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Why is it that in India virtually nobody suffers from Type 2 diabetes?
Well – in the next few days you will find out!!! I promise!
Why is it that in India virtually nobody suffers from Type 2 diabetes?
To those who know they are diabetic
It is important to manage diabetes properly and consistently.
Without proper management the following complications can occur:
Clinical studies have shown that tight blood glucose control can significantly reduce the risk of developing potentially life-threatening complications.
For those who are concerned
Ask your doctor for a blood glucose test TODAY if you have any of the following symptons:
This advice is given by Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation, www.drwf.org.uk
There are various risk factors to be aware of when considering the possible onset of diabetes, or pre-diabetes.
The three main factors are being overweight, being over the age of 40 and having a history of diabetes in the family.
Recent studies have added another factor to this list. This is the lack of sufficient sleep.
The studies found that the lack of sleep during the working week could increase the likelihood of developing an abnormality linked to Type 2 diabetes by up to five times.
The recommended time for sleeping each night is seven hours, but many people are sleeping less than 6 hours. The study found that those sleeping less than 6 hours a night were 4.56 times more likely to develop the abnormality, known as ‘impaired fasting glucose’, compared to those sleeping 6 to 8 hours.
It is accepted that sleep duration is less significant than the three main factors; but, along with being overweight, is one factor which we have some control over.
3 Delicious Diabetic Desserts
CREAM PUFFS
Melt 1/2 cup oleo in 1 cup boiling water. Sift together 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to boiling liquid all at once and stir until mixture leaves side of pan in compact ball. Cool 1 minute. Put in mixing bowl and add 4 eggs – one at a time, beating well after each addition. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cool and fill with favorite filling. Suggested filling: 1 tub Cool Whip, stir in 1/2 package instant vanilla pudding.
DIABETIC FRUIT BARS
1 c. chopped dates
1/2 chopped dried apricots
1/2 c. walnuts
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
In saucepan, melt oil and butter, add dates and apricots. Remove from heat and beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and mix with rest of mixture. Bake in 9 x 13 inch pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
SUGAR-FREE SPICE COOKIES
1/3 c. margarine, softened
1/4 c. granulated fructose
1/2 tsp. granulated brown sugar
replacement
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
In a large bowl, cream margarine, fructose, and brown sugar replacement together until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix well. Stir in vanilla. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls with a fork that has been dipped in cold water. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes; cool on wire racks.
There are genuine prospects for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. Tests using mice have indicated the possibility that a BCG vaccine, which is normally used to prevent Tuberculosis, might provide the answer.
The drug works by destroying abnormal blood cells in the pancreas which obstruct the production of insulin.
In the mouse study, mice suffering from diabetes and with about two weeks to live were completely cured.
Human clinical trials are about to start in Massachusetts General hospital in Boston, America. There could be useful feedback within just a few months.
Trials are also to take place at Kings College, London and Bristol University.
BCG is a drug for which there is extensive knowledge since it has been tried and tested for over 80 years. This means that any future treatment could be quite cheap.
There are suggestions that a cure may be available within 4 years, although care will be needed because of the risk of an immune reaction.
Well my mother has now tried my Sugarless Cake and was very positive about it.
The more I tasted it the more I was impressed with my own efforts (or with the recipe anyway!). The fruity ingredients (prunes, dates, currants) go very well together. The spices and nuts definitely add a marvelous flavour.
Maybe it doesn’t quite qualify as a Diabetic Dessert, but it is a great diabetic food.
I am going to make another soon, which I will take to my brother’s birthday clebration coming up in a week.
Excellent recipe – Sugarless Cake
I have tried this and it was very tasty. Actually this is the first time I have cooked for a long time.
My main problem was chopping the nuts. Tried for the first time an electric blender I had bought recently, but it wasn’t so effective as expected! Also I only have one cake pan, which is a bit larger than necessary, so the cake turned out to be a little thin!
Otherwise I enjoyed the cooking and will be letting my mother try some soon.
Not sure if you could class this as a Diabetic Dessert, but definitely a Diabetic Recipe!
Reducing Sugar in the Diet
I will continue to add more diabetic desserts recipes, and each recipe should have the appropriate ingredients. However if your coming up with your own ideas then here is some advice from Brian D. Johnston, an expert author and lecturer in the fitness and health industries:-
Sugar from milk and fruit sources, for instance, should not exceed 10% of total kcalories.
Concentrated refined sugars (e.g., table sugar) should be limited as much as possible. The objective is to look for other names on food packaging that are sugars, including corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, corn sweeteners, glucose, fructose, lactose, honey, molasses, maple sugar, maple syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltose, or anything with ’sugar’ in the name, e.g., confectioner’s sugar, or invert sugar.
The next step would be to reduce or replace simple sugars with these suggestions:
Reduce sugar in recipes. Even with a vast reduction of up to 20% or more, many recipes taste the same. With some recipes half the sugar can be substituted with an equal portion of a sweet spice, such as cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, allspice, anise, and ginger.
Many breakfast cereals contain high percentages of sugar. Look for those that do not have added sugar and top the cereal with fruit if necessary and preferred. Substitute fruit juices for fruit drinks, soft drinks, punches, and other liquids that contain high amounts of sugar.
If substituting sugars, be aware that there are two types of sweeteners or sugar substitutes. The first type is a class of nutritive sweeteners that absorb slower than sucrose, they do not promote dental caries, and they do contain kcalories. The second is a class of artificial sweeteners that do not contain kcalories, and they are safe for use for diabetics and calorie reduced diets.
Using sugar substitutes (especially artificial sweeteners) should not give people license to consume large amounts of these products simply because they are low in kcalories. They also tend to be low in other nutrient values and it is unclear what medical conditions can arise from over-consumption.
Hence, these products should not be a substitute for fresh fruits, vegetables, or other foods.
However, if it is difficult to make it through the day without a pudding, for example, choose one made with skim milk and a sweetener than a high-fat, high-sugar type.
Sugar Substitute Sweeteners
Nutritive Sweeteners
Fructose – Found in fruits, honey, and some sweet vegetables. Fuctose absorbs more slowly in the GI tract than glucose and metabolizes directly in the liver independent of insulin. Large intakes of 70+ grams per day can cause diarrhea.
Sorbitol – A sugar alcohol found mainly in plants and used in confectioneries (candy), gum, toothpaste, and diabetic desserts. After absorption, sorbitol oxidizes into fructose. Sorbitol results in a slower, less pronounced rise in blood glucose than sugar. More than 10 grams per day may result in diarrhea.
Xylitol – A compound derived from wood sugar. It causes the least harm to teeth of all nutritive sweeteners. Does not increase blood glucose levels. Intake of more than 30 grams per day may result in diarrhea. Also, it may be associated with bladder stones and tumors.
Artificial Sweeteners
Acesulfame K – A synthetic sweetener that is very stable in heat. Marketed as Sweet One, Sunette, or Sun Sweet Tabletop.
Aspartame – Best known as NutraSweet, it is found mainly in soft drinks, gums, pudding mixes, and other foods. It consists of amino acids that break down in the GI tract, then it absorbs and metabolizes. It has a very low nutrient and caloric value.
Saccharin – Better known as Sweet’n Low, Nutra-diet, and Sugar Twin, Saccharin is used primarily in soft drinks and canned fruit. It neither metabolizes or stores in the body, but excretes in the urine.
Saccharin has a bitter aftertaste, is low in kcalories, and may be a possible carcinogen.
Sucralose – Available only in Canada to date. It contains no kcalories and is derived from sugar. It is used in cooking and baking.
About the Author
Brian D. Johnston is the Director of Education and President of the I.A.R.T. fitness certification and education institute. He has written over 12 books and is a contributor author to the Merck Medical Manual. An international lecturer, Mr. Johnston wears many hats in the fitness and health industries, and can be reached at info@ExerciseCertification.com. Visit his site at www.ExerciseCertification.com for more free articles.
Diabetic foods – some useful fruits
A lot of diabetic desserts should include a portion of one of the healthy fruits.
All fresh fruits have some benefit, and not just for diabetics. Here a just a few fruits with their benefits:
Pomegranate
Some people call this a super-food which can protect the heart.
Scientists in Israel have shown that drinking a glass of the fruit’s juice can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. A quote from Professor Michael Aviram, who led the team: “Pomegranate juice contains the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine and green tea”.
Drinking a glass of pomegranate juice every day improves the function of blood vessels, reduces hardening of the arteries and improves heart health.
The round, leathery fruit is full of edible seeds nestled in tiny juice sacs. Brimming with vitamins A, C, E and iron, the pomegranate has been cultivated since pre-historic times. In the West, the fruit is still regarded as a novelty, but food writers like Rosemary Stark are keen to change this.
She said: “I find it has one of the finest sweet/sour balances of any fruit.
“Try sprinkling some over your breakfast muesli, or lunchtime hummus.”
Apple
This popular sub-acid fruit, one of the most valuable of all fruits, has been found beneficial in the treatment of diabetes because of its rich pectin content. Pectin is a natural therapeutic ingredient found in the inner portion of the rind and the pulp. It aids in detoxification of the body by supplying the galacturonic acid needed for the elimination of certain harmful substances. This food element reduces the body’s insulin requirements by approximately 35 percent.
The apple is also considered valuable in depression. The various chemical substances present in the fruit, such as Vitamin B1, phosphorous and potassium, help the synthesis of glutamic acid, which controls the wear and tear of nerve cell. This fruit acts as a very effective tonic and recharges the nerves with new energy and life.
Grapefruit
The grapefruit occupies a high place among citrus fruits because of its flavour, its appetizing properties and its refreshing qualities. Dr Riley, a well-known authority on nutrition, believes that it is a splendid food for diabetics and if this fruit were taken more liberally, there would be much less diabetes. She goes on to say that any person suffering from high blood sugar should take grapefruit three times a day. A person who does not have high blood sugar, but a tendency towards it, and wants to prevent it, should also use the fruit three times a day. Simultaneously, consumption of starches, sweets and fats should be reduced and diet made rich in fruits, vegetables and juices. Two weeks of this grapefruit rich diet will bring down sugar level in individuals not taking insulin. In those who take insulin regularly, it takes longer.
Also be on the lookout for diabetic deserts which include this fruit.
Jambul Fruit
The Jambul fruit, also known as rose apple, is grown all over India. It too possesses anti-diabetic properties. In the indigenous system of medicine this fruit is regarded as a specific remedy against diabetes because of its effect on the pancreas. The fruit, the seeds and the juice are beneficial in treatment of this disease. The jamboline’ contained in the seeds is believed to check the pathological conversion of starch into sugar in case of increased production of glucose. The seeds are dried and powdered. This powder mixed with water, taken three or four times daily reduces sugar in the urine and allays thirst.
In Ayurveda, the inner bark of the jambul tree is considered valuable in the treatment of diabetes. The bark is dried and burnt, to produce a white colored ash. This ash is pestled in the mortar, strained and bottled. The diabetes patients should be given about two grams of this ash in the morning on an empty stomach and two grams each in the afternoon and in the evening and hour after meals.
The seeds of the jambul fruits are considered beneficial in the treatment of excessive urination.
The powder of these seeds in doses of one gram each, in the morning and evening, is effective in controlling this condition.
For diabetes information diabetes diet, diabetes treatment, diabetes causes, visit www.diabetesmellitus-information.com