QuickTips Index
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes affects nearly 21 million Americans. 90% to 95% of all people diagnosed with the disease have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 differs from type 1 diabetes because the pancreas still produces insulin, but the body becomes resistant to it and blood glucose levels become elevated. Although type 2 diabetes is not always caused by obesity, being overweight is still a risk factor for developing the disease.
Signs of Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a nerve disease that can occur as a complication of diabetes. Prolonged high blood sugars can put you at higher risk for developing neuropathy. Having diabetes for many years can also increase your risk. It's important to keep your blood glucose levels as near normal as possible to help prevent neuropathy.
Summer Heat and Safety with Diabetes
Summer is the time of year to enjoy being outdoors, but when summer arrives, so do high temperatures and humidity. People with chronic conditions have to be even more careful in the heat than usual, especially with diabetes.
Diabetes and Salt Intake -
What is your daily salt intake? If you have type 2 diabetes, it's important to watch the amount of salt you eat everyday. Diabetes can put you at increased risk for hypertension and cardiovascular complications.
Taking Care of Your Kidneys with Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes can affect kidney health. Kidneys perform a very special function. They filter the blood and and help your body excrete toxins. When you have diabetes, high blood sugar levels can damage the delicate structure of the kidneys, and over time they can become less able to filter properly.
Pineapple - Carb Counts and Health Benefits of Pineapple
Pineapple is fat-free and full of vitamins and fiber, but what about the carbs? Because pineapple is sweet, there are carbs to consider, especially if you have type 2 diabetes. But fruit is always a better nutritional choice than a packaged snack or rich dessert. Here's the breakdown on one of nature's low-calorie snacks.
Peaches - Carb Counts and Health Benefits of Peaches
Peaches are a great summer treat, but are you wondering how many calories and carbs they have? When you have type 2 diabetes, it's important to keep track of your carbohydrates to keep blood glucose levels in an acceptable range. Peaches are a carbohydrate, but they're also packed with vitamins, fiber and lots of antioxidants. Make fresh peaches part of your healthy lifestyle.
Watermelon Carbs: Carb Counts and Nutrition Facts of Watermelon
Knowing the carb counts and health benefits of watermelon can help you utilize this fun summer fruit in your diabetes meal plan. Watermelon is low in calories and tastes delicious on a hot summer day. Here's the nutrition facts for watermelon. This refreshing fruit is high in vitamin A and vitamin C, and also is a good source of fiber.
What to Know About Diabetic Food Exchange Lists
What are diabetic food exchange lists? How can they help you control your blood sugar? Eating the right amount of carbohydrate, protein and calories can help you keep your blood sugar in a good range. Your doctor, diabetes educator, or nutritionist can help you figure out how many carbohydrates you should eat everyday, for optimal blood sugar control. Diabetic food exchange lists can be a big help when planning your meals.
Bananas Carbs - Carb Counts and Health Benefits of Bananas
Wondering about carb counts and health benefits of bananas? If you're looking for a snack that's healthy, fat-free and satisfying, a banana is the perfect choice. It's a little higher in carbs than some other fruits, but a large banana also has 2 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Bananas are a good source of vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and folic acid, and are rich in potassium and other trace minerals.
Free Food Exchange Lists for Diabetes
When you have diabetes, you may use the exchange system for meal planning. Most food exchanges have 80 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrate and/or 3 grams of protein. But, did you know that there is also a "free" foods list? Free foods don't count as an exchange and have less than 20 calories per serving. They're called free foods because you can add them to your meals without counting them.
Food & Diabetes: Incorporating Spring Fruits and Veggies into Your Diet
Eating more produce is an excellent way to stay on track with type 2 diabetes. Vegetables and fruits are filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, low in calories, and with a few exceptions, virtually fat-free. Can't afford fresh produce? Think again. If you buy produce in season, the bargains are out there. Buying fresh produce and cooking most of your meals at home can help with weight loss.
Strawberries - Carb Counts and Health Benefits of Strawberries
When you have type 2 diabetes, it's important to keep track of how many carbs you're eating. Even though there's nothing like that first taste of a fresh strawberry in the spring, it's still good to know the carb counts and health benefits of strawberries.
Healthy Eating at Work
Can you eat healthy at work? There you are, walking to your desk to start your workday, full of resolve to eat right, stay healthy and keep control of your blood sugar. You turn the corner and approach the coffee pot, and whoa! There's a box of doughnuts, assorted bagels and cream cheese, and what?!? Somebody baked a pan of brownies.
What to Know About Healthy Fats and Oils
The body uses fats for energy. Fats don't raise blood glucose levels but they do cost more in calories. Fat is 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and proteins are 4 calories per gram.[/p]
[p]There are many kinds of dietary fats.
The Best Diet is a Lifestyle Change
The best diet for you is the one that you can follow for the rest of your life. Most diets can get you to your goal if you do exactly what they say, but once the weight is lost, and you start to eat the way you used to, the weight can come back on with lightening speed.
How to Make Healthy Fast Food Choices
Can fast food be part of a healthy diet? The CDC estimates that most Americans get one third of their daily calories from sources outside the home and a study from the USDA shows that people who frequent fast food restaurants have a higher BMI than people who don't. The increase in fast food consumption coincides with the increase in obesity in the past few decades.[/p]
A Low-Carb Diet Shown to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
Does a low carb diet really help control or even reverse type 2 diabetes? A very low carb diet gave the participants better blood sugar control and more effective weight loss, than participants who followed a low-glycemic reduced calorie diet.
Design Your Own Fast Workout
Regular exercise is an essential part of diabetes management. It's not necessary to join a gym or have a personal trainer. Design your own 20 minute workout. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes every week, to keep you healthy. You can do that... twenty minutes at a time.
The Freshman Fifteen
Are you a college student with type 2 diabetes? Having type 2 diabetes is a challenge at any age, but if you are a college student trying to juggle classes and diabetes, it can be especially difficult. Not only are you trying to adjust to living away from home, but there's a lot of pressure to study hard and do well. Is it any wonder that college kids put on that "freshman fifteen" pounds of extra weight?
Effortless Weight Loss Can Be Yours
Dropping 5 to 7% of your body weight can lower your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, but who says you have to go on a diet? Here are eight simple changes to make that will help you drop weight without really trying.
Adhesive Capsulitis and Diabetes
Adhesive capsulitis, also known as "frozen shoulder" is a condition where the shoulder joint gradually loses mobility over a period of time, until the joint becomes immobile or "frozen." It is often very painful at first. People with diabetes are more likely to develop adhesive capsulitis.
What to Know About Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. Between 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness every year are attributed to diabetes. What is retinopathy? Can it be prevented? What do you need to know?
What to Know About Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance occurs when the body's ability to process glucose becomes impaired. Glucose enters the blood after food is eaten. Normally, the pancreas will excrete insulin, which helps the glucose move out of the blood and in to the cells, where the body can use it for energy.
Save Money on Health Care Costs
What can you do to save money on your health care costs? Diabetes can be a difficult disease to manage because so much of the care falls on the person who has it. But the flip side of this is that you also have a lot of control over how the disease affects you. And that can save you healthcare dollars in the long run.