Creating a Weight Loss Plan Before you begin any weight loss program, it is important that you draw up a specific plan to help you stay on track. As a prelude to making your weight loss plan, you will need to do a little homework.
First, you will need to set a weight loss goal. In other words, what specific weight do you want to get to and when is your target date for reaching your goal? To arrive at this number, find out what your ideal lean body weight should be for someone your age and sex and multiply that number by 1.15 for men and 1.2 for women. This will give you your ideal body weight which includes your lean body mass plus an acceptable body fat percentage.
Second, a determination of your resting metabolic rate would be very helpful. Your resting metabolic rate is the number of calories you burn at rest. This information will assist in determining your optimal calorie intake and give you an idea of how slow or fast your metabolism is. Your calorie-needs are the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight. To lose weight, you must burn fewer calories than you take in. For example, 1 pound of body weight is roughly equal to 3500 calories. So if you wish to lose 1 pound of weight per week, you must reduce your calorie-needs by 3500 calories a week or 500 calories a day. To lose about 2 pounds a week, reduce your daily calorie-needs intake by 1000 calories.
Once you know how many calories to aim for, you can create an eating plan to help you lose weight. Write down a plan for your meals and a shopping list and stick to it. Without a written list you are vulnerable to impulse purchases, which torpedo weight loss. Plan to shop after you've eaten and not when you're hungry.
Exercise is essential for weight loss, diet-motivation and future weight maintenance. Make a realistic exercise plan for yourself and ideally find an exercise buddy to join you. The weight loss fitness program you choose to do - vigorous activities such as running or moderate-intensity activities such as walking or household work - will increase the number of calories your body uses. The key to successful weight control and improved overall health is making physical activity a part of your daily life. An excellent exercise regimen is outlined in the Metamorphic Weight Loss system.
For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity, such as weight resistance, and stretching at least twice a week. When including physical activity in your weight-loss program, you should choose a variety of activities that can be done regularly and are enjoyable for you. Also, if you have not been physically active, you should see your doctor before you start, especially if you are older than 40 years of age, very overweight, or have medical problems.
Instead of weighing yourself once a week, a better way to track your progress is to measure your waist and thigh circumference. A more important concept than "weight loss" is body composition. Body composition is the ratio of lean body weight versus weight from body fat. Ideally, you want to see a reduction in your overall body fat while you increase lean muscle mass. A recent ABC News report indicated that maintaining 5 pounds of lean muscle will burn over 96,000 calories. That amounts to about 26 lbs of weight loss.
Showing posts with label healthy diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy diet. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
What is Cabbage Soup Diet?
I often hang out in online weight loss and fitness forums, reading and answering questions. On of the the questions that I answer most is "What is the Cabbage Soup Diet?".
Some of the common questions about this diet are: Is there really a Cabbage Soup Diet? Is the Cabbage Soup diet healthy? Does it really work? How long can I be on it?
Since there are so many questions surrounding this diet, I have decided to put together this article which will not only answer a few of your questions but will also give you instructions on how to prepare and cook the ever puzzling Cabbage Soup. The you can decide for yourself if you would like to try this diet to shed a few pounds.
The Cabbage Soup diet only lasts 7 days and is quite filling even then, during the seven days you might find yourself a bit irritable, your stomach and digestive system may produce an abundance of gas and you may feel possibly a little light headed. If you have a tendancy to get gas from vegetables or especially cabbage, I suggest that you purchase an anti-gas product such as Beano, otherwise you might find yourself feeling uncomfortably full and bloated and you may find yourself without friends for a few days, due to full blown flatulance.
If you stick to the Cabbage Soup diet for the full 7 days you will find youself losing weight after the second to third day. Remember that this will be water weight and not actual fat. By the sixth day (if you make it that long on this diet) you wil start to see real fat loss.
As with other fad diets, the Cabbage Soup diet works because the meals ar so boring that you only eat when actually hungry. You really won't be tempted have this soup as a mid-night snack. The Cabbage Soup diet also works becuse even though your calorie consumption is very low, this diet is full of fiber which keeps your metabolism rate up, and also keeps you feeling fairly full most of the day.
Now that we have discussed briefly a little about the Cabbage Soup diet, let's get into the actual preparation and cooking for your seven day diet.
Your shopping list:
1 -container of mushroons which is approximately 12-16 ounces
1/2 of a large head of cabbage or 1 small head. You may use red or green cabbage
1 -bunch of celery or 2 bunches of celery hearts
2 -medium sized green peppers, or you may use 1 red and 1 -green pepper
6 -large onions
3 -average sized carrots
1-2 cans of diced,whole or chopped tomatoes
1 -package onion flavor dry soup mix such as Lipton
12 cups of water
Optional ingredients:
1 -48 ounce can of V8 or other tomato juice brand
Bouillon, beef stock, salt, pepper or fresh herbs for a more satisfying taste.
Soup Preparation:
Using a large stock pot, first spray with a non-stick coating such as Pam then add your water. If you have decided to also add tomato juice, you may want to use only 6-8 cups of water instead of the full 12 cups. If using, add your tomato juice now.
Once you slice or chop your vegatables add them to your stock pot.
Chop your cabbage into bite sized pieces, removing any wilted or brown edged outer layer leaves. You may also want to chop the cabbage center into smaller pieces or discard the hard center.
Wash your celery, chop into 1/4 inch slices and add to the pot.
Slice or dice your peppers. Remember to discard the seeds and any white membrane that may be inside the peppers.
Cut your mushrooms into nice thick pieces as they cook quickly and will shrink while cooking.
Scrub, but do not peel your carrots, then chop them into nice bite sized pieces.
Cooking:
Once all of your ingredients have been added place your stock pot over a high heat until it starts to boil. Once it reaches the boiling temperature reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until all of your vegetables are tender.
During the last hour of cooking add your bouliion, herbs and spices to taste. Remember that herbs and spices add flavor, not calories so let your imagination run wild.
The Diet:
Now that your soup is cooked it's time to start the day as directed below.
Day 1
On day one you may have all of the Cabbage Soup that you like, along with as much fruit as you like and sugar free jello. However, you may not have any bananas. Also avoid any caffeinated drinks. Be sure to drink plenty of water and along with water you may have sugar free juices or decaffeinated tea or coffee.
Day 2
Today, along with your soup you are allowed as many vegetables as you like, but avoid corn, peas or beans. The best way to prepare the vegetables is to steam them, but if you don't have a steamer you may microwave, or stove cook. You may have as much vegetables as you like as long as you do not add any butter or sauces. You may not have any fruit or fruit juices today. As a snack, have a large baked potato, again without butter or sauces.
Day 3
Today in addition to your soup you may have as much fruit and vegetables as you like, but you may not have any potatoes. Remember to drink, drink, drink water all day long while you are on this diet.
Day 4
Ok, are you still with me or have you given up by now?
Today, in addition to your soup, water, decaffeinated drinks and sugar free jello you may have as many bananas as you like, trying not to have more than 8.
No fruit or vegetables today.
Day 5
Just when you thought that you couldn't make it this far, we add meat. You may have up to 20 ounces of lean meat, cooked without fat or sauces or skinless chicken. You should also have tomatoes (up to 8). The tomatoes will make your body very acidic, so you must drink a minimum of 8 full glasses of water during the day. Be sure to always spread your water out during the day and don't guzzle it-sip it.
Day 6
We're almost there.
Today's a good food day. Along with your soup you will have as much vegetables (no potatoes) as you like and up to 20 ounces of lean meat or skinless chicken.
Day 7
WooHoo, your last day.
Today in addition to your last bit of soup, you will be eating brown rice and unsweetened fruit jiuces. You may eat of of the brown rice that you like, but you may not have any white rice,long grain or wild rice.
Day 8
Today is the day that you weight yourself to see how much weight you have lost.
A few things that you should know about the Cabbage Soup diet:
1. Before starting this diet you should consult with your health care professional to see if it is safe for you to go on this diet. He/she may also want you to check in with their office while you are on this diet.
Although, for a perfectly healthy person this diet is fine to be on for 7 days, you may have an underlying health issue that would prohibit it's use.
2. This diet will give you a quick boost to your weight loss goals, but it did not train you to eat properly. You still must learn to eat less and to rely on healthy foods not junk food.
3. There are different variations of this diet circulating. I suggest that you check out a few since you might learns some tips here and there.
4. Adding exercise will add to your burning of calories and fat, but if you feel tired don't push yourself.
In ending, I want you to remember that fad diets may be ok, for just a few days, but never, ever go on any fad diet longer than one week. In doing so you may cause long term damage to your body. A healthy body looks so much better than one that has been on countless fad diets.
Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/
Some of the common questions about this diet are: Is there really a Cabbage Soup Diet? Is the Cabbage Soup diet healthy? Does it really work? How long can I be on it?
Since there are so many questions surrounding this diet, I have decided to put together this article which will not only answer a few of your questions but will also give you instructions on how to prepare and cook the ever puzzling Cabbage Soup. The you can decide for yourself if you would like to try this diet to shed a few pounds.
The Cabbage Soup diet only lasts 7 days and is quite filling even then, during the seven days you might find yourself a bit irritable, your stomach and digestive system may produce an abundance of gas and you may feel possibly a little light headed. If you have a tendancy to get gas from vegetables or especially cabbage, I suggest that you purchase an anti-gas product such as Beano, otherwise you might find yourself feeling uncomfortably full and bloated and you may find yourself without friends for a few days, due to full blown flatulance.
If you stick to the Cabbage Soup diet for the full 7 days you will find youself losing weight after the second to third day. Remember that this will be water weight and not actual fat. By the sixth day (if you make it that long on this diet) you wil start to see real fat loss.
As with other fad diets, the Cabbage Soup diet works because the meals ar so boring that you only eat when actually hungry. You really won't be tempted have this soup as a mid-night snack. The Cabbage Soup diet also works becuse even though your calorie consumption is very low, this diet is full of fiber which keeps your metabolism rate up, and also keeps you feeling fairly full most of the day.
Now that we have discussed briefly a little about the Cabbage Soup diet, let's get into the actual preparation and cooking for your seven day diet.
Your shopping list:
1 -container of mushroons which is approximately 12-16 ounces
1/2 of a large head of cabbage or 1 small head. You may use red or green cabbage
1 -bunch of celery or 2 bunches of celery hearts
2 -medium sized green peppers, or you may use 1 red and 1 -green pepper
6 -large onions
3 -average sized carrots
1-2 cans of diced,whole or chopped tomatoes
1 -package onion flavor dry soup mix such as Lipton
12 cups of water
Optional ingredients:
1 -48 ounce can of V8 or other tomato juice brand
Bouillon, beef stock, salt, pepper or fresh herbs for a more satisfying taste.
Soup Preparation:
Using a large stock pot, first spray with a non-stick coating such as Pam then add your water. If you have decided to also add tomato juice, you may want to use only 6-8 cups of water instead of the full 12 cups. If using, add your tomato juice now.
Once you slice or chop your vegatables add them to your stock pot.
Chop your cabbage into bite sized pieces, removing any wilted or brown edged outer layer leaves. You may also want to chop the cabbage center into smaller pieces or discard the hard center.
Wash your celery, chop into 1/4 inch slices and add to the pot.
Slice or dice your peppers. Remember to discard the seeds and any white membrane that may be inside the peppers.
Cut your mushrooms into nice thick pieces as they cook quickly and will shrink while cooking.
Scrub, but do not peel your carrots, then chop them into nice bite sized pieces.
Cooking:
Once all of your ingredients have been added place your stock pot over a high heat until it starts to boil. Once it reaches the boiling temperature reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until all of your vegetables are tender.
During the last hour of cooking add your bouliion, herbs and spices to taste. Remember that herbs and spices add flavor, not calories so let your imagination run wild.
The Diet:
Now that your soup is cooked it's time to start the day as directed below.
Day 1
On day one you may have all of the Cabbage Soup that you like, along with as much fruit as you like and sugar free jello. However, you may not have any bananas. Also avoid any caffeinated drinks. Be sure to drink plenty of water and along with water you may have sugar free juices or decaffeinated tea or coffee.
Day 2
Today, along with your soup you are allowed as many vegetables as you like, but avoid corn, peas or beans. The best way to prepare the vegetables is to steam them, but if you don't have a steamer you may microwave, or stove cook. You may have as much vegetables as you like as long as you do not add any butter or sauces. You may not have any fruit or fruit juices today. As a snack, have a large baked potato, again without butter or sauces.
Day 3
Today in addition to your soup you may have as much fruit and vegetables as you like, but you may not have any potatoes. Remember to drink, drink, drink water all day long while you are on this diet.
Day 4
Ok, are you still with me or have you given up by now?
Today, in addition to your soup, water, decaffeinated drinks and sugar free jello you may have as many bananas as you like, trying not to have more than 8.
No fruit or vegetables today.
Day 5
Just when you thought that you couldn't make it this far, we add meat. You may have up to 20 ounces of lean meat, cooked without fat or sauces or skinless chicken. You should also have tomatoes (up to 8). The tomatoes will make your body very acidic, so you must drink a minimum of 8 full glasses of water during the day. Be sure to always spread your water out during the day and don't guzzle it-sip it.
Day 6
We're almost there.
Today's a good food day. Along with your soup you will have as much vegetables (no potatoes) as you like and up to 20 ounces of lean meat or skinless chicken.
Day 7
WooHoo, your last day.
Today in addition to your last bit of soup, you will be eating brown rice and unsweetened fruit jiuces. You may eat of of the brown rice that you like, but you may not have any white rice,long grain or wild rice.
Day 8
Today is the day that you weight yourself to see how much weight you have lost.
A few things that you should know about the Cabbage Soup diet:
1. Before starting this diet you should consult with your health care professional to see if it is safe for you to go on this diet. He/she may also want you to check in with their office while you are on this diet.
Although, for a perfectly healthy person this diet is fine to be on for 7 days, you may have an underlying health issue that would prohibit it's use.
2. This diet will give you a quick boost to your weight loss goals, but it did not train you to eat properly. You still must learn to eat less and to rely on healthy foods not junk food.
3. There are different variations of this diet circulating. I suggest that you check out a few since you might learns some tips here and there.
4. Adding exercise will add to your burning of calories and fat, but if you feel tired don't push yourself.
In ending, I want you to remember that fad diets may be ok, for just a few days, but never, ever go on any fad diet longer than one week. In doing so you may cause long term damage to your body. A healthy body looks so much better than one that has been on countless fad diets.
Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Understanding Fats and carbohydrates and their role in a healthy diet
In recent times it would give the impression that fats and carbohydrates have both gotten a bad rap. First it was fat that was the culprit in all dietary ills, and low fat diets were all the rage. Then the two switched places, with carbohydrates being the bad guys and fat reigning supreme.
Both fats and carbohydrates play an important role in nutrition, and both are vital to a healthy diet. It would be impossible and unwise to remove all fat from the diet, since fat is important for the production of energy, and for carrying valuable fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K, throughout the body. In addition, fat plays a very important role in regulating various bodily functions. Even though some fat is essential to a healthy body, too much fat can be harmful. Excessive levels of dietary fats have been implicated in heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol levels and even some cancers. Most nutritionists suggest limiting daily fat intake to less than 20% of calories, although taking that level lower than 10% is not recommended.
The type and amount of fat in the diet makes all the difference. A diet high in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol has been associated with a variety of ills, including heart disease, stroke and other related diseases. In addition, many long-term chronic problems, such as obesity, are associated with high levels of dietary fats. Food labels do make the complex process of choosing the right fats somewhat easier. For instance, trans fats will be listed on the ingredient list of foods that include them. In general, trans fats are found mainly in processed foods. When limiting your daily intake of fat and cholesterol, it is good to have an understanding of nutritional labels. This government mandated labels could be a huge help to those who take the time to read and be aware of them.
Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet as well, and carbs are necessary for providing energy and many vital nutrients. Carbohydrates are found in fruits and vegetables, in grains and in milk and dairy products. It is important to choose carbohydrates carefully, however, since not all are equallyhealthy. Keeping saturated fats and trans fats to a minimum is important to a healthy diet. Trans fats, which are solid at room temperature, are most often found in highly processed foods like cookies, cakes and other baked goods. In addition, trans fats are often found in fried foods and in salty snacks like potato chips. While these foods are fine in moderation, it is best to avoid large quantities of such snacks.
As with many products, less is often more when it comes to choosing foods rich in carbohydrates. For example, less refined whole grain bread is generally more nutritious than white bread, which has gone through a greater amount of refining. That is because the refining process tends to decrease nutrient content over time. Of course, there are some elements in the diet that should be limited. Two of these elements are sugar and salt. Most Americans consume too much salt and sugar, and this has led to epidemics of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other ills. Limiting sugar and salt, while choosing good fats and unrefined carbohydrates, is a great way to make the most of the nutritional value of the foods you eat.
There's a lot to understand about Fats and carbohydrates. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
Visit Healthydiet
Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/
Both fats and carbohydrates play an important role in nutrition, and both are vital to a healthy diet. It would be impossible and unwise to remove all fat from the diet, since fat is important for the production of energy, and for carrying valuable fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K, throughout the body. In addition, fat plays a very important role in regulating various bodily functions. Even though some fat is essential to a healthy body, too much fat can be harmful. Excessive levels of dietary fats have been implicated in heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol levels and even some cancers. Most nutritionists suggest limiting daily fat intake to less than 20% of calories, although taking that level lower than 10% is not recommended.
The type and amount of fat in the diet makes all the difference. A diet high in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol has been associated with a variety of ills, including heart disease, stroke and other related diseases. In addition, many long-term chronic problems, such as obesity, are associated with high levels of dietary fats. Food labels do make the complex process of choosing the right fats somewhat easier. For instance, trans fats will be listed on the ingredient list of foods that include them. In general, trans fats are found mainly in processed foods. When limiting your daily intake of fat and cholesterol, it is good to have an understanding of nutritional labels. This government mandated labels could be a huge help to those who take the time to read and be aware of them.
Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet as well, and carbs are necessary for providing energy and many vital nutrients. Carbohydrates are found in fruits and vegetables, in grains and in milk and dairy products. It is important to choose carbohydrates carefully, however, since not all are equallyhealthy. Keeping saturated fats and trans fats to a minimum is important to a healthy diet. Trans fats, which are solid at room temperature, are most often found in highly processed foods like cookies, cakes and other baked goods. In addition, trans fats are often found in fried foods and in salty snacks like potato chips. While these foods are fine in moderation, it is best to avoid large quantities of such snacks.
As with many products, less is often more when it comes to choosing foods rich in carbohydrates. For example, less refined whole grain bread is generally more nutritious than white bread, which has gone through a greater amount of refining. That is because the refining process tends to decrease nutrient content over time. Of course, there are some elements in the diet that should be limited. Two of these elements are sugar and salt. Most Americans consume too much salt and sugar, and this has led to epidemics of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other ills. Limiting sugar and salt, while choosing good fats and unrefined carbohydrates, is a great way to make the most of the nutritional value of the foods you eat.
There's a lot to understand about Fats and carbohydrates. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
Visit Healthydiet
Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/
Monday, April 9, 2007
The Diabetic Diet: How diabetics count calories and plan their diets
There are several aspects in the treatment of diabetes, each one with a very important role.
The mainstays of Diabetes Treatment are:
1. Working towards obtaining ideal body weight
2. Following a diabetic diet
3. Regular exercise
4. Diabetic medication if needed
Note: Type 1 Diabetes must be treated with insulin. This involves injecting insulin under the skin for it to work. Insulin cannot be taken as a pill because the digestive juices in the stomach would destroy the insulin before it could work. Scientists are looking for new ways to give insulin. But today, shots are the only method. There are, however, new methods to give the shots...Insulin Pumps are now being widely used and many people are having great results. A new page on insulin pumps will be on line soon.
Working towards obtaining ideal body weight.
An estimate of ideal body weight can be calculated using this formula:
For women: Start with 100 pounds for 5 feet tall. Add 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet. (If you are under 5 feet, subtract 5 pounds for each inch under 5 feet). This will give you your ideal weight. If you have a large frame, add 10 percent. If you have a small frame, subtract ten percent. ( A good way to decide your frame size is to look at your wrist size compared to other women's)
Example: a woman who is 5' 4" tall and has a large frame.
100 pounds + 20 pounds (4 inches times 5 pounds per inch) =120 pounds.
Add 10% for large frame (in this case 10% of 120 pounds is 12 pounds).
120 pounds + 12 pounds = 142 pounds ideal body weight.
For men: Start with 106 pounds for a height of 5 foot. Add 6 pounds for
every inch above 5 foot. For a large frame, add 10%. For a
small frame, subtract 10 percent. (See above for further details).
The Diabetic Diet
Diet is very important in diabetes. There are differing philosophies on what is the BEST diet but below is a guideline with some general principles.
Patients with Type 1 diabetes should have a diet that has approximately 35 calories per kg of body weight per day (or 16 calories per pound of body weight per day). Patients with Type 2 diabetes generally are put on a 1500-1800 calorie diet per day to promote weight loss and then the maintenance of ideal body weight.. However, this may vary depending on the person's age, sex, activity level, current weight and body style. More obese individuals may need more calories initially until their weight is less. This is because it takes more calories to maintain a larger body and a 1600 calorie diet for them may promote weight loss that is too fast to be healthy. Men have more muscle mass in general and therefore may require more calories. Muscle burns more calories per hour than fat. (Thus also one reason to regularly exercise and build up muscle!) Also, people whose activity level is low will have less daily caloric needs.
Generally, carbohydrates should make up about 50 percent of the daily calories ( with the accepted range 40-60 percent). In general, lower carbohydrate intake is associated with lower sugar levels in the blood. However the benefits of this can be cancelled out by the problems associated with a higher fat diet taken in to compensate for the lower amount of carbohydrates.. This problem can be improved by substituting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats.
Most people with diabetes find that it is quite helpful to sit down with a dietician or nutritionist for a consult about what is the best diet for them and how many daily calories they need. It is quite important for diabetics to understand the principles of carbohydrate counting and how to help control blood sugar levels through proper diet. Below are some general principles about the diabetic diet.
Understanding Food Groups
There are three basic food groups: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are the foods that can be broken down into sugar. It is essential to have all three food groups in your diet to have good nutrition.
1. Why count carbohydrates?
Carbohydrate makes your blood glucose level go up. If you know how much carbohydrate you've eaten, you have a good idea what your blood glucose level is going to do. The more carbohydrates you eat, the higher your blood sugar will go up.
2. Which foods contain carbohydrate?
Most of the carbohydrate we eat comes from three food groups: starch, fruit and milk. Vegetables also contain some carbohydrates, but foods in the meat and fat groups contain very little carbohydrate. Sugars may be added or may be naturally present (such as in fruits). The nutrient term for sugars can also be identified by looking for -ose at the end of a word ( i.e. glucose, fructose, sucrose, etc. are all sugars). Look for these on food labels to help identify foods that contain sugar.
To make things easy, many people begin carbohydrate counting by rounding the carbohydrate value of milk up to 15. In other words, one serving of starch, fruit or milk all contain 15 grams carbohydrate or one carbohydrate serving. Three servings of vegetable also contain 15 grams. Each meal and snack will contain a specific total number of grams of carbohydrate.
For example: Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories. A diabetic on a 1600 calorie diet should get 50% of these calories from carbohydrate. This would be a total of 800 calories or 200 gms of carbohydrate (at 4 calories per gram) spread out over the day. At 15 grams per exchange, this would be about 13 exchanges of carbohydrate per day.
The amount of food you eat is closely related to blood sugar control. If you eat more food than is recommended on your meal plan, your blood sugar goes up. Although foods containing carbohydrate (carb) have the most impact on blood sugars, the calories from all foods will affect blood sugar. The only way you can tell if you are eating the right amount is to measure your foods carefully. Also, it is important to space your carbohydrates out throughout the day to avoid sugar "loading." Measuring your blood sugar regularly also provides important feedback on how high your sugar went based on what you ate and your level of activity.
Where do you get carbohydrate information?
The "Nutrition Facts" label on most foods is the best way to get carbohydrate information, but not all foods have labels. Your local bookstore and library have books that list the carbohydrate in restaurant foods, fast foods, convenience foods and fresh foods. You will still need to weigh or measure the foods to know the amount of grams of carbohydrates present.
How do you count carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates can be counted in number of grams or can be counted as exchanges. One carbohydrate exchange equals 15 grams of carbohydrate. A good reference for learning how to count calories in this manner will be on line here
soon including a calorie computer.
Free Foods:
These are foods that you can eat without counting. A free food or drink is one that contains less than 20 calories and 5 grams or less of carbohydrate per serving. If your serving or a food contains more than 5 grams of carbohydrate, you should count it in your meal plan.
Examples of free foods:
Bouillon or broth
Carbonated or mineral water
Club soda
Coffee or tea
Diet soft drinks
Drink mixes, sugar-free
Tonic water, sugar free
Sugar-free hard candy
Sugar-free Jell-O
Sugar-free gum
Jam or jelly, light or low-sugar, 2 tsp.
Sugar free syrup, 2 tsp.
You should spread out free foods throughout the day and not eat them in one sitting.
Fitting Sugar in Your Meal Plan
It is commonly thought that people with diabetes should avoid all forms of sugar. Most people with diabetes can eat foods containing sugar as long as the total amount of carbohydrate (carb) for that meal or snack is consistent. Many research studies have shown that meals which contain sugar do not make the blood sugar rise higher than meals of equal carbohydrate levels which do not contain sugar. However, if the sugar-containing meal contains more carb, the blood sugar levels will go up.
Does this mean I can eat cake and not worry about it?
No! A slice of white cake with chocolate icing ( 1/12 of a cake or 80 gram weight) will give you about 300 calories, 45 grams of carb and 12 grams of fat. That is three starch servings and over 2 fat servings. Before you have a slice of cake, ask yourself the following questions: Will that small piece of cake be satisfying or will I still be hungry? How it will fit into my meal plan? Do I have 300 calories to "spend" on this? Are there other choices I could make which would contribute less fat? A 1/12 slice of angel food cake has less than 1 gram of fat and only 30 carb. This may be a better choice.
Controlling all carbohydrates
It is important to realize that sugar is not the only carbohydrate that you have to "control". The body will convert all carbohydrates to glucose - so eating extra servings of rice, pasta, bread, fruit or other carbohydrate foods will make the blood sugar rise. Just because something doesn't have sugar in it doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want. Your meal plan is designed so that the carbohydrate content of your meals remains as consistent as possible from day to day.
A word of caution:
Although sugar does not cause the blood sugar to rise any higher than other carbohydrates, it should be eaten along with other healthy foods. If you choose to drink a 12 ounce can of a sugar-sweetened soft drink, that would use up about 45 grams carb - and you wouldn't have gotten any nutrition (protein, vitamins or minerals). What a waste of calories! High sugar foods are more concentrated in carb. Therefore the volume would be smaller than a low sugar food. High sugar foods might not be a good choice if they will just tempt you to eat more. If you would rather eat larger portions, select low sugar choices. Look at the differences in portion size you get for equal amounts of carbohydrate in these cereals!
In addition, many sugar-containing foods also contain a lot of fat. Foods such as cookies, pastries, ice cream and cakes should be avoided largely because of the fat content and because they don't contribute much nutritional value. If you do want a "sweet" - make a low-fat choice, such as low-fat frozen yogurt, gingersnaps, fig bars or graham crackers and substitute it for another carbohydrates on your meal plan.
source : http://www.endocrineweb.com/diabetes/treatment.html
The mainstays of Diabetes Treatment are:
1. Working towards obtaining ideal body weight
2. Following a diabetic diet
3. Regular exercise
4. Diabetic medication if needed
Note: Type 1 Diabetes must be treated with insulin. This involves injecting insulin under the skin for it to work. Insulin cannot be taken as a pill because the digestive juices in the stomach would destroy the insulin before it could work. Scientists are looking for new ways to give insulin. But today, shots are the only method. There are, however, new methods to give the shots...Insulin Pumps are now being widely used and many people are having great results. A new page on insulin pumps will be on line soon.
Working towards obtaining ideal body weight.
An estimate of ideal body weight can be calculated using this formula:
For women: Start with 100 pounds for 5 feet tall. Add 5 pounds for every inch over 5 feet. (If you are under 5 feet, subtract 5 pounds for each inch under 5 feet). This will give you your ideal weight. If you have a large frame, add 10 percent. If you have a small frame, subtract ten percent. ( A good way to decide your frame size is to look at your wrist size compared to other women's)
Example: a woman who is 5' 4" tall and has a large frame.
100 pounds + 20 pounds (4 inches times 5 pounds per inch) =120 pounds.
Add 10% for large frame (in this case 10% of 120 pounds is 12 pounds).
120 pounds + 12 pounds = 142 pounds ideal body weight.
For men: Start with 106 pounds for a height of 5 foot. Add 6 pounds for
every inch above 5 foot. For a large frame, add 10%. For a
small frame, subtract 10 percent. (See above for further details).
The Diabetic Diet
Diet is very important in diabetes. There are differing philosophies on what is the BEST diet but below is a guideline with some general principles.
Patients with Type 1 diabetes should have a diet that has approximately 35 calories per kg of body weight per day (or 16 calories per pound of body weight per day). Patients with Type 2 diabetes generally are put on a 1500-1800 calorie diet per day to promote weight loss and then the maintenance of ideal body weight.. However, this may vary depending on the person's age, sex, activity level, current weight and body style. More obese individuals may need more calories initially until their weight is less. This is because it takes more calories to maintain a larger body and a 1600 calorie diet for them may promote weight loss that is too fast to be healthy. Men have more muscle mass in general and therefore may require more calories. Muscle burns more calories per hour than fat. (Thus also one reason to regularly exercise and build up muscle!) Also, people whose activity level is low will have less daily caloric needs.
Generally, carbohydrates should make up about 50 percent of the daily calories ( with the accepted range 40-60 percent). In general, lower carbohydrate intake is associated with lower sugar levels in the blood. However the benefits of this can be cancelled out by the problems associated with a higher fat diet taken in to compensate for the lower amount of carbohydrates.. This problem can be improved by substituting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats.
Most people with diabetes find that it is quite helpful to sit down with a dietician or nutritionist for a consult about what is the best diet for them and how many daily calories they need. It is quite important for diabetics to understand the principles of carbohydrate counting and how to help control blood sugar levels through proper diet. Below are some general principles about the diabetic diet.
Understanding Food Groups
There are three basic food groups: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are the foods that can be broken down into sugar. It is essential to have all three food groups in your diet to have good nutrition.
1. Why count carbohydrates?
Carbohydrate makes your blood glucose level go up. If you know how much carbohydrate you've eaten, you have a good idea what your blood glucose level is going to do. The more carbohydrates you eat, the higher your blood sugar will go up.
2. Which foods contain carbohydrate?
Most of the carbohydrate we eat comes from three food groups: starch, fruit and milk. Vegetables also contain some carbohydrates, but foods in the meat and fat groups contain very little carbohydrate. Sugars may be added or may be naturally present (such as in fruits). The nutrient term for sugars can also be identified by looking for -ose at the end of a word ( i.e. glucose, fructose, sucrose, etc. are all sugars). Look for these on food labels to help identify foods that contain sugar.
| Amount | Carb grams | Food | Amount | Carb grams |
1 % fat milk | 1 cup | 12 | yogurt fruited | 1 cup | 40 |
Bran Chex | 2/3 cup | 23 | yogurt fruit | 1 cup | 19 |
Frosted Flakes | 3/4 cup | 26 | Raisin Bran | 3/4 cup | 28 |
fruit juice | 1/2 cup | 15 | bread/toast | 1 slice | 15 |
banana | 1/2 | 15 | sugar | 1 tsp. | 4 |
pancake syrup | 2 Tbsp. | 30 | pancakes - 4 | 2 | 15 |
low-fat granola | 1/2 cup | 30 | sugar-free syrup | 2 Tbsp. | 4 |
To make things easy, many people begin carbohydrate counting by rounding the carbohydrate value of milk up to 15. In other words, one serving of starch, fruit or milk all contain 15 grams carbohydrate or one carbohydrate serving. Three servings of vegetable also contain 15 grams. Each meal and snack will contain a specific total number of grams of carbohydrate.
For example: Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories. A diabetic on a 1600 calorie diet should get 50% of these calories from carbohydrate. This would be a total of 800 calories or 200 gms of carbohydrate (at 4 calories per gram) spread out over the day. At 15 grams per exchange, this would be about 13 exchanges of carbohydrate per day.
The amount of food you eat is closely related to blood sugar control. If you eat more food than is recommended on your meal plan, your blood sugar goes up. Although foods containing carbohydrate (carb) have the most impact on blood sugars, the calories from all foods will affect blood sugar. The only way you can tell if you are eating the right amount is to measure your foods carefully. Also, it is important to space your carbohydrates out throughout the day to avoid sugar "loading." Measuring your blood sugar regularly also provides important feedback on how high your sugar went based on what you ate and your level of activity.
Where do you get carbohydrate information?
The "Nutrition Facts" label on most foods is the best way to get carbohydrate information, but not all foods have labels. Your local bookstore and library have books that list the carbohydrate in restaurant foods, fast foods, convenience foods and fresh foods. You will still need to weigh or measure the foods to know the amount of grams of carbohydrates present.
How do you count carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates can be counted in number of grams or can be counted as exchanges. One carbohydrate exchange equals 15 grams of carbohydrate. A good reference for learning how to count calories in this manner will be on line here
soon including a calorie computer.
Free Foods:
These are foods that you can eat without counting. A free food or drink is one that contains less than 20 calories and 5 grams or less of carbohydrate per serving. If your serving or a food contains more than 5 grams of carbohydrate, you should count it in your meal plan.
Examples of free foods:
Bouillon or broth
Carbonated or mineral water
Club soda
Coffee or tea
Diet soft drinks
Drink mixes, sugar-free
Tonic water, sugar free
Sugar-free hard candy
Sugar-free Jell-O
Sugar-free gum
Jam or jelly, light or low-sugar, 2 tsp.
Sugar free syrup, 2 tsp.
You should spread out free foods throughout the day and not eat them in one sitting.
Fitting Sugar in Your Meal Plan
It is commonly thought that people with diabetes should avoid all forms of sugar. Most people with diabetes can eat foods containing sugar as long as the total amount of carbohydrate (carb) for that meal or snack is consistent. Many research studies have shown that meals which contain sugar do not make the blood sugar rise higher than meals of equal carbohydrate levels which do not contain sugar. However, if the sugar-containing meal contains more carb, the blood sugar levels will go up.
Does this mean I can eat cake and not worry about it?
No! A slice of white cake with chocolate icing ( 1/12 of a cake or 80 gram weight) will give you about 300 calories, 45 grams of carb and 12 grams of fat. That is three starch servings and over 2 fat servings. Before you have a slice of cake, ask yourself the following questions: Will that small piece of cake be satisfying or will I still be hungry? How it will fit into my meal plan? Do I have 300 calories to "spend" on this? Are there other choices I could make which would contribute less fat? A 1/12 slice of angel food cake has less than 1 gram of fat and only 30 carb. This may be a better choice.
Controlling all carbohydrates
It is important to realize that sugar is not the only carbohydrate that you have to "control". The body will convert all carbohydrates to glucose - so eating extra servings of rice, pasta, bread, fruit or other carbohydrate foods will make the blood sugar rise. Just because something doesn't have sugar in it doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want. Your meal plan is designed so that the carbohydrate content of your meals remains as consistent as possible from day to day.
A word of caution:
Although sugar does not cause the blood sugar to rise any higher than other carbohydrates, it should be eaten along with other healthy foods. If you choose to drink a 12 ounce can of a sugar-sweetened soft drink, that would use up about 45 grams carb - and you wouldn't have gotten any nutrition (protein, vitamins or minerals). What a waste of calories! High sugar foods are more concentrated in carb. Therefore the volume would be smaller than a low sugar food. High sugar foods might not be a good choice if they will just tempt you to eat more. If you would rather eat larger portions, select low sugar choices. Look at the differences in portion size you get for equal amounts of carbohydrate in these cereals!
Granola | Frosted Flakes | Corn Flakes | Cheerios | Puffed Wheat |
1/4 cup | 1/3 cup | 3/4 cup | 1 cup | 1 1/4 cup |
In addition, many sugar-containing foods also contain a lot of fat. Foods such as cookies, pastries, ice cream and cakes should be avoided largely because of the fat content and because they don't contribute much nutritional value. If you do want a "sweet" - make a low-fat choice, such as low-fat frozen yogurt, gingersnaps, fig bars or graham crackers and substitute it for another carbohydrates on your meal plan.
source : http://www.endocrineweb.com/diabetes/treatment.html
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