
The new recommendations were developed by a panel of nine experts based on evidence from recent high-quality studies establishing that regular physical activity can prevent or delay the development of Type 2 diabetes and can positively impact factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, heart health, and quality of life. Most of these benefits, the authors note, are the result of both resistance and aerobic exercise and are achieved through both short- and long-term improvements in insulin action.
Gluten Free Dark Choc Brownie Recipe
I know that brownies are a rare treat to Diabetics, but do try this Gluten Free Brownie Recipe. This recipe is great for freezing so you can pull a brownie out of the freezer for a special treat…put on the tea kettle and enjoy!
Ingredients:
6 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 lg. eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 rounded cup almonds, extra fine chop
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla plus 2 tsp peppermint ext. for mint brownies)
Optional Toppers:
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Treating Type 2 Diabetes with a Gluten Free Diet
Diabetics most definitely benefit from a gluten free diet. This type of diet is a way of life for people suffering from diabetes as well as other diseases such as celiac, autism and many other diseases.
Many people especially diabetics have severe gluten sensitivities. Many illnesses have been associated with gluten consumption and one out of every hundred has gluten intolerance. People that suffer from infections such as diabetics develop this type of sensitivity.
Eating gluten free has helped people not only with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes but also diseases like celiac, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammation of the nervous system, peripheral neuropathies, anaemia, seizures and loss of balance.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes means high blood sugar and this is caused due to the body not producing enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t fully respond to the insulin the body produces. The pancreas produces this hormone which helps the body to absorb glucose and in turn produce energy. If the cells do not absorb glucose one will develop hyperglycaemia which will lead to other complications.
The two most common types of diabetes are Diabetes Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Type 1 results from the body’s failure of producing insulin and the person will require insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes means the body is insulin resistant as the cells fail to use the glucose produced by the body.
Other types of diabetes are gestational diabetes, congenital diabetes; cystic fibrosis related diabetes, steroid diabetes as well as monogenic diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes is treated with diabetes medication in pill form with some patients taking one or more pills, however the patient does not have to inject with insulin. However once you have been diagnosed with Type 2 it is considered to be a chronic condition of which there is no cure.
Why Exercise & Diet Is Important For Type 2 Diabetics
Those suffering from Type 2 diabetes can change their lifestyle by maintaining a healthy diet and increasing their day to day physical exercise activities. 
It is recommended by professionals and the ADA that a Type 2 Diabetic needs to maintain a healthy weight as well as maintain an exercise program.
A diet that is low in saturated fats reduce the risk of developing diabetes and scientists have proved that people that live a healthy life style whereby they get plenty of physical exercise and don’t smoke as well as take in low levels of alcohol are considered low risk as opposed to those that eat foods that are rich in hydrogenated fats and take in a high consumption of alcohol as well as smoke.
People that have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are given oral medications, your doctor and your diabetes educator can go over the different types of medications, how each medication works and may even put you on a diet and exercise program without any medication. Diabetes management includes keeping the patient’s blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible and is maintained with the correct dietary management and exercise programs. There have been reported cases where a Type 2 Diabetic has to use both oral medication as well as insulin.
It has been proved that healthy eating has a positive impact on the symptoms as well as progression of Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. A well planned diet does not mean that a diabetic has to eat special foods. A diabetic needs to maintain a diet that contains whole grains, fresh vegetable and fruit and an intake of less saturated fat. Fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can be taken in moderation.
A Type 2 diabetic should not take any drastic diet measures such as low carbohydrate diets as this will only help short term as diabetes cannot be reversed and one needs to maintain a eating plan that lowers blood sugars as well as improves lipids and blood pressure. To devise the best eating plan a diabetic needs to visit a diabetic dietician. Your primary care doctor will be able to suggest a local dietician that specializes in diabetes.
Besides maintaining their diets diabetics need to participate in an exercise program and again there are no special diabetic exercises. An exercise program is usually devised that suits the patients needs. Any amount of exercise in better than none, walking is a very inexpensive way to start out. Some diabetics have already developed cardiac disease so yes their exercises will be different as they may not be able to do exercises that require exertion.
It is very helpful for both Types of diabetics to join a support group you can learn much from others and they will learn from you.
