Diabetes Guidelines

Diabetes Forecast Consumer Guide 2011: The Latest Tools for a Healthy Diabetes Lifestyle
ALEXANDRIA, VA–(Marketwire – 12/30/10) – Diabetes Forecast , the consumer magazine of the American Diabetes Association , has published its annual Consumer Guide in its January issue. The number of products on the market can be overwhelming, so Diabetes Forecast seeks to help people with diabetes select the ones that best meet their needs. Highlights from this comprehensive guide to diabetes …

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Dietitians Dish: Foods high in fiber round out healthy diet,help prevent diseases
By Susan Sizemore, RD, LD

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We’ve all been told (or told someone else) that finishing all your veggies or eating fresh fruit every day is a good way to keep your body healthy and fit. But there are some other surprising foods (drinks too) that we can add to our diet that bring impressive health benefits, and (in moderation, of course) might just help us reach our weight loss goals.

Here are the five, good for your surprises:

1. Tea – 3 cups per day of any type that comes from the leaves of the plant Carnellia sinensis, which includes black, green, white and oolong varieties. There is strong evidence that tea might just reduce your risk of heart disease, and offer other less researched benefits such as protection from cancer and cutting your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Tea appears to have a type of flavonoid from that same family of antioxidants found in fruits, veggies and red wine. To get the most out of your cup of tea, make it strong and steep it a good long time-but if you’re watching your weight, keep an eye on the milk and sugar you add to your cup.

2. Dark Chocolate – a little goes a long way, but just like tea, this delicious treat is believed to have an ample supply of the same flavonoids in red wine, fruits and veggies. Small amounts of dark chocolate have been shown to improve blood vessel flow, and may stabilize blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, thus reducing the risk of diabetes. Choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa so you get more of these healthy antioxidants, and fewer calories from the milk and sugars used to make milk or white chocolate.

3. Fatty Fish – two servings per week of fish such as salmon, trout, herring, tuna, sardines or mackerel. These fish are rich in omega – 3 fatty acids, shown to reduce cholesterol, which helps to keep clots from forming and causing heat attacks. The research is so compelling that the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish on a regular basis. Be sure you choose grilled or broiled recipes as frying removes many of the beneficial substances in the fish and replaces them with calories and saturated fats.

4. Coffee – despite its bad rap, used in moderation, your first cup of morning coffee may have health benefits you haven’t heard about – including stimulating the brain and nervous system as well as lowering your risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, mood disorders and headaches. Coffee has a compound from the antioxidant family and is a good source of magnesium, both are believed to help improve sugar metabolism, help with insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. And while black coffee is a tasty zero calorie drink, adding cream, sugar, or other toppings adds calories that you might not want.

5. Avocados – even though these fruits are full of fat, most of it is the heart healthy monounsaturated kind that is believed to lower cholesterol. Avocados have carotenoids, vitamin E and potassium, plus fiber to fill you up. Be aware though, that just because the fats are “good” ones, they still add calories if you aren’t careful about portions. Slice them onto salads, add them to a soup or spread them on bread to keep the potion sizes under control while still getting all the taste and health benefits too.

Adding one or more of these surprisingly healthy options is a great way to improve a diet that could use some help, or boost the healthfulness of one that’s already on the right track. Along with regular exercise, eating a balanced and nutritious diet is still one of the best ways to maintain your weight and your health.

Valerie Slaugther
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/good-for-you-surprises-you-can-add-to-your-diet-today-61635.html

Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson underwent adult cardiac surgery to correct a hole in her heart. Oscar-winner Patty Duke lives with coronary heart disease. Comedic actress Phyllis Diller suffered a heart attack in 1999, and celebrated author Joyce Carol Oates lives with tachycardia, or rapid heartbeat. Long thought of as a man’s disease, heart disease is beginning to gain exposure from female celebrities. And what they’re saying may surprise you – heart disease is a reality for women, too.

Heart disease affects more than 8 million women in the U.S., killing 267,000 each year.* It’s the leading cause of death among women – even six times deadlier than breast cancer.* Being aware of the risks and taking steps toward better health is vital for women in battling this potential killer.

Be Heart Smart

Some factors of heart disease are uncontrollable – a family history of heart disease increases your risk, as does age (women’s risk increases after age 55). The good news is that a number of other factors can be controlled by making smart choices on a daily basis. In fact, living a healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of heart disease by 82%.** Take action for better heart health now by following these tips.

Keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check. If your numbers are high, a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise could help lower them. Contact your healthcare provider to assess your risk and determine an individualized course of action.

Maintain a healthy weight. Carrying excess weight puts strain on your heart and increases your risk for heart disease, even if you have no other risk factors.

Know your risk for diabetes. Two out of three people with diabetes die of heart disease or stroke.*** Your chance of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood increases if you are overweight, physically inactive or have a family history of diabetes.

Get regular physical activity. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-level activity on most (or all) days of the week. Three 10-minute periods will work, too.

Eat a heart-healthy diet. Fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains will do your body – and heart – good.

Quit smoking. After kicking the habit for just one year, your risk for heart disease drops by more than half.**

You don’t need to be a celebrity to raise awareness of heart disease. Start taking care of yourself now with a healthful lifestyle and regular screenings. And encourage those in your life – both men and women – to do the same.

* Source: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

** Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

*** Source: American Diabetes Association.

Diabetes Info
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/calling-all-women-take-steps-against-heart-disease-97165.html

One the most important indicators of the state of health of Americans today may be the ever increasing rate of overweight and obese children. The Institute of Medicine has found that one-third of American children are either obese or at risk for obesity. The Center of Disease Control has found that, since 1980, the proportion of overweight children ages 6-11 has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the increase in childhood obesity represents and unprecedented burden on children’s health. “If we don’t deal with children, this could be the first generation that will live sicker and die younger than its parents,” states Dr. James S. Marks, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which recently announced an unprecedented effort to reverse childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

Obesity or being overweight is not only harmful to the self-esteem and mental health of youngsters in a society that places such high value on thinness, but there are serious physical health concerns as well. According to Dr. Melissa A. Kalt, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, overweight kids are set up for premature health risks such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even poor behavior in school like inattentiveness, disruptiveness, truancy, and low grade scores.

Some of the environmental factors that are thought to contribute to obesity are: over consumption of fast food, simple carbohydrates, soda, or other high calorie, high fat foods; larger and larger portion sizes; lack of exercise and/or more sedentary lifestyles; under consumption of whole foods, fruits and vegetables. However, what may be underlying all of these factors or at the very least exacerbating the issue is children and media.

Facts:

According to the Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity of the Federal Communications Commission, children today spend many hours each day watching television and are influenced by the programming and advertising they see.

The Kaiser Family Foundation states that young children cannot distinguish between programming content and advertising.

The U.S. Congress, Children’s Television Act of 1990 reports, by the time the average child is 18 years hold, he or she has spent between 10,000 and 15,000 hours watching television and has been exposed to more than 200,000 commercials.

Once research study documents that obesity in children increases the more hours they watch television. (Crespo, 2001)

Another research study shows that children who watch more than three ours of television a day are 50 percent more likely to be obese than kids who watch fewer than two hours. (Tremblay, 2003)

Another researcher reports that children who use a lot of media have a lower activity level which is linked to a higher rate of obesity (Vandewater, 2004)

According to the 2004 report “The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity” by the Kaiser Family Foundation, “during the same period in which childhood obesity has increased so dramatically, there has also been an explosion in media targeted to children: TV shows and videos, specialized cable networks, video games, computer activities and Internet Web sites.” And “much of the media targeted to children is laden with elaborate advertising campaigns, many of which promote foods such as candy, soda, and snacks.”

The Advertising Coalition reports that $10-$15 billion is spent annually on kids’ food advertising.

One study documented approximately 11 food commercials per hour during children’s Saturday morning television programming, estimating that the average child viewer may be exposed to one food commercial every 5 minutes (Kotz, 1994)

Another study found that children’s food choices were significantly impacted by which ads they saw, i.e. either an ad for fruit or an ad for candy (Gorn, 1982)

Other researchers found that for each additional hour of television viewed per day, daily servings of fruits and vegetables decreased among adolescents possibly due to television advertising (Boynton-Jarret, R, 2003)
…

While many researchers and studies are still establishing the role of media in child obesity and overweight issues, (the direct link between advertising and obesity has not been officially established), the advertisers certainly know that TV ads can influence children’s and family consumer choices. For example, fast food outlets alone spend $3 billion in television ads targeted to children. And according to “Advertising, Marketing and the Media: Improving Messages from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, food and beverage advertisers collectively spend $10 billion to $12 billion a year to reach children and youth.

So, what’s a parent to do to counteract unhealthy advertisements and the big dollars behind them? Here a few pointers on helping children be more healthy and fit:

First, educate them on the factors contributing to being overweight or obese:

1. Too much “fat foods” (fast foods, simple carbs, soda, energy drinks, cereal etc.)
2. Larger than life portion sizes
3. Not enough movement or exercise
4. Not enough whole foods (fruits, vegetables, whole wheat bread, whole grains etc.)

Second, reduce poor food choices in the home. Refuse to buy the sodas and sugar cereals or insist that these only be indulged in after a healthy meal.

Third, make whole food choices easy for them to prepare (i.e. pre washed, cut up fruits and veggies; oatmeal; smoothies; whole wheat bread; pre-cooked healthy snacks/meals like cubed chicken breast, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, in single serving size containers. Make it tasty and easy (see green smoothie recipe below).

Fourth, encourage them to exercise (i.e. refuse to drive them to school; sign them up for sports; play with them outdoors; get a dog and go for daily walks). Make it fun.

Fifth, limit television hours per day. And teach them how they can mute the commercials or “tevo” the show and fast forward through the commercials.

And finally, teach them that being fit and healthy means eating healthy foods and exercising, in direct contrast to how television shows and advertisements portray super skinny people eating chips and drinking soda, it’s just not true. And educate them on the fact that advertisers make their money by portraying beautiful people eating junk food.

EASY, YUMMY recipe for “green smoothies”:
Give Your Kids a Great Dose of Fresh, Raw Servings of Fruits and Vegetables
(shhhhh, tastes so good, your kids won’t even know there is spinach in there!)

1. Put about 2 cups water in the blender
2. Add a few handfuls of spinach or kale or chard, blend until smooth
3. Add fruit, 1-2 bananas and 1-2 C frozen blueberries or mixed berries or fruit etc.
4. If you must, add a small amount of sweetener of choice.
5. Smoothie will be purple and yummy and you’d never know there were healthy greens hiding in the mix, ENJOY!

(Go for a green smoothie over a soda! Children who drink just one soft drink a day are 60 percent more likely to become obese, according to a 2001 study by Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital.)
…

Sources:

Boynton-Jarret, R, et al, (2003) Impact of Television Viewing Patterna on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Adolescents, Pediatrics 112(2003)6:1321-1326

Crespo, Carlos J. et al, (2001), Television Watching, Energy Intake, and Obesity in U.S. Children, Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 155, 360-365

Eating Habits of Infants and Children Affect Health and Performance. HealthLink Medical College of Wisconsin. http://www.healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002925.html

Federal Communications Commission: Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity. http://www.fcc.gov/obesity/

Gorn, G, et al, Behavioral Evidence of the Effects of televised Food Messages on Children, Journal of Consumer Research 9 (1982): 200-205

Kotz, K. et al, (1994), Food Advertisements during Children’s Saturday Morning Television Programming: Are They Consistent with Dietary Recommendations?” Journal of the American Dietic Association 94(1994)11:1296-1300

National Institute on Media and the Family: Media Use And Obesity Among Children. http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_tvandobchild.shtml

Tremblay, M.S. et al, (2003), Is the Canadian child obesity epidemic related to physical inactivity? International Journal of Obesity, 27, 1100-1105

The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity: This Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief that reviews more than 40 studies on the role of media in the nation’s dramatically increasing rates of childhood obesity explores what researchers do and do not know about the role media plays in childhood obesity. It also outlines media-related policy options that have been proposed to help address childhood

U.S.News article “Childhood Obesity Epidemic a Long-Term Challenge” http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/070920/childhood-obesity-epidemic-a-long-term-challenge.htm

Jessica Rampton
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/how-media-drives-obesity-in-children-and-simple-counter-tactics-682774.html

There are 8,956 different ways to die. But, most people “choose” the same 4. Why do I say “choose”? Because the majority of our population are choosing a suicidal lifestyle that leads to early death.

As Dr. Augustus Grant, president of the American Heart Association, puts it, “Poor diet, excess body weight, physical inactivity and smoking, are modifiable risk factors that contribute to the premature death of close to 1.5 million Americans each year.”

“Last year,” according to John Seffrin, head of the American Cancer Society, “over 80 percent of all deaths in America were from 4 things – heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.” And all of these 4 diseases are dramatically affected by a lifestyle of “poor diet, excess body weight, physical inactivity and smoking.”

And Americans aren’t the only ones. Now days, the rest of the world’s population are joining us in a lifestyle that leads to early death. Even though most people are born healthy, with the potential to live a long healthy life, they’re refusing to follow the guidelines from health experts and scientists all around the world.

Yet the evidence is undeniable and the message is being drummed out loud and clear on a daily basis. “You can do something about your health. You can protect yourself from chronic disease.” But, what do we do instead? The majority of the population continues a couch-potato lifestyle, eating junk food, gaining weight and smoking cigarettes.

This health crisis is so severe that the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society have joined forces to get the word out by delivering a unified, clear, straightforward message.

Here’s what the scientists and experts are saying. Most deaths are not caused by unlucky genes or even environmental toxins. People, all around the world, are dying prematurely because of the unhealthy lifestyle choices they’re making every day – day, after day, after day.

Most Americans, for example, are way overfed and way undernourished. More than 60% are either overweight or obese. Yet very few are eating the recommended 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Most don’t even get a pittance of that. And, when they do eat fruits and vegetables, it’s usually in the form of unhealthy banana splits or French fried potatoes.

What’s more, the majority of Americans still don’t exercise for the recommended 30 minutes a day. Nearly 1 out of every 4 still smoke after over thirty years of health warnings. And these negative statistics are growing throughout the world.

But you don’t have to be one of these statistics. If you want to avoid the fatal four – heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer – just follow the guidelines for optimum health. Eat a healthy diet, including fruits, vegetables and natural whole food supplements. Manage your weight. Exercise regularly. And don’t smoke.

After all, wouldn’t it be nice to live to be a happy, healthy, fit centurion and then die peacefully in your sleep with a big smile on your face, surrounded by loving family and friends?

Michael Byrd
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/do-you-want-to-be-healthy-92343.html

I am gaining too much weight too fast (started out at 145, am now 215 and have 7 weeks to go) and am really interested in eating healthier, or maybe losing some of the extra weight without hurting the baby. I understand that crash dieting, or any other type of dieting is a bad idea, and just want to change the way I eat to being healthier and see if that changes anything.
My mom suggested looking up gestational diabetes and following those guidelines, but I can’t find any recipes. Allrecipes.com has a diabetes section of healthy recipes that are safe for people with diabetes. Is that basically the same thing and is it ok to cook and eat off of that? Thanks so much for any info!

When it comes to healthy weight management, a little common sense goes a long way. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell us that eating fast food every day of the week is not conducive to our health, nor does it add up that a diet void of carbohydrates might possibly contain the essential nutrients that only fiber-rich whole grains, fruits and vegetables can provide. And no matter how you look at it, fatty meats and full-fat dairy products are simply not the way to a slimmer figure. Quite simply, if you want to shed the pounds, smart choices and a sensible eating plan are the only way to go.

Because science has proven that the only clinically proven way to lose weight is by reducing the amount of calories you consume each day, begin by keeping a journal of exactly what you eat, when you eat. This will help you be more aware of everything you put into your body. Purchase a book or consult an online resource to determine the amount of calories in your food and beverage, and decide where throughout your day you can make small changes that will likely have significant effects. For instance, instead of having that sugary soda with lunch, opt for unsweetened tea with lemon. In place of heavy salad dressings, choose a low-fat or light option, and drizzle instead of drenching your greens.

Try to plan ahead for your meals each week. This will help you avoid impulse purchases at the grocery store that may not support your commitment to healthy eating. Well-balanced options that are low in fat and calories include lean meats and chicken, fresh or frozen fruits and veggies, healthy nuts for snacking, low-fat dairy products and plenty of whole grains (whole wheat pasta, legumes, brown rice). Include plenty of high-fiber foods in your daily diet, as fiber has been shown to support weight loss by absorbing calories from the foods you eat and leading those calories out of the body.

Keeping track of your portion sizes is also extremely important. According to the American Diabetes Association, the guideline for a serving of meat, fish or poultry is three ounces-about the size of a deck of cards. A 1-cup serving of milk, yogurt or fresh vegetables is about the size of a baseball. A healthy serving of rice or cooked pasta is one-third of a cup, and three-quarters of a cup for dry cereal. An ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb. However, a recent study at New York University found that commonly available food portions-when compared with the standard serving sizes recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-were considerably higher.

Finally, finding the time to exercise is essential. Because aerobic exercise has been shown to significantly increase your metabolic rate, a regular workout (30 minutes a day, three times a week) can greatly accelerate your weight loss efforts-plus it provides significant benefits to your cardiovascular health. Building lean muscle mass is also important, since the greater your ratio of lean muscle mass to fat, the faster you will metabolize your food. This is because muscle cells are roughly eight times more metabolically demanding than fat cells.

So the next time you consider jumping on the bandwagon with the latest fad diet, think twice. Commit instead to making sensible changes in your diet and lifestyle, and you will soon be reaping the rewards of your efforts.

Brenda Watson
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/healthy-choices-equal-healthy-weight-management-137322.html

Hello. I am a 24 year old female that is 5’8″ 300 pounds (morbidly obese). I want to know where I can find some healthy eating websites. Not diet ones, as diets have obviously never worked for me. I need some general information or website on how to eat healthy to lose weight and to be healthy. I do not have diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or even pre-diabetes (i lucked out). I want to prevent them. I started exercises (walking outside for about an hour and starting seriously workout out of the gym). I stopped eating fast food and got rid of refined foods like white bread, cookies, chips etc. But I need some guidelines for what to replace it with. Any information or suggestions will be helpful. Thank you!

Do doctors/nurse normally say “Diabetes” to an old person when they find out the persons net egg value worth?