How to read food labels for diabetics

How to read food labels when we shop at supermarket so that we know the content in food w buy. First we locate the "Nutritional Information" on the food packaging.  Look for "Total Carbohydrates" and "Sugars" as both these will be indicated there.  Remember that trans fats are the unhealthy fats.  Note that the fructose and corn syrup are the worst content that you should avoid.
 

The purpose of this pattern is to achieve a lower sugar content of 5 grams were obtained from 100 grams of sugar in the presentation of various foods. The goal for people with diabetes is to keep blood sugar levels remain constant in the range that has been recommended by doctors. 45g to 60g of carbohydrates recommended for a meal, diabetics often require snacks in the range of 15g - 30g.

The sugar amount in the nutrition label is the total amount of sugars in the food. It includes added sugars and sugars from ingredients such as fruits and milk. Eggs incidentally have around 1g of sugar per 100g (depending if they are cooked) so these are wonderful nutritional packs straight from nature!
 

Check the Total Carbohydrates
 

Carbs are the complex part of sugar so they need to be watched as well. For example quinoa may have only 0.9g of sugar per 100g, but has 64g of total carbs! It is also however high in fibre, so this is where a balanced diet full of a variety of natural foods in your best option for health and weight loss. Moderation is the key when eating high carb or high sugar foods. In saying that, all "junk" foods need to be removed altogether as they have virtually no nutritional value whatsoever.
 

Another example is an average slice of bread. It = approx. 15 grams or 1 serving of carbohydrate.  Although white and wheat bread have a very similar carbohydrate content depending on the brands and labels of course, whole-wheat bread is often best. It usually has more than twice the amount of fiber as white bread, meaning you digest it more slowly, hence your blood sugar will rise more gradually after eating it.

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Prediabetes and modern lifestyle

Prediabetes refers to the phase before a person develops diabetes, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for the person to be diagnosed with diabetes.  Modern lifestyle has a major role in improving prediabetes factors in the community.

Early-onset diabetes (either type 1 or type 2 diagnosed early in life) is associated with a host of health complications, including heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 10 percent of all diabetes. Because injected insulin is necessary to manage the disease, type 1 diabetes requires intensive day-to-day attention to stay safe and healthy. The other 90 percent of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, which was once referred to as “adult onset” because it almost always affected adults, but now unfortunately is also affecting children due to the escalating rates of childhood obesity.

While you can’t control the genes you were born with, type 2 diabetes is largely a preventable disease (up to 90 percent of cases may be attributable to lifestyle habits), and a number of lifestyle risk factors can potently increase your risk for developing it. Unfortunately, every one of these risk factors, summarized below, is common in our modern life style:
•  Obesity. Obesity and weight gain dramatically increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and are considered the strongest contributors to the explosion of this disease in the US population.
•  Physical inactivity. Independent of whether someone is overweight or obese, physical inactivity increases diabetes risk.
research has identified the following factors as playing a significant role:
•  Fat cells secrete fatty acids that contribute to insulin resistance in the liver and muscles of obese people.
•  Fat cells secrete a large number of proteins that affect glucose (“blood sugar”) metabolism and insulin action.
•  Obesity increases inflammation in the body, which is closely tied to diabetes.
The physiological stress of obesity on the body seems to worsen insulin resistance in the cells and may reduce the pancreas’s ability to secrete enough extra insulin to overcome this resistance, which leads to higher blood sugars.
•  Cigarette smoking. This habit is associated with a small increased risk of diabetes.
Smokers are at higher risk of diabetes than nonsmokers, possibly because of the increased inflammation that cigarette smoke causes in the body.20 Smoking has been shown to cause elevations in blood glucose levels and may worsen insulin resistance. Smokers tend to have more abdominal fat, also associated with insulin resistance.
•  Low fiber diet. Eating a diet low in fiber and high in processed foods increases risk.
•  Saturated fats. Results of human studies are mixed, but according to the Archives of Internal Medicine, studies suggest that diets high in saturated fats may worsen insulin resistance and increase diabetes risk.14
•  Sugar-sweetened beverages. Regular consumption of these beverages has been shown to increase type 2 diabetes risk.

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What is the difference between diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus?

The word diabetes is an interesting one. Its origin is in the Greek language where it is derived from the word for a siphon or, more simply, a pipe or hose. This word was used to describe the disorder in ancient times (and diabetes was recognized in great antiquity) because those suffering from it produced such plentiful amounts of urine that they were reminiscent of a water pipe. The reason for the plentiful amounts of urine lies in the fact that when the sugar glucose reaches excessively high levels in our bloodstream, it is filtered into the kidney and enters the urine in large quantities. Due to its chemical and physical properties, when large amounts of glucose are filtered by our kidneys into the urine, it cannot be fully reabsorbed and retains a large amount of water with it, thus creating very large volumes of urine. The second part of the name, mellitus, is derived from the word meaning sweet, as in mellifluous music. Mellitus was added when it was discovered that the urine in a person with diabetes and very high blood sugar is sweet.

Diabetes insipidus is a disorder with an entirely different basis, but its sufferers share the siphon-like quality of very frequent and very high volume urination. Diabetes insipidus is due to failure of production or action of another vital hormone, known as arginine vasopressin (AVP), also called antidiuretic hormone (ADH), that is responsible for maintaining the normal volume and concentration of our urine. When AVP is deficient (usually due to damage or disease of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland) or fails to work (usually due to disease of or damage to the kidney), we are unable to concentrate our urine and it becomes excessively dilute. As such, it appears pale, almost colorless and watery—in a word insipid, hence insipidus. It is not sweet, as it has negligible amounts of sugar in it.

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The symptoms of diabetes

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

The typical symptoms of diabetes occur as a result of the high levels of glucose in the bloodstream and its passage into the urine and other tissues. These are frequent urination and thirst. Thirst arises as a result of the dehydration caused by the frequent urination. Dehydration and loss of nutrient calories in the urine lead to weight loss and hunger. Passage of glucose into the tissues of the eye can cause fluctuating degrees of blurred vision. When these symptoms are prolonged and severe, as is typical with type 1 diabetes, serious changes occur in our blood chemistry due to the deficiency of insulin. Those changes, coupled with dehydration, result in dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, and ultimately coma, which if untreated can lead to death. 

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, when severe and inadequately treated, can be associated with coma and death. Although coma is less common in type 2 diabetes, it is more common for it to result in death, as people with type 2 diabetes tend to be older and to have more medical problems. Two other important points are worth noting. The first is that diabetes may not cause any symptoms. In fact, one of every four people believed to have diabetes is unaware of it and is undiagnosed. However, as diabetes of even moderate severity can lead to complications and shorten lifespan, it is important to make the diagnosis, even in people without symptoms.

The second point is that the majority of people with diabetes may not have any symptoms from the elevated blood sugar, but it can still present with symptoms from its complications. Thus, people may be diagnosed with diabetes after presenting with symptoms of nerve damage (neuropathy) or a heart attack or stroke. In fact, one of every three people admitted with a sudden heart event is found to have diabetes or prediabetes of which he or she or the doctor was unaware. Neuropathy is present in two of every five patients with type 2 diabetes at the time of diagnosis, while eye damage (retinopathy) is present in one of every five and kidney damage (nephropathy) is present in one in ten, indicating that the diabetes was ongoing for many months or even years before diagnosis.

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What is diabetes ?

Diabetes, cancer, and heart disease today is not the monopoly of the rich but these diseases have penetrated in people with poor economic conditions indicating health emergency in slow motion. 

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which insulin hormone can not break down the glucose in the body.  The function of the hormone itself is set sugar levels in the blood so that the increased levels of sugar will cause a metabolic disorder that would impact our health. Insulin itself is produced by our body organ called the pancreas. So what was the actual glucose ? Glucose is the simplest sugar molecule for fuel body cell.

The characteristics of diabetes vary widely based on the type. There are three types of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes, this type of diabetes usually affects children and adolescents. The characteristics of this type is the damaged of autoimmune system of cells ß-cells. The autoimmune destruction makes the pancreas can not produce insuline. As a result, people with type 1 diabetes is highly dependent on insulin therapy.

Type 2 Diabetes is the most widely experienced by people with diabetes.  Approximately 90-95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.  In people with type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still produces insulin levels very slightly.

Gestational Diabetes.  The sufferers are mostly pregnant women who had not previously been exposed to diabetes. When checked, blood sugar levels can exceed 126 mg / dL. High sugar levels in a pregnant woman will be passed on to the fetus via the placenta.  As a result, after the baby's birth.  The weight of the baby can exceeds normal limits and the baby is also at risk of diabetes are derived from mother.

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4 causes of diabetes

Most people think that diabetes was caused due to the sugar or carbohydrates that we of overeating so that some will try to reduce the consumption of sugar or carbohydrates in various ways, for example by a strict diet. The following points is a cause of diabetes:

1. Heredity. Data from the Diabetes Association of America describes people with a family history of diabetes, the offspring have greater possibility getting diabetes. This is likely due to genetic factors that influence the production of the hormone insulin
2. Age. Some studies suggest increasing age chances of diabetes will be even greater, because the older the ability of the body's vital organs is also reduced so that the health condition is also declining.
3. Lifestyle. Basically the lifestyle changes we are now a major cause of diabetes, the modern lifestyle food that we do not keep the consumption, lack of exercise, lack of rest and the quality of the environment around us make the condition of the body becomes more vulnerable to diabetes.
4. Overweight. It relates also to change our lifestyle to more easily obtain something and instantly create a culture of obesity or kegemukkan be a trigger factor of diabetes.

The above is the cause of diabetes in general we know that we can carry out the precautions that need to be done so that we or our ancestry is not getting diabetes.

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Wrong myths about diabetes

Many times we hear or reads information about diabetes, but most of the information is only made people more confused about it. Incorrect informations will actually make our diabetic diet program is getting worse or even would cause severe impacts on our health.
The first myth : Diabetics are forbidden to eat sweet (sugar). Diabetics must reduce consumption of sugar but mistaken when we argued that we should not eat sugar at all. We can replace the usual sugar we consume the sugar with low calorie content. In the market now there are different types of sugar that is designed specifically for people with diabetes.
The second myth : Diabetes is an inherited disease. Indeed, when our parents suffer from diabetes we have a greater possibility of affected by diabetes. It can be reduced potency when we maintain our lifestyle, with the diabetes management it can be anticipated for people who do not suffer from diabetes.
The third myth : People with diabetes forbidden for sport activities. Patients with diabetes actually recommended to have  regularly light exercise. Controlling blood sugar levels before and after the activity helps us to control our blood sugar and keep our body condition in order to stay in shape.
The fourth myth : Diabetes is a contagious disease. Diabetes is not contagious and not infectious diseases. Because we are  have the potential to suffer from diabetes especially if we are do not maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle have uncontrolled be very prone to diabetes.
From a little bit above explanation we expected to be more cautious in accepting the all the information related to diabetes. For more details, we can ask the doctor in a hospital or organization that focuses in healing or counseling about diabetes.

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Early symptoms in diabetics patients

For people who have not been exposed to the diabetes is often asked whether the symptoms are easily we can observed or peoples around us so that we can see whether we need to go to the doctor for further examination. Some of the symptoms are frequent and common in diabetic patients is:
Always feel thirsty and very frequent urination
These symptoms are caused by increased levels of glucose in a person's blood so that the body will take the fluid in the cell body.
Always feel hungry
Glucose can not be changed as energy by the hormone insulin in our bodies will cause us often feel hungry when we have eaten enough.
The body can easily feels tired
Because our bodies lack the energy then we will feel tired after doing a mild activity.
Drastic Weight Loss
These symptoms are caused due to the activities we get energy from the breakdown of fats and proteins so that the glucose that is not utilized.
Changes in daily behavior (easily feels stress)
As a result of lack of energy and is easy to feel hungry so we will easily stressed and often angry for no apparent reason.
The wound does not dry quickly and the blackened scars
Excessive glucose in the blood inhibit wound healing process.
Often feel tingling and vision is not clear
Excess sugar levels in the blood can damage nerves in the human body. People with diabetes will often experience numbness and vision problems.

If we or any of our families experiencing the symptoms mentioned above should we do the examination to the doctor / hospital or clinic so that we would be assured if we are affected by diabetes or not.

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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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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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