Tag Archives: blood sugar

Exercise for Type II Diabetics

Exercise is important for everyone, but regular exercise is especially important for people with Type II diabetes. With regular exercise, diabetics may be able to control nerve pain and/or peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage that mainly affects the legs and feet. Regular exercise can also help a diabetic maintain a healthy weight and regulate their blood sugar. But, some diabetics avoid exercise because they are already overweight or suffering from some physical ailment. They may even avoid getting started on an exercise regiment because they cannot exercise for very long. Just remember – any movement is good movement. While the American … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Yourself Get Too Hungry

We’re trying to lose weight. We’re not supposed to be thinking about food all the time. We’re trying to push the thoughts of food out of our minds and make it less of a priority on our radar screens. But when we do this, we run the risk of not feeding ourselves enough. That seems like a contradiction of our goals. Isn’t cutting back on food the aim here? Isn’t it good to forget about eating? Yes and no. We should turn our attention away from food at times of stress, boredom, and emotional overload. It’s good to ignore food … Continue reading →

Tips for Surviving Fast Sunday

Fast Sunday is coming up soon, the day that elicits more groans and complaints than any other day the rest of the month. Here are some tips that might help you make it through the day. 1. Choose a specific thing or person to fast for. If you focus on that person and their needs and what you hope will happen for them, or on the thing you need in your own life, you’re more likely to stay on task and be more committed to the fast you’ve undertaken. If you don’t have a specific purpose in your fast, you’re … Continue reading →

A Diet To Cure Diabetes?

A doctor in Kansas is taking a not-so-radical approach to diabetes. Most physicians abandoned the idea of a carbohydrate-free diet for diabetic patients back in the 1930s. Now Doctor Mary Vernon and other doctors are prescribing a carb-free diet and seeing their patients go through amazing changes. Vernon says that removing carbohydrates from a diabetic person’s diet can reverse symptoms and free them from a life of injections and medications. Since 1980, diabetes has increased in the United States by 47 percent. Diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease and comes with other possible complications like vision problems, nerve … Continue reading →

Can A Vegetarian Diet Help Diabetics?

Changing to a vegetarian diet may not be a cure for diabetes, but it may offer some health benefits over a non-vegetarian diet. There are different types of vegetarian diets — some allow dairy products and/or eggs; others do not — and your dietician and doctor can help you choose a diet that is right for you. A vegan diet is the strictest vegetarian diet out there. Vegans eat no meat and no products that come from animals. That means no dairy and no eggs. In general, vegan diets are low in saturated fats and cholesterol. But switching from a … Continue reading →

Interpreting Blood Sugar Levels

If you have diabetes, your doctor has probably asked you to monitor and record your blood sugar levels on a daily basis. So you do your finger pricks, record your blood sugar levels, and bring the chart to your doctor at the next visit. But do you know what all those numbers really mean? Testing your blood sugar levels periodically throughout the day will give you an idea of how your glucose levels change based on what you do and what you eat. Exercise should help lower your blood sugar levels. Your food choices can send your blood sugar level … Continue reading →

Diabetes Management Checklist

Dealing with your diabetes means more than just watching your blood sugar and taking your medicine. Unmanaged blood glucose levels can damage your eyes and kidneys, cause nerve damage, and lead to heart disease. So how do you keep an eye on everything and not go crazy? This diabetes management checklist can help. Check your blood sugar every day. Your blood sugar varies throughout the day based on what you eat and when you eat it. Your doctor may have you check your blood sugar levels more than once daily until your glucose levels are under control. Check your diabetic … Continue reading →

The Hunger Junk Food Path

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A huge stumbling block in any weight loss program is hunger. While that may sound a bit hinky, consider that when you are hungry – your concentration is reduced and distractions are increased. When you are hungry, you begin to think about food – I daresay obsess about it. Hunger leads to mistakes like picking up junk food when you have to run in and pick up a gallon of milk. Grocery stores don’t help in this equation because most of them feature candies, chips and other sugar heavy foods at the checkout stands. They are there because grocery stores … Continue reading →

Working Out: Better Before or After Breakfast?

There are a lot of theories about when it is better to work out. Some experts suggest after you’ve fueled up with a good meal. Others suggest before you eat, to get your metabolism burning high and to burn off reserves of stored fat calories. There are compelling arguments on both sides of the aisle – so who is right? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. A 1995 study found that a group of people who worked out on an empty stomach did burn more calories from fat versus when they worked out after a small breakfast. … Continue reading →

Being “The Blood Sugar Police.” A Job I Didn’t Apply For

The title of “Mom” comes with many responsibilities. “Blood Sugar Police” was one I hadn’t planned on. It was one of those jobs I wish I could have politely turned down, but no. I was drafted into the position, like it or not, when my young son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age seven. Job Training I received my training at the Children’s Hospital of San Diego, where I learned to jab oranges with a syringe and measure blood sugar levels. (See my blog, “Oranges and Ball Machines: My Training In Caring for My Son’s Diabetes.”) I’ll be honest … Continue reading →