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SEVEN WAYS TO AVOID DIABETES

Diabetes is a disease that strikes more and more people every year, and the increase seems to only continue. This disease can lead to severe complications such as heart problems, kidney trouble, blindness, and amputation of limbs.

There is some thought that diabetes is genetic and that we may be born with a tendency for this disease. It is well known that it runs in families and women who have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at risk as well. Can we prevent or delay the onset of diabetes? Yes, here are some simple ways to allow you to avoid or delay this disease.

1. Eat healthy and wisely. Eating smaller portions is a great way to lose weight. You can make it look like more by using a smaller plate or a salad plate. Avoid snacking while you are cooking. Don’t be tempted to eat the unfinished food to keep from throwing it away or storing it in the refrigerator. Eat breakfast every day, and make your meal and snack times regular by having them at the same time each day.

2. Limit your meat, poultry, and fish intake to no more than three ounces a day. In size, this is equal to about the size of a pack of cards. Another good tip is to listen to music instead of watching TV while you are eating. If you are watching TV while you are eating, you are not aware of how much you are eating and will almost always overeat.

3. Skip desserts and refined sugars. When eating out, have a good-sized vegetable salad to take the edge off your appetite. When you receive your entrée, share it with your dinner companion, or ask for a take-home box immediately after receiving your meal. Have meals that have been stir fried or baked.

4. Use low-salt broth instead of oil and butter.

5. Drinking a full glass of water before eating will also help reduce your appetite.

6. If you are eating at a fast-food restaurant, choose the healthier foods, such as grilled chicken, salads and fruits.

7. Increase your exercise. Next to diet, exercise is vital to a healthy body especially for diabetics. If nothing else, try walking every day or swimming at your local club. Taking walks is a nice way to keep up with your friends and an enjoyable, healthy way to take a break from work related stress. If possible, avoid the elevator and take the stairs as much as you can. You can try to march in place if you cannot get outside for some reason.

All of these activities can help you prevent the onset of diabetes and all can improve your overall health levels. Try them!

  FOOD THAT IS BAD

TYPE 2 DIABETIC

Here are Foods to Help You Fight Diabetes

You may not be diabetic. But chances are you are already have some form of glucose intolerance.

Your pancreas is likely producing far more insulin than necessary to move your blood sugar into the cells of your body. It's the direct result from consuming highly processed food that creates unnatural spikes in blood sugar.

There is no one reason why people get diabetes. Heredity, obesity, stress, lack of exercise

and what is eaten all can bring on diabetes.

When it comes to food most of us eat what is convenient and lacks the essential nutrients our bodies need to function on a normal level. It's hardly surprising that you get sick since your body is unable to cope with the viruses, bacteria and pathogens that invade it on a daily basis.

Despite our hurried liefestyle and stress, it is up to you to take your health into your own hands. You simply cannot rely totally on your doctor or a quick fix from a pill.

The first step is to consume a diet that is rich in all the nutrients your body needs. That means taking time to prepare food and eat properly.

What you should be eating are:

--Fresh Vegetables: They are the most important part of your diet. the best veggies are the dark, leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, cabbage, broccoli, beet greens, collards and Swiss chard. You should eat at least 5 servings of vegetables a day.

--Fruits: Berries are a good source of vitamins, anti-inflammatory compounds and anti-oxidants.

Cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries all make for a better snack than a chocolate bar. You should have at least 2 servings of fruit every day.

--High fiber cereals like oat bran, oatmeal, cream of wheat and farina make for a better breakfast than Corn Flakes which ranks high on the Glycemic Index.

Eat bread that is whole grain; stone ground wheat, oats, rye, bulgur and barley. Consume 4 servings of bread, cereal, whole wheat pasta, rice or noodles every day.

--Fish. We simply don't eat enough of it. Fatty fish such as halibut, sardines, salmon and mackerel are high in healthy omega-3 oils. Eat fish at least once a week. It's believed that the reason we get sick is due to the imbalance between omega 3 to omega-6 oils. We consume far too much omega-6. If you don't like fish, try using a pharmaceutical grade fish oil. That extra omega 3 will do you good.

Nuts and Seeds. No they're not just for birds. But they do contain a great amount of healthy ingredients. While they contain fat, the fat is mostly of the mono-unsaturated variety. Snack on walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds.

--Meats. Beef is one of the major staples in our diet. You should eat lean meat that is organic and pesticide free. Turkey, chicken, fish, seafood and eggs are all high in protein and far leaner than beef. Limit your consumption to 2 or 3 servings or about the size of a deck of playing cards.

--Water. So it's not a food, as such. We can survive quite long without solid food but we must have water. Drink about 8 to 12 glasses of pure water to help flush out toxins. Toxins in our food and environment play a major role in developing diabetes.

That's a good list to get you started on the road to better health and recovery. Chances are you're not eating half of this list though you should. Cut down the fatty, salty and sugary snacks. Most of that food consists of useless and empty calories.

Changing your diet means more energy and better health. There's no better time to make a change in your diet than eating the right foods.