Health Beauty & FitnessHealth, Beauty, Fitness Tips

Diabetes is a dreaded disease to be watched out for. The onset of this illness will most likely trigger some complications if not detected and treated early. We have to maintain our blood sugar level at its normal range. This situation starts when the body fails to produce or there is no proper usage of insulin. The cause of this illness is still unknown to medical experts even if they trace it to both genetics and factors such as obesity and lack of exercise.

Millions of children and adults in 2009 have been reported to have been diagnosed with diabetes. One out of four are not aware that they have been inflicted with the disease. An increased knowledge of the disease could be life saving.

If you are diagnosed of diabetes mellitus and advised by the doctor to conduct regular tests of your blood glucose and blood ketone level, do so as instructed.

Blood glucose monitoring will keep you aware of your physical body condition and help you do the necessary action to combat the disease. Blood glucose monitoring is a means of checking the level of concentration of glucose in the blood. There are methods of testing the blood sugar level by utilizing the visually test strip and blood glucose meters.

There are ways to test; it could be done by using two different test strips. Get hold of reliable glucose test products like Abbott glucose strips that has been in the market for considerable time and proven to show accuracy of result. Glucose test strips are available in packages containing 50 test strips intended for self-testing. It is done by pricking the skin, usually on the finger tip in order to get a pea size blood sample to be placed on a disposable strip.

The result will show a change in color or electrical characteristic measured by an electronic meter. Piercing the body is to draw blood sample is painful. The personal checking of plasma glucose level for patients who are newly diagnosed of the type 2 disease must integrate the process of a structured self-management.

Patients with type 2 diabetes normally test the glucose in the whole blood at least once a day preferably before breakfast. It would be helpful to find out the effectiveness of the patient’s diet, exercise, and medication being administered. For type 1 diabetes, they use insulin, so they are required to test their blood sugar about three to ten times a day. It is conducted to ensure the efficiency of the previous insulin intake and to help determine the next dosage of insulin. The frequency could be annoying, so, there is a fast five-second test available. It could be taken from different alternative sites in the finger, palm, forearm, upper arm, thigh, and calf. When you are testing for hypoglycemia or if you have unawareness of hypoglycemia, it is highly recommended to test using your finger only. It is good that the fast technological advancement has changed the standard care for all diabetics. Frequent monitoring of the sugar level in the blood is essential in the proper care of patients.

Weight loss is a process wherein the fats in the body are reduced by way of diet, exercise, or surgery. Some people do this for health reasons while some do this to look more pleasing. Due to the health risks brought by obesity, many people are into weight loss. If you are an obese person, there is a high chance for you to develop diabetes and heart problems. The amount of the unhealthy substances in the body is very high that it affects the functioning of the organ systems and the hormones.

The supporters of the natural and artificial weight loss have been arguing about which one is the safer way to lose weight. Natural plans are very common but not all of these are safe. Some plans are bad for the body and they may worsen any health problems that you may have. For those who do not want to exert so much time and effort on losing weight, weight loss pills are taken.

These pills are said to contain extracts from plants as well as different substances that will help a person lose weight. Of course, these pills come with a side effect. The side effects of pills vary depending on the ingredients and on the condition of the person who will take the pills. You should consult a doctor before using any pill because you are not sure about its content. You may develop allergic reactions and other health problems. You should also be sure that it is not a fake one by buying pills only in accredited institutions.

There are certain things that we can do in order to keep us on our weight loss plans and cure obesity once and for all. Remember that the biggest thing with any weight loss program is that its not about the program itself, rather how much you time and hard work you invest into your program. It’s 2011, a new year to start over and change the way we look forever. Below are some helpful weight loss tips to keep you on the right path in 2011:

1. Keep a Weight Loss Log- In this log make sure you track your exercise/workouts that you have completed for the day as well as what you have consumed on that day. Once a week, record your weight in your log and see your progress. Doing simple things like recording these things can really help you stick to your program.

2. Incentives- Tell yourself that if you can lose 8-12 pounds this month than you can reward yourself with buying that new pair of shoes tat you have wanted for some time now. Giving monthly incentives like this will also help keep you on track. Say one morning you get up and think about going to McDonalds, hopefully that new pair of shoes will come to your mind and you will have the self control to make a sandwich or grab a bowl of cheerios.

3. Change your Routine- Say you wake up at 8 am and have to be ready for work by nine. You usually work out in the afternoon when you get out of work but you usually skip two or three workouts per week because you are tired from the work day. Its a real simple fix. Instead of waking up at 8, wake up at 7 and go for a nice run or go to your local gym. You won’t miss a workout from being tired from your workday and it will actually make you feel good about yourself throughout the day.

Keeping a log, giving yourself incentives and making minor adjustments to your eating habits and daily routines can help get you on the right track for losing weight and becoming the new you. It’s possible and can be done with both hard work and dedication.

Men and women may be equals in many ways, but there is no mistaking that they are biologically different and that they have different needs to keep their bodies working at their peak. Women face different health challenges than men and may deal with other diseases in different ways. Some of the most common conditions that can face both men and women include: cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes and obesity. Of these conditions, obesity may have the most impact on overall health as it can cause or worsen the effects of the other conditions.

What Are the Differences in Nutritional Needs for Men and Women?

Everybody needs the three macronutrients, carbohydrates, fats and proteins in their diet, as well as the many micronutrients that they get from healthy and well balanced diets. However, men and women need differing amounts, as do adult women and girls. Every stage in a woman’s life gives her different health challenges and different nutritional needs. For adults:

Calcium:

- Women under 50 need 1000 mg per day

- Over 50 need 1200 mg per day

- Men need 800 mg, the amount in about three servings of dairy (too much calcium can lead to prostate cancer in men)

Iron:

- Women under 50 need 18 mg per day

- Women over 50 need 8 mg per day

- Men need 8 mg per day

Omega 3 Fatty Acids:

No established nutritional needs or guidelines for amount however, men should only get Omega 3s from marine based sources because of the threat of prostate cancer from other sources.

Protein:

Need based on height, weight and activity level for both men and women.

Fiber:

- Women under 50 need 25grams per day

- Women over 50 need 21 grams per day

- Men under 50 need 38 grams per day

- Men over 50 need 30 grams per day

Why Women Need Protein

Protein plays a major role in the human body, actually being necessary to every cell and every process that it accomplishes every day. Protein is the hardest of the macronutrients to digest, keeping the body full for longer and is needed for building lean muscle mass. In addition to this process, the body needs protein to heal during injury or illness as well as to keep the immune system strong and healthy. Protein also plays a role in sleep, digestion and ovulation.

There is a debate about protein in relation to osteoporosis. The common misconception is that too much protein in the average diet can leach too much calcium from the system and lead to or exacerbate osteoporosis, especially in those who are susceptible to the condition. The theory states that protein increases the amount of liquid waste created in the kidneys which is then flushed out through the bladder, including the calcium that the body needs. Because many women are not getting enough calcium to begin with, this increased amount will create a harmful deficit.

It is now thought that women who are getting enough calcium in their diet are not adversely affected by protein intake and that they would benefit from a slightly increased protein amount. In addition, these women would also benefit from some weight bearing exercise before their body starts showing the effects of osteoporosis.

Other Benefits of Protein for Women

Protein, especially soy protein, has been shown to have many benefits for women that are related to relieving the symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, bone loss, kidney and gallstone diseases and other. The proteins are also shown to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers and diabetes, increases the control of previously existing diabetes and improves the overall cholesterol profile.

Miso, a fermented soy bean paste has also been shown to decrease the risk and incidence of breast cancer in Japanese women with those consuming three or more bowls of miso soup daily having a 40% decrease in breast cancer risk.

The Right Amount of Protein, Regardless

All women should have several health tests done at the recommended intervals in their life to monitor and watch for certain diseases and conditions. In addition, women should have a consultation with a nutritionist or dietician to define the right number of calories for them and to further define the right diet that they should follow including the right number of carbohydrates, proteins and fat every day.

A woman’s protein needs changes during her lifetime including her youth, pregnancy, and during her senior years. An active, athletic woman will automatically have a higher protein need than a sedentary woman. A pregnant or lactating woman will have a higher protein need than one who is not pregnant. Women who are recovering from illness, surgery or injury will have a higher protein need than a healthy woman in her age group. Protein need is very individual and is determined by life stage, weight and activity level.

The Right Type of Protein for Women

In addition to having the right amount of protein in the diet, it is important to have the right type of protein in the diet as well. Protein can come from either plant or animal sources. Animal proteins, including eggs and dairy are complete proteins because they have all nine essential amino acids (amino acids that the body cannot create on its own and must have supplied) while plant proteins are not complete.

Soy protein is the exception to this rule. In addition to dietary protein sources, there are a number of protein supplements which can be beneficial to a woman’s diet for a wide variety of reasons. Whey protein, for instance can be useful for keeping blood pressure and cholesterol within normal limits.

Women and Protein: A Case Study

Linda, age 55, is entering menopause. She is a small framed Asian woman, putting her at increased risk for osteoporosis so she is afraid of the information that she is reading about protein and that condition. She is not eating very well because of this fear and becomes very ill. In addition, she is miserable dealing with the menopause. She goes to her doctor and admits that she is not eating and that she is afraid. The doctor sends her to a nutritionist and also sends her to the lab for blood work and a Dexa scan (a test for osteoporosis that will measure her current bone density). Linda is borderline in the testing, meaning she will start medication for osteoporosis. She is prompted to start taking a calcium supplement as well as increasing the amount that she is getting in her diet. She is also told to increase the amount of protein in her diet which will help her stay active and will also help her ease the symptoms of menopause as well.

The obesity rate in America is increasing every year and people are looking for ways to quickly lose weight. The problem with this is that losing weight can take time if you want to be healthy about it. It is going to be hard work, but there are things that you can do to lose weight in a week.

Eat several small meals each day because it increases the metabolism rate. Eating several meals also prevents you from snacking which is one of the reasons why people put on weight. You should also increase the number of vegetables and fruits that you eat. These foods are healthy and help to keep you satisfied.

If you’re frequently constipated, you probably aren’t drinking enough water. If you drink tap-water and you don’t have a home purifier, then you are consuming chlorine and other toxins that clog the digestive system and build up in the liver.

Get enough sleep. In an article from Health.com, courtesy of HealthDay News, Michelle May, M.D., author, Am I Hungry? What To Do When Diets Don’t Work agreed, adding, “When you’re tired, you’re less resilient to stress and other common emotional triggers for eating. When you eat to help you cope with emotions, you’re more likely to choose comfort foods like chocolate, ice cream or chips.” How much sleep do you need? Some of us need seven to eight hours per night; others need ten. If you are feeling sleep deprived, get a half-hour catnap if you can or go to bed earlier tonight.

One of the reasons that you may have hit a plateau is that you may be getting close to your ideal weight. The closer to this weight you get, the harder it will be to shed extra kilos. On the positive side, if your new lifestyle habits have become well entrenched you’ll also find it more difficult to put on weight, which means that you may be able to indulge a little bit and still stay at a healthy weight.

Eat lean meats. Go in for steamed, broiled or roasted meat. Never fried, as it adds to the calories and most of the nutrients in meats get lost due to cooking it in this method.

Often times, we look at a weight loss diet as a temporary restriction that we’re going to subject ourselves to in the hopes of achieving rapid weight loss. People typically don’t look at it as a permanent lifestyle change. The dieting restrictions make people miserable and eventually the unreasonable demands of the diet and the unpleasant daily routine, cause many to just give up and revert back to their old ways. The real key to losing weight is to make gradual changes in your lifestyle, changes you can live with and stick to. A successful weight loss program must be a way of life, not something to dread.