Tag: Blood Stream

Type I Diabetes Diet

According to the American Diabetes association and the American Dietetic Association, there are very specific guidelines regarding your diet if you have Diabetes and the following article will outline those guidelines for your Type I diabetes diet.

Diet is important when you have diabetes because the insulin you take helps control your blood sugar levels but cannot do it all by itself. You must follow a balanced Type I diabetes diet to be able to maintain consistent blood sugar levels throughout your day.

If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes and need to give yourself insulin shots everyday, or several times a day, then you should do yourself a favor and make sure that you start eating your meals at the same times every day. This will help you stabilize your blood sugar levels quicker and decrease any signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia (too much sugar in the blood stream), or hypoglycemia (too little sugar in the blood stream).

Keeping everything balanced is your best bet to making sure that your blood sugars remain stable. This is key to your continuing good health. Limit your carbohydrate intake and get some regular exercise, even if it is just a walk through the neighborhood everyday. These two things along with your regular monitoring of your blood sugar and taking the insulin as directed by your doctor will make managing your diabetes a lot easier.

Carbohydrates are also known as simple sugars. This means that when you eat them they are immediately converted to sugar for energy in your blood stream. When your pancreas is not working right, it cannot release insulin to combat the increase of sugar in your blood. This is why you need to give yourself insulin when you eat.

Planning your meals does not have to be a chore. To make it easier, sit down once a week and make up a menu for that week. Balance every meal with protein, carbs and a little fat. Once you have it all written down then making your grocery list is easy. Make sure you throw in some healthy snacks, too, and never, ever skip meals.

Your doctor will most likely refer you to a dietitian. They can help you figure out how to change your eating habits so you are getting all the nutrients you need and customize a meal plan to help control your blood sugar levels. If you follow all of their recommendations you really should be able to manage your diabetes quite well.

If, at any time, you have a question about something you want to eat and are unsure if you can, or should, call your doctor or dietitian to make sure that what you want to eat fits into your Type I diabetes diet. Keeping a close eye on everything you put into your mouth, getting some regular exercise, and working with your doctor to get to the right insulin dosage can keep you from having an unstable range of blood sugars and an increased risk of experiencing complications from diabetes.

Diets For Good Cholesterol-Mother Nature Can Help

We were made to be able to get all the nutrients we need right out of the ground. When it comes to finding diets for good cholesterol you have to look no further that what is available from Mother Nature.

Diets for good cholesterol don’t have to be expensive to make or difficult to prepare, all you need to do is learn to incorporate several key ingredients into as many meals as you can.

These foods are naturally good at helping you get your good cholesterol levels high, your bad levels low and keeping them that way.

Make a list and the next time you go to the grocery store stock up on these things. You can find many recipes that will include one or more of these items or you can just switch out some recipes that you currently have and add these foods instead.

Here you go:

1. Beans. These little wonders are a great source of protein and fiber and they can even help you raise your good levels and lower your bad levels.

2. Salmon. This fish along with others like tuna, sardines and herrings, can also provide a lot of omega 3 acids. This is a great ingredient to help you maintain a healthy heart.

According to the American Heart Association you should eat at least 2 servings of fish per week.

3. Brown rice. Brown rice can provide a high protein low fat alternative to other side dishes. Another benefit of brown rice? It is a great source of fiber too.

4. Apples. You know the whole “apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, turns out that that is true! Apples have pectin which is a soluble fiber that can decrease the bad cholesterol in the blood stream.

5. Nuts. Many types of nuts are loaded with polyunsaturated fats which can help reduce cholesterol levels. Some of the best are hazel nuts, almonds and walnuts.

Remember though, that nuts are high in fat so you don’t want to eat too much of them. Limit your intake to a cup a day.

It is true, too much of a good thing can be bad.

6. Various fruits that are high in antioxidants are a great addition to your diet too. They taste great and can be added to many types of recipes. Blueberries are one example.

Of course, it’s not just about what you eat, it’s also about what you do. It is important that you move your body and get some exercise.

Many people seem to have a bit of a block when it comes to exercise. They seem to think that it will be hard but that doesn’t have to be the case.

You can, and should, start small. Simple changes can make a big difference. Just start taking your dog for a walk every day, for example.

Park a little further away from the store or your office to force yourself walk.

As you can see, there are some simple changes you can make to help you get your cholesterol levels in check. There are many diets for good cholesterol, just find the one that works best for you.

Non Hypoglycemia- Understand the Cause

Non hypoglycemia, also known as non diabetic hypoglycemia, is a condition where the level of glucose in your blood stream falls below a certain number and you experience symptoms. Anyone in the world can experience a hypoglycemic episode but usually hypoglycemia is caused by a medical condition or hormonal imbalance.

There are two types of non hypoglycemia, or non diabetic hypoglycemia. The first one we will discuss is Fasting Hypoglycemia. One obvious cause of fasting hypoglycemia is not eating. When you don’t eat and/or skip meals your body can’t get the fuel it needs so your blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels.

Fasting Hypoglycemia can also be brought on by excessive strenuous exercise. If you do not replenish your body’s reserves during exercise then you will experience an episode of hypoglycemia. Fasting hypoglycemia is the type that can also be caused by a medical condition or hormonal imbalance.

A medical condition known as hyperinsulinism, or too much insulin released by your pancreas, is caused by a tumor in the pancreas. Other conditions, like Addison’s disease, that affect the secretion of hormones by the pituitary gland or the adrenal glands also can cause the pancreas to secrete more insulin than is necessary to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.

Excessive alcohol consumption can cause the drinker to experience a hypoglycemic episode. Alcohol
converts directly to sugar in your system and therefore stimulates the pancreas to secrete the insulin. If you do not eat the way you are supposed to when you are drinking, then you can and probably will feel the symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Reactive Hypoglycemia is a condition that may result due to a deficiency in the liver when it is required to secrete glucagon. Sugar is stored in the liver as glucagon and when the body needs a boost the liver normally secretes some into the blood stream. Liver diseases like hepatitis, cancer, or cirrhosis can inhibit the storage of glucagon.

If you have never had an episode of hypoglycemia before then you probably don’t know what symptoms to look for. Hypoglycemia symptoms include feeling shaky, hungry, being unable to think clearly, pallor, sweating, anxiousness, dizziness or lightheadedness, and blurred vision. Any or all of these symptoms should say only one thing to you, EAT NOW. If you do not get something to eat when you feel these symptoms other symptoms will soon follow and they include falling into unconsciousness, convulsions and even death. Do not play around with hypoglycemia, you could get yourself into all kinds of trouble in very short order.

So, if you feel these symptoms coming on stop what you are doing and eat something to raise your blood sugar quickly. If this happens often you probably keep some hard candy or chocolate at the ready. When your blood sugar is back to within normal limits then you need to eat something a little more substantial to keep it up.

Non hypoglycemia, or non diabetic hypoglycemia, is a dangerous condition that can turn even more dangerous very quickly so learn to control it early.

Low Blood Sugar Diet

If you have frequent low blood sugar episodes then you should consider starting on a low blood sugar diet. You need to get you blood sugars under control otherwise you may find yourself in some serious trouble at some point. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can be a serious condition if not brought under control. Figuring out how to eat better is the best way for you to control your low blood sugar. Here’s what you do.

Plan out what you are going to eat throughout your day. This will make things easier for you so you don’t get so hungry and then have n o idea what to eat. Your best bet is to plan out several small meals that are easy to get to during the day. If you work then you may need to start carrying an insulated lunch box to keep the food you prepared close at hand. Buy a thermos to keep hot things,like soup, hot.

A high protein, low carbohydrate low blood sugar diet is best for you to learn to adjust and then maintain your low blood sugar. Stay away from things that are highly processed they are full of bad carbs. Also stay away from anything made with white sugar or white flour for the same reason.
If you do not consider yourself much of a cook, then learn. This is the best thing you can do for yourself. Learning to cook with fresh ingredients will help you keep your blood sugars under control.

Decreased carbs is great but how do you get and feel full? The easy answer is, fat. Be careful here though and make sure that you are using the right kinds of fat. Olive oil and canola oil are best. Anything that says ‘hydrogenated’ is bad. Fats will help you feel fuller, longer and slows the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. The slower the absorption the more stable the blood sugar.

A great way to see what foods are foods you react to when you have a low blood sugar episode, is to keep a food diary. Maybe you have done this in the past and already know what foods are your triggers, great! Then all you have to do is to learn to eat right to keep things under control. Avoid any of the foods that you react badly to, or, if you can’t stay away from them then just have them in moderation and make sure that you eat them with something that will help maintain your blood sugar level.

The reason that carbs are bad for you if you have low blood sugar, is because carbs immediately convert to sugar in your body during the digestion process. This sudden increase in blood sugar makes your pancreas pump insulin into your blood stream to try to control it. The problem arises when the blood sugar has been taken care of then there is still an overabundance of insulin in your blood stream and then here is where the trouble starts. With too much insulin and not enough sugar you have an insulin reaction, or, a low blood sugar episode. This can be prevented if you learn to live on a low blood sugar diet.