Drugs that increase your risk of diabetes

Certain drugs for long-term conditions can raise your blood glucose level or prevent your insulin from  working properly. If you take any of the following drugs, you have a higher chance of developing Type 2  diabetes. Rather than stopping your prescribed medication, talk to your health professional about how to limit your risk.

Steroids, such as prednisone and dexamethasone. These are used to treat inflammatory conditions like chronic bowel conditions and rheumatoid arthritis. Taking steroids via an inhaler or skin patch will not affect your blood glucose as much as pills and injections do.

Thiazide diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide. Thesedrugs remove excess fluid from your body. They may be prescribed to treat high blood pressure or heart failure. Beta-blockers, such as propranalol. These are often used for high blood pressure.

Immunosuppressants, such as cyclosporin. These are used to prevent rejection of organs following a transplant.

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Italian Herb Salad Dressing

Italian Herb Salad Dressing
MAKES ¾ CUP

This flavorful dressing incorporates healthful low-calorie ingredients.  You can use a blender, a food  processor, or a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid to mix up the ingredients, but don’t use an aluminum bowl, as the acid in the vinegar can react with the material, giving the dressing a metallic flavor.
Ingredients :
2 unpeeled cloves garlic
½ cup no-sugar-added apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon agave syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

NOTE:
All the ingredients should be at room temperature to make them easier to blend. Heat a dry cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and roast, turning occasionally with tongs, until  blackened in spots and soft, about 10 minutes. Squeeze the softened garlic clove out of the skin and combine it with the vinegar, Italian seasoning, mustard, syrup, salt, and pepper in a blender or  food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil. Or, combine all the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until blended. Transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid if  necessary and let the flavors meld at room temperature for 1 to 3 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Shake to blend before using.


SERVING SIZE: 1 tablespoon
EXCHANGE LIST VALUES: ½ fat
CARBOHYDRATE CHOICES: 0
CALORIES: 50
CALORIES FROM FAT: 42
TOTAL FAT: 5 g
SATURATED FAT: 1 g
CHOLESTEROL: 0 mg
SODIUM: 112 mg
TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE: 2 g
FIBER: 0 g
TOTAL SUGARS: 0 g
PROTEIN: 0 g

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Three-Cheese Dip

Three-Cheese Dip
MAKES 4 CUPS

This dip is delicious with Spicy Pita Chips or plain baked tortilla chips. Using full-flavored or extra-sharp cheeses reduces the amount you need to give this dish a rich flavor.

Ingredients :
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups 1 percent low-fat milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup salsa
1 cup shredded low-fat pepper Jack cheese
½ cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup shredded low-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained, or
1¼ cups canned fire-roasted tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup sliced green onions, including green parts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
How to cook
In a large microwaveable bowl, mix together the olive oil, onion, and garlic and cook on high, stirring, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the milk and cook on low (or defrost setting) until the milk begins to simmer, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ½ cup of milk and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch slurry to the onion mixture and cook on high for 2 minutes. Stir and cook for another 1 to 2  minutes, or until bubbling and thickened. Add the salsa and three cheeses and cook on low (or defrost setting) for 2 minutes. Stir and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until melted. Stir in the tomatoes, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Serve warm, garnished with the green onions and cilantro.


SERVING SIZE: ½ cup
EXCHANGE LIST VALUES: ½
carbohydrate, 1 medium-fat meat
CARBOHYDRATE CHOICES: ½
CALORIES: 135
CALORIES FROM FAT: 63
TOTAL FAT: 7 g
SATURATED FAT: 3 g
CHOLESTEROL: 20 mg
SODIUM: 301 mg
TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE: 10 g
FIBER: 1 g
TOTAL SUGARS: 4
GPROTEIN: 9 g

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Diabetes

Why and how did I get diabetes?

Diabetes occurs for a number of reasons, but the ultimate cause of the high blood sugar that characterizes the disorder is either deficiency of the hormone insulin or a combination of insulin deficiency and resistance of the body tissues to its actions. In response to food intake, insulin is released by specialized cells in the pancreas and is necessary for adequate amounts of glucose and other nutrients from food to be absorbed into certain tissues of the body.When insulin is lacking or the body resists its actions, the level of glucose in the blood becomes excessively high and diabetes is diagnosed.

The difference in the balance between the two characterizes the two major forms of diabetes—type 1 and type 2. Whatever the form of diabetes, its basis is to some extent hereditary and to some extent environmental. The hereditary ontribution is more or less constant throughout recent human evolution. It is the environmental component that has changed markedly over the last 100 years, leading to the dramatic rise in the frequency of diabetes in almost all societies. You developed diabetes because either you are strongly predisposed due to hereditary reasons or because there are factors in your lifestyle and environment (such as gaining weight, getting insufficient exercise, taking certain medications) that increase the likelihood of diabetes or, as is usually the case, a combination of both. This is not all bad, because the environment and lifestyle can often be changed, with dramatic improvement in the severity of the diabetes.

What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is entirely due to an almost complete deficiency of insulin. The deficiency is the result of the immune system erroneously attacking and destroying the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. For the proper functioning of our bodies, it is necessary for insulin to be present at all times in the bloodstream and tissues, not only after we have eaten. Insulin is essential to maintain the structure of our tissues and prevent them from being broken down in an uncontrolled manner. Without any insulin present, our tissues literally melt away into simple compounds that leave our bodies when we urinate. Accordingly, people with type 1 diabetes have high levels of sugar and breakdown products of fat and protein in the bloodstream and urine and develop the typical symptoms.

Type 2 diabetes is due to a combination of our body tissues becoming resistant to the action of insulin and the inability of the pancreas to make enough extra insulin to overcome it. Although this latter component of the problem is often viewed as a failure of the pancreas, it is not true in the strictest sense. While it is common for the insulin-producing capability of the pancreas to decline throughout later adult life, it was nevertheless sufficient throughout most of human evolution to prevent us from developing diabetes. It is only in recent times, when our lifestyle and environment have caused many of us to become very insulin resistant, that the insulin-producing capacity is unable to compensate. In the true sense, it fails because we impose an excessive load upon it. This is true, even for those of us who have a hereditary predisposition to becoming insulin resistant.

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