Preparing Healthy Food Options
What Is My Risk For Diabetes
While physicians and researchers have established a link between obesity and Type 2 diabetes, genetics and environment play a huge role in determining who will develop diabetes. While this relationship is not completely understood by doctors and researchers, what we do think is that your genes and environment contribute to your baseline risk of developing diabetes. If you are obese, you can reduce this risk by eating a low-fat, low-sugar diet and exercising regularly.
Ten Tips For Successful Weight Loss
1. Avoid yoyo diets.
2. Dont skip meals to lose weight!
3. If you do snack choose your snacks wisely.
4.Sometimes food really does mean sometimes only!
5. Did you know alcohol contains a lot of kilojoules?
6. Watch your portion sizes.
- Fill at least half the plate with a variety of vegetables
- Divide the other half equally between protein and carbohydrate
- One serving of protein is about the size of your palm, or a deck of cards
- One serving of carbohydrate is about the size of your fist. This is about 2/3 of a cup of cooked rice, 1 cup of pasta or noodles, or 3 small pieces of potato or sweet potato
7. Smart dining out
8. Slow down your eating!
9. Avoid using food for comfort.
10. Get off the couch – burn those kilojoules by moving more!
More information
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Type 2 Diabetes: How Weight Loss Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
As mentioned above, losing weight can have a huge impact on management of type 2 diabetes. For losing weight, you need to restrict calorie consumption. In the study, a daily intake of 700 calories was done for a period of 8 weeks. This was found to be associated with remission of type 2 diabetes in nearly 9 out of 10 people who were recently diagnosed with diabetes and half of the people with longstanding disease.
Here are other effective tips to lose weight
1. Try intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting involves eating early dinners around 7 or 8 pm, and then fasting for 12 or 14 or 16 hours till you have your next meal. Intermittent fasting can not only detox your body, but can also help you lose weight in a sustainable manner.
2. Reduce your intake of carbs: Foods that are rich in refined carbs like deep fried, junk and processed food result in rapid increase in blood sugar levels and also weight gain. You need to switch to healthier carbs like the ones in fresh fruits and vegetables, lentils and legumes. Reducing your intake of carbs can help with quick weight loss.
5. Quit alcohol and smoking: Alcohol consumption is can worsen diabetes and also increase your calorie intake. Similar is with smoking, which is downright dangerous for your health. Quit these two habits for a type 2 diabetes management and effective weight loss.
Weight Loss For Diabetics
Losing weight can make a big difference for people with diabetesit can lower glucose levels in the blood, which may decrease the effects of diabetes and make the condition more manageable. But there are added complications and risks, too. For example, making big changes to your diet can cause serious problems. One of these is hypoglycemia, when your blood sugar goes so low that you risk the danger of going into a diabetic coma. If you have diabetes, you have to be especially careful about your weight loss plan.
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How Much Weight Loss Is A Concern
Unexplained weight loss is when someone drops a significant amount of weight without a change in diet or exercise or without making other lifestyle changes.
Losing 10 pounds or more, or 5% of body weight, during a period of six to 12 months is when doctors become concerned there is an underlying health issue.
Unexplained weight loss occurs most often and is more serious in people aged 65 and older. People in this age group may need to see their doctor if they lose fewer than 10 pounds or less than 5% of their body weight without trying.
How To Lose Weight With Type 1 Diabetes
Losing weight can be difficult for anyone, and living with type 1 diabetes definitely doesnt make it easier. However, there ARE people who set out to lose weight and end up so extraordinarily successful that you wonder if they have some inside information you dont.
That information EXISTS. Im here to give you the rundown on how to lose weight with type 1 diabetes .
Without further adolets GET TO IT!
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Not Enough Physical Activity
Increasing the amount of physical activity you do can get stalled weight loss going again. The American Heart Association recommends that people with Type 2 diabetes perform a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week or at least 90 minutes of vigorous activity a week. Doing resistance-training exercises three times per week is also encouraged.
Keep in mind that if you dont currently do this much, you will need to build up to it gradually. Its also a good idea to get your doctors OK before increasing the amount or intensity of physical activity you do. Certain activities may not be advised for people who have diabetes complications such as eye or kidney disease. Also, because physical activity usually lowers blood glucose, you may need to take steps to prevent hypoglycemia while exercising. Some of the ways to do this include cutting back on insulin or oral medicines before exercising, having a snack before or during exercise, or changing your meal schedule to accommodate your exercise schedule. Checking your blood glucose before, during, and after physical activity will help you determine which of these steps may be most effective.
Exercise Is Great But Nutrition Is The Key
Raise your hand if youve heard the saying you cant out-train a bad diet.
Maybe youve heard it, maybe not.; Either way, it is very true. Its really difficult to overcome a poor nutritional intake. Really, REALLY difficult.
Dont get me wrong. Exercise is CRUCIAL for a healthy lifestyle and for a successful weight loss initiative. It provides a ton of benefits that otherwise wouldnt be attainable. But, in isolation, exercise alone will not result in as much weight loss as dieting will.4
However, what if wedare I say itutilize BOTH?
Both anecdotally and in the research, combining diet and exercise will result in the best outcomes while also setting you up for sustained success, as ideally, this weight loss should kick off a lifestyle change.
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I Am A Diabetic And I Can’t Lose Weight: Why This Can Mean Big Trouble
There are many people saying I am a Diabetic and I can’t lose weight. If you have Pre diabetes or the full illness there is a good reason you cannot drop the fat. Diabetes is becoming a worldwide problem, the increase in people who cannot control their blood sugar is reaching record levels in many parts of the world. I am a Diabetic and can’t lose weight has become one of the more popular statements.
Why the diabetic cannot lose weight
The cause of weight gain in diabetics is blood sugar. If you are Borderline or fully Type 2 diabetic it is important to know that elevated blood sugar does damage to the body and causes you to hold fat on the waist. Blood sugar is needed in the body but when the levels are high there is damage to the body. I have taught health in Europe for over 20 years and there has never been the diabetic problem as we have today.
Many people who cannot drop the fat have a stubborn blood sugar that holds the fat particularly on the belly. I am a diabetic and can’t lose weight is a now a common complaint that doctors are hearing.
Diabetes and Body Fat is a deadly combination
Dont Obsess Over Cutting All The Carbs
There is so much emphasis within the diabetes community on cutting carbs, eating a ketogenic diet, or following the Bernstein approach.; The pressure can feel overwhelming succeed at cutting carbs.;
You dont, however, have to eat strictly low-carb in order to lose weight. It might feel like thats the only thing thats worked in the past but if youre still trying to lose weight today, then Id argue that it didnt actually work for you at all because you werent able to stick to it and you gained the weight back.
If trying to follow a strict low-carb diet hasnt worked for you so far, lets try something different.
The goal is to create an approach to nutrition you can sustain longterm, that doesnt leave you feeling deprived, that includes a lot of whole foods especially vegetables.
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Use Tricks To Prevent Overeating
These sneaky strategies can help keep you from overdoing it on diet-damaging foods.
- Fill up on low-calorie foods first.;Start every meal with the foods on your plate that are lowest in calories, suggests McLaughlin. Non-starchy vegetables make the perfect low-calorie starter. By the time you get to the other foods, you wont be so hungry.
- Change your salad dressing system.;Instead of sprinkling or pouring dressing on your salad, dip your fork into a side dish of dressing and then your salad with each bite. Youll be amazed how much less you use and how many calories you save.
- Take up a busy-hands hobby.;If youre idle, youll be more prone to eating when youre not really hungry. Keep busy with activities like walking, knitting, scrapbooking, doing crossword puzzles, or gardening.
- Carry a toothbrush and toothpaste.;Keep them in your purse or briefcase. When cravings hit, brushing your teeth with peppermint-flavored toothpaste can dampen your desire to eat.
- Arrive fashionably late to parties.;Without as much time near the buffet table and calorie-rich appetizers, youll likely eat less.
Its important to continue to eat healthy and exercise regularly even after reaching your weight loss goal. Thats why its so important to set realistic goals from the get-go: The healthy habits you initiate to lose weight should last a lifetime so you can keep it off.
Additional reporting by Colleen de Bellefonds
Weight Loss And Type 1 Diabetes
Theres a common misconception that all people with type 1 diabetes are lean.
However, obesity is more common in people with type 1 diabetes than in those without the disease. Researchers have coined a new term called double diabetes to describe patients who have a combination of type 1 diabetes, obesity and insulin resistance .
Weight loss is just as beneficial for overweight or obese patients with type 1 diabetes as it is in type 2 diabetes. While most research has focused on weight loss in type 2 diabetes, studies suggest that similar weight loss strategies can be used in patients with type 1 diabetes .
Summary: Obesity is more common in type 1 diabetes than it is in the general population. Weight loss is just as important in these patients as it is for those with type 2 diabetes. Similar approaches to weight loss can be used.
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Food List For A Keto Diet
A keto diet has carb-free and low-carb foods. It is likely to be high in fat and/or protein.
These foods are free from carbs. They form the bulk of a keto diet.
- Meat, fish, most shellfish, and poultry
- Butter, oils, margarine, and lard
- Eggs
A keto diet may have small amounts of these low-carb foods.
- Cheese
- Lettuce, greens, other non-starchy vegetables
- Berries
A keto diet does not have much room for these types of foods.
- Whole grains
Carbs And Fat Are Friends
So many people fear fat and carbs. It is too bad people wont give them a chance and get to know them
and recognize that there is NOTHING scary about them, they deliver a great deal of benefits, and they are delicious!
Carbs are great for those quick bursts of energy you need during a workout. They also provide fiber, which is critical for digestive health and increasing satiety.
Fat will come in handy during a long, sustained workout as the primary energy source. Fat also provides omega-3s, which are useful for anti-inflammatory effects as well as visual acuity, and additionally is the building block for hormones, like testosterone and estrogen.
The keys are the from which you get them. Try to stick to the whole food, lesser processed varieties of fat and low-glycemic carbs, rather than the Frankenfoods that have been sitting on the shelf at the grocery store for ages.
The other key is HOW MUCH of each to eat.
At the end of the day, it truly comes down to what works best for you and your blood sugar management. Maybe fewer carbs work;for you but more carbs work;for me.
But, after determining calorie and protein needs, try to partition the remaining calories pretty evenly for fat and carbs.
For example, if your calorie requirement is 2000 per day and your protein needs require 800 calories, try to split the remaining 1200 calories evenly between fat and carbs and work from there to determine the optimal amount for you and your goals.
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Avoiding Or Limiting Certain Foods
Benefits Of Losing Extra Weight
There are so many benefits to losing extra weight both physically and emotionally.;
Extra weight around your waist means fat can build up around your organs, like your liver and pancreas. This can cause something called insulin resistance. So losing this weight could help the insulin you produce or the insulin you inject work properly.
And as you start to lose weight and get more active, you and your healthcare team may need to look at your medication, especially if you treat your diabetes with insulin or sulphonylurea. This might mean reducing the dose or making other adjustments, but talk to your healthcare team about it. For some people, needing fewer diabetes medications is a great motivation for losing weight.;
Although getting type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with weight,;losing any extra weight will help you reduce your risk of complications;and could mean injecting less insulin.
And if you have type 2 diabetes, losing around 15kg could even put you into diabetes remission.;This could mean coming off your diabetes medication completely a life-changing possibility. This is even more likely if you lose the weight nearer to your diagnosis and quickly; it’s a myth that losing weight slowly is better for you.;
Most people say they also feel better in their mood, have more energy and sleep better.
Douglas Twenefour, our Deputy Head of Care and dietitian
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