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High blood pressure: Best diet to lower your reading – what foods to eat – Express
Posted: October 11, 2019 at 10:49 am
High blood pressure affects one in four adults in the UK. The condition is often branded the silent killer because it usually goes undetected until it is serious. Having a high blood pressure reading can raise a persons risk of developing serious complications such as heart disease. Recognising the warning signs is crucial along with eating the correct foods. This diet has been highly recommended for those with high blood pressure.
The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and is a lifelong approach to healthy eating thats designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure.
The DASH diet plan was developed to lower blood pressure without having to take medication.
The DASH diet encourages a person to reduce sodium in their diet and eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure, such a potassium, calcium and magnesium. If a person eats too much salt, or sodium, in their diet, extra water will be stored in the body and this raises blood pressure.
So, the more salt a person eats, the higher the blood pressure will be. This is why the DASH diet is highly recommended for those suffering with high blood pressure.
The DASH diet emphasises vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods with moderate amounts of whole grains, fish, poultry and nuts.
There are two variations to the diet, the standard DASH diet where a person can consume up to 2,300 mg of sodium a day and the lower sodium DASH diet, where a person can consume 1,500 mg of sodium a day.
The American Heart Association recommends 1,500 mg a day of sodium a day for all adults.
The diet recommends whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.
The DASH diet also includes some fish, poultry and legumes, and encourages a small amount of nuts and seeds a few times a week.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation said on their website: The DASH diet has the greatest effect on blood pressure, lowering levels within two weeks of starting the plan.
"Not only was blood pressure reduced, but total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol: were lower too.
Foods recommended on the DASH diet include vegetables, fruit, grains, lower fat foods, lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, dry beans and fats and oils.
Following the DASH diet and ensuring at least 150 minutes of exercise a week will ensure blood pressure remains healthy.
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Carb controversy: Why low-carb diets have got it all wrong …
Posted: October 5, 2019 at 2:41 am
Ask almost anyone what they need to do to lose a few pounds, and theyll probably say:Cut back on the carbs.As a nutrition coach, Ive heard it hundreds of times.
While the low carb movement has waxed and waned in popularity since theAtkinsrevival of the late 90s and early 2000s, most folks now assume that carbohydrates are inherently fattening.
Health-conscious diners order bunless hamburgers, skip the baked potato side dish, and send the bread basket back to the kitchen. (Or dont, and feel guilty about it.)
In the past few years, Ill bet youve heard (or thought) at least one of the following:
Seems simple and logical. Which is the problem.
These simplistic statements about good foods and bad foods ignore biological complexity and the bigger picture.
Lets look closer.
Yes, they do.
No.
(Insulins actually a satiety hormone in other words, it makes you feel full so the idea that on its own it leads to fat gain doesnt make sense.)
That depends. Are we talking about processed corn syrup? Probably.
But if were talking about whole grains, not really.
Well, if youre talking about processed carbs, the answer is a resounding yes.
But if youre talking about whole, minimally processed carbs, thats a different story.
Of course it can.
Is it because it is low in carbs?
Maybe. Maybe not.
You bet it can.
As a weight loss strategy, cutting carbs (while reducing the total number of calories) clearly works pretty well for some people.If it didnt, then Atkins would have never been popular in the first place.
Heres the thing, though: Carb reduction costs us.
You see, most of us require some level of carbohydrates to function at our best over the long term.
Sure, we can cut carbs temporarily if we need to lose weight quickly. But for most of us, keeping carbs too low for too long can have disastrous consequences.
This is especially true for those of us who work out.
If youre sedentary, your carb needs are lower. So you might be able to get away with more restriction.
But if you like to exercise regularly and enthusiastically, restricting your carb intake too drastically can lead to:
In other words: Your metabolism might slow, your stress hormones go up and your muscle-building hormones go down.
You feel lousy, spaced-out, sluggish, cranky and maybe even sick.
Most vexing of all: You probably dont even lose that much weight in the long term.
If youre interested in the details and some research, read on. If you just want to know what to do, skip to the end.
In order to function properly and to maintain an appropriate metabolism, our body produces an important hormone called T3.T3 is the most active thyroid hormone and is incredibly important for blood glucose management and proper metabolic function.
Low T3 levels can lead to a condition called euthyroid sick syndrome, in which people are constantly cold and sluggish. (Imagine your metabolic body motor idling at a slower speed.)
A landmark study, known as the Vermont Study, found that T3 is very sensitive to calorie and carbohydrate intake. When calories and carbs are too low, your T3 levels drop.
In addition, the Vermont Study found that another hormone,reverse T3 (rT3), is also sensitive to calorie and carbohydrate intake. Reverse T3, as the name implies, inhibits T3.
Getting enough carbs can lower reverse T3. Not eating enough carbs will increase it, thus blocking the important work of T3.
The Vermont Study is far from alone. Other research confirms that ketogenic (ultra-low carb) diets reduce T3 levels as rapidly as starvation.
Additional studies show that when calories are held constant (in this case at 2100 calories), reducing carbohydrates from 409 g to 202 g and then to 104 g significantly reduced serum T3 levels (from 91 to 86 to 69 ng/dL respectively).
Finally, French researchers examined four calorically equal diets (2800 calories in this case), lasting 1 week each. Two of these diets contained 250 grams of carbs, which is a fairly typical proportion. The low-carb diet included 71 grams of carbs, and the high-carb diet included 533 grams of carbs.
T3 levels were equal on the normal and high carb diets (ranging from 163.3 to 169.5 ng/100 mL). However, on the low carb diet they fell to 148.6 ng/100 mL on average. And of course, rT3 correspondingly rose on the low carb diet, but not on the standard or high carb diets.
Thyroid hormones are important for more than just weight loss; they also have profound effects on our overall health and energy levels.
Thus, when you dont eat enough, and/or eat enough carbs while training:
If youre active, youneed adequate energy and carb intakes for a healthy thyroid.
Research consistently shows that people who exercise regularly need to eat enough carbs or their testosterone will fall while their cortisol levels rise. This is a sure-fire recipe for losing muscle and gaining fat.
Incidentally, its also a marker for excessive training stress.
In a study in Life Sciences, men who ate a high carbohydrate versus a low carbohydrate diet for 10 days had higher levels of testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin, and lower levels of cortisol.
A few years later, another study took this research a step further. This time the subjects included men and women who exercised regularly. And in addition to considering the effect of their diet on hormones, researchers put them through some performance tests.
Once again, when the subjects ate a low carb diet, their testosterone (and other anabolic hormones) went down, while their cortisol went up.
And, after following a low carb diet for just three days, only two of the six participants were able to complete the cycling test! Meanwhile, when following the higher carb diet for three days, all six participants were able to complete the test.
In 2010, researchers reconsidered the same question this time in relation to intense exercise. In this particular study, subjects eating the low carb diet (where 30% of their calories came from carbs) saw a drop of 43% in their testosterone to cortisol ratio. Not good. Meanwhile, the control group (who got 60% of their calories from carbs) saw no change in their testosterone/ cortisol ratios.
Thus:
We now know that eating too low-carb for too long can cause significant disruptions to many hormones.
This seems especially true for women, whose bodies may be more sensitive than mens to low energy or carbohydrate availability (perhaps because of the evolutionary importance of having enough body fat and nutrients to sustain a pregnancy).
While organs like our gonads or thyroid make hormones, Mission Control of our hormone production system is the central nervous system (CNS), i.e. the brain.
Our hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which sit in the brain, are exquisitely sensitive to things like energy availability and stress (which can include life stress and exercise stress).
The hypothalamus and pituitary work together with other glands such as the adrenal glands. This partnership is often known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, orHPA, axis.
Thus, when women dont eat enough calories or carbohydrate or even when women eat enough calories but not enough carbohydrate they face hypothalamic amenorrhea.
This means disrupted hormones and stopped or irregular periods because of the HPAs response to perceived starvation and stress.
In hypothalamic amenorrhea, hormone levels plummet, and the cascade is felt throughout the system. You end up with low levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
In addition, weve already seen that not eating enough carbohydrate tends to increase cortisol levels. When cortisol rises, it signals your HPA axis to further decrease pituitary activity. Not good.
Your HPA axis regulates functions such as stress response, mood, digestion, immune system, libido, metabolism and energy levels.
And your pituitary in particular is responsible for synthesizing and secreting growth hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin, LH, FSH and other incredibly important hormones.
With all this said, heres the takeaway message: Many women try to eat low-carb, wanting to be healthier.
Yet because low-carb diets can significantly disrupt hormone production, women with too-low carb intakes especially active women can face:
ironically, this is the exact opposite of what they wanted in the first place.
When we think about building muscle, we usually think of protein. But research shows that lowering carb intake can affect your muscle mass even if protein remained constant.
In other words, even if youre guzzling protein shakes or eating steak 5 times a day, you could be losing muscle if you arent getting enough carbs.
A recent study from the Netherlands compared three diets:
All diets had the same total calories and the same amount of protein 15%. (Yes, a little low, but more or less adequate.)
The result? For starters, pretty consistent with other research.
But heres the interesting wrinkle. In this study, the researchers also measured urinary nitrogen excretion to see how the diets affected protein breakdown.
In this case,the low carb dietincreasedmuscle breakdown, because severely low carbs lowered insulin levels.
Again, youd assume that protein intake would determine muscle breakdown. And you might assume based on what youve heard that having higher insulin is always bad.
In fact, insulin is crucial for building muscle.
When you get enough carbs to meet your needs, you replenish muscle glycogen and create an anabolic (building-up) hormonal environment. You get strong and buff. Thats good.
Conversely, when you dont eat enough carbohydrate, muscle glycogen is depleted and a catabolic (breaking-down) hormonal environment is created, whichmeansmore protein breakdown and less protein synthesis. This means slower muscle growth or even muscle loss.
The bottom line? Not eating enough carbohydrates can lower T3 levels, disrupt cortisol to testosterone ratios, interfere with a womans delicate hormone balance, contribute to muscle loss, and prevent muscle gains.
Definitely not what most of us want!
But wait a minute.
Even if all of this is true, arent low carb diets better for fat loss?
And arent fat-adapted athletes performing just as well as athletes who eat a lot of carbs?
The logic seems so clear and appealing: High carbs lead to insulin which leads to fat storage. Low carbs keep insulin low, which should get you effortlessly lean while you enjoy chicken wings, salmon, eggs, and butter.
Indeed, many people who try low-carb dieting are initially pleased by an immediate weight loss which is mostly water and glycogen. So, in the short term, itseems like low-carb diets are superior.
But does long-term evidence support low-carb dieting?
Research says no. Over the long haul, any differences between low-carb and other diets even out.
Most studies that suggest low-carb diets are superior suffer from a common methodological flaw: They usually dont match protein intake between groups. This means that the low carb group often ends up consuming significantly more protein.
We know that getting plenty of protein has many advantages:
In other words, the big secret might be a high protein diet rather than a low carb diet.
So lets play fair and look ata study where protein was matched. In this study,subjects who ate a moderate carb diet (40% calories from carbs) reported significantly better mood, and lost about the same amount of weight as those on a ketogenic low-carb diet (5% calories from carbs).
Actually, the group who ate a moderate amount of carbs showed a small (though not statistically significant) tendency to lose more body fat as compared to those on a low carb diet (5.5 kg vs 3.4 kg in 6 weeks).
Both diets improved insulin sensitivity. However, the ketogenic diet also increased LDL cholesterol and inflammatory markers and subjects who were on it felt less energetic.
Thus, in this study:
Makes you wonder why low carb gets so much hype, doesnt it?
Especially considering that a recent review of long-term low carb versus low fat diets the largest of its kind so far found that both low carb and low fat diets reduced peoples weight and improved their metabolic risk factors.
In this review, both diets had about the same weight loss, changes in waist circumference, and measurements of several metabolic risk factors (blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin).
Still, it would be great to understand more about what makes low carb diets work at all. One recent study asked:Do low carb diets work because they restrict carbs or because they tend to increase protein?
Over the course of one year, the researchers compared four different conditions:
Interestingly, the two groups eating the high protein lost the most weight.
And the real kicker? Varying the levels of fats and carbs seemed to make no difference to body composition.
As our name implies, at Precision Nutrition we dont believe in one-size-fits-all dietary recommendations.
Like most things, carbohydrate requirements fall on a bell curve.
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How To Eat A Low Oxalate Diet | Kidney Stone Evaluation …
Posted: October 5, 2019 at 2:41 am
I know you are all looking forTHElist. Here is one from a reliable source.We have downloaded one version on their siteto a separate document so it opens with one clicka useful table of oxalate foods. Get yourself acquainted with it. It will tell you much of whatyou need to know. A lot of it will even surprise you. You are not as restricted as you think you are or as you have been told.
A more dramatic list is the 180 high oxalate foods distilled out of the big list. Here are culprits! Not on this list? Probably not very high in oxalate so far as we know with perhaps a few exceptions. Note that quantity is critical. For example black pepper is high in oxalate but the amounts used aresmall enough that total oxalate intake from it is negligible.
The reliable source, as it turns out, needed some updating. Dr Ross Holmes, professor, School of Medicine, University of Alabama,was kind enough to review the work of Dr. Michael Liebmanwho is a professor of Human Nutrition and Food Option at University of Wyoming and determine which food entries on the Harvard list needed changing. We cannot change the original but we have updated our lists accordingly and annotated updates with *** marks. So the lists here are the most recently edited available at present.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life. I just released a course called The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physicians prescribed treatment plans.
I have a safe list on my site. Those are foods from 40 mg of oxalate/serving on down. The list shows you the many foods you can eat and remain well within your budget.
We have created two graphs for this article. Of the 177 foods on our master list, many are of concern but can be used in your diet if you control the portion size and how often you use them.
Here they are.
These foods that can add up. The graph shows mg of oxalate in a common portion. The details of the portions are in the list.
These foods, shown in the figure to the left, are high in oxalate, at least 40 mg/serving.
Your budget is about 100 mg/day.
The serving sizes are on the list.
What does this graph mean? Does it mean you can never have chocolate, or a baked potato?
No.
It means if you want to use your whole budget on a treat, do it, but keep track and make sure you do not over spend in any meal or in any one day. Have your baked potato, but maybe share half with your partner. Or, have some hot chocolate but make it with milk because calcium helps reduce oxalate absorption. Eat your cashew nuts, but pay attention to how many. If one handful leads to ten, you cannot have them.
The graph to the left is of the very few dangerously high oxalate foods. It begins where the other graph ended.
There are only six foods, but spinach, being worst of all, has two entries. Be careful of this plot because of its range. It begins at 100 mg/portion and rises to 755 mg/portion in only 7 steps, so the distance from miso soup to spinach is about a 7 fold increase.
Rhubarb and spinach are so high you just cannot eat them. Rice bran is something nobody will miss, but in order to sleep tonight I have to warn you. The same for buckwheat groats.
People like almonds but have a hard time controlling portion size. If you can keep it to 11 almonds a day, alright. Otherwise stay.
If you have to eat any of these foods, caution is hardly a strong enough word.
Are you sure you need to eat them?
Why?
We are saying that oxalate is common in foods, and that you have to be careful, but care is a scarce resource. How much care can you give every bite? The graphs say if you eating moderately high oxalate foods, be careful.
Watch portions.
If you are eating one of the six dangerously high oxalate foods, stop eating it. Just leave.
It is too hard to be careful with those six foods. They have too much oxalate for most of you to handle. So, just say no.
These data arose from a major effort at the Harvard School of Public Health. A world class expert has curated it twice. Harvard can be wrong and so can Ross Holmes, but both will tend to be wrong less often than the average persons who attempt to put complex data into the public domain. We have always appreciated comments, and if anyone has a peer reviewed publication with different food oxalate levels than ours, we will read the paper and see if it warrants our making a change.
Medical research is endlessly argumentative, and food oxalate is no exception. A recent paper contrasts findings from 6 websites and 2 applications and finds some wide variations. Because the results are hard to get from PubMed I have uploaded a PDF for you. It will open as a Google Document. Of the sites, the Harvard site used here as our reference, and the Wake Forest site which is a legacy of an outstanding investigative group have most standing with me. Leaf through the comparisons between them in the 4 charts and in the large table at the very end. On the whole differences are modest. The hyperoxaluria and oxalosis list from the paper has been withdrawn from their site.
Sure, a list is nice. But we helping you here. Lists can run on to hundreds of foods. The picture is meant for focus. Here are the ones to focus on.
Many of you leave the doctors office thinking you will never be able to eat a fruit or vegetable again. If that wasnt bad enough chocolate and nuts are gone, too. Some of this sadly is true, most of it is not. I am here to bring you good news: Almost everything, high oxalate or not, can be incorporated into your diet safely.
Do you need a lowoxalate diet? You mayif your stones contain calcium oxalate crystals and your urine oxalate is high enough to pose risk.
If you do need a low oxalate diet, what is your goal? Less than 100 mg of diet oxalate is good; less than 50 mg is ideal.
If you want to read some of the science about urine oxalate and risk of stones and about how we get to the diet oxalate goals, it is summarized at the end of this article.
Here we assume you do need to lower the oxalate in yourdiet.
Low calcium diets can raise urine oxalate, and the solution may be as simple as a proper calcium intake. There is every reason for stone formers to eat 1000 mg of calcium daily to protect their bones. The common hypercalciuria of calcium stone formers puts bones at special risk when diet calcium is low.
Before changing your whole life around, ask yourself if you are avoiding calcium foods. If so, add them back and ask your doctor to check your urine oxalate again. It may fall enough that a low oxalate diet is not necessary.
If low calcium intake is not your problem, and you need a low oxalate diet, here is my take on how to do it.
Typical diets contain upward of 200 300 mg of oxalate. For stone prevention, a reasonable goal is below 100 mg of oxalate daily. An ideal would be about 50 mg daily if that can be accomplished.
To get there, consider the oxalate contents in common serving portions of all of the foods, and make up a plan for yourself.
Everyone who comes to me is very unhappy thinking they can never have a berry again. This is Baloney. The only berry that is very high in oxalate is raspberries (look at the list). On the other hand, people do not realize avocado, oranges, dates, and even grapefruit and kiwi are very high and need caution.
This doesnt mean you can never have these healthy treats. If you incorporate any of these high oxalate fruits into your morning yogurt you can reduce some of the effects of the oxalate content.
Also look at your portion sizes. You really cannot eat a lot at any one time. Dates are not a good bargain: One date is 24 mg!
Canned pineapple is a problem.
Dried fruits have to be a worry because the water is taken out, soa portion of dried fruit can be gigantic in oxalatecontent. Figs, pineapple and prunes are standouts. Just think: 1/2 cup of dried pineapple is 30 mg not a lot of fruit for a lot of oxalate. If you want dried fruit, think about apples, apricots, and cranberry as lower oxalate options.
Spinach and rhubarb are standouts; stay away.
Other vegetables you need to be aware of are tomato sauce, turnips, okra, and yams (sweet potatoes) along with beans of different sorts.
I am not in the business of taking healthy foods away from people. But in the cases above you really must limit; there is just too much oxalate and these foods do not pair well with high calcium foods the way fruits can be mixed right into your yogurt or cereal and milk.
Many of you have been told to stay away from all green leafy vegetables. This is not true. Look at the list. There are plenty of salad options still available for you including kale. Even though tomato sauce is high in oxalate (see below) that is because of concentration. A whole medium tomato is only 7 mg and who eats more than one at a time?
Many of the salad vegetables are so low in oxalate they are freebies. Eat what you want.
These are Trouble! I put them into their own separate group even though they are vegetables.
From french fries to baked potatoes they are very high oxalate items. One ounce of potato chips has 21 mg of oxalate and who eats one ounce? Not I. Baked potatoes are terrible. One comes in at just under 100 mg of oxalate. Mixing sour cream into the potato will not help much; one tablespoon of sour cream contains only 14 mg of calcium. One ounce of cheddar cheese contains 200 mg of calcium, which could help, but it increases calories, salt and fat. But all in all, why struggle so hard? Potatoes are not ideal for stone formers.
They have no oxalate. They are your main source of calcium. Use them. They can add a lot of salt cheeses and can be caloric. But they reduce oxalate absorption and preserve your bones.
For a stone former who has to watch salt intake, increase calcium intake, and lower oxalate intake, here is how to do that. You cannot have as much cheese as you want because of the salt. So portion sizes are very important. Yogurt, milk, even ice cream are good bargains modest sodium and high calcium. These are a great place to add in a wee bit of chocolate high oxalate foods for those of you who cannot live without these high oxalate treats.
Some of the basic ingredients to make these foods are very high. White flour and brown rice flour are high in oxalate so everything you make from themwill be high.
Even so, as far as kidney stones go, breads are mainly alright because of portion size: not that much flour soone slice is 5-8 mg. French toast andNew York style bagels top the list at 13 mg for two slicesand 40 mg for one bagel as much as anyone will eat of either food.
Spaghetti, one cup cooked is 11 mg and most of us eat more than one cup.
Buckwheat groats, one cup cooked is 133 mg I dont see many of you saying darn it or taking to your bed, but beware. Millet and bulger, wheat berries, rice bran, corn grits, and corn meal, these are widely used and are high. If you are using these, be thoughtful.
Here are some low oxalate options in this category: White rice, hummus, corn flour, corn bran, flax seed, and oat bran are popular and safe.
Since oxalate is only found in plant foods, all the meats are safe. Fish, too.
For our vegetarian friends, tofu and veggieburgers are very high.
These are just dangerous for two reasons.
Obviously they are very high in oxalate.
Secondly, I dont know anybody who just has a few nuts at a time.
Just like chips no one eats one the whole jar is more like it.
But, for one cup of pumpkin sunflower or flax seeds the highest is only 17 mg of oxalate and none for flax. For those of you who love foods in this category seeds are thebetter choice and they can be sprinkled on yogurt and ice cream.
I have good news for my chocolate lovers. I know most of you have been sent home with a list and chocolate is high on it. But if you look at the numbers nuts are a lot worse than chocolate. Chocolate can be mixed in with dairy products, too, so as to reduce oxalate absorption.
Even so I do want to point out that half a brownie is on the high side, and who eats one half?
You can still satisfy your sugar craving but pay attention to your portion size.
Keep in mind, however, that sugar loads increase urine calcium loss which increases stone risk, so there are two reasons why this food group can be a problem.
But even without chocolate,you eat a lot of flour when you eat a piece of cake, so cake can be a problem about 15 mg per piece, like french toast. Pies are half the risk because of their fillings unless they are chocolate pies!
The big enemy here is potato chips. A one ounce serving contains a whopping 21 mg of oxalate. I repeat: A one ounce serving.
Your best bet in this category if youre looking for something crunchy is corn chips one ounce is 7 mg, popcorn one cup is 5 mg, and pretzels, one ounce is 5 mg.
Crackers are OK mainly because they are small and the amount of flour is not that much.
Hot chocolate is the clear loserat 65 mg per cup; carrot juice is the runner up at 27 mg per one cup. Lemonade, tea, tomato juices, rice dream and the like are better but still high. The are 15 18 mg per serving. Lemonade frozen concentrate is 16 mg per 8 ounces so be careful about this as a source of citrate.
Soy milk, for those of you who prefer it, is not a good option. It is very high at 20 mg per cup. We have no data from standard sources for rice milk,cashew milk, and coconut milk;almonds are high in oxalate so the almond milk product will certainly be high.
Tea is so commonly used, here are the details. If you brew your own tea it is high in oxalate. The longer you steep your tea, the more oxalate it will have in it. If you use a sweetened instant iced tea one cup has 0 mg of oxalate.
Here are some juices that are low in oxalate and better substitutes: Apple juice, apricot juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, grape juice. For all the lemonade drinkers, diet lemonade is low in oxalate.
Here is something very important: Coffee is oxalate free almost, 1mg for a cup (2 mg/cup for decaf). We already told you that coffee drinkers have a reduced stone risk, so lets debunk the coffee myth here: Drink it as you wish.
Everything is good except chocolate milk. Even that is only 7 mg a cup for a sweet treat here and there.
What tops the list in this category is a can of beer: 4 mg of oxalate. All the rest are low and, frankly, the oxalate in a can of beer comes with a lot of fluid. This is not the problem area for stone formers.
If I didnt say this to you I could not sleep well tonight. Water is the clear winner in this whole category. It is free of calories, sugar, and oxalate. Please use it as your main beverage and supplement with the items above.
Chocolate, miso, peanut butter, and tahini are all high.
Miso soups is extremely high 111 mg/cup. Lentil soup is high, and so is clam chowder the potatoes.
This is a dangerous meal if you are a cereal lover. Many cereals are high in oxalate. I am afraid you need to look them up in the list by brand. Unfortunately the healthier cereals are highest in oxalate because they contain more plant based ingredients. Probably having milk in your cereal is wise, but we have no data to show.
Eating a low oxalate diet can be overwhelming and difficult to incorporate into your daily life. I just released a course called The Kidney Stone Prevention Course to help you understand how to implement your physicians prescribed treatment plans.
The first thing you need to do is to learn and remember what are the highest oxalate foods and beverages. Without this in mind it is impossible to shop and cook intelligently. Here is a short list of the highest oxalate foods all in one place.
For those of you who love cereal because it is quick and easy check out the list and see if the one you love is high in oxalate. If it is, choose the next best one with lower oxalate. Put milk in the cereal.
Alternatives to cereal that are also quick and easy: Yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit. The only fruits to worry about are raspberries because no one puts oranges on their yogurt. Bananas, peaches, blueberries and strawberries are perfect toppings.
More trouble, but no oxalate, eggs any way at all. Boil a batch on Sunday and have them for the week for breakfast, and snacks, too.
Your breakfast coffee is free and so is your water. For juices use orange, apple, pineapple, grapefruit all great. If you want tea, dont steep more than a minute and consider adding milk to it. Green tea is better than black.
Typically you are grabbing a salad or a sandwich for lunch, so what now? Many clients tell me they no longer eat salads because their physicians told them to stop all green leafy vegetables.
Im bringing salads back to you.
Arugula, iceberg, romaine lettuces, and kale, are fine as your base. Stay away from spinach. Here are good toppings. Cauliflower, corn, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, peas, scallions, squash and zucchini are all fine. Tomatoes are fine, too; it is only the sauce that is high. Broccoli and green pepper are moderately high so watch the portion size.
Sandwiches will cost you between 12 and 16 mg of oxalate depending on the bread you are using 2 slices. This doesnt mean you can never have a sandwich, it just means you have to keep track of how much. You can have 50 to 100 mg daily. What goes inside between the two slices of bread is usually cheeses and meats which are oxalate free. So sandwiches are not something to be afraid of.
Beef, chicken and fish are all fine, and those the main courses for most of us. You will run into problems if you are a pasta or potato eater. If you are you need to limit the amount of times you have these foods each week and also the quantity each time you use them. Substitutes are a problem: White rice is a nice substitute for potatoes but there are few others. It is more veggies that have to fill in very healthy but not as much fun.
Here is a recipe for cauliflower mashed potatoes you will like and even think, sometimes, is the real thing. There are many versions on the web, choose the one that makes you happy but be careful about the ingredients.
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Instant Freeze Water – Sick Science! #226 – YouTube
Posted: October 2, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Check out cool science kits and toys: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com
See the full experiment here: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/l...
It might have happened to you... You put a bottle of soda in the freezer for a few minutes just to get it ice cold. When you take the soda out of the freezer, it's still a liquid (nothing unusual has happened just yet). However, the second you twist off the cap, the soda instantly freezes! The process is amazing to watch... but it's a real bummer if you were thirsty (because it's tough to suck ice out of the bottle). This is a great illustration of how carbon dioxide can lower the freezing point of water. Get some ice, some salt, and some plastic bottles of soda water and try this very cool science demo.
Want more experiments like this? Check out http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/p...
Sick Science is a trademark of Steve Spangler, inc.
2014 Steve Spangler Science all rights reserved
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The 3 day Military Diet Plan with pictures and information
Posted: September 29, 2019 at 6:43 am
The Military Diet, sometimes called the 3 Day Diet, is a fast way to lose up to 10 pounds a week. The Military Diet plan is detailed below.
We also have a vegetarian and vegan version of the Military Diet.
In case theres something below you just cant stomach, check out our Military Diet substitutions page.
Download a PDF of the Military Diet
1/2 Grapefruit1 Slice of Toast2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter1 cup Coffee or Tea (with caffeine)
1/2 Cup of Tuna1 Slice of Toast1 cup Coffee or Tea (with caffeine)
3 ounces of any type of meat1 cup of green beans1/2 banana1 small apple1 cup of vanilla ice cream
1 egg1 slice of toast1/2 banana
1 cup of cottage cheese1 hard boiled egg5 saltine crackers
2 hot dogs (without bun)1 cup of broccoli1/2 cup of carrots1/2 banana1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
5 saltine crackers1 slice of cheddar cheese1 small apple
1 hard boiled egg (or cooked however you like)1 slice of toast
1 cup of tuna1/2 banana1 cup of vanilla ice cream
If you want to keep losing weight on your days off too, heres a menu plan to help you plan your 4 days OFF the Military diet: 1500 calorie diet plan.
Water is the best thing you can drink on the Military Diet. So drink as much as you can! Artificial sweeteners arent good for you or your blood sugar, so try to avoid them. The only artificial sweetener we recommend on the Military Diet is Stevia (in your coffee). You can also drink as much caffeine free herbal tea as you want on the diet, but again, only use Stevia as a sweetener.
For coffee addicts: We really love (need) coffee too, so we understand why everyone has questions about coffee on the Military Diet! Caffeine withdrawal is no fun, especially when youre already on a low calorie diet. So heres some good news Black coffee has less than 5 calories per cup, so if you need to sneak in a cup here and there, just cut out the equivalent calories elsewhere. Do not add cream and sugar. You can add Stevia if you like. Youre welcome
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Diet | Definition of Diet by Lexico
Posted: September 29, 2019 at 6:43 am
noun
1The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
More example sentences
Synonyms
selection of food, food and drink, food, foodstuffs, provisions, edibles, fare
screen violence is becoming the staple diet of the video generation
More example sentences
2A special course of food to which a person restricts themselves, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.
I'm going on a diet
More example sentences
Synonyms
dietary regime, dietary regimen, dietary programme, restricted diet, crash diet
More example sentences
1Restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.
I began dieting again
More example sentences
Synonyms
follow a diet, be on a diet, eat sparingly, eat selectively, abstain, fast
He dieted me down to 185, to make sure I was as lean as possible.
Middle English from Old French diete (noun), dieter (verb), via Latin from Greek diaita a way of life.
1A legislative assembly in certain countries.
The term originated with the protest of the reforming minority at the diet of Spires in 1529 against the catholic majority.
Under the October Diploma of 1860, the government agreed to call the diets, which would then elect to the Reichsrat.
Synonyms
legislative assembly, legislature, parliament, congress, senate, synod, council
That judgment sympathetically, clearly and concisely deals with a case that must have been very far from the ordinary diet of a judge sitting in the crown court.
Late Middle English from medieval Latin dieta day's work, wages, etc., also meeting of councillors.
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Is Keto Safe? [7 Myths About Keto Being Dangerous That …
Posted: September 21, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Home Keto Diet Keto Diet 101 Is Keto Safe? [7 Myths About Keto Being Dangerous That Arent True]
The Keto diet (aka Ketogenic diet) has been getting a ton of press as an amazing weight-loss diet. But is Keto safe to do? Are there any dangers of Keto dieting?
Thats why weve written this post. To clear up all the myths surrounding the Keto diet
First, were going to discuss the most common myths around the dangers of Keto, plus explain why theyre not true. (Based on solid evidence, of course.)
Then well go over two important topics:
Bottom Line:
A ketogenic diet is safe, but there are healthy and unhealthy ways to do it.
Note: we are not doctors or nutritionists and the information provided in this article is based on our research and designed to help you educate yourself on the Keto diet. And now for our medical disclaimer:
Note that information contained in this article (and website) is not intended to and shall not convey or recommend any medical or nutritional advice or course of action. Any diet, health, or nutritional program you undertake should be discussed with your doctor or other licensed medical professionals. All opinions expressed in this article are based solely on personal experiences and research. We are NOT licensed doctors, dietitians, or nutritionists.
You might have seen these myths mentioned in articles online that doesnt mean theyre true, though.
TRUTH: If you eat a ketogenic diet in a healthy way, then it becomes a highly nutritious diet.
Technically, you could eat a variety of non-nutritious foods in order to reach nutritional ketosis. Just like you can eat pizza and be a vegetarian.
The main requirements for getting into ketosis are:
Eating this way causes your body to start burning fats for fuel instead of sugars.
And yes, you could do this by eating only mayo, beef patties, and margarine, which could definitely lead to severe nutritional deficiencies.
But this isnt the only way (or even a recommended way) of doing Keto.
Instead, you can eat on a healthy ketogenic diet plenty of:
Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, M.D. recommends a Keto diet that includes plenty of low-carb veggies. On a keto diet, vegetables with less than 5 net carbs may be eaten relatively freely have them with butter and other sauces! It is hard to over-eat spinach, zucchini, lettuce, asparagus and kale on a keto diet.
He adds, On a keto diet, vegetables with less than 5 net carbs may be eaten relatively freely have them with butter and other sauces! It is hard to over-eat spinach, zucchini, lettuce, asparagus and kale on a keto diet.
Bottom Line:
A ketogenic diet packed with low carb vegetables, grass-fed beef, pastured pork, fish, shellfish, organ meats, healthy fats, and berries can be highly nutritious and packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
TRUTH: If youre not a Type 1 diabetic (or late-stage Type 2), ketoacidosis is not something you should be worried about.
According to Registered Nurse, Tammy Shifflett, RN, For people with Type 1 Diabetes, you probably have heard of their diabetic emergency, diabetic ketoacidosis, also referred to as DKA. This can be life threatening condition for people with Type 1 diabetes and Certified Diabetes Educators spend many hours teaching preventive care for DKA. This condition should not be confused with nutritional ketosis, the fat burning state reached when following the Ketogenic diet. The two conditions are quite different.
In reality, you cant go into ketoacidosis if your body is producing insulin normally.
You have a hormonal feedback loop which prevents this happening.
Check out this video for the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis:
Now that youve had a short introduction, lets crunch some numbers
For Nutritional Ketosis: Your ketone levels are usually between 0.5 to 6 mmol/L.
Your Feedback Loop Is Triggered:If your blood ketone levels go above 6 mmol/L.
Ketoacidosis Occurs:If your blood ketone levels go above 20 mmol/L.
As you can see, theres a vast difference between mild ketosis (the level most folks aim for when using a Keto diet for weight loss and often you dont even need 0.5 mmol/L) and ketoacidosis.
And your body prevents you from ever reaching ketoacidosis, thanks to that feedback loop.
If your blood ketone levels go above 6 mmol/L, your body releases insulin.
And this has a few knock-on effects
Your fat cells stop releasing fatty acids, which are the thing your body uses to make ketones.
Your liver starts producing ketones much more slowly.
Your body moves ketones out of your bloodstream and theyre excreted in your urine.
All of this has one consequence to bring your ketone levels back to a healthy range.
So, as long as your body produces insulin normally, theres no need to be afraid youll get ketoacidosis! If you want to read more about this and what ketoacidosis is and whether you should be testing for it, then check out our detailed article here.
Bottom Line:
Nutritional ketosis and ketoacidosis are very different. And as long as your body produces insulin normally (i.e., youre not a type 1 diabetic or late stage type 2 diabetic), then your body has built into feedback loops to prevent ketoacidosis from occurring.
TRUTH: If you take care to drink enough water and get enough electrolytes, you wont be dehydrated.
Theres an easy way to avoid dehydration on the keto diet
Drink more water!
But theres more to it than that
Youll also need to replenish your electrolytes since youll flush a lot of them out along with water weight when you first go keto.
Pharmacist and Certified Health CoachDr. Christina Tarantola, PharmD, CHC, describes the effect this can have on someone new to Keto. As a person goes into ketosis, it is likely that he or she might experience the keto flu, because the body is not yet adapted to the lower amount of carbs present in the bloodstream. Electrolyte shifts may cause some of the symptoms associated with the keto flu, so, having a plan to supplement with magnesium, potassium, and plenty of water can ameliorate any unpleasant feelings.
So make sure you get plenty of sodium, potassium, and magnesium in your diet, whether thats through foods like leafy greens, broccoli, and salmon or by taking supplements.And drink plenty of teas, soups and broths, and water.
Bottom Line:
You will need to drink more water and ensure you replenish your electrolytes on Keto.
TRUTH: In fact, the Keto diet could reduce your risk of heart disease.
Although some folks think eating a high fat keto diet will increase your risk of heart disease
The opposite is often true!
Provided youre eating a healthy low carb diet which is full of good fats, of course.
A 2003 study conducted by Hussein M. Dashti, M.D., PhD, et al, concluded, The administration of a ketogenic diet for a relatively long period is safe and favorably modi?es the risk factors of heart disease in obese patients.
There are a few ways keto reduces your risk of heart disease
A study investigating the long-term effects of a Ketogenic diet followed 83 patients and found a significant decrease in the level of triglycerides (you can read more here).
That same study also found the participants levels of LDLs (aka bad cholesterol) decreased significantly.
Another study which followed 63 patients found that their levels of HDLs (aka good heart-healthy cholesterol) significantly increased, thanks to the healthy fats the diet provided (check it out here).
Bottom Line:
Despite conventional fears of high fat diets, theres significant research showing that a low carb and high fat diet can be beneficial to your health.
TRUTH: Going Keto doesnt mean you lose muscle mass there are bodybuilders who follow the keto diet.
Some people find they lose muscle while losing fat on the diet
But thats true for every weight loss diet!
And if you add some strength training to your exercise routine, you can combat this.
There are also suggestions that a strict keto diet can actually preserve muscle mass.
Bottom Line:
Keto, like other weight-loss regimes, can make it hard for you to retain your muscle mass while losing fat. So make sure to add a strength-training component to your diet. Learn how to customize your keto diet here.
TRUTH: Theres no scientific evidence for high-fat diets causing gallstones although low-fat diets have been linked to gallstone formation.
The conventional belief is that a high-fat diet causes gallstones. But science actually points the other direction suggesting that a low-fat diet is actually more likely to cause gallstones to form.
You see
If you eat a very low-fat diet, then all that bile that your body produces (in order to digest fats) sits unused in your gallbladder. And this could then lead to gallstones forming.
Several studies point to this hypothesis:
Bottom Line:
Eating a low fat diet has been linked to gallstone formation when using a low-calorie diet to lose weight. While theres no definitive answer to what causes gallstones, the suggestions that Keto could cause gallstones dont make scientific sense.
TRUTH: Following a ketogenic diet doesnt cause HPA Axis Dysfunction (which is still often called adrenal fatigue) but if you already have adrenal fatigue, you might struggle with the Keto diet.
HPA Axis Dysfunction is likely caused by being in a chronic state of stress.
Whether thats mental and emotional stress from work/relationships/life or physical stress from over-exercising or eating too few calories.Stress disturbs your bodys hormone balance which has a bunch of negative knock-on effects.
According to Dr. Tommy Wood, M.D., PhD., Much of the data used to support the idea that the ketogenic diet causes thyroid/adrenal issues come from studies where people are in a calorie deficit. If youre on a ketogenic diet and eating enough calories, then this problem often goes away.
So make sure to keep nourishing your body instead of using keto as a crash diet to lose weight.
Bottom Line:
While a low carb diet has been linked to HPA Axis Dysfunction (adrenal fatigue) in the past, its much more likely that prolonged calorie restriction and continuous stress are the main causes. However, if you already have HPA axis dysfunction, then a low carb diet could be an additional stress on your body that is best avoided. Heal first, and then give Keto a try to lose extra weight.
A lot of the potential negative side effects of Ketogenic diets are caused by three things
and these are mistakes you could make no matter which diet you choose to go on!
Thats why we suggest you follow the tips below and enjoy your Keto diet and lifestyle.
Supplement with a greens powder if necessary!
Eat fermented foods like kimchi and coconut yogurt and kefir. Take probiotics as well to boost your friendly gut bacteria.
But also remember to get enough prebiotic fiber (from vegetables) to ensure your friendly gut bacteria flourishes instead of dies off!
Most people on a ketogenic diet may need to supplement with additional prebiotic fiber to ensure they get enough fiber (since most Keto folks dont eat enough veggies for fear of getting too many carbs).
If its within your budget, then go for grass-fed beef, pastured pork, free-range chicken, and organic produce.
Food quality does make a difference to your health.
Hydrogenated cooking fats high in omega-3s like sunflower oil, soybean oil, and canola oil can cause long-term inflammation.
Thats why its better to stick with fats like coconut oil, olive oil, tallow, lard, and ghee.
While diet sodas and sugar-free chocolate bars fall within the ketogenic macros framework, they are still not healthy for you.
Make long-term health your goal and youll see not only short-term weight loss but also a decrease in health problems down the road.
Food isnt just macros (carbs, protein, and fat). Food is designed to provide you with calories for energy but also vitamins and minerals to ensure your entire body functions like a well-oiled machine.
So dont just eat chicken breast with butter! Add other nutrient-dense foods into your diet, like:
This will help you get over the keto flu as well as avoid feeling tired and getting dehydrated.
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A Low-Carb Diet for Beginners The Ultimate Guide Diet …
Posted: September 14, 2019 at 3:03 pm
To make a low-carb diet truly simple and enjoyable requires a few new skills. For example, how do you cook low-carb breakfasts that you love? How do you eat more healthy fats? And whats important to think about when dining out?
Here are all the guides you need.
Breakfast is a great time to eat low carb. Who doesnt love bacon and eggs? In the unlikely event that you answered I, there are even great options with no eggs at all.
Another strong option is to just have a cup of coffee, as many people get less hungry on a low-carb, high-fat diet and may not need breakfast at all. This can save you plenty of time.
There are many other options both delicious and fast
So, Whats for lunch and dinner on a low-carb diet? You could have mouth-watering, delicious dishes full of meat, fish, chicken, vegetables and full-fat sauces. The options are nearly limitless as you will see by our variety of recipes and meal plans.
Check out our recipes to learn to cook amazing low-carb meals
Who needs starchy sides when you can have cauliflower mash or cauliflower rice instead? Not to mention butter-fried green cabbage, yum!
In short, we can show you plenty of great low-carb alternatives that are both tasty and healthy. You may even end up liking them better than their carb-heavy predecessors.
Its very possible to eat low carb even when leaving your house, for example at restaurants. Just avoid starchy foods and ask for some extra natural fat (e.g. olive oil or butter).
This guide helps you with tips for fast food, other restaurants, buffets and for when you eat at a friends house
You probably dont need to snack as much on a low-carb diet, as youll likely feel satisfied longer.
However, if you want something right away you could have cheese, nuts, cold cuts or even an egg. There are lots of amazing options
Do you have a hard time living without bread?
You may not have to. Just be aware that there are good and bad low-carb bread options. Spoiler: youll probably want to stay away from low-carb bread from the grocery store! Heres why, and what to do instead
Fat can be both satiating and an amazing flavor enhancer. But how do you get enough of it in your diet? And how much fat should you really eat? Hint: enough to feel satisfied and not hungry.
Learn all about it in this guide
Many who are eating a low-carb diet can get seduced by creatively marketed low carb products cakes, cookies, candies, chocolate, pastas, breads, ice cream and other substitute foods.
Unfortunately this rarely ends well, especially not for weight loss. These products are usually lacking beneficial nutrients and are often higher in carbs than their labels imply. We recommend avoiding them entirely if possible. Learn more
A low-carb diet doesnt have to be expensive. In this guide, youll learn how to make it cheap.
With a little planning and preparation you could save a ton of money
Is it a good thing to occasionally stray from on a low-carb diet? That depends. And its worth thinking about whats right for you. Learn more
Do you want more low-carb guides? We have more low-carb guides!
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Top 10 Diets That Work – Freedieting
Posted: September 14, 2019 at 3:03 pm
Ever found yourself looking for a diet, but are unsure if any of them actually work?
There are some that are better than others. There are also diets that have reliable clinical research to back them up.
Packaged food programs (Jenny Craig and NutriSystem) are generally short-term solutions or fixes they are often used by people trying to get back on track. Convenience and time-management often dictate what we can eat. This is reality.
According to the Annals of Internal Medicine:
With the exception of Weight Watchers, the evidence to support the effectiveness of major commercial weight loss programs is limited. Patients considering the use of commercial weight loss programs should realize that these programs have not been carefully studied and that they vary greatly in cost.
So, without doubt Weight Watchers is the most studied diet, and with the most successful outcome.
"I just wanted to say how great this site is. The Macro-Nutrient and Daily Calorie Needs calculators I use all the time. Thank you!"
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Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan – Mayo Clinic
Posted: September 14, 2019 at 3:03 pm
Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
Your diabetes diet is simply a healthy-eating plan that will help you control your blood sugar. Here's help getting started, from meal planning to counting carbohydrates.
A diabetes diet simply means eating the healthiest foods in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes.
A diabetes diet is a healthy-eating plan that's naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories. Key elements are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In fact, a diabetes diet is the best eating plan for most everyone.
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your doctor will likely recommend that you see a dietitian to help you develop a healthy-eating plan. The plan helps you control your blood sugar (glucose), manage your weight and control heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high blood fats.
When you eat extra calories and fat, your body creates an undesirable rise in blood glucose. If blood glucose isn't kept in check, it can lead to serious problems, such as a high blood glucose level (hyperglycemia) that, if persistent, may lead to long-term complications, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage.
You can help keep your blood glucose level in a safe range by making healthy food choices and tracking your eating habits.
For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make it easier to control blood glucose and offers a host of other health benefits. If you need to lose weight, a diabetes diet provides a well-organized, nutritious way to reach your goal safely.
A diabetes diet is based on eating three meals a day at regular times. This helps you better use the insulin that your body produces or gets through a medication.
A registered dietitian can help you put together a diet based on your health goals, tastes and lifestyle. He or she can also talk with you about how to improve your eating habits, such as choosing portion sizes that suit the needs for your size and activity level.
Make your calories count with these nutritious foods. Choose healthy carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods, fish and "good" fats.
During digestion, sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates) break down into blood glucose. Focus on healthy carbohydrates, such as:
Avoid less healthy carbohydrates, such as foods or drinks with added fats, sugars and sodium.
Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Fiber moderates how your body digests and helps control blood sugar levels. Foods high in fiber include:
Eat heart-healthy fish at least twice a week. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may prevent heart disease.
Avoid fried fish and fish with high levels of mercury, such as king mackerel.
Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol levels. These include:
But don't overdo it, as all fats are high in calories.
Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by accelerating the development of clogged and hardened arteries. Foods containing the following can work against your goal of a heart-healthy diet.
You may use a few different approaches to create a diabetes diet to help you keep your blood glucose level within a normal range. With a dietitian's help, you may find that one or a combination of the following methods works for you:
The American Diabetes Association offers a simple method of meal planning. In essence, it focuses on eating more vegetables. Follow these steps when preparing your plate:
Because carbohydrates break down into glucose, they have the greatest impact on your blood glucose level. To help control your blood sugar, you may need to learn to calculate the amount of carbohydrates you are eating so that you can adjust the dose of insulin accordingly. It's important to keep track of the amount of carbohydrates in each meal or snack.
A dietitian can teach you how to measure food portions and become an educated reader of food labels. He or she can also teach you how to pay special attention to serving size and carbohydrate content.
If you're taking insulin, a dietitian can teach you how to count the amount of carbohydrates in each meal or snack and adjust your insulin dose accordingly.
A dietitian may recommend you choose specific foods to help you plan meals and snacks. You can choose a number of foods from lists including categories such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
One serving in a category is called a "choice." A food choice has about the same amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories and the same effect on your blood glucose as a serving of every other food in that same category. For example, the starch, fruits and milk list includes choices that are 12 to 15 grams of carbohydrates.
Some people who have diabetes use the glycemic index to select foods, especially carbohydrates. This method ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on their effect on blood glucose levels. Talk with your dietitian about whether this method might work for you.
When planning meals, take into account your size and activity level. The following menu is tailored for someone who needs 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day.
Embracing your healthy-eating plan is the best way to keep your blood glucose level under control and prevent diabetes complications. And if you need to lose weight, you can tailor it to your specific goals.
Aside from managing your diabetes, a diabetes diet offers other benefits, too. Because a diabetes diet recommends generous amounts of fruits, vegetables and fiber, following it is likely to reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer. And consuming low-fat dairy products can reduce your risk of low bone mass in the future.
If you have diabetes, it's important that you partner with your doctor and dietitian to create an eating plan that works for you. Use healthy foods, portion control and scheduling to manage your blood glucose level. If you stray from your prescribed diet, you run the risk of fluctuating blood sugar levels and more-serious complications.
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