It is, after all, human nature to seek the easy route, the short cut. When someone knows one person that lost weight quickly, he/she is likely to ignore the warnings in the quest for fast results. Fad diets are clearly extreme and often irrational plans that lack valid evidence and scientific research. Aside from being unhealthy, they are often ineffective as well. Approximately 97% of 'diets' fail. Even if its initially successful research has shown by the five year mark most people are back to their old weight or even higher. If this were not true why is diabetes and obesity at an all time high? Why is it an epidemic?
We are always looking for an easy way to have the perfect body. Most diabetics and obese  people are also in denial about their disease state.
 Colon cleansing,laxatives,diet,bars,shakes,  pills,shots,diuretics and very low calorie diets may promote short term weight-loss, but most of the loss is caused by water lose and or a speeding up of your metabolism. All these things can  throw your body way off causing dangerous side-effects especially if your a diabetic, on certain medications and or have other disease states.Most fad diets usually focus on a narrow field of nutritional resources,(their products). The body starts to starve itself. If fad diets work, in spite of being extremely unhealthy, it is because one's calorie intake decreases, (The Zone's recommended diet calls for less than 1,000 calories a day). If the body goes into starvation mode it will start to pull sugar from your muscles and break down fats stored in the body which can lead to Ketonacidosis, a very dangerous problem.
 If Americans are gaining weight, it is due to the type of carbohydrates and quantities of foods they consume, excessive calories and lack of exercise which encourages obesity.  There is nothing miraculous about the food’s which these diets prescribe. Furthermore, these diets are extremely difficult to maintain, since they often ban certain products and as mentioned previously, require the repeated consumption of others,making long-term weight loss impossible.After a few weeks of losing some weight your body comes to that Plato. Whatever diet  your on your body gets used to this. Why am I not losing weight? I am doing everything they said to do. You cant keep sustaining an unbalanced starvation diet.
Your body begins to rebel,trying to tell you that it needs something. An internal alarm system so-to-speak.you will start getting frustrated,cravings for many things you used to have and your body may need.
 Since diet companies do not have keep stats on their successes or harms they may have caused, its difficult for organizations like the CDC to get absolute stats. However if you saw the list of diet products that had recalls due to contamination and narcotics in them you would probably get pretty turned off.Who knows how many deaths are associated with these diets? The companies started to get a little bit more savvy and came up with the marketing term, 'glycemic index'.  I am sure you have heard that term on lots of commercials and advertisements. Companies figured that's safer. Cant get in trouble with that,right?If  they follow the ADA recommendations with a nice website to push their products they can fool everyone.Nice! Essentially your just throwing out money when the answer is in front of you.
failure-The word'diet' is something I do not like to use. That word alone is defeating from the get-go. Having unrealistic expectations is another cause for failure. Eating out too much is another.Try cooking some home -made meals.Exercise and if you do you must burn more calories than you take in to achieve weight lose.* Diabetics should always check their blood sugar level and ketones before and after exercise!
Empowerment-to truly lose weight and to maintain a healthy sugar level takes time, discipline,exercise and above all education. If you learn how to read food labels, plate your food correctly and know what foods are good for you and not good for you is the best way to keep a healthy weight and sugar level. You must be an advocate for yourself,read about diabetes and learn about the foods you eat,ask your physician questions. If you can get a nutritionist get one!.
In many cases diabetes could have been avoided if for not for poor diet and lack of knowing.

Extra Tip-If you are looking for a snack listen up-if it is over 300 calories consider it a meal! That's right. Furthermore if the snack has simple starches in the ingredients instead of complex starches it will increase your blood sugar level as well as actually increase your hunger.

The Highs & Lows of Sugar-when it is dangerous

The Highs & lows of Sugar-when it is dangerous:


Blood sugar levels that are too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia) can quickly turn into a diabetic emergency without quick and appropriate treatment. The best way to avoid dangerously high or low blood glucose levels is to self-test to stay in tune with your body and to stay attuned to the symptoms and risk factors for hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (i.e. hyperglycemia).

Low Blood Sugar Emergencies (Hypoglycemia)

Hypoglycemia is sometimes called “insulin reaction” because it is more frequent in people with diabetes who take insulin. However, it can occur in either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and is also commonly caused by certain oral medications, missed meals, and exercise without proper precautions. The typical threshold for hypoglycemia is 70 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/l)ol, although it may be higher or lower depending on a patient’s individual blood glucose target range. Symptoms include erratic heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, confusion, unexplained fatigue, shakiness, hunger, and potential loss of consciousness. Once a low is recognized, it should be treated immediately with a fast-acting carbohydrate such as glucose tablets or juice.

The scoop on sugar

              ~ The scoop on sugar and other matters~
For years, people with diabetes were warned to avoid sweets. But what researchers understand about diabetes nutrition has changed. Total carbohydrate is what counts. It was once assumed that honey, candy and other sweets would raise your blood sugar level faster and higher than would fruits, vegetables or "starchy" foods such as potatoes, pasta or whole-grain bread. But this isn't true, as long as the sweets are eaten with a meal and balanced with other foods in your meal plan. Although different types of carbohydrates can affect your blood sugar level differently, it's the total amount of carbohydrate that counts the most.  Now I am not promoting candy. Natural foods are much healthier. A good example is honey. It is a carb. However it is healthier than using all those sugar substitute all the time. However because it takes a lot of honey to make something sweet,depending on your taste, you must be careful how much you use.  Too much artificial sweeteners can be bad too, We can talk about that another time.
 Don't overdo empty calories. Of course, it's still best to consider sweets as only a small part of your overall plan for diabetes nutrition. Candy, cookies and other sweets have few vitamins and minerals and are often high in fat and calories. You'll get empty calories — calories without the essential nutrients found in healthier foods.
                               Have your cake and eat it, too
Sweets count as carbohydrates in your meal plan. The trick is substituting small portions of sweets for other carbohydrates - such as bread, tortillas, rice, crackers, cereal, fruit, juice, milk, yogurt or potatoes in your meals. To allow room for sweets as part of a meal, you have two options: · Replace some of the carbohydrates in your meal with a sweet.


Swap a high carb-containing food in your meal for something

with fewer carbohydrates and eat the remaining carbohydrates as a sweet.

Let's say your typical dinner is a grilled chicken breast, a medium potato, a slice of whole-grain bread, a vegetable salad and fresh fruit. If you'd like a frosted cupcake after your meal, look for ways to keep the total carbohydrate count in the meal the same. Trade your slice of bread and the fresh fruit for the cupcake. Or replace the potato with a low-carbohydrate vegetable such as broccoli. Adding the cupcake after this meal keeps the total carbohydrate count the same.


To make sure you're making even trades, read food labels carefully. Look for the total carbohydrate in each food, which tells you how much carbohydrate is in one serving of the food.
     Okay, reading food labels can be a pain,exchange lists are annoying but....
 Reading food labels are very important but for many it can be overwhelming. Many people don't have the patience to really look at the food labels and try to figure them out. Many food companies are deceiving. But if you have the knowledge, you have the tools to understand it. Eating the right foods for your diabetes and or to lose weight is a matter of educating yourself and really wanting to change your lifestyle habits. Nobody wants to feel hungry and its human nature to want to treat yourself a little bit. But there are ways to substitute one food for another that you like without feeling deprived! Food exchanges,labels,shopping for the right foods and plating your food can seem complex and time consuming.
Going to a Dietitian for a consultation is a great place to start. Most people diagnosed with diabetes are not given a real plan or direction. Most doctors hand you a faded copy of  the ADA recommendations. Most people are lost. Going to a Dietitian or nutritionist that specializes in diabetes can help you tremendously! They can really make your life simpler and give you the education you need to help control you diabetes.
 *Find out in the next blog how you can make all of this much simpler for yourself. Your entire family should be eating healthy. For example ,most diet companies and  diet products are all about the words I, me, you.  Have you noticed that?It is selfish to think that you should be eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle while your kids come home to packaged macaroni and cheese!  We have become a lazy society that would rather pop in a frozen dinner than cook a fresh meal. We are also self-absorbed.  If you are overweight or diabetic the propensity for you children to become obese or diabetic is greater. The earlier you start your kids or grandchildren on a path to a healthy lifestyle, the easier it will be for them as they get older. Be an example to your friends,family and co-workers. We must start thinking about others not just ourselves. Like 'chicken soup' its good for the soul! You can do this.

Importance of self-testing your blood glucose levels!

Many diabetics I talk to are in denial about their disease. It is easier for diabetics to forget about their diabetes until they feel or see the effects of this disease. It amazes me that most people are more obsessed about knowing what their cholesterol level is or what their blood pressure is than know what their glucose levels are. Be pro-active about your health. Prevention of potential problems in most cases be avoided if you take steps to educate yourself as much as possible about diabetes and take control by managing it. Now the ABC's of diabetes teaches us to monitor our A1C,cholesterol and blood pressure. The ABC's are very important in keeping diabetes and our total wellness in check, however the importance of self-monitoring is also extremely important. Self monitoring of blood glucose ,or SMBG with a blood glucose meter helps you see how food,physical activity,and medicine affect your blood glucose levels. The readings you get can help you manage your diabetes day by day, or even hour by hour! Keep a record of your results and view it every day, at each visit with your health care team and or with your designated care-taker if you have one. Diabetes does not just effect seniors. It effects people of all ages. As soon as your diagnosed it's important to start good habits from the get-go. Do you know that the American Diabetes Association states that your glucose testing results are likely to match up with your A1C results? The higher your self-testing numbers are over a 3- month period,the higher your A1C result is going to be. So don't kid yourself. If your physician recommends you should be self-testing,do it! Most states have passed laws that require insurance coverage of SMBG supplies and education! Check your coverage. Medicare covers most of the cost of diabetes test strips, lancets and  blood glucose meters for people who have diabetes.Today the meters are truly simple to use. Some meters have the ability to talk, with the ability to switch to Spanish! Most have multiple testing sites, meaning you have choices besides sticking your finger over and over again, most have no coding involved and some have discs that can load several strips at one time, some  have USB cables so your testing information can be downloaded on a computer. Your doctor will write a prescription stating how often they recommend you test,this help the diabetic supply company know how much supplies to send you. So there is no reason or excuses not to self-test. Write in and let me know how you feel about self-testing and if you have encountered any problems being able to get your supplies.