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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Blood Sugar Control All About It - Part One

Introduction

Consistently high blood sugar can spell trouble by increasing the risk of developing serious complications. Among these is nerve damage but don’t fret because our body is a scientific marvel that works well, regularly as clockwork at least until some unwelcome guest comes for a visit and decides to stay permanently. That is why we chose this topic for it is imperative that we control the blood sugar level. So this is what you will get from this presentation: 1. 'Bionic Pancreas' Lowers Blood Sugar for Type 1 Diabetics
2. TOP 10 Foods that do NOT affect the blood sugar
3. Best Foods To Control Blood Sugar
4. Does Protein Affect Blood Sugar? Are There Guidelines?
5. Chocolate and Blood Sugars, Don’t Let This Happen To You!

'Bionic Pancreas' Lowers Blood Sugar for Type 1 Diabetics.

"Bionic pancreas", What Are They?

They’re a device that employs a computer program in conjunction with some other devices used to manage diabetes. The trials have shown that they successfully managed the blood sugar level of both type 1 diabetic adults and children. What is important with this is that one may not have to do constant monitoring of the blood sugar anymore.
This lifted the burdens off the shoulders of type 1 diabetics since this device is essentially automated. That is why Edward Damiano who is the senior author and associate professor of the biomedical engineering department at Boston University said, “It’s diabetes without the numbers.”

How Can the Bionic Pancreas Help?


They contain both insulin and glucagon. We know that insulin lowers blood sugar while the glucagon raises it quickly. The bionic pancreas can deal with both for it has two insulin pumps, one each for glucagon and insulin. It also has a smartphone with the application of the computer program that controls the pumps which reports the blood sugar levels to the continuous glucose monitor.

What Now?


You can’t blame us to be skeptical because there have been lots of news that promise us relief only for them to fall down on the wayside. They say this is different for it is hoped that in 18 months, they will have an integrated machine that includes a reservoir each for the glucagon and insulin, the computer program and a continuous glucose monitor sensor. The device would also have two tiny tubes inserted under the skin every three days for the two hormones.

To start off our Food Section Relating to Blood Sugar, here’s a video on the TOP 10 Foods that do NOT affect the blood sugar



Best Foods To Control Blood Sugar

There are tricks and dietary tips we can use to lower the numbers in the blood glucose meters. One such tip is to eat foods that are blood sugar-friendly and this is what we aim to inform you so you can make the right choices. The good thing is that in addition to the improvement in the blood glucose reading, you could also trim down the waistline.

What To Eat for Optimal Blood Sugar Control


A healthy diet is the cornerstone for optimal blood sugar control. However, there are foods that do better at controlling the blood sugar. Here they are:
1. Non-starchy vegetables should occupy half your plate like broccoli, spinach, green beans, kale. They have high fiber and low carbs.
2. Nuts like walnuts, almonds and pecans are full of protein, healthy fat and fiber. Research has shown that eating 2.5 oz of nuts every day can lower the A1C levels for as much as 8% but eat just enough as they are high in calories.
3. Cinnamon, they say, may decrease the fasting sugar levels for as much as 10%. We sprinkle it in our oatmeal but you can do the same to sweet potatoes and coffee.
4. Quinoa makes it to many lists of super foods. Why? Because it is considered a complete protein. Half a cup of cooked quinoa has 20 grams of carbs and 6 g protein.
5. Chia seeds are not only good for sprouting green hair on figurines but they are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, one oz of which has 5g of protein and 11g of fiber, some say 10g per ounce or 2 tablespoons. The fiber it contains is of the soluble type which slows down the rise of blood sugar.
6. Strawberries are high in fiber so snack on them. Just watch the portions because of the sugar content.
7. Vinegar may help lower the blood sugar with just a spoon of vinegar. Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar slows down the rise of the blood sugar after a meal. A study at the University of Sydney showed that even one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar lowered the blood sugar level by as much as 25 to 30%. No wonder before the advent of drugs, the diabetics drank vinegar tea to help with blood sugar control.
8. Steel cut oats that is unsweetened is one of the best carbs for diabetics because its soluble fiber content is high so it will take longer to digest, thus will not make the blood sugar rise fast. Try it first with small portion because it affects people in different ways. Some get their blood sugar rise up.
9. Sourdough helps lower the blood sugar. That’s a surprise, isn’t it? We know that both white bread and whole wheat make the blood sugar go up but sourdough causes change in the composition of the bread that makes it lower the blood sugar. But keep the portions small, do you hear?
10. Green bananas or unripe ones you won’t like but there is a way to get around this. Substitute green banana flour in recipes so you will get the benefit of resistant starch. This is the kind of starch that resists the body’s digestive enzymes. They do not break down into sugar molecules and not absorbed in the blood stream. Instead they go all the way to the large intestine undigested.

Can Cinnamon Lower the Blood Sugar Level?


The contention is that cinnamon does more than give flavor to our food. For hundreds of years, the Chinese have employed cinnamon to ease arthritis pain, lower cholesterol and now many think that it lowers the blood sugar level. They say it can help reduce the resistance to insulin among type 2 diabetics.
So what does the research say? Research conducted at the Jiangsu University’s Clinical Medical College as well as at the University of California found similar results – that cinnamon helps blood sugar control for both type 2 diabetics and those diagnosed with pre-diabetes. However, if you combine this herbal remedy with medications that also lower the blood sugar, take precaution by talking to your doctor about this.

Can Eating Celery Lower the Blood Sugar Level?


Celery is a super food and you can consume it between meals without affecting the blood sugar but there is no evidence that it lowers it. It is not the celery that reduces the blood glucose, rather it is how long you have eaten foods rich in carbohydrates and the amount of activity you have done. You can try eating the same and eat the celery one day and skip it the next.
Chances are you will not see any difference or just a little bit in the blood sugar readings. The trouble with this little experiment is that it is not easy to replicate exactly what one eats and the activities one takes part in. So the jury is out; just enjoy this super food but don’t count on it to solve the blood glucose dilemma.

What Breakfasts Are Bad for Blood Sugar?


Some people know the good breakfast to eat for blood sugar control. For Danish and croissants, we know the verdict, that is, they are not good for blood sugar control. But there are things out there that could misinform you, foods that masquerade as healthy but they are not. Ready to bust them? Here we go.
1. English Muffin and Nonfat Yogurt – English muffins are high in carbs even the whole grain ones and yogurt is healthy but only if you choose those that are of full-fat type and unsweetened.
2. Granola – Nuts and whole grains are good but not when loaded with dried fruit and sugar.
3. SMOOTHIE – These are supposed to be good what with yogurt and fruit mixed together but there are lots of sugars in sweetened fruit juice, banana and fruit juice.
4. Low-fat Bran Muffin – This is supposed to be part of a healthy breakfast but when eaten with 1 cup of non-fat red grapes and skim latte, it has a total of 108 carbs.
5. Instant Oatmeal – This is supposed to be a good breakfast but you have to get the right kind like steel cut oats, old fashioned rolled oats and Irish oats.
6. Banana and Bagel – Don’t delude yourself to think that this combo is healthy by opting for a nonfat cream because even the mixed grain or multigrain variety, bagels have full of carbs and lacking in nutrition.
In other words, some foods are not blood sugar friendly yet they look deceptive. For English muffin, choose only the whole grains and just eat half. With yogurt, choose the unsweetened one. Nuts and grains are good in small portions but avoid those with added sugar and dried fruits. Bran muffins are okay if you avoid the super sized ones.
Bagels are deceptive because even if labeled as multi-grain or whole wheat, many have refined flour. Smoothies are okay without the added sugar from bananas and sweetened yogurt. Oatmeal is still fine but opt in for the right kind like the old-fashioned rolled oats.

Does Protein Affect Blood Sugar? Are There Guidelines?


Dr. Richard Bernstein says it is wise for diabetics to pay careful attention to protein consumption especially the complete animal protein. Here are some guidelines:
1. The liver and the kidneys can convert protein to glucose in a long-drawn-out and ineffective manner.
2. Because the conversion is slow, the diabetics may fail to see the elevated blood sugar spikes.
3. The example is that 3 ounces of hamburger patty could be converted into 6.5 g of glucose.
4. Animal proteins like fish, meat, eggs and chicken are around 20% protein by weight.
5. Dr. Bernstein recommends that we be consistent with protein consumption of about 6 ounces for each lunch.
6. His recommendation for non-athletic adults is to consume only 1 – 1.2 g of proteins per kilogram of ideal body weight.
7. The minimum protein intake he therefore recommends for a non-athletic adult who weighs 155 pounds is 11.7 – 14 ounces each day.
8. Of course, it goes without saying that athletes and growing children need more protein.
9. Just remember that each raw ounce of protein foods supplies around 6 g of protein.
10. So on Dr. Bernstein’s eating plan, just choose the amount of protein that will gratify you which is 3 ounces or between 6 and 9 ounces.
11. However, if you have gastroparesis, limit your protein intake in the evening to 2 ounces of cheese, eggs, ground meat or fish and have a larger protein portion at the two earlier meals.

Chocolate and Blood Sugars, Don’t Let This Happen To You!


What? Chocolate and blood sugars? What is it that I don’t want to happen? Well, there was once a lady shopping on Madison Avenue in New York City, when her blood sugar plummeted to the teens. She was desperate and didn’t bring anything to make her blood sugar behave. There were no restaurants around where she could have picked up a soda.
She was desperate as she entered a chocolate store and begged the person at the counter to give her anything and thankfully, the person complied despite her irrational behavior. She was lucky and explained after her blood glucose started to rise. So here is the take away lesson. Always have something in your pocket: a life saver or something.
Here's what you could try: Ultimate Juicing & Smoothie Recipes & Tips - 6th Edition!

Conclusion


There you have it; everything you need to know about blood sugar, at least for now. This is getting too long though so we have to divide this into two parts. But either Part 1 or Part 2, take care of the blood sugar and the diabetes will take care of you as it has done for countless others.
In Part Two we will cover the following topics on blood sugar. How To Wake Up With Better Blood Sugars To Achieve the A1C Goals, New Drug to Lower Blood Sugar Approved By FDA, Dexcom G4 Platinum Continuous Monitoring System Approved for Children, Top 5 Tips to Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels Away from Complication Territory and Diabetes in Children – Blood Sugar Monitoring.

Your Turn


The blood sugar level is so important in keeping complications away so I know you are taking good care at controlling it. Oh sure, we can make mistakes every now and then. We are allowed to make mistakes for we are humans after all. It is not a disgrace to make mistakes but it is a dishonor not to get up and start over.
Roger Guzman, M.D. and Evelyn Guzman
Weird 30-Second Trick Cures Diabetes (You don’t Want to Miss This!) I’m talking about an all-natural, safe and permanent, yes that’s right permanent CURE for diabetes. I’m talking about not just covering up your diabetes symptoms through so called diabetes ‘management’ medications or treatments but tackling the root cause of your diabetes head on. All naturally, all safely, all by following this one of a kind method backed up by solid science.
This exact same secret has even led to the discovery of a simple, seemingly bizarre but highly effective 30 second trick... To instantly increase your insulin sensitivity and energy expenditure, resulting in an immediate drop in blood sugar and rapid weight loss.
Don't Miss Reading These Related Posts.
http://freediabetesalert.blogspot.ca/2014/10/the-diabetic-foot.html http://freediabetesalert.blogspot.ca/2014/11/what-diabetics-want-you-to-know.html

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References
1. http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetes-information-articles/general/1111-fda-approves-new-drug-to-lower-blood-sugar?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=DCE_20141208&utm_term=1head#0
2. Article 132 Diabetes in Children - Part 7 Blood Sugar Monitoring We wrote this article sometime ago for Free Symptoms Diabetes Alert but are publishing this again for http://freediabetesalert.blogspot.com as part of the Blood Sugar web page.
3. Article 29 Blood Sugar Monitor We wrote this article sometime ago for Free Symptoms Diabetes Alert but are publishing this again for http://freediabetesalert.blogspot.com as part of the Blood Sugar web page.
4. http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetes-news/general/10517-bionic-pancreas-improves-blood-sugar-control-for-people-with-type-1-diabetes?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=DCE_20141208
5. Blood Sugar Monitoring System Approved for Children http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetes-news/general/10190-blood-sugar-monitoring-system-approved-for-children?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=DCE_20141208
6. How to Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetes-information-articles/general/173-how-to-get-your-blood-sugar-under-control?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=DCE_20141103
7. Blood Sugar TOP 10 Foods that do NOT affect the blood sugar 721435 share http://youtu.be/0xgeG2gtI0A

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Copyright 2014 Roger Guzman, M.D. and Evelyn Guzman All rights reserved.