My Diabetic Diet

The diabetic diet strategies I will share with you are the same ones I used to develop my own diabetic diet. I will teach you the proper PCF, the best foods for lowering blood glucose, the best tools, products, books and web sites to help you reach your health goals.

Everything I will share with you are the Diabetic diet strategies that helped me. I was close to death when I was diagnosed in February 2005. I now have my blood glucose so well controlled that my new doctor was questioning my diagnosis. He told me, there is nothing in your labs or intake physical that indicates you are diabetic. When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes I spent 4 days in ICU and two weeks before I was released from the hospital so I think they probably got it right. These strategies have worked for everyone I have been able to share them with. They will probably work for you too.

It really is possible and much easier than you would imagine to get better health just with changes in diet. Better health now means a better diet and proper exercise. You do not need a lot of pills and magic cures. Most of the highly advertised pills and quick fixes are ineffective at best and many are potentially dangerous. The best prescription for better health is a better diet.

I found out the hard way. A couple of years ago. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and had gotten to a point where death was imminent. By changing my diet, my health greatly improved and I now have labs comparable to non-diabetics without using medications. I was told to adopt a low fat, low carb, and low sodium diet. I thought my days of enjoying food were over. Much to my surprise, there are actually healthy meals that taste very good.

Ten tips for a healthier diet now.

1. Get plenty of Omega3 DHA/EPA. There are three forms of omega 3, ALA Alpha-linolenic acid, EPA Eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA Docosahexainoic acid. The ones you need and probably the single best thing we can do for an improved diet and better health are getting enough EPA and DHA. These are the polyunsaturated fatty acids found in deep cold-water fish and seafood. If you do not want to eat a lot of fish the essential fatty acids are readily available in a capsule. You need at least 1000 mg per day and possibly up to 4000 mg per day if you are arthritic or suffering from joint discomfort. Omega 3 EPA/DHA affects too many body systems to mention in this article.
2. Eliminate saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Fats are very calorie dense. (9 calories per gram compared to 7 calories per gram for alcohol and 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates.) Saturated fats and cholesterol clog your arteries and lead to heart attacks and strokes. Trans fats present a problem with free radicals, which damage body cells. Replace the bad fats with the good fats. The good fats are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
3. Replace processed grains with whole grains. A simple rule is, if it is white don’t eat it. This would include white bread, sugar, white rice, and potatoes. Every time a food is processed something is lost. We do not eat nearly enough whole grains and whole grains open new adventures in good eating.
4. Drink enough water. This may sound a bit silly to a lot of people, but something as simple as not getting enough water is causing a lot of health issues. Just about every body system is water dependent. The most common symptom of chronic dehydration is not thirst. Most people suffering from chronic dehydration find themselves afflicted with a plethora of debilitating conditions such as gastritis, heartburn, arthritis, headaches, depression, weight problems and accelerated aging. Drink at least 2 quarts of water per day and more if you are in a situation where you are sweating a lot. Many people are chronically dehydrated.
5. Eat lots of dark and brightly colored fruits and vegetables. The darker brighter colored fruits and vegetables are loaded with anti oxidants and other phytonutrients. They also tend to have good levels of fiber. Good choices include, avocado, artichoke, blueberries, spinach, broccoli, guava, and the other bright dark colored fruits and vegetables. An example of a poor choice would be iceberg lettuce. It has very little in the way of the good nutrients.
6. Get plenty of soluble dietary fiber. Most of us do not get nearly enough fiber. As a result our dietary tracts are unhealthy.
7. Properly balance the intake of Protein, carbohydrates and fats. This is known as your PCF ration. Most people will do best with a ratio of 15% calories from lean protein, 55% calories from low glycemic carbohydrates, and 30% calories from good fats.
8. Limit the red meats to no more than two small servings per week. Best choices for lean protein are Chicken breast without the skin, fish and seafood, nuts and seeds, legumes such as beans, and surprisingly some vegetables such as spinach.
9. Some herbs and spices have been shown to be great aids for better health. Garlic, cloves and cinnamon are especially beneficial. Raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of and there is some evidence that it can assist in managing high cholesterol levels. It can even be effective as a natural mosquito repellent. Garlic is high in anti oxidants to counter the effects of free radicals. Cloves and cinnamon both help lower blood glucose levels for diabetics and help lower the bad cholesterols.
10. Cut down on the salt. The human body needs between 250-300 mg per day to function properly. 1500 mg of sodium per day is generally considered a severely restricted sodium diet but is actually very achievable. The typical sodium consumption is often over 5000 mg per day, which is way too high. Stop eating canned foods and you will instantly see a large reduction in sodium consumption if you do not add a lot of salt to what you replace the canned foods with. Recently there have been news articles suggesting a low sodium diet may have health risks. The problem is not in lowering sodium but iodine. Iodine is added to salt and is better acquired through other diet choices such as seafood.

The bottom line is we need better diets to be healthier. When shopping, the best choices are on the outer isles of the grocery store. This is where you will find the healthier produce, meats, dairy and other food choices. If there is something on a label promoting the food as a healthy choice be cautious. Food manufacturers are using deceptive advertising practices to try to fool you. Most of the “healthy” choices promoted on packages are not healthy on closer inspection. If you want a break down of what your healthy diet should be, there is a free diet assessment at “http://diabetic-diet-secrets.com/free_diabetic_diet_assessment_questionnaire.htm”

This article may be used anywhere as long as It is attributed to Toma Grubb and it includes a link to http://Diabetic-Diet-Secrets.com

Coffee for glucose control has been in the news lately and some people are getting excited about it. Should you increase your coffee consumption or start drinking it if you don’t already? I do not drink coffee and have very good glucose control so coffee is not an essential for good glucose control. I also think it is important to note that for each cup of coffee consumed you need to add one additional glass of water. Coffee is a diuretic. Getting most or all of your liquids from coffee can leave you dehydrated. Additionally, coffee has been directly linked to heart arrhythmias. My wife had a problem with her heart skipping every 5th beat. This stopped when she stopped drinking caffeinated coffee.
Coffee, good or bad? In the past there have been many concerns with whether coffee is a good thing for people to drink. Recently it has been discovered that coffee could possibly prevent some cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Coffee has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of cancer. It also has a tendency to speed the passage of waste through the digestive tract. This could possible reduce the risk of colon cancer. However the studies have been split between having effect and no effect on the risk of breast and colon cancer.

With diabetes just the nutritional values of the coffee reduced the risk of it in women. Several studies have taken place to prove this. In the Iowa Women’s Health Study, more than 28,000 women were followed for 11 years. The women who drank four or more cups of coffee daily were about 20 percent less likely to develop diabetes. That became a 30 to 40 percent drop among those who drank decaf coffee. Also proven by the IWH having 4-5 cups of coffee a day was linked with 19% lower risk of a heart-related death.

The many good things are being discovered about coffee it should NOT be a replacement for vegetables and fruits and water. When you drink coffee there are some cautions, both regular and decaf relax the muscle that keeps stomach acids from rising into the throat. People with heartburn and reflux disease (GERD) should avoid or limit their coffee intake. Also if you have trouble sleeping at night then you shouldn’t drink caffeinated coffee.

Chronic dehydration is a known health risk. Coffee beverages deplete the available water for body systems. To avoid dehydration and the associated health risks you need at least 2 quarts of water per day. (More if you are in a climate or involved with activities that cause heavy perspiration.) If you drink 4 cups of coffee, you need to add at least 4 glasses of water. Many people are already needing more water and adding this additional demand for even more water may make coffee a bad choice.

It’s exciting that something as simple as drinking coffee might help lower our risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. However, while brewed coffee (not instant) is a concentrated source of antioxidants, it can’t be a substitute for berries, legumes, nuts, and other fruits and vegetables that provide antioxidants along with a wide range of vitamins, protective compounds and dietary fiber.

So what is the bottom line? Coffee has been shown to be an aid in reducing some health risks while increasing others. As with any other aid for controlling blood glucose,

Can high-fiber diets really do all they claim to do?

Studies have looked at the relationship between high-fiber diets and many diseases, including colon cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes. Proven benefits of a high-fiber diet include prevention and treatment of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. In addition, certain types of fiber help decrease blood cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels. Dietary fiber in foods slows the conversion of carbohydrates to blood glucose making the meal lower glycemic. Low glycemic means a food is slower in raising blood glucose.

Quick Facts…

• Fiber may be beneficial in treating or preventing constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis.
• Water-soluble fiber helps decrease blood cholesterol levels and helps maintaim lower blood glucose levels.
• Foods containing dietary fiber include fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains.
• Include a variety of high-fiber foods in your diabetic diet.

What Is Dietary Fiber?
Dietary fiber comes from the portion of plants that is not digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. Part of it, however, may be metabolized by bacteria in the lower gut.

Different types of plants have varying amounts and kinds of fiber, including pectin, gum, mucilage, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Pectin and gum are water-soluble fibers found inside plant cells. They slow the passage of food through the intestines but do nothing to increase fecal bulk. Beans, oat bran, fruit and vegetables contain soluble fiber.

In contrast, fibers in cell walls are water insoluble. These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Such fibers increase fecal bulk and speed up the passage of food through the digestive tract. Wheat bran and whole grains contain the most insoluble fiber, but vegetables and beans also are good sources. Recently psilliun has become a popular high fiber source. Psilliun is higher in dietary fiber than most other sources.

Sometimes there is confusion as to the difference between crude fiber and dietary fiber. Both are determined by a laboratory analysis, but crude fiber is only one-seventh to one-half of total dietary fiber.

Benefits of Fiber
Insoluble fiber binds water, making stools softer and bulkier. Therefore, fiber, especially that found in whole grain products, is helpful in the treatment and prevention of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. Diverticula are pouches of the intestinal wall that can become inflamed and painful. In the past, a low-fiber diet was prescribed for this condition. It is now known that a high-fiber diet gives better results once the inflammation has subsided.

Low blood cholesterol levels (below 200 mg/dl.) have been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. The body eliminates cholesterol through the excretion of bile acids. Water-soluble fiber binds bile acids, suggesting that a high-fiber diet may result in an increased excretion of cholesterol. Some types of fiber, however, appear to have a greater effect than others. The fiber found in rolled oats is more effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels than the fiber found in wheat. Pectin has a similar effect in that it, too, can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Other claims for fiber are less well founded. Dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of some cancers, especially colon cancer. This idea is based on information that insoluble fiber increases the rate at which wastes are removed from the body. This means the body may have less exposure to toxic substances produced during digestion. A diet high in animal fat and protein also may play a role in the development of colon cancer.

High-fiber diets may be useful for people who wish to lose weight. Fiber itself has no calories, yet provides a “full” feeling because of its water-absorbing ability. For example, an apple is more filling than a half cup of apple juice that contains about the same calories. Foods high in fiber often require more chewing, so a person is unable to eat a large number of calories in a short amount of time.

Sources of Fiber
Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Meat, milk and eggs do not contain fiber. The form of food may or may not affect its fiber content. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. Other types of processing, though, may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.

The removal of seeds, peels or hulls also reduces fiber content. Whole tomatoes have more fiber than peeled tomatoes, which have more than tomato juice. Likewise, whole wheat bread contains more fiber than white bread.

How Much Fiber?
In 2002, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences Research Council issued Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for fiber. Previously, no national standardized recommendation existed. The new DRIs represent desirable intake levels established using the most recent scientific evidence available. The current recommendations range between 19 grams per day and 38 grams per day depending on age and gender. However, the average American only consumes 14 grams of dietary fiber per day. (we recommend between 30 and 40m grams for controlling glucose)

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for Fiber.
Age g/day Fiber
Children
1-3 years 19
4-8 years 25
Males
9-13 years 31
14-18 years 38
19-50 years 38
51+ years 30
Females
9-13 years 26
14-18 years 26
19-50 years 25
51+ years 21
Pregnancy
<18 years 28
18+ years 28
Lactation
<18 years 29
18+ years 29

For many people, meeting the DRI for fiber may require changes in their eating habits. Eating several servings of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and dried beans each day is good way to boost fiber intake. However, if you are not used to eating high fiber foods regularly, these changes should be made gradually to avoid problems with gas and diarrhea. Anyone with a chronic disease should consult a physician before greatly altering a diet.

Food Labeling of Fiber
Nutrients required on food labels reflect current public health concerns and coincide with current public health recommendations. Nutrition labels now list a Daily Reference Value (DRV) for specific nutrients, including fiber. The DRV for fiber is 25 grams per day based on a 2,000 calorie diet, or 30 grams per day based on a 2,500 calorie diet. The fiber content of a food is listed in grams and as a percentage of the daily value.

Specific health claims can be made for food products that meet specific requirements. For example: “Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber, particularly soluble fiber, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.” In order to make a health claim about fiber and coronary heart disease, the food must contain at least 0.6 g of soluble fiber per reference amount. The soluble fiber content must be listed and cannot be added or fortified. A product containing a health claim for fiber and coronary heart disease must also meet the definitions of a low fat, low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol product.

A statement such as “made with oat bran” or “high in oat bran” implies that a product contains a considerable amount of the nutrient. Claims that imply a product contains a particular amount of fiber can be made only if the food actually meets the definition for “high fiber” or “good source of fiber,” whichever is appropriate.

The following terms describe products that can help increase fiber intake:
Nutrition Facts

* High fiber: 5 g or more per serving
* Good source of fiber: 2.5 g to 4.9 g per serving
* More or added fiber: At least 2.5 g more per serving than the reference food

Although fiber is important, it is just one part of a properly balanced diet. It is possible that too much fiber may reduce the amount of calcium, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium that is absorbed from foods. Deficiencies of these nutrients could result if the amount of fiber in the diet is excessive, especially in young children.

Fiber supplements are sold in a variety of forms from bran tablets to purified cellulose. Many laxatives sold as stool softeners actually are fiber supplements. Fiber’s role in the diet is still being investigated. It appears that the various types of fiber have different roles in the body.

For these reasons, avoid fiber supplements. Instead, eat a variety of fiber-rich foods. This is the best way to receive the maximum benefits from each type of fiber present in foods, and obtain necessary nutrients.

References

* Farley, Dixie. May 1993. Look for ‘LEGIT’ Health Claims on Foods. FDA Consumer.
* Kurtzweil, Paula. May 1993. Nutrition Facts to Help Consumers Eat Smart. FDA Consumer.
* Duyff, Roberta. American Dietetic Association’s 2nd Edition Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. P130-142. 2002.
* Slavin, J. “Dietary Fiber: Mechanisms or Magic in Disease Prevention?” Nutrition Today. Nov/Dec. 1990.
* Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). National Academy Press p. 265-334. 2002.

I must preface my comments on the economics of health by saying I do not believe there is a conspiracy to keep us all unhealthy. While there may be some who are knowingly doing harm for profit motives, I believe most are producing products and providing services with the intent of doing good and providing value for the compensation they receive. I do believe that many are misguided in their beliefs and are unknowingly doing harm.

We all know money is the driving force of most things in life. We rail against it. We want to believe we are more noble and motivated by higher ideals, but when we boil it down, economic incentives are the driving force to most things in life. Health care is no exception. There is not a lot of money in keeping people healthy. There are huge economic incentives in producing drugs and treatments for sick people.

Since this blog is about how to use nutrition for better health I will limit my comments to the economic incentives of teaching people to be healthier through proper eating habits.
Start at the source of our food. Farmers are paid for producing the largest crops they can sell to an existing market. There is not a strong financial link to producing the healthiest foods they can. There are a growing number of “organic” food producers. The “organic” foods cost more, but there is not a huge market for them. Even at this level there are economic pressures to allow a diluting of the labeling requirements so some “non-organic” practices can be used to produce cheaper “organic” products.

The small family farm has largely been replaced by corporate farming operations with more emphasis on profit than healthy products. As a result there are more chemicals being introduced to the food chain. US and Canadian beef producers use steroids, growth promoting hormones, and other methods to get their products to the market quicker. The EU has a ban on US and Canadian beef because of artificially induced carcinogens in the beef. The “organic” food market has grown out of concerns with undesirable chemicals being introduced to the food chain from farming practices.

Moving up the chain, food manufacturers produce prepackaged foods that may not be good choices because they are popular and can be sold for large profits. These prepackaged foods often are overloaded with sodium, carbohydrates, food additives, saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, and other things that make them poor choices for a healthy diet. Things like hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fats) are used to promote longer shelf life even though it has been known for some time that the free radicals cause health problems. Most prepackaged foods have excessive amounts of sodium mostly because the public has been conditioned to enjoy the taste of salt and that is what sells. Candies and snack foods are also great examples. Most candies and snack foods lack any significant nutrition value yet the market is huge and the profits high so the food manufacturer will “give the public what it wants” even though a large part of the demand is driven by advertising. The food manufacturers are more interested in profits than in providing you with healthy nutritious foods.

At this point there is far more economic incentive to produce unhealthy foods than there is to produce healthy foods. Not all the blame can be laid at the feet of the food producers. They would not be producing these foods if we were not buying them.

The next level in the chain is us. We (myself included) have developed self indulgent, unhealthy tastes that contribute to the health crisis and we condition our kids to participate in unhealthy practices. In my case I had to relearn and recondition myself to eat what is good for me after a major health crisis. The best way to change the food manufactures and farmer is to change how we think about food and what we buy. If we don’t buy the unhealthy foods there will be no market for them and the food manufacturers will quit making all the unhealthy foods. That probably isn’t going to happen since those of us with raised awareness are still a minority.

Then there is the medical establishment. The medical community has a strong economic incentive to treat sick people, not put most of their efforts into keeping them healthy. The same holds true with the pharmaceutical companies. Treatment and drug manufacturing is far more profitable than educating people to remain healthy. The same goes for the studies. There are far more dollars available for research to come up with a profitable ways to treat medical conditions than there are for research into how to eat to maintain health.

We can’t ignore government’s role in the economics of health care. Politicians look no further than the next election. They will do whatever is most expedient to get them re-elected. The right thing to do is, more often than not, is the hard thing. Politicians and government agencies are caught in a cross fire. They are beginning to wakeup to the soaring cost of health care aggravated by the unhealthy eating practices of the population. On the other hand they are motivated by the tax dollars received from the food manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and others who have very strong lobbies looking out for the corporate interest. There are also the health politics. Various factions are competing for their point of view and the health consumers are getting caught in the crossfire.

All of the above makes the job of the individual seeking the best answers relevant to their own health far more difficult. We are barraged with claims and cross claims from all the factions involved. We can’t even get a clear straight answer about something as simple as should I use a particular artificial sweetener. Fortunately, consumers are waking up and becoming more involved in their personal health choices. To a small degree, we are no longer just accepting what ever the “powers that be” tell us and we are actively seeking answers to our health care concerns. This blog is one small step in that direction.

I had to find answers for myself. I am not a farmer, food manufacturer, drug manufacturer, medical practitioner, researcher politician or otherwise entangled in the web that has created this international problem. I am one lonely voice in the wilderness seeking answers and willing to share what I find with others. There are no big dollars in trying to get people to make healthy choices so I will never get rich. If I can get a few people to make healthy choices I may have done some good. If each of us then helps a couple more get healthy we are contributing to the betterment of our communities. If enough of us get involved in wanting a healthier world we will have a movement. If the movement quits buying unhealthy foods, the food companies would listen and give us healthy foods. I know this is an impossible dream but we have to start somewhere and I chose to start with me and ask you to join me.

Why self-test blood glucose levels?
Testing enables you to see how certain foods, activities, and situations may impact your blood glucose levels. It can also help you and your diabetes care team evaluate how effective, or ineffective, a new treatment routine or change in medication is. For people who take insulin, self-testing allows for more accurate dosage adjustments. Very similar to the way your bathroom scale is your best gage for determining is your weight loss strategy is working, your glucose meter is your best way to tell if your glucose control strategies are working.

The ADA suggests that people with type 1 diabetes and pregnant women taking insulin test their blood glucose levels at least three times a day.

There is no official recommendation for daily testing frequency for type 2 diabetes; however the ADA does state that testing should be frequent enough to achieve blood glucose goals, and both type 1 and type 2 patients should test more often when their treatment regimen is adjusted.

My suggestion is to test as often as you need to determine how your body is reacting to certain foods. Initially this may be as much as 8 times per day. Once you are well controlled you may only need to test frequently when you are trying new foods. I think testing at least once a day for a well controlled type 2 diabetics helps remind you of your goals and shows you if you are staying on track with your glucose control strategy.

What kind of blood glucose monitor?
There are a wide variety of blood glucose monitors to choose from, from stripped down single-reading meters to models with computer compatibility, alarms, and backlights.

Think about the functions that are important to you. For example, if you like seeing trend data on your glucose readings, a meter that has extensive memory may be for you. Peop le with vision impairment may prefer a large display, or an adaptive meter with voice reading capabilities. Size may also matter; if you prefer an unobtrusive glucose monitor that can be used discretely you ll want something small and easy to handle. Your certified diabetes educator or pharmacist is a good source of information on what blood glucose monitor may be right for you.

This will vary by country, but in most places, they will give you the monitor when you buy a certain amount of test strips. It is more important to know the price of the test strips than the price of the glucose monitor Most meters on the market today read blood plasma, the same standard that is used in a clinical setting (many older meters provide whole blood readings).

Consider the following features when deciding on a blood glucose monitor:

Size and user-friendliness: Is it convenient for your needs and easy-to-use?

Time to readout: How long does the meter take to display results?

Memory: How many test results will the meter s memory hold, and does it have the capability of averaging results for a designated time period?

Trend data and computer compatibility: Does the meter interface with a computer and allow you to download meter results and generate blood glucose trend information?

Battery life and availability: Will battery power last a reasonable amount of time, and are the batteries easily available at a local store or must they be special ordered?

Blood sample size: Does the meter require a minimal amount of blood, or do you have to open a vein to get a reading?

Alternative site testing: Some meters allow you to test blood samples from the forearm and other sites beyond the fingertips.

Cost: Factor in the cost of test strips when evaluating your meter purchase.

Multi-tasking: Some blood glucose monitors double as blood ketone testers (Precision Xtra; MediSense) and insulin injection devices (InDuo; NovoNordisk)

Adaptive technology: If you have vision impairments, you may need a meter that speaks your results.

Bells and whistles: Glow-in-the-dark cases, backlighting, and swappable faceplates are just a few of the other features today s blood glucose meters can offer.

What other supplies do you need?
All meters require test strips to operate a small chemically treated strip th at slides into the meter. After insertion, a drop of blood is placed on the opposite end of the strip that protrudes from the meter, and the meter reads the glucose level and displays the number on the screen.

Some monitors use test strip drums, which are self-enclosed spools of strips that automatically load without user intervention. Small children and adults who have difficulties with their fine motor skills may find this type of monitor easier to use.

You ll also need a lancet (a small, fine needle) to get a blood sample for testing. Lancets are inserted into a lancet device a spring-loaded mechanism about the size and shape of a pen. A dial allows the user to adjust the depth of the lancet stick. Typically there is a button that you push to release the lancet into a fingertip or other site to draw a blood sample. Lancets come in different gauges; the higher the gauge, the finer (i.e., thinner) the needle. Higher gauge needles are less painful, but they also may create a smaller blood sample.

Your blood glucose monitor may also come with control solution (for calibrating the monitor per manufacturer s directions for use) and a carrying case.

Omega 3 fatty acid and it’s health benefits
Before this discussion of omega 3 fatty acid I believe it is important to clear up some of the confusion about the omega 3 fats. Many of the food manufacturers attempting to jump on the omega 3 benefit bandwagon are using misleading information to try to get you to buy their products. omega 3 fatty acids that are missing in most modern western diets are Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexainoic acid (DHA). There is another omega 3 fatty acid (Alpha-linolenic acid, ALA, ) which most of us get plenty of. EPA and DHA we get from fish and is often thought of as omega 3 fish oil. ALA we get from vegetable sources, primarily vegetable oils. (omega 3 flax seed oil) Don’t let the misleading advertising and labeling fool you.

Are there different kinds of omega 3 fatty acid?
Yes. omega 3 fatty acids are one type of polyunsaturated fatty acid. A second type is called omega-6. Monounsaturated fatty acids are from the omega-9 family of fatty acids. Only omega-9 fatty acids can be synthesized by our bodies. We must obtain omega 3 fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acids from the foods we eat. The following table shows different families of fatty acids and omega 3 food sources.

The U. S. National Library of medicine has this to say about omega 3; “omega 3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat that the body derives from food. Omega-3s (and omega-6s) are known as essential fatty acids (EFAs) because they are important for good health. The body cannot make these fatty acids on its own so omega-3s must be obtained from food. These different types of acids can be obtained in foods such as cold-water fish including tuna, salmon, and mackerel. Other important omega 3 fatty acids are found in dark green leafy vegetables, flaxseed oils, and certain vegetable oils. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be beneficial for the heart. Positive effects include anti-inflammatory and anti-blood clotting actions, lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and reducing blood pressure. These fatty acids may also reduce the risks and symptoms for other disorders including diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, some cancers, and mental decline.”

Why take omega 3 fish oils?
We need a certain amount of these omega 3 fats to thrive. They are important building blocks for cells throughout the body. Since the body does not produce them itself, we have to acquire them in the form of food and/or a dietary supplement. Fish containing omega 3 fatty acid have been a natural part of the human diet for millions of years. However, our diet has undergone great changes over the last 100 years. Today we eat much more saturated fat and vegetable oils and much less fish. This has led to a significant imbalance in fat intake, correlating with negative effects on our health. (As being studied by the U. S. Center for Disease Control)Adding omega 3 fats to your nutrient intake can restore this balance. The best method is to significantly increase your consumption of fatty fish, omega 3 supplements are a good alternative or addition for people who cannot or do not want to eat so much fish.

How do we notice the effect of Omega-3s?
Our bodies need omega 3 fatty acids. Just like vitamins, omega 3 fatty acid s have a long-term effect. Since omega 3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect on the heart, blood vessels and circulation, changes can only be measured at the doctor’s office by testing blood pressure and levels of blood lipids. In the case of people who take high doses of omega-3s for their skin and joints, on the other hand, the user should notice a positive effect after a few months.

Does the effect disappear if we stop taking Omega-3 supplements?
If you stop taking an omega 3 supplement, your body will gradually be emptied of the reserves that have been built up. In the course of four to six weeks the proportion of omega 3 fatty acid in your body will fall to the same level as before you started. Omega-3 omega 3 fatty acids are something that must be added to the body all the time, through food and/or dietary supplements - like vitamins. Such essential substances must be supplied through the diet.

Diet Software for optimal diabetic diet control

There are three good reasons to use diet software for optimizing your diabetic diet.

The first reason is you will be more successful. Regardless of whether you are using our diabetic diet strategies or those from other sources, You will be far more successful at achieving your goals if everything you eat is tracked and analyzed to assure you are doing the diabetic diet plan the way it is intended.

The second reason is you will take the guesswork out of deciding if you are making good choices that comply with your diabetic diet plan.

The third reason is you will be able to plan meals with more ease. Most diabetic diet plans want you to log what you are eating and try to plan what you will eat based on set guidelines. Trying to follow those guidelines can be very time-consuming and frustrating leading to failure.

Good diet software can make planning and analyzing your diabetic diet plan a breeze. The NutriCoach Diabetic Diet plan we use on this site was developed specifically to be used in conjunction with good software. The best Diet software we know of is NutriBase from CyberSoft,Inc which has been a leader in nutrition software for years.

Why meal planning software is critical in learning good dietary control of diabetes, high cholesterol, weight loss, control of arthritis and other health concerns
Diet software, dieting software, weight loss software, nutrition software, fitness software, exercise software, calorie counter, diet analysis, nutrient analysis, software nutrition, software diet, diet balancer, diet planner, , diet tracker, diet log, balance log. meal planner, nutrition software, diet planner, meal plans, meal planning software are all terms used for the same thing. Software that is used to help select analyze and plan meals.

It is fairly common knowledge that dietary control is the best way to control type 2 diabetes, lower cholesterol, improve heart health, lose weight and a host of other medical conditions. It is not as commonly known how to achieve a healthy diet.

Nutrition Tracking software is a learning tool
Nutrition software is an extremely valuable tool for learning what and how much of each food to eat. Meal planning for diabetics can become an overwhelming task. Good diet software makes that task a lot easier by doing the math so you can know what the actual nutrient balance is in your meal. To obtain optimal results each meal needs to be properly balanced instead of trying to just get a nutrient balance for the day. The math involved in nutrient analysis could easily take over an hour if done with paper, pencil and a calculator. Good nutrition tracking software does this in microseconds. In addition, a good diet planner shows graphs to give you a visual tool to help you see and understand the nutrient analysis. This adds a key component, visualization, to enhance the learning curve and simplifies the task of diet analysis. People who use nutrition software are more successful at reaching their nutrition goals.

The reasons diet software make it easier to reach nutrition goals is easy to understand.

Guesswork is eliminated. When you take a few minutes to plan and analyze a meal before eating you know you are getting the proper nutrients in the proper amounts. Once you know a meal works well by comparing results with your blood glucose meter. you know you have a safe meal for future reference. You have a record of what you have eaten to know what works and what doesn’t. Your learning curve is reduced. As you do a diet analysis, you start to see and understand what a good nutrition balance looks like. It becomes easy to make and modify recipes that support your nutrition goals.

Diet planning software makes meal planning easier
When you are making your meal plans, it is best to see how the nutrient analysis of the meal looks before making and eating the meal. When you are trying to achieve a well balanced meal it is almost impossible to get it right by simply guessing at the appropriate quantities of each ingredient in your recipe. A good diet tracker will show you what the nutrient balance looks like and allow you to adjust the quantity of each ingredient to achieve a truly balanced meal plan.

Nutrition software for developing recipes
The old way of making a recipe was combining ingredients strictly for taste and eye appeal. With the concern for what nutrients are in a recipe software that shows the nutrients while a recipe is being compiled is becoming more and more important. Meal planning software that does this is the answer. This is particularly important for people who have diabetes, high cholesterol, heart conditions and other medical conditions that are effected by diet.
Nutrition tracking software can also save you money.

In addition to giving you better control of your dietary intake the better diet planners also produce shopping list so you are only buying the food you will be eating cutting down on waste. Let’s face it. If you are buying fresh meat fish and produce, you can expect significant spoilage if it is being bought without a good meal plan for using it. Beside the food savings, there are the reduced medical expenses.

If you get really healthy you won’t be buying as many medicines, paying for visits to the dietician as often and possibly even fewer doctors visits. My software has paid for it’s self many times over.
I use NutriBase Personal plus which I believe is the best personal nutrition software available.

Whether you are using the NutriCoach dietary recommendations or following some other nutrition plan, nutrition software can be your best tool in understanding and implementing the plan.

I am a fanatic about nutrition and diabetic diet planning. I started with a little hand-held device that got me started but cost more than the NutriBase 6 Personal Plus that I eventually ended up using after trying several others. I now use NutriBase 7 clinical but it is over kill for most personal needs. Like I said I am a fanatic and it allows me to track about 150 different nutrients. All versions of NutriBase will work for you but I recommend either NutriBase 7 Personal or NutriBase 7 Personal Plus.

Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index

The diabetic associations such as ADA, CDA and others used to say there was no value in the glycemic index or glycemic load and that all carbohydrates should be treated the same. They are slowly recognizing the benefits of low glycemic food concepts in a diabetic diet plan and are grudgingly acknowledging its benefits for diabetics in controlling blood glucose. Current research shows a low glycemic load diet helps control blood glucose.

A new system for classifying carbohydrates calls into question many of the old assumptions about how carbohydrates affect health. This new system, known as the glycemic index, or glycemic load measures how fast and how far blood sugar rises after you eat a food that contains carbohydrates. The glycemic index is an important concept to understand for anyone wanting better glucose control. There are many low glycemic index diets and books about the glycemic index and the glycemic load currently available. The American diabetic diet recommended by the ADA has pretty much ignored the benefits of a low glycemic load diet.

There needs to be a distinction made between the glycemic index and the glycemic load.
The glycemic index refers to how quickly a food will raise blood glucose and the glycemic load refers to the accumulated effect of both the glycemic index and the glycemic load in a glycemic index diet.

All carbohydrates are not created equal. White rice, for example, is converted almost immediately to blood sugar, causing it to spike rapidly. It’s classified as having a high glycemic index. Brown rice, in contrast, is digested more slowly, causing a lower and more gentle change in blood sugar. It has a low glycemic index. There are different scales for determining the glycemic index. Some glycemic index values are based on white bread, others are based on sucrose (the name for common refined table sugar) White rice is a very high glycemic food with a glycemic index number of 128 which is higher than the glycemic index number of 100 for the sucrose that is used as the reference point in determining the glycemic index.

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A high blood glucose level raises the risk for diabetic complications. The best way to avoid diabetic complications is to maintain a normal blood glucose level.  A healthy Diabetes blood glucose level is below 110 mg/dl or 6.1 mml/l depending on whether you are using the US scale or international scale. An acceptable blood glucose level is 140 mg/dl (US) or 7.8 (international) two hours after eating.
 
People with diabetes can help keep their bodies healthy by simply adding a dash of spice to their diet to lower high blood glucose levels according to new research from the USDA ARS.  The new research also says cinnamon is a food to lower cholesterol.

Diabetics have to be concerned with more than just high blood glucose levels. Diabetics also have to be concerned with a diet to lower cholesterol. High Cholesterol raises the risk for heart disease.  Diabetics are at much higher risk for heart disease than the general population. So it is important to include food to lower cholesterol. A good diet to lower cholesterol should also be one to lower high blood glucose levels. Cinnamon as been shown to be a food that lowers cholesterol, and helps lower high blood glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes arises when the body loses sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that shuttles the sugars from food into body cells to be used for energy. As a result, the amount of sugar, or glucose, in the blood remains high, leading to fatigue and blurred vision. Over the long term, high blood glucose level can increase the risk of heart disease, kidney failure and blindness.

For people with diabetes, the less glucose level in blood, and cholesterol in the body the better. You can see why it is so important to maintain a normal blood glucose level. In the study done by Dr. Richard A. Anderson of the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Maryland, diabetics who incorporated one gram (equivalent to less than one-quarter teaspoon) of cinnamon per day for 40 days into their normal diets experienced a decrease in high blood glucose level, cholesterol and blood fats. That means cinnamon is also a way to lower cholesterol naturally According to study author Dr. Richard A. Anderson,” Diabetics could add a dash of cinnamon to their morning servings of coffee, orange juice or cereal. You can also make a cinnamon tea by simply boiling water with stick cinnamon.”  The current findings suggest that a small amount of cinnamon can help protect diabetics from these and other potential complications of their condition. Cinnamon may also help stave off the onset of type 2 diabetes in people at risk of the condition.

During the study, Anderson and his colleagues at the USDA Agricultural Research Center asked 60 people with type 2 diabetes to consume 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon each day for 40 days, or the equivalent amount of wheat flour, as a placebo. Both the cinnamon and wheat flour were administered in capsule form. Reporting in the journal Diabetes Care, Anderson and his team found that all cinnamon-takers experienced a drop in blood levels of glucose, fats and cholesterol by up to 30 percent. No change was seen in the people taking placebo capsules. Anderson explained that cinnamon contains compounds that help make insulin more efficient, improving the hormone’s ability to bring glucose to the cells that need it.

As an added bonus, cinnamon contains virtually no calories, allowing diabetics to add zest to their meals without adding to their waistlines. Cinnamon contains less than 3 calories per gram, negligible in the total dietary intake. Previous research has shown that cinnamon appears to help fat cells recognize and respond to insulin. In test tube and in animal studies, the spice increased glucose metabolism by about 20 times.

There is a down side. Cinnamon contains some substances that can be toxic i