Diabetes has become one among the most common ailments in the present day world and to manage diabetes effectively is very critical to a diabetic.

Diabetes basically consists of 2 types, namely type 1 and type 2. The basic characteristic of type 1 diabetes is that here the body loses its capacity to produce insulin, whereas in type 2 diabetes, the insulin produced is not used properly. However, one needs to learn how to effectively manage diabetes so that he too may lead a normal life.

The reasons as to why diabetes might show up in a person vary from genetic disposition to problems with an improper diet. It is said that type 2 diabetes occurs mainly because of improper diet. However, the disheartening fact is that since no cure has been found for diabetes, the best a person can do is take steps to manage diabetes.

For a diabetic, the intake of right kind of food is most important. Especially in the case of type 2 diabetes, the disease can be stopped if care is taken with regard to eating habits right from the beginning. Thus, a person who is suffering from diabetes needs to have good eating habits to avoid any further problems.

The five factors you need to know to manage diabetes effectively:

1. Blood sugar level

For a healthy body, the glucose that comes in, needs to be processed properly by insulin and then needs to be sent out. In case of a diabetic, this does not happen since the insulin is not functional in the right sense. This in turn, might lead to other body parts getting damaged in the longer run. Thus, a diabetic must be careful about the sugar level in his body.

The parts at risk if one does not manage diabetes the right way are retina, kidney, brain etc. Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are very dangerous for the body if not catered to properly. Irregularities in the sugar level can lead to a person fainting very often.

Thus, the diet of a diabetic needs to be very strict. By having good knowledge as to which are the food items that are high in glucose content, one can avoid their intake thereby remaining healthy. One has to note that not all the carbohydrates contain high amount of sugar. Consultation with a good dietician can be of great help in this regard.

One innovative method that might come in handy for every diabetic is record keeping. By keeping track of what has been eaten over the month in how many quantities, one can be sure that he is monitoring his blood sugar level the right way. By looking at the changes in his blood sugar level and the response of his body, the right kind of diet that stabilizes his health can be arrived upon.

2. Eat mushrooms

There is good news for diabetics, as they can now eat tasty food as they manage diabetes. It has been proven that certain kind of mushroom can be very helpful in keeping away diabetes. Thus, one might make use of the following varieties of mushroom in his food, namely agaricus blazei, reishi and maitake.

3. Have good amount of water

Most problems can be solved provided one has good intake of water in his body. It helps in washing away all the unwanted toxins out of the body and regulates body temperature too. For a person suffering from diabetes, this will be of great help in managing diabetes.

However, the ideal intake required for a healthy body would be 10 to 12 cups a day. Instead of just having high amounts of water right away, it would be ideal if one could have water in intervals. For the people who exercise the requirement of water is higher. Added advantage lies in the fact that the fullness a person feels after drinking water avoids him the tendency of wanting to eat junk.

4. Whole grain

For a healthy body, the intake of good amounts of fiber is very essential and whole grains are good sources of fiber. These fibers help in proper digestion and also help the body regulate blood sugar level properly. Thus, it would be a great step that would help a person manage diabetes.

There are many food items available today that make use of whole grains. Sandwiches and breads are the main ones among them. Here again, the advantage lies in the fact that one feels full after eating them, thereby cutting down on the urge for snacks and junk of any kind.

5. Consultation from knowledgeable physician is key to manage diabetes

One has to note the point that the role of a doctor in helping him control his blood sugar level is vital. Before bringing about any change in your diet or eating habits, make sure that you get approval from doctor.

All in all, one need not feel disheartened owing to diabetes, as by following the above mentioned guidelines and a healthy lifestyle, he can still manage diabetes effectively and live a normal life like everybody else.

It is not advisable to follow health rules blindly. The age-old advice of health experts like drinking lots of water, doing heavy work-outs, devouring tons of green salads may not hold true for some people and they may not even know it. For instance, take the case of Elaine Monarch. Her natural affinity for whole wheat bread and other cereal products got a boost, when her physician advised her to consume more of them, after a bout of bloating and diarrhea.

It almost proved fatal. She had celiac disease. Her immune system reacted to the glutens from the grains and in the process; tissues in her small intestine were distressed. Now, she avoids taking grains and instead, gets her share of fiber from nuts, fruits and food supplements. She has been working as the founder of the Celtic Disease Foundation.

The health rules that every American gets perennially from the health experts are indeed, right for most and the advices to quit smoking or to avoid foods trans-fats should be diligently followed. [quote]But some of the other general health rules may not be beneficial for everybody, as can be viewed from the fact that even the USDA has not placed a section for celiac disease, in their recommended food pyramid. The advices are based on the results of surveys, which may not always be all-encompassing. Even the success rate of a staggering 94 percent of the sampling studies, still leaves aside 6 percent of people, which may be a sizable population.

Dan Rod, MD, assistant vice chancellor for the personalized medicine at Vanderbilt University says in this regard, “The recommendation made by the health experts, may not always hold true in some individual cases.”

Hence, we analyzed some of the established health rules and sought the advices of the health experts about the precautions, just in case; they may prove to be otherwise.

Health rules about your exercise regimen

Recommendation: Excessive exercise is more beneficial than moderate ones

Be cautious, if you are fighting obesity. By indulging in vigorous exercises, you would feel exhausted too soon and as result, wouldn’t be able to burn sufficient calories to attain weight loss. Studies showed the amount of weight loss was around 15 to 18 pounds in women, who took up a lengthy but moderate exercise regimen as also with those who did strenuous workouts for shorter spells. In fact, a study conducted among 184 women in 2003, revealed that women who walked for two and half hours each week at a moderate speed and those who took up a more elaborate and vigorous exercise regimen, achieved the same level of weight loss. So, to fight obesity, take up such exercises that you can do for 30 to 40 minutes without gasping for air.

Recommendation: Walking is the easiest and best exercise

Do it in moderation if you have any cardiac ailment and on smoggy days. The dust particles present in the air on a smoggy day can accentuates the risk of a cardiac attack. So, on such days, it is better to do your workouts indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned room, as it can reduce the level of air pollutants by half.

Recommendation: Routine household activities like gardening can make you healthier

Be cautious, if you are suffering from any cardiac ailment and want to prevent a cardiac attack. While any sort of physical activities helps, the routine household works like cooking and washing may be too light and of short duration in order to prevent the risk of blockage of arteries and cardiac attack. On the other hand, the risks of cardiac attacks can be significantly reduced by doing moderate to heavy exercise 30 minutes every week. A brisk walk for two hours each week can reduce the risk of cardiac ailments by 50 percent, as revealed by a study carried out on around 40,000 women.

Recommendation: Swimming is the perfect aerobic exercise

The chlorine present in the swimming pool can lead to various allergies and disorders. This is more so in the case of children. People with asthma and children under the age of seven with any form of allergy, should also avoid getting into the pool and settle for some other form of aerobic exercise. Contrary to popular belief, swimming does not lead to a substantial weight loss, if you are fighting obesity.

Recommendation: Devouring lots of leaf green vegetables

Be careful if you are taking warfarin (Coumadin), the blood thinner drug, which is taken to prevent the harmful blood clots. It restricts the action of vitamin K, the vital component for blood-clotting. But taking high amount of vitamin K-rich leaf green vegetable like spinach, kale and Swiss chard can inhibit the effect of the drug. Hence, don’t eat too much of them. Thus, the common health rules of eating more leaf green vegetables can do more harm in this case.

Recommendation: Taking eight glasses of water daily

Be cautious of this health rules if you have bladder control problem. By moderating your fluid intake, you can avoid leaks. Take the advice of your doctor about how much water you should drink every day. If it is less than eight glasses, do not worry, as in any case, around one-fifth of the body’s water requirement is from the food, as per the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. And if you pass light colored urine every eight hours, then in all probability, you are drinking sufficiently.

Health rules about the drugs you take

Recommendation: Low blood pressure is always better

This health rules may not be true if you have coronary artery disease (CAD). It is advisable to keep your blood pressure at 120/80, so as to prevent a cardiac attack or stroke. But very low blood pressure is risky, as the flow of blood through the narrowed vessels gets restricted. Study conducted among more than 22,000 patients who had CAD, revealed that a diastolic pressure of below 70, have twice the risk of cardiac attacks and deaths. Thus the health rules of having low blood pressure is not always good in every case.

But, for patients who had angioplasty or bypass surgery to clear blocked vessels or for the passage of the blood via another healthy vessel, having a low blood pressure is not risky.

Recommendation: Use of acetaminophen is safe and ideal for relief from pain like arthritis

Be cautious, if you regularly take wine (alcohol). Acetaminophen, in combination with alcohol, can damage the liver. So, the label of acetaminophen contains a warning to people who take three or more drinks regularly when using them. Donald Jensen, a board member of the American Lever Foundation warns that light drinks can also be damaging. According to him, you should take only 2 mg of acetaminophen on days when you drink; the recommended dose of 4 mg/day notwithstanding. The health rules of taking drugs have to be taken seriously and in accordance to what your physician prescribed.

Recommendation: Whole foods are better source for nutrients than pills

This health rules may not apply if you eat only vegetarian foods. You have to depend on pills to supplement your needs of vitamin D and B12, if you avoid taking eggs and milk. Recent researches propose that the recommendation for vitamin D should be 1,000 to 2,000 FU to be on the safer side than the presently recommended 200 to 600 IU. Though one can get enough iron from vegetarian foods, it needs a sensible planning. You should get your hemoglobin test done, if you tire easily.

Recommendation: In case of chronic pain, anti-inflammatory, non-steroidal medicines like Ibuprofen or prescription drug like Indocin are the safest and most effective

Be careful if you are above 65 years old. NSAIDS can lead to stomach ulcers and internal bleeding, especially among the elderly people. Experts say that deaths due to NSAID-related bleeding mostly occur among the aged persons. The best thing for persons over the age of 65 would be to consult their doctor. You can take other drugs like acetaminophen, corticosteroids or narcotic like Demerol, while diligently following the instructions of the doctor to take care of any side-effects or over-dependence.

Health rules are not to be followed blindly, consult your physician whenever you have doubts.

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Diabetes can be dangerous to your feet—even a small cut could have serious consequences. Diabetes may cause nerve damage that takes away the feeling in your feet. Diabetes may also reduce blood flow to the feet, making it harder to heal an injury or resist infection. Because of these problems, you might not notice a pebble in your shoe—so you could develop a blister, then a sore, then a stubborn infection that might cause amputation of your foot or leg.

To avoid serious foot problems that could result in losing a toe, foot, or leg, be sure to follow these guidelines.

Inspect your feet daily. Check for cuts, blisters, redness, swelling, or nail problems. Use a magnifying hand mirror to look at the bottom of your feet. Call your doctor if you notice anything.

Wash your feet in lukewarm (not hot!) water. Keep your feet clean by washing them daily. But only use lukewarm water—the temperature you’d use on a newborn baby.

Be gentle when bathing your feet. Wash them using a soft washcloth or sponge. Dry by blotting or patting—and make sure to carefully dry between the toes.

Moisturize your feet—but not between your toes. Use a moisturizer daily to keep dry skin from itching or cracking. But DON’T moisturize between the toes—this could encourage a fungal infection.

Cut nails carefully—and straight across. Also, file the edges. Don’t cut them too short, since this could lead to ingrown toe nails.

Never trim corns or calluses. No “bathroom surgery”—let your doctor do the job.

Wear clean, dry socks. Change them daily.

Avoid the wrong type of socks. Avoid tight elastic bands (they reduce circulation). Don’t wear thick or bulky socks (they can fit poorly and irritate the skin).

Wear socks to bed. If your feet get cold at night, wear socks. NEVER use a heating pad or hot water bottle.

Shake out your shoes and inspect the inside before wearing. Remember, you may not feel a pebble—so always shake out your shoes before putting them on.

Keep your feet warm and dry. Don’t get your feet wet in snow or rain. Wear warm socks and shoes in winter.

Never walk barefoot. Not even at home! You could step on something and get a scratch or cut.

Take care of your diabetes. Keep your blood sugar levels under control.

Don’t smoke. Smoking restricts blood flow in your feet.

Get periodic foot exams. See your podiatrist on a regular basis for an examination to help prevent the foot complications of diabetes.

This article is brought to you by Dr. David Mednick.

Eating in a Chinese restaurant is something most of us like, owing to the taste that the Chinese food brings to us. It is also relatively inexpensive as compared to the other food items.

However, some of us are under the wrong impression that the food served in Chinese restaurant is healthy too, since there are good amounts of vegetables used in them.

The truth is that not all the places that serve Chinese food follow the basic principles that are followed while preparing these food items in the mainland, China. In order to bring in American taste to the food, various flavors are added and thus the ill effects of these are high on the person who consumes them.

Thus, in order to enjoy the best of Chinese food, one has to make sure that he eats only from a Chinese restaurant where hygiene and right method of preparation is given prime importance.

1. Choose a good hygienic Chinese restaurant
Make sure that you choose a restaurant that looks clean and offers you good food. Avoid places that provide you with an option of eating unlimited food for a fixed price. Such places might be following low standards of cooking and use poor quality materials to make sure that they provide you with maximum for a very nominal price that you pay.

2. It would be ideal to begin with soup
The advantage of starting with soup at a Chinese restaurant lies in the fact that it helps you in take less fat and fills you up, when it is time for main course. Thus, you eat less amount of food and remain healthy.

The problems with Chinese appetizers are that they are high on calories and might lead to ruining your diet. The chicken and pork are some food items that contain the highest amount of fat and calories. Though it is common in a Chinese restaurant to have the fried noodles served till your main course comes in, avoiding it would do a lot of good to your stomach.

3. Choose the main course wisely
The best thing to do when you are looking for main course in a Chinese restaurant would be to go with those items that have more vegetables as compared to meat. Choosing seafood and chicken over high calorie food items like pork and beef would help you reduce on intake of fat. Choosing two dishes rich in meat and vegetables respectively and mixing them would help you strike a balance.

4. Stay away from dishes that have fat
The description in the menu will help you figure out the fatty dishes. Avoid them and make sure you eat only those items where the meat is not fired before being sauté.

5. Avoid items that have excess carbohydrates
When at a Chinese restaurant, the tendency to have various kinds of sauce is high. One has to note that these food items have high amount of carbohydrates and sugar content in them. In case you are diabetic, you need to avoid them to make sure that the ill effects of Chinese food are minimized.

6. Intake as less rice as possible
It is a known fact that rice is rich in carbohydrates. Since, fried rice is one among the specialties of Chinese restaurant, make sure that you avoid the intake of more amount of rice. Choosing brown rice would be beneficial to you, as it contains good amount of fiber in it. It would be worth noting the fact that at least 45 g of fat is present in one average cup of rice.

7. Cut down on sodium
Order only those food items that have light sauce. Using the sauce with steamed rice is permissible as compared to fried rice. Use hot sauce, as the amount of sodium content in it is low.

8. Order minimum and share
It would be advisable to order just one item and share it with your fiend to make sure that you eat as less as possible. Be it soup or rice, share it.

9. Use chopsticks at a Chinese restaurant
Though it’s true that chopsticks reduce your speed at the table, the positive side is that it makes you intake as less food as possible. Thus, using them in place of a fork and knife would add more Chinese flavor to your meal and keep you healthy too.

10. Dessert is the best part
Eating good fruits and ice-cream with dry fruits and walnuts would make your meal at a Chinese restaurant as good as it could ever be.

To find delicious and healthy Chinese food in a Chinese restaurant is not difficult as long as you browse through the menu carefully.

If untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke. It can also lead to kidney failure and eventual blindness. The effects of this disease can be so devastating, it is important to know your risks and take action right away to reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.



What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes, also known as insulin resistant diabetes, is the most common form of the disease. It accounts for 90% of all diabetes cases diagnosed each year. With type 1 diabetes the body does not produce insulin. With type 2 it does produce insulin but either it does not produce enough or the cells in the muscle are less sensitive to its effects.

When you eat something, the body breaks the food down into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose then moves through the bloodstream and then into the muscle and fat cells. Insulin sends a signal to the cells which tell them to open up and accept the glucose. Glucose is either used right away or stored as fat. In individuals who have type 2 diabetes, the cells do not correctly receive the signal to allow the glucose in. This causes glucose to build up in the bloodstream and keeps the cells from functioning properly. Eventually the elevated glucose levels in the system can cause damage to heart eyes and kidneys.

Risk factors

Your risk for type 2 diabetes can be inherited. If you have a parent or sibling who has the disease you have a great chance for developing it yourself. Individuals of Hispanic, African-American, or Native American ancestry are also at greater risk as well as those over age 45. Other risk factors include having a sedentary lifestyle, excessive stress, smoking and obesity.

One of the most important things we can do to cut our chances of developing type 2 diabetes is to get more active and lose weight. Fat stored around the abdominal area make it especially hard for cells to respond to insulin. Other risk factors include a Body Mass Index of 25 or more or a waist size that is greater than 35 inches for a woman or 40 inches or more for man.

Take action

Knowing what the risk factors are for developing type 2 diabetes is an important step to avoiding the disease. If you have a close family member who has developed type 2 diabetes, discuss it with your doctor. Find out what your BMI is and to measure your waist. If you have any other risk factors, take action today to eat better, exercise and lose weight. By taking action today you can avoid the damaging health effects of type 2 diabetes tomorrow.

This article is brought to you by Kevin Kielty.