Articles | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

1500 Calorie Diabetic Diet Plan

When it comes to eating healthy for most people the main concern is excess weight, the 1500 calorie diabetic diet plan can, for diabetics, be a matter of life and death. There are many places where a list of healthy snacks for diabetics can be obtained, as a matter of fact, nearly any doctor can provide the information, but the key to a 1500 calorie diabetic diet plan is its effect on successful glucose regulation.

The body needs glucose since glucose is the fuel for cellular activity. In a normal person even the most sugary and fatty foods will not cause glucose levels to rise beyond acceptable limits because as glucose levels rise the brain signals the pancreas to release a hormone called insulin. Insulin allows glucose to cross over from the blood into the cells to be used as energy, and if there is still too much glucose after cellular energy requirements are met it is stored for future use. In a diabetic, either the pancreas no longer produces insulin or the cells are resistant to the effects of insulin, therefore the glucose level in the blood can rise to harmful levels.

Sugary foods such as candies, sodas, and other sweets can cause the glucose to quickly soar to much higher than acceptable limits and the diabetic should generally stay away from such foods. Starches like those found in white colored foods like whitebread, rice, and potatoes can also make glucose climb rapidly because the starches are broken down into glucose by the body. As a general rule, white colored and sugary foods should be avoided by the diabetic, and even in those who are just seeking to control their weight avoiding such foods can be beneficial. Even though not all foods are bad, the 1500 calorie diabetic diet plan helps with glucose regulation and weight loss.

The 1500 calorie diabetic diet plan is an important part of the overall health plan that every diabetic should follow to maintain healthy blood glucose levels and head off the worst health effects of diabetes.

Accu Chek Meters

Accu chek meters are one brand of the new breed of compact glucometers. The accu chek meters are so small that they fit neatly in the palm of the hand and so light as to be practically unnoticed when stowed in a purse of carry bag for easy travelling. The newest accu chek meters are a miniature when compared to the bulky meters that were available just a few years ago, and it is so sensitive that it takes only the smallest amount of blood to read the glucose level. This means that a thinner gauge lancet can be used to obtain the blood sample and this of course means a great deal less discomfort than the meters that were used just a few years ago.

The accu chek meters are also fast. The days of waiting a minute or more for a glucose reading are gone, the newer model meters are able to read the blood sugar in just a few seconds. The accu chek can store and recall a multitude of readings complete with a time and date stamp for each reading, and can even be set up to make trending and tracking your blood glucose levels quick, simple, and easy. If you are a diabetic who also uses insulin, the use of accu chek meters will even allow you to record your insulin doses for easy tracking and access, so practically all your treatment information can be kept in one place.

If you are in the market for a new glucometer, or if you are newly in need of one, the accu chek meters are one of the best options on the market today. When you buy an accu chek you will get all the best features of the new generation glucometers rolled into one compact yet powerful little unit.

Is Type 1 Diabetes Hereditary?

Is Type 1 diabetes hereditary is a question that a growing number of people are asking.

This is especially true now that diabetes rates are increasing each and every day, and as of now juvenile diabetes is fast becoming the single biggest chronic health problem faced by the modern population of young people. The answer to is type 1 diabetes hereditary isn’t always apparent and studies have been going on for years to answer the question and yet a clear answer is not forthcoming as doctors, scientists, and analysts struggle to find the single greatest causative factor for the disease in the hopes that once the cause is found a cure will soon follow. Diabetes may well be genetically induced and if so then the defective gene may be some day isolated so that prenatal diagnosis can be made and perhaps a cure found through gene therapy and or in-vitro treatments. Though as of this writing such types of therapy belong in the realms of science fiction rather than in the realm of what is medically possible with the limited amount of knowledge and technology available today.

For many people the question is type 1 diabetes hereditary is one that is asked when they or a family member has the disease and they want to know the chances of passing it on to their children, either before having children or in order to be more vigilant for symptoms in the children they already have. It does seem that there is an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes if a parent, especially the father has the disease, and an even greater chance if a sibling has it. When a person asks themselves is type 1 diabetes hereditary they should remember that even though there may be an increased risk of the disease in those with close family who have the disease there is absolutely no guarantee that they or their offspring will ever develop diabetes.

Diabetic Testing Equipment

Diabetic testing equipment comes in a wide variety of forms and functions and appearances. These days, due to the growing number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes each year, diabetic testing equipment is becoming big business, and the medical supply companies which manufacture and sell diabetic testing equipment are making staggering variety different types of meters and lancets. Most of these types of equipment offer different amounts of memory take different amounts of blood, have different options as far as what bells and whistles are built into the machine. No matter what extra options and bells and whistles may be in a particular make or model of the facts of exactly what type of equipment is needed is actually quite simple.

Blood glucose levels are tested by a machine called a glucometer. To use the glucometer, the patient must select a site, usually a fingertip, from which to draw a tiny blood sample. A single use test strip should be first inserted into the glucometer then the test site should be cleaned with an alcohol pad. Once the alcohol is dry, the fingertip is pricked with a device called a lancet which will allow the patient to squeeze a drop of blood onto the surface of the skin. The test strip is touched to the drop of blood and the blood is drawn into the glucometer which reads the blood sugar level. This may sound complicated but it is actually quite simple and with a little practice can be done in just a few seconds.

Those with diabetes may have to check their blood sugar many times per day just to keep the levels as close to the 60-100mg/dl normal range as possible. But, with care and an understanding and use of diabetic testing equipment the diabetic can live a long and healthy life.

Diabetic supply companies

Do you have diabetes? Diabetic supply companies seem to be popping up everywhere because so many people have diabetes or have been diagnosed as a diabetic. Diabetic supply companies are increasingly popular because it seems with the low economy so many people are being faced with many important decisions such as purchasing all of their medical prescriptions and supplies or going without. There are even stories about people cutting pills in half so that they last longer because they just don’t have the money to purchase them and take them so frequently as required, when in all reality they are doing more harm than good to their bodies.

Diabetic supply companies can help eliminate some of the stress associated with diabetes because they can help the diabetics save money on their supplies such as testing strips, monitors and meters and lancets. Diabetic supply companies can also help diabetics save time and hassle because they can allow for customers to order all of their diabetic supplies online or by the phone so that all of their products can be delivered directly to their home or office which will save them time.

Diabetic supply companies can be found at a wide variety of places such as online, in your local phone book or locally. There are many benefits to ordering your diabetic supplies with them such as rewards and savings. Diabetic supply companies purchase products at wholesale prices which means that they can pass the savings onto you. Diabetic supply companies also allow you to combine your shipping costs into one low price which means that the more products you purchase you will pay one low price.

So if you find yourself facing tight budgets in your household then you may want to explore your options of ordering all of your diabetic supplies from a diabetic supply company.