Diets for Type II Diabetes

Diets for Type II Diabetes
Diets for Type II Diabetes

While maintain a healthy diet should be an important goal for everyone for those with the disease diets for type II diabetes can be a matter of life and death. For a person with normal health maintaining a healthy diet is important for weight control and to make sure that the body has the needed nutrients to function properly. For those using diets for type II diabetes the matter isn’t so much about actual weight control as it is about controlling glucose levels within the body.

A properly designed and adhered to diet can make the difference between needing to take pharmaceutical measures for glucose control and simply controlling glucose levels by managing the diet.

Diets for type II diabetes deal mainly with making sure that the body has appropriate levels of proteins and vitamins, and keeping the levels of carbohydrates under control. Carbohydrates are one of the main parts of the dietary needs of the body as it is from the intake of carbohydrates that the body metabolizes the glucose that is used as fuel for each cell in the body.

There are two types of carbohydrates simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars like glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose and are mainly found in processed foods and fruits. Complex carbohydrates are usually found in starchy foods like nuts, potatoes, rice, and beans. Complex carbohydrates are generally more desirable as part of healthy diets for type II diabetes as they digest slowly and provide long lasting and steady sources of energy father than the quick spike and fall of glucose levels which comes from simple carbohydrates.

The key to diets for type II diabetes is to properly balance carbohydrates in order to maintain blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. If you have type II diabetes you should consult with your doctor or dietician for information on the type of diet that is just right for you.

Continue ReadingDiets for Type II Diabetes

Blood sugar measurement

Blood sugar measurement
Blood sugar measurement

Diabetics have to monitor their blood sugar measurements on a daily basis, sometimes more than once a day in order to keep a good eye and monitor on their blood glucose readings. Blood sugar measurements are an easy way for diabetics to keep a daily journal or log so that they can monitor their glucose levels on a daily basis.

Are you a diabetic and get frustrated keeping up with your blood sugar measurements every day? Keeping up with your blood sugar measurements can get time consuming and frustrating because it seems like every time you turn around you have to take your blood glucose level.

If you are out and about enjoying family time and its late, you have to stop and take your blood sugar, if it is first thing in the morning you have to take your blood sugar. It almost seems like you are always checking your blood sugar level.

Even though it may be frustrating taking your blood sugar measurements all the time it is important to keep proper diabetic readings and logs so that you know where your diabetes stands and how to maintain and manage them.

Without proper measurements and blood sugar readings it makes it difficult to maintain your diabetes because if something goes wrong or you need to talk to your doctor about it and have proof, if you don’t have it then you can’t show it to them which often times makes it hard for the doctor to help you proficiently.

Blood sugar measurements are a great way to keep records for health issues such as having to go to the hospital for surgery or a minor procedure, medical checkups or routine medical exams.

Your blood sugar is what maintains your health and diabetes so if you do not keep track of them then many other medical conditions can occur such as kidney failure or even worse such as death.

Continue ReadingBlood sugar measurement

What are freestyle glucose meters used for?

 

freestyle glucose meters
freestyle glucose meters

What are freestyle glucose meters used for? Freestyle glucose meters are very important as they let people monitor their blood sugar whenever they need to. Diabetes is a very serious condition that affects not only the diabetic, but everyone who comes into contact with them. Diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas lows and sometimes stops producing a very important hormone called insulin. Insulin is used by the body to make fuel for the cells. The hormone must bind with the glucose in the blood before the cells can use it. When the insulin levels are to low the glucose levels then begin to rise. At a certain level they damage the body. The damage that they most often cause is heart damage, nerve damage, eye damage, and nerve damage. This makes using a freestyle glucose meter a must for those who have diabetes or even pre-diabetes.

A freestyle glucose meter is a small handheld machine that is used to measure blood sugar. First a small sample of blood sugar must be gotten. This is done using a lancet. A lancet is a small needle used to gain a blood sample by pricking the finger. (Or arm) The blood sample is then placed in a disposable test strip and inserted into the freestyle glucose meter. The machine then takes the sample and thru analyzing special chemical reactions gives you a correct measurement. The measurement is correct to the parts per million amounts and is generally received in a few seconds. So talk to your doctor about getting a freestyle glucose meter to help with controlling your blood sugar levels. Also see about getting a painless non invasive glucose meter. This uses electromagnetic fields to detect glucose levels and is fairly accurate. (Although not as accurate as a freestyle glucose meter)

Continue ReadingWhat are freestyle glucose meters used for?

What is the normal range for blood sugar?

 

normal range for blood sugar
normal range for blood sugar

What is the normal range for blood sugar? For diabetics keeping a normal range blood sugar level is key to survival. Too much and the body begins to suffer damage, too little and you may have to even go to the hospital. Diabetes is where the pancreas stops or slows in the creation of essential chemical called insulin. Insulin is a chemical that the body uses to change the sugar in the bloodstream into fuel that the cells can use. When there is not enough insulin the sugar levels may rise. When the sugar levels reach to high levels the body begins to become damaged. The damage that most diabetics take is damage to the heart, eyes, nerves, and kidneys. The damage cannot be reversed so it is key to control your blood sugar. So what is normal range for blood sugar?

For normal people a normal blood sugar range is anywhere between 60 mg/dl and 120 mg/dl. (the amount depends on when the last meal was eaten and the size of the last meal eaten) When glucose levels get over 140 mg/dl it begins to damage the body so it is key to use diets, glucose monitors, and exercise. Diets are a main weapon against high blood sugar. You are what you eat, so diabetics must eat foods that are low in sugar to keep from having high blood sugar. Glucose monitors allow you to check your blood sugar at anytime. They are small handheld devices that can be carried in a pocket book or pocket, allowing a supreme amount of versatility. Exercise also contributes to controlling high blood sugar, so talk to your doctor about a possible exercise routine. So see how you can get a normal range for blood sugar and talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes.

Continue ReadingWhat is the normal range for blood sugar?

What is a Bloodless glucose meter?

What is a Bloodless glucose meter?

Even since the early 1970s diabetics have been using glucose monitors to help maintain a safe blood sugar. But this results in painful testing up to three times a day, sometimes more!

Diabetes is where the body’s organ called the pancreas fails to produce the required amounts of a chemical known as insulin. Insulin is a chemical responsible for all of the energy that you have. It takes the sugar in the blood and converts it into fuel that the body’s cells can use.

bloodless glucose meterWhen the amounts of insulin are low the amounts of sugar are high. When the sugar level reaches a certain level the body begins to suffer damage. The damage that is typically done by the high blood sugar levels includes

This makes testing your blood sugar levels a “must do”. But with a blood less glucose meter it can be much easier.

For years diabetics have had to prick their fingers with lancets. Lancets are small needle like contraptions that are used to draw blood sample. The sample is then checked by a glucose monitor. Having to do this constantly is very painful and time consuming.

Check out the OMELON “Bloodless Glucose Meter”

bloodless glucose meterNon invasive bloodless glucose meter

But as of 2008 a new form of noninvasive glucose monitor was created, called the bloodless glucose meter. The ‘’monitor’’ is a thumb pad that uses electromagnetic wave to measure blood sugar amounts. After much research, scientists have figured out how to use the electromagnetic waves to detect glucose. Though the non invasive pad is not as accurate as a blood glucose monitor, it gives a close enough glucose level estimate.

. So if you are tired of pricking your fingers all day long and causing such pain, talk to your doctor about getting a bloodless glucose meter.

Read more on the bloodless glucose meter HERE!

bloodless glucose meter

Continue ReadingWhat is a Bloodless glucose meter?