Manage Diabetes through Healthy Food

(NaturalNews) After a lifetime of poor nutrition and dietary choices, it may be difficult for diabetics to change to a healthy diet. Many may feel like they simply cannot give up fast foods, junk food, cookies, sugary cakes and ice-cream. Yet, there may be no choice. One of the key factors in controlling type 2 diabetes comes down to reducing simple sugars and unhealthy fats in the diet. After re-training the palate, most agree that healthy foods are filling, deliciously satisfying and increase one's energy levels.

Foods to Avoid and Foods to Include for Diabetics

Refined starches such as white bread, white flour, white pasta and white rice are converted by the body, almost instantly, into simple sugars. Opt for small portions of whole wheat, whole grains and brown rice instead. Corn and potatoes are also a source of simple starches and should be replaced with fibrous vegetables like beans and Jerusalem artichokes.

While eating a variety of healthy, raw vegetables and nuts is good, there are some foods that are especially helpful for diabetics.

Managing Diabetes with Fenugreek

What is fenugreek? It is a plant in the family Fabaceae (legume, pea, bean or pulse family). Fenugreek is used both as an herb (leaves) and as a spice (seeds) and frequently used in curries. Fenugreek seeds contain as much as 50 percent fiber, which is very important for diabetes sufferers.

According toThe Herbal Drugstore, by Linda B. White, MD, "Modern research has shown that fenugreek seeds not only lower blood glucose but also reduce insulin levels, total cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL".

It is recommended that individuals limit intake of fenugreek to no more than 100 grams per day.

Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, is a seasonal vegetable that helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps body functions operating normally. The bitter gourd is specifically used as a folk medicine for diabetes. Studies prove that it contains a hypoglycemic or insulin-like principle, designated as 'plant-insulin', which has been found highly beneficial in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels.

Beans for Diabetics

Beans are an excellent food choice for diabetics. According toThe Green Pharmacy, by James A. Duke, PhD (St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1998 edition)"Many studies demonstrate that eating foods that are high in soluble fiber, notably beans, reduces the rise in blood sugar after meals and delays the drop in blood sugar later on, thus helping to maintain blood sugar at close to desired levels." There are a variety of healthy "meaty" beans to try, such as kidney, lima , black, and green beans.

Weight loss and Diet advice

Our most popular area dealing with weight loss and dieting advice.

The best piece of advice I can give to anyone wanting to lose weight or go on a diet, is to increase your exercise / activity levels and eat regular healthy meals. Weight loss is simple, you simply need to use more calories each day than what you consume through food and fluids. Either that or you may have heard about Xenical or reductil prescription pills. Its easy to put weight on, all you have to do is consume more calories than you expend. The answer to losing weight in the form of excess body fat, is also really really simple, you intake less calories in food and fluid then you expend through your daily calorie usage.

The biggest problem is that for most people they have put weight on over a number of years, simple for two main reasons, firstly that good tasting foods are all around and easy to eat and secondly lifestyle changes mean that most peoples lives have become less active. Simple mathematics would equate to the fact, that if you have taken a number of months or years to slowly increase your body weight and increase your body fat percentage, you need to appreciate that this weight is not going to be safely removed for a friends wedding or summer holiday a few weeks away.

The truth is that in order to lose just 1lb of body fat, a deficit of 3,500 calories needs to be achieved. If you're generally eating 2,500 calories a day, then aim to simply cut back by just 10 - 15%, anymore and your body will think about going into its starvation mode (avoid at all costs). The other side of the equation, is to look at increasing your calorie expenditure, if your body is using 2,500 calories a day, than chances are you haven't gained much weight lately, however if your only using 2,000 calories a day, then over just 1 week you could be close to increasing your bodyweight by 1lb.

Just a small amount of daily exercise, enough to increase your bodies calorific expenditure by 250 calories a day, combined with just a 10% reduction in your calorie intake from food, will already help you on the way to losing 1lb of body fat per week, with minimal change in your eating habits - slowly change both your eating habits and foods you eat and you will get quicker positive results. If your aim is to lose 10lb in weight this week, then the information within this weight loss (fat) section is not for you, as this form of weight loss is detrimental to both your health and long term weight loss goals.

PRICE Protocol - First Aid for Soft Tissue Injuries

If you suffer an injury such as a sprain, strain, muscle pull, or tear, immediate first aid treatment can prevent complications and help you heal faster. One of the most popular acronyms to remember if you get a sports injury is PRICE, which stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Using these immediate first aid measures is believed to relieve pain, limit swelling and protect the injured soft tissue.

Soft Tissue Injuries

When an injury occurs, damaged soft tissue may bruise, swell or bleed (externally or internally) and become inflamed. Healing occurs as the damaged tissue is replaced by collagen, perhaps better known as scar tissue. In most cases the tissue needs complete repair before you should return to sports.

The PRICE Method of Acute Injury Treatment

Protection: If injured, stop playing and protect the injured part from further damage. Avoid putting weight on the injured part, get help moving to a safe area off the field.

Rest: Rest is vital to protect the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other tissue from further injury. Resting the injured part is important to promote effective healing.

Ice: When icing an injury, choose a cold pack, crushed ice or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel to provide cold to the injured area. An ice massage is another extremely effective way to direct cold to the injured tissue. Cold provides short-term pain relief and also limits swelling by reducing blood flow to the injured area. When icing injuries, never apply ice directly to the skin (unless it is moving as in ice massage) and never leave ice on an injury for more than 20 minutes at a time. Longer exposure can damage your skin and even result in frostbite. A good rule is to apply cold compresses for 15 minutes and then leave them off long enough for the skin to re-warm.

Compression: Compression helps limit and reduce swelling, which may delay healing. Some people also experience pain relief from compression. An easy way to compress the area of the injury is to wrap an ACE bandage around the swollen part. If you feel throbbing, or if the wrap just feels too tight, remove the bandage and re-wrap the area so the bandage is a little looser.

Elevation: Elevating an injury help control swelling. It's most effective when the injured area is raised above the level of the heart. For example, if you injure an ankle, try lying on your bed with your foot propped on one or two pillows.

After a day or two of treatment, many sprains, strains or other injuries will begin to heal. But if your pain or swelling does not decrease after 48 hours, make an appointment to see your primary care physician or go to the emergency room, depending upon the severity of your symptoms. Once the healing process has begun, light massage may reduce the formation of scar tissue, and improve tissue healing. Gentle stretching can be begun after all swelling has subsided. Try to work the entire range of motion of the injured joint or muscle, but be extremely careful not to force a stretch, or you risk re-injury to the area. Keep in mind that a stretch should never cause pain. For proper stretching technique, review Flexibility Exercises.

Heat may be helpful once the injury moves out of the acute phase and swelling and bleeding has stopped. Moist heat will increase blood supply to the damaged area and promote healing. Finally, after the injury has healed, strengthening exercises can be begun. Start with easy weights and use good form. It's helpful to work with your physician, a physical therapist or an athletic trainer as you begin injury rehab. Expert guidance can help you progress quickly, without overdoing it. Your best option is to choose a rehab expert who has experience working with athletes and is familiar with your sport.

Inflammation and Healing

In 2010, a study was published that found that some inflammation is needed for tissue healing. Professor Lan Zhou lead a team at the Neuroinflammation Research Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, found that inflamed cells produce IGF-1, (insulin-like growth factor-1), a hormone which increases the rate of muscle regeneration and helps heal damaged tissues.

The study has started discussion in the medical community about the benefits and limitations of managing inflammation as a method of encouraging healing. Gerald Weissmann, the editor of the journal that published the study was quoted in the Telegraphsaying "For wounds to heal we need controlled inflammation, not too much, and not too little. It's been known for a long time that excess anti-inflammatory medication, such as cortisone, slows wound healing. This study goes a long way to telling us why – insulin-like growth factor and other materials released by inflammatory cells helps wound to heal."

At present, the PRICE treatment approach is still being recommended by most experts, although many are waiting for further research to help sort out the controversy.

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular diseases is the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels (arteries and veins).

While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system (as used in MeSH), it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis (arterial disease). These conditions have similar causes, mechanisms, and treatments. In practice, cardiovascular disease is treated by cardiologists, thoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons, neurologists, and interventional radiologists, depending on the organ system that is being treated. There is considerable overlap in the specialties, and it is common for certain procedures to be performed by different types of specialists in different hospitals.

Most countries face high and increasing rates of cardiovascular disease. Each year, heart disease kills more Americans than cancer.

It is the number one cause of death and disability in the United States and most European countries (data available through 2005). A large histological study (PDAY) showed vascular injury accumulates from adolescence, making primary prevention efforts necessary from childhood.

By the time that heart problems are detected, the underlying cause (atherosclerosis) is usually quite advanced, having progressed for decades. There is therefore increased emphasis on preventing atherosclerosis by modifying risk factors, such as healthy eating, exercise and avoidance of smoking.

Cardiovascular diseases include the following;

• Aneurysm
• Angina
• Atherosclerosis
• Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke)
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Myocardial infarction (Heart Attack)
• Peripheral vascular disease

Unlike many other chronic medical conditions, Cardiovascular disease is treatable and reversible, even after a long history of disease. Treatment is primarily focused on diet and stress reduction.

Population based studies in the youth show that the precursors of heart disease start in adolescence. The process of atherosclerosis evolves over decades, and begins as early as childhood. The Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth Study demonstrated that intimal lesions appear in all the aortas and more than half of the right coronary arteries of youths aged 7–9 years. However, most adolescents are more concerned about other risks such as HIV, accidents, and cancer than cardiovascular disease. This is extremely important considering that 1 in 3 people will die from complications attributable to atherosclerosis. In order to stem the tide of cardiovascular disease, primary prevention is needed. Primary prevention starts with education and awareness that cardiovascular disease poses the greatest threat and measures to prevent or reverse this disease must be taken.

Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis

Platelet and Fibrin complexes can be seen with the technique of dark field microscopy. They are much bigger than red blood cells and easily block capillaries. These complexes are clearly visible in dark field but not in stained bright field samples because the different staining methods disburse them. However, they are not visible in unstained blood smears. This method of early detection allows to identify people at risk and take appropriate measures.

Associated diagnostic markers

• Low-density lipoprotein
• Lipoprotein
• Apolipoprotein A1
• Apolipoprotein B
• Ratio of Apolipoprotein A1/Apolipoprotein B

Some biomarkers are thought to offer a more detailed risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the clinical value of these biomarkers is questionable. Currently, biomarkers which may reflect a higher risk of cardiovascular disease include:

• Higher fibrinogen and PAI-1 blood concentrations
• Elevated homocysteine, or even upper half of normal
• Elevated blood levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine
• High inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein
• Elevated blood levels of brain natriuretic peptide (also known as B-type) (BNP) 

Lowering Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Several key dietary factors that can lower the risk of heart disease, including:

• Lowering of LDL cholesterol by reducing saturated fat intake.
• Lowering of Triglyceride levels by reducing consumption of sugary and processed foods.
• Reduction of Homocysteine levels by supplementation with Vitamins B6 and B12, and folic acid.
• Increased antioxidant activity by higher consumption of fruits and vegetables.
• Lowering of fibrinogen and growth factors by cutting back on foods such as red meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs. 

Physiotherapist and Chiropodists

Men and women age and so does the muscular tissues of the human physique. There are some points in your existence that you require to go by way of rehabilitation to ease the discomfort and to go again to your usual existence. The thing is that some individuals never believe that a physiotherapist can aid in easing the soreness and small ailment a man or woman is experiencing. Some folks just do not believe that physiotherapy can give sports damage ache relief. It will be greatest for you to know that physiotherapist, acupuncturists and chiropodists are distinct from a single an additional and in the way and manner of treatment method they do to a affected person. A chiropodist is the a single that is dealing with spinal manipulation and in the punition of the spine subluxations. They are well trained with the adjustments of the spine.

Physiotherapists are also well trained and they are also educated in relieving musculo-skeletal conditions but they are not as successful as Chiropodists when it will come to the adjustments because these individuals are properly educated and they specialised in this region. Although they each have license to treat individuals with spinal troubles Chiropodists are the kinds who can really assist you when it arrives to spinal issues since they are also educated in diagnosing the issue by means of bodily examination and radiology. They can emphasis on the total body of a man or woman and not just on the hurt part of the human body.

If you are confused about wherever to contact a capable physiotherapist, it is so effortless to solution because when you know you need to maximize your lifestyle and the good quality of your existence and motion then that is the time you require to get in touch with a physiotherapist to support you ease the discomfort you are enduring. There are some features of the entire body that is just also tough to restore since of the age, ailment, injuries or environmental troubles. Calling a cellular physiotherapy will be really beneficial to you simply because they can be the a single to aid you restore and build the actions of the body that can make you dwell a lifestyle that is even now worthwhile.

Physiotherapists perform a important purpose simply because they are also involved in neurological physiotherapy & rehabilitation of a person. They are the ones who helps encourage far better blood circulation so a particular person will have a better possibility of residing a more healthy and significant daily life as well. The use of massages and breathing workouts grew to become really productive and it began even for the duration of the historical instances. The common of physiotherapy specialization commenced out in 1947 and up to this day and age, there are even now new techniques and resources that assisted physiotherapists enhanced their way of aiding men and women. In reality, physiotherapists are now into many amount of treating individuals. They are now into cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation and they are below the cardiopulmonary part of the hospitals.
They are now also acquiring concerned with assisting the elderly individuals in numerous hospitals which is identified as the Geriatric bodily therapy. It basically focuses on older people who want to be taken treatment of. They are also obtaining their way to help clients who suffers from Alzheimers illness and this segment is recognized as the Neurological physiology. they are also into assisting toddlers and toddlers because they also do pediatric remedy, they support them by dealing with specific troubles that contains accidents, disorders and other difficulties that specials with infants, toddlers and adolescents. The purpose of physiotherapists are broader than it was in the early occasions because they are now also into skin treatment and skin problems. They offer with virtually all the human entire body and organs that is why their part is actually crucial in the society.