Low-Carb Diets & Type 2 Diabetes

Low-carbohydrate diets may lure clients with promises of rapid weight loss, but the long-term health effects of these popular diets are unknown. Researchers recently conducted a prospective trial to determine whether low-carb diets used for weight loss increased or decreased the risk for type 2 diabetes in women over time.

Using data from the ongoing Nurses’ Health Study, the researchers examined the association between a low-carbohydrate-diet score (based on percentages of energy as carbs, fat and protein) and the risk of type 2 diabetes among more than 85,000 women over a 20-year period. Females who ate more carbohydrates had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who ate fewer carbs during the study period.

“These data suggest that diets lower in carbohydrates and higher in fat and protein do not increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women,” the researchers concluded in the February issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “In fact, diets rich in vegetable sources of fat and protein may modestly reduce the risk of diabetes.”

Keep in mind that not all carbs are created equal. If you do reduce your carbohydrate intake to lose weight, make sure you retain the healthy “complex” carbs, such as fruits and veggies. Instead, toss out the “simple” carbs, like those found in processed foods.

Low Calorie Snacks Good For the Body and Health

Everyone is constantly in search for low calorie snacks that will quell your hunger while at the same time being tasty. Sadly, low calorie snacks don't have the best reputation; they are generally viewed as being dull, tasteless and not good value for money. So why is this? It is mainly due to the fact that we have been conditioned to think of low calorie snacks as only being vegetables and fruits minus any added seasonings.

Many of these low calorie type of snacks that are on the supermarket shelves have sadly been mislabelled as being LITE, SUGAR FREE etc, when in fact this was not the case. This has led to them causing less good to the customers and resulted in the FDA taking more action to prevent the same mistakes happening again.

If you have a creative mind then it's easy to create your own low calorie snacks instead of relying on ones bought from supermarkets and health shops. You can use blackberry jam to help sweeten your cup of tea or anything else that happens to take your fancy. Let your favourite tastes guide you and see where the journey takes you.

Low calorie snacks can be as simple as putting sweet fruits on top of fresh cream or making a sandwich with your favourite vegetables on wholemeal bread. The only limit is your imagination. If you've ever wanted a snack but been unable to find it in your local supermarket then now is the time to create the dish that you really want to eat.

You don't have to give up coffee if you are looking to reduce your calorie intake; this is a very common misconception. Decaffeinated might not sound too appealing to most of you, but it's not as bad as you might think. Many people are put off by the idea of decaffeinated but end up enjoying it with a nice light biscuit.

Just because something is a snack it doesn't have to be junk food, always remember this when you are making snacks. They are designed to help you beat hunger between regular meal times. Drink plenty of water and this will also help you with the hunger you might experience day to day. For those on a diabetic diet or those who keep a blood sugar chart, you need to experiment with different things and recipes to see what works for you; this is what all the top class chefs do. Enjoy healthier living with low calorie snacks.

Lloyd Strasellhoff writes about good facts to know if you or a loved one has diabetes. Find out more about gestational diabetes diet and blood sugar chart.

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus also known as “diabetes”, is a serious metabolic disease that effects the body’s ability to derive energy from blood sugar, or glucose, characterized by increasing glucose level (blood sugar) in patient’s body, and this increased blood sugar level is result from defects in insulin secretion, which leads to hyperglycemia.
Insulin is hormone necessary for glucose metabolism. The major factor that causes Diabetes are usually Environmental & hereditary. More than 18 Million of North Americans have Diabetes mellitus. It is a well known fact that Diabetes is a type of disease that effects every organ of human body.
The main observed side effects of Diabetes are blindness, glaucoma, kidney failure, nerve problems and heart disease.
Diabetes is categorized in Two type: IDDM:Insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus and NIDDM:Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. IDDM is aka Type 1 diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes, since it often develops in early stage of life. While NIDDM Is called as Type 2 diabetes or adult-onset diabetes, as it occurs on older adults.
Some acute signs of diabetes which are easily noticeable in diabetes patients are: excessive urine production, resulting thirst and increased fluid intake to compensate the fluid demand, unexplained and sudden weight loss, blurred eye vision, and changes in energy metabolism.
The Cure of Diabetes is possible as insulin is widely and easily available in the market. Though there is no permanent solution for this disease, but regular intake of prescribed insulin dosage can help person living healthy normal life.
Regular exercise with daily morning walk is proved to be very helpful in controlling higher glucose level. For diabetes patients it is advisable to eat plenty of regular meals & snacks to avoid fluctuation in glucose level of body. Low fat, high fiber foods to achieve and maintain normal weight. Try to avoid: Saturated fat foods, : “Pure Calorie” driven foods like sweets, chocolates which can contribute to obesity.
At last do keep in mind the fact that “Prevention is better than cure”, a scientific research proved that weight loss is powerful preventive medicine for overweight people at high risk of diabetes.