Diabetes Health Talk

Babies

“Low birth weight is consistently associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood,” Dr. Magnus Kaijser of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues write. Exactly how poor fetal growth and premature birth fit into the picture, however, was not known.

As reported in the journal Diabetes, the researchers identified a group of subjects born prematurely or with low birth weight at four delivery units in Sweden from 1925 through 1949. The development of diabetes in these groups was compared with that seen in a similar group of subjects who had normal birth weights and were born at full term.

A total of 6425 subjects were included in the study. Of these, 2931 were born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy) and 2176 had a low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds), but were born at full term.

An analysis of hospital databases indicated that 508 of the subjects were treated for diabetes during follow-up from 1987 to 2006.

The authors found that subjects who were born very prematurely (before the 32nd week of pregnancy) were 67 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those born at term.

Similarly, birth weights that were much lower than the average weight for a given point in pregnancy increased the odds of diabetes by 76 percent.

“We have found that the association between low birth weight and risk for diabetes seems to be (the result of) both poor fetal growth and preterm birth,” Kaijser and colleagues conclude.

Vegetables

Actually, a little steam treatment could be even better. New research suggests that steaming might improve the cholesterol-lowering capabilities of certain produce. Which helps lessen diabetets effects in your body.

Lost in Digestion
When researchers tested the digestive effects of
both raw and steamed veggies — beets, okra, carrots, eggplant, green beans, asparagus, and cauliflower — something interesting happened. It’s not clear why, but the steamed veggies did a better job of binding to bile acids. And that’s a good thing. It means more bile acids get excreted, which in turn means the liver needs more bad LDL cholesterol to make bile — which means there’s less LDL circulating in your body.

Veggie Contingency Plan
Raw or steamed, your goal is to eat at least five servings of vegetables every day.

Fresh herbs add extra cell-protecting phenols to salads. To boost the nutrition in your bowl — and your belly — add sage, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme. In a recent study, these herbs added the most antioxidants to a salad (fresh marjoram leaves more than doubled the antioxidant value). For spices, cumin soared up the salad chart. Second to cumin: fresh ginger.

Which vegetables pack the strongest antioxidant punch? Artichoke, beetroot, broccoli, garlic, a variety of leek, a type of radish, and spinach were top produce picks in a recent study. Adding onions also upped the antioxidant ante.

Dressing gives you another opportunity to increase the antioxidant quotient of your salad. Extra-virgin olive oil shines brightest. For a healthful and low-fat alternative, try apple or wine vinegars.

Mediterranean Fruit

Choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods. Try a grain like barley for a new taste.

Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Shoot for a rainbow of colors.

If you drink alcohol, stick to 1 or 2 drinks at the most.

Ditch the salt shaker. Try fresh herbs and spices.

Avoid trans fat, which is found in many pastries, cakes, french fries, crackers and other processed foods and packages. Also, limit intake of foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Choose non-fat dairy, and have several “meatless meals” every week. Use beans, veggie burgers, lentils and other sources of vegetarian protein.

eople with diabetes also can reduce their risk for having a heart attack, stroke, and other complications by following the ABCs of diabetes:

A: Average Glucose - A1C (a measure of average blood glucose). Most people with diabetes should get an A1C test at least twice a year, which measures how well blood glucose has been controlled over the past 2-3 months. The goal for most people with diabetes is an A1C less than 7%, which is an estimated average glucose of less than 154 mg/dl.

B: Blood Pressure - People with diabetes should have a target blood pressure of less than 130/80 mmHg.

C: Cholesterol - LDL (bad) cholesterol should be below 100 mg/dl; HDL (healthy) cholesterol should be above 40 mg/dl for men and 50 mg/dl for women; triglycerides should be below 150 mg/dl.

By following these Diabetic and heart healthy hints and tips, you’ll be giving your body the proper nutrients it needs.

Diabetes in a Box

Is a program of the American Diabetes Association which provides the resources your employees need to live healthier lives — whether they are working to prevent diabetes or to manage diabetes if they have already been diagnosed.
Why Winning at Work?

Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, affecting a growing number and percentage of people every year. Many people do not recognize that they are at risk for diabetes (or diabetes-related complications if they already have diabetes). However, type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed for many of those at high risk for diabetes and diabetes-related complications can be also be prevented or delayed for those with diabetes. Learn more about diabetes and its impact on your workplace.

Winning at Work Resources

Increase diabetes awareness in your workplace with the new Message in a Box Diabetes Awareness Kit including posters, table tents and diabetes risk tests. These materials are ideal for employee cafeterias, break rooms, fitness centers and other workplace locations.

Implement diabetes detection, prevention and management activities in your workplace. The comprehensive Winning at Work Guide includes resources to implement a multi-pronged workplace program. For additional resources and information, download the activities included in the Guide.

Order one of these for your business, workplace, exercise facility or group meeting. Anyone can be affected by Diabetes and it can strike at anytime for any reason. Show people you care by providing this information on how they can take care of themselves.

Vegetables

Under the diet, Dr. Baxter Montgomery encourages patients to eat plant-based foods, minimally processed foods (that means all those foods that come prepared in a box or package), and to eat whole foods, as close to their natural state as possible.

For instance, you could shuck a corn on the cob and just eat it uncooked. He says it’s actually delicious that way, plus you get all the nutrients from it.

Dr. Montgomery also steers his patients away from meat, which he calls “animal flesh”. He says our digestive systems aren’t actually meant to digest meats and it puts an extra burden on the body.

More and more Doctors, Dieticians and Nutritionists are seeing the benefits of a low-carb, low-calorie, low-starch diet for Diabetics. Mostly plant-based, these meal plans for life (because ‘diets don’t work’) reduce and remove the underlying cause for diabetes and insulin resistance.

In my life, i’ve cut out most carbohydrates and starches, certainly no process foods and increased my vegetables and lean meats and fish. The old saying is true: Do most of your shopping on the outside perimeter of the store! All the processed, unhealthy foods are in the aisles. There is a noticible difference in my energy level. And my skin looks healthier, younger and more natural.

Make vegetables a main course or the big filler on your plate instead of meats, carbohydrates or starches. You will feel better, less likely to drowse off after eating and your blood sugar will thank you for it.

Pillows

Millions of Americans suffer Sleep Apnea, making it one of the Nations top problems. Scientists state:

“What our research tells us is that SDB is characterized by multiple physiological deficits that increase the predisposition for type 2 diabetes mellitus,” study leader Dr. Naresh Punjabi, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in an American Thoracic Society news release.

Another Hopkins study found that obese people with chronic intermittent hypoxia, the lack of oxygen that occurs during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), showed liver issues in proportion to the severity of the sleep disorder.

“We hypothesize that severe obesity, per se, acts as a first hit in the progression of liver disease, inducing hepatic steatosis, whereas the presence of the chronic intermittent hypoxemia that often characterizes OSA acts as a second hit,” lead researcher Dr. Vsevolod Y. Polotsky, of the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, said in the same news release. “The hypoxic stress of OSA may induce oxidative stress in the livers of patients with severe obesity, leading to further inflammation.”

Enzyme levels and other findings, though, suggest that obesity and sleep apnea are not completely tied to each other, he said, meaning that each condition must be dealt with separately to also address the complications of both.

“Our data suggest that patients with OSA and severe nocturnal hypoxemia should be screened for liver disease, and, conversely, patients with liver disease should be screened for OSA,” Polotsky said.

The researchers found these changes in people who were sedentary but not obese and who they suspected had obstructive sleep apnea — a discovery that might help explain why 40 percent of people with the breathing disorder are not obese and why exercise without weight loss appears to reduce sleep apnea issues in some people.

Corn

We all know that an expanding waistline leads to diabetes and heart disease. A smalll, but significant study is looking at types of sugar.

In the study, the sweet stuff dramatically enhanced lipogenesis — the process by which the body converts sugar into fat.

Double or Nothing?
In fact, people in the study who consumed a fructose-laced breakfast drink produced double the body fat in a subsequent 4-hour period, compared with the people who had a glucose-only breakfast beverage. Is this really a surprise? Fat and sugar account for many fast food breakfasts and cereals these days. No wonder there is an obesity epidemic in the United States.

Where You Get It
Fructose is found in fruit and fruit juice. But you probably get most of yours from processed foods, because hundreds of them have it in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) — from soups and salad dressings to breads, cereals, crackers, and sweetened beverages. HFCS is a major source of excess calories, according to the American Dietetic Association. The Dr’s from ‘Real Age’ and I recommend cutting all high-fructose corn syrup from your diet. HFCS raises blood sugar!

You will be surprised at how many products have HFCS in them. This will be a great learning opportunity for everyone. Since I’ve cut out processed foods, i’ve lost weight and feel much healthier than I ever have in my life. You will too.

Sometimes medications can leave us with foul smelling breath. Luckily Mother Nature is always there to take care of us.

Can’t stand the sting of mouthwash, but want sweeter breath? Set down the Scope, and pick up a pinch of one of these herbs instead: parsley, basil, or cilantro.

They all contain the green plant pigment chlorophyll, which is a powerful breath freshener, writes James Duke — a PhD and botanist — in his book, The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook.

More Fresheners for Your Mouth
In addition to parsley, basil, and cilantro, Duke recommends these easy-to-find breath fresheners:

Dill: It’s also rich in chlorophyll. Chew the seeds, or make dill tea by adding the leaves or mashed seeds to boiling water.

Cardamom: It contains cineole, a potent antiseptic that kills bad-breath bacteria. You can chew the seeds and then spit them out.

Anise: The seeds of this licorice-flavored herb have been used for thousands of years to freshen breath. Boil the seeds in a cup of water. Strain, and then drink or use as a mouthwash.

Peppermint tea, a strong antiseptic, fights halitosis.

Other good Peppermint news:

The scent of peppermint is like a drill sergeant, telling your brain to “Wake up and focus!” New research shows that you pay better attention to dull-but-must-do jobs when this scent is around. So the next time you’re mentally sluggish, grab a candy cane, chew a stick of peppermint gum, or inhale the scent of mint-infused oil, and then listen to your brain say, “Can do!”

Science has confirmed it: When there’s a hint of mint wafting through the room, workers perform better on jobs that demand accuracy. In a study, participants made fewer typing mistakes and alphabetized things faster when under the influence of peppermint’s aroma compared to tasks performed in a scent-free zone.

Atkins Diet

Here’s the study, in a nutshell: low carb diets reduce blood sugar. Here’s the long explantion.

Dr. Eric C. Westman, of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues compared the effectiveness of the two diets in 84 obese patients with type 2 diabetes. They were assigned to a low carbohydrate (less than 20 grams per day) ketogenic diet or to low-glycemic reduced-calorie diet for 24-weeks. Those on the low-carb ketogenic diet had no restrictions on their daily calorie intake.

The participants on the low-carb ketogenic diet had greater improvements in A1C, a measure of long-term blood glucose control, than those in the low-glycemic reduced-calorie diet group.

Those in the low-carb ketogenic diet group also lost more weight and had an increase in “good” HDL cholesterol compared with those in the other diet group.

It was possible for 95.2 percent of those in the low-carb ketogenic diet group and 62.1 percent on the low-glycemic reduced-calorie diet to eliminate or reduce their diabetes medications.

“Lifestyle modification using low carbohydrate interventions is effective for improving and reversing type 2 diabetes,” the researchers conclude.

The most popular low-carb ketogenic diet is Atkins. David Draper has the best advice and I would submit this for those who are wanting to lose weight, lower their blood sugars. His number one rule for proper nutrition.

RULE # 1- Stay away from fats, excessive salt and simple sugars. This eliminates 99% of the fast foods, munchies and soft drinks. Who needs them? In a few short weeks, you won’t want them, wonder why you ate them and feel sick if you do!

Exercise can keep your brain fit and reduce memory loss by reducing the amount of sugar in the body as we age, claim scientists.

Lapses in memory could be blamed, at least in part, on rising blood glucose levels as we grow old, claims the research.

The findings suggest that exercising to improve blood sugar levels could be a way for some people to stave off the normal decline in mental ability, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in the journal Annals of Neurology.

“This is news even for people without diabetes since blood glucose levels tend to rise as we grow older,” said lead investigator Dr Scott Small.

“Whether through physical exercise, diet or drugs, our research suggests that improving glucose metabolism could help some of us avert the cognitive slide that occurs in many of us as we age.”

Although it is widely known that the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease cause damage to the hippocampus, the area of the brain essential for memory and learning, studies have suggested that it is also vulnerable to normal ageing.

Until now, the underlying causes of age-related hippocampal dysfunction have remained largely unknown.

Previously using high-resolution brain imaging, Dr. Small and his colleagues discovered that decreasing brain function in one area of the hippocampus, called the dentate gyrus, is a main contributor of normal decline in memory as we age.

In the new study, the researchers mapped out the specific areas of the hippocampus impacted by late-life diseases like diabetes and stroke. They found that blood sugar level was a major cause.

“By improving glucose metabolism, physical exercise also reduces blood glucose,” said Dr Small. The findings open the way for a range of treatments targeting memory loss including drugs, dietary changes or an increase in exercise, he added.

Courtesy Mike DeDoncker of Gatehouse News Services: Rural residents are more likely to suffer from diabetes than their city-dwelling counterparts, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.

The information was included in a report looking into disparities in diabetes care, one of five presentations by college of medicine personnel at last month’s North American Primary Care Research Group annual meeting in Puerto Rico.

The study used a sample of 37,133 adult diabetes patients identified in Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Surveys compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and all 50 states.

Aguero said the study showed that 9.7 percent of the adults living in rural areas, identified as being outside metropolitan or suburban areas, had diabetes and 8.2 percent in the metropolitan and suburban areas had diabetes “meaning, if you were living in a rural area, you were 16 percent more likely to have diabetes.”

He said researchers thought the opposite might have been true based on the idea that “you would think that, living in a rural area, maybe you were eating better, healthier foods and maybe being more physically active as opposed to people living in the city who you might think would be getting more fatty foods, being very sedentary and using their car to go to everywhere.”

Aguero also said that, based on the five standards of appropriate care established by the American Diabetes Association, rural residents were also 20.5 percent more likely than urban dwellers not to be receiving such care.

The gift, the second-largest donation in the university’s history, could be a shot in the arm toward finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Courtesy of Josephine Marcotty. Best Buy founder Richard Schulze and his family foundation will give $40 million to University of Minnesota researchers who are intent on finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes, the university announced Thursday.

The money, the second largest gift in university history, will be paid over five years and provide about half the $20 million the university will spend annually on diabetes research. Officials said they hope it will provide the financial boost needed to defeat the disease.

“We must not settle for anything less than a cure,” said Dr. Bernhard Hering, who will head the project. “We only need to declare it possible.”

Schulze and his daughter, Debra Schulze, 40, who has had Type 1 diabetes for 28 years, said they chose the university’s program over a number of other research organizations, both public and private, after studying programs around the world. They chose the university because it seemed to be closest to finding a cure and was less focused on finding new treatments for symptoms, she said.

As many as 3 million people in the United States live with Type 1 diabetes, in which the immune system attacks islet cells in the pancreas, destroying the body’s ability to produce insulin and regulate blood sugar.

In people with type 1 diabetes, adequate control of blood sugar over the long haul helps reduce the risk of diabetes-related eye and kidney disease, new data suggest.

The findings stem from a look at 1,441 type 1 diabetic patients followed for roughly 9 years as part of the pivotal Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT).

By analyzing hemoglobin A1C levels over time — a standard indicator of long-term blood sugar control — the researchers observed that increasing variability in hemoglobin A1C heightens the risk of new or worsening diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina) and diabetic kidney disease.

Specifically, for every 1 percent increase in hemoglobin A1C, they found that the risk of retinopathy increased more than twofold and the risk of diabetic kidney disease increased nearly twofold.

The findings suggest that the long-term stability of blood sugar, and not just the average blood sugar control, predict the risk of these complications, study investigator Dr. Eric S. Kilpatrick of Hull Royal Infirmary in Hull, England, noted in an interview with Reuters Health.

“It is probably another reason to aim for stable good glycemic control rather than only good glycemic control,” Kilpatrick said.

However, blood sugar management “is only part of the story,” he added. It is as important, he said, to ensure that blood pressure and cholesterol levels are “tightly controlled” in order to reduce the complications of diabetes.

Courtesy Matthew Moore: Mycoprotein, which is made from fungus, could reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes if consumed in sufficient quantities, a new study has shown.

The food may also help prevent obesity as it prolongs the feeling of fullness after meals, reducing the temptation to snack.

Mycoprotein, which was first made 40 years ago, is produced by adding oxygen, nitrogen, glucose and minerals to a natural fungus called Fusarium venenatum. It is now used as a meat substitute in vegetarian foods including mince, sausages and ready meals.

People who ate 190g of mycoprotein a day for three weeks saw an average 14 per cent cut in their cholesterol, according to a review of existing data published in the journal of the British Nutrition Foundation.

Eating between 120g and 140g of the food a day led to average cholesterol reduction of 10 per cent. A single serving of vegetarian mince contains 80g of mycoprotein.

The fungus food also slows the transport of good sugars from the stomach to the bloodstream, lessening the high peaks of insulin that are believed contribute to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Nutritionist Angela Dowden told the Daily Express: “Mycoprotein is a really healthy food and the bonus is all these benefits on top. If it fills you up and helps to reduce the impact of blood sugar and reduce cholesterol, it sounds like it is a bit of a superfood.”

What is Mycoprotein?

Mycoprotein is the ingredient common to all Quorn™ products. It is a healthy, meat-free source of protein and is also a good source of dietary fibre. Mycoprotein is low in fat and saturates and contains no cholesterol and no trans fats at all.

Fusarium Venenatum
Fusarium venenatum, the principal ingredient of Mycoprotien is an ascomycota, one of the largest groups within the fungi family, which also includes truffles and morels. It is one of a genus of filamentous fungi, meaning it is comprised of a web of finely spun strands (hyphae).

Texture
Products made with Mycoprotein have a meat-like texture because the harvested strands (hyphae) have a similar structure to animal muscle cells (ie they are filamentous with a high length/diameter ratio).

“If you or a loved one has diabetes, you need to eat heart-healthy meals,” says the back cover of a new cookbook for diabetics and those who eat with them.

“To stay on track, you need great-tasting meals everyone can enjoy.”

And that’s the reason two of the largest health associations in the country — American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association – partnered to produce a cookbook filled with recipes that are good for diabetics and good-tasting enough to share with loved ones who don’t suffer from the disease.

“Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals for Two,” as its subtitle counts, collects “Over 170 Delicious Recipes that Help You (Both) Eat Well and Eat Right.”

Sound delicious

Cherry Tomato Toppers. Watercress and Apple Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. Peach-Glazed Chicken. Salmon with Blueberry Sauce. Roasted Carrots with Shallots and Sage. Mixed Berry Crisp with Almond Streusel. They all sound tasty.

And the next morning, you can start the day off with French Toast with
Orange-Strawberry Sauce. While eating, it turns out, you don’t have to suffer from a disease, no matter what the vernacular claims.

“When you make healthy food and lifestyle choices, you and your family can enjoy the benefits for years to come,” the book begins. “The most important things are to develop a healthy eating pattern that includes a wide variety of nutritious foods and to be physically active.”

The recipes serve two, both of whom should be left smiling. While they’re “designed for those looking to improve or maintain their cardiovascular health,” the ingredients when mixed in proper proportions don’t tell your mouth that you’re trying to eat foods that are good for you.
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