New Delhi [India], May 26 : According to statistics, India has the third largest Muslim population in the world. The month of Ramadan is about to begin and a vast majority of this population will be fasting for a large number of days.

However, this number will also constitute those who are diabetic. While it is a personal choice for diabetics to fast during Ramadan, experts opine that there are ways in which diabetics can go about fasting by practicing caution.

Fasting can bring about metabolic changes and therefore, it is important to adjust the diet plan during the month of Ramadan, particularly for those with diabetes.

The gap between meals ranges from 12 to 15 hours during Ramadan. This can become a problem for diabetics as they are usually advised to have regular and timely meals.

Those with Type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk compared to those with type 2 diabetes when fasting during the holy month.

Speaking about this, Dr Sanjay Kalra, Consultant Endocrinologist, bharti Hospital Karnal& Vice President, South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies, said, "Ramadan, this year, starts in the month of May and goes on till June. The fasting period will also increase due to the daylight hours. Fasting for diabetics should entail consultation with the doctor and monitoring blood glucose levels regularly."

Adding, "The ability to fast safely is often influenced by the prescribed medication, and how controlled your diabetes is through the medications you take as also the food and activity. Those with Type 1 diabetes and a history of recurrent hypoglycemia are at a higher risk during fasting. Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia can also occur in patients with Type 2 diabetes but not as frequently and with less severe consequences when compared to those with Type 1 diabetes."

Some warning signs to watch out for during fasting include a sudden fall in blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia) causing seizures and unconsciousness; and an inordinate increase in blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia) causing blurry vision, headache, increased fatigue, and thirst. If any such conditions persist, your GP may advice you to do away with fasting completely.

Adding further, Dr Kalra, said, "People with diabetes must keep their body nourished during these months but with healthy food. It is a good idea to consume carbohydrates with a low GI such as brown rice and full grain bread and vegetables. For those who have a sweet tooth, it is a good idea to consume smaller portions of these. Other good sources of energy include nuts, oily fish, avocados, olives, and olive oil as they help in increasing the HDL (good cholesterol) levels. An added concern this year is the occurrence of Ramadan in summer. Those with diabetes must ensure that they consume a diet that is rich in water content (such as fruits) so as to avoid getting dehydrated."

There are many misconceptions regarding fasting among those with diabetes. An example is pricking the skin for blood glucose testing invalidates the Ramadan fast.

However, this is not the case. The need of the hour is awareness programmes that can provide individuals with the requisite knowledge and tools to effectively manage their condition during Ramadan by making key changes to their behaviour and lifestyle and thereby minimize risks.

Here are some tips to follow during Ramadan for those with diabetes.

Monitor blood sugar level frequently.

Do not overeat. Pay attention to body signals and understand hunger.

Make sure to break the fast with sugar-free and decaffeinated drinks to avoid dehydration

Consume sweets in a limited amount.

Make sure to include lot of fruits, vegetables, pulses, and curd in your diet

Allow a time interval of at least 2 hours between the meal and bed time. It is a good idea to avoid complex carbohydrates right before bedtime.

Avoid deep fried foods. Also, make sure to time the consumption of starch-containing foods such as rice and rotis.

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Monitoring blood glucose imperative for managing diabetes during Ramadan - Outlook India

May 26, 2017 by Thomas Mansell

The world population is projected to grow to 9 billion people by the middle of this century. We face a huge challenge in finding ways to adequately feed this rapidly growing population whilst also protecting the natural environment.

However it is not just the amount of food production and the balance of its distribution that are key concerns for sustainably feeding the planet. We also need to think about what we are eating.

Presently western diets are characterised by a high proportion of animal foodstuffs, and this is a problem not just for our health, but for the environment. The Hunger Project has cited climate change as one of the hidden sources of hunger. In doing so it highlights how food production and the environment are inextricably linked.

Meat and dairy production requires more land, more water and has higher greenhouse gas emissions than plant based alternatives. As the global population continues to grow, we will need to be ever more prudent with the resources that are required for food production. We must consider whether the proportion of resources currently devoted to meat and dairy production is optimal given the numbers needing to be fed and the environmental impacts such diets can cause.

Already China has pledged to reduce its meat consumption by 50% by 2050 through changing its government-issued dietary regulations. In many European countries, however, there is more resistance to regulation. The German Environment Ministry's plan to no longer serve meat at official functions was met with criticism earlier this year. In the UK, the government has a clear preference for encouraging individuals to make the right choices as opposed to regulating them.

So how can people be encouraged to switch to a more planet friendly diet? And how can social marketers and policy makers encourage a dietary transformation of the population when it seems so many people struggle with, or are resistant to change? Research in the field of environmental psychology suggests that individuals will switch to a meat-reduced diet, but this change needs to be self-regulated and go through a process of several stages before it sticks. At each of these four stages of change an individual needs to overcome different barriers to progress to the next stage.

At the first stage, individuals have a stable but unsustainable behaviour pattern and do not see any need to change. For those in this stage, the initial barrier is to understand why their current behaviour is harmful and to recognise that by changing it they could ameliorate this harm.

At the second stage, individuals are contemplating changing their behaviour but haven't yet changed what they are doing and may be unsure how to do so. They need to determine a specific course of action that facilitates their goals. In relation to meat reduction, this could involve reducing portion sizes, only eating meat at one meal or having meat free days.

At the third stage, individuals are trialling their new behaviour, but are still highly susceptible to relapses. To progress to the final stage, they must come up with effective implementation plans to ensure their new behaviours will be sustainable in different contexts.

Should individuals reach the fourth and final stage, their behaviour should have built up some resistance to relapses and is therefore more likely to have an impact.

The research tells us that targeted campaigns designed to reduce meat consumption which address the specific stage of change for an individual, are more effective than traditional informational campaigns. At the University of Bath, our research is looking at which social marketing techniques are most effective at each stage of change. In particular, we are looking at what social factors are significant in driving change through the different stages. This is particularly important given the social or collaborative aspects of dietary behaviours: we might eat breakfast with our family, lunch with our colleagues and have dinner at a restaurant with friends. Each of these situations brings different social rewards and pressures which are likely to impact on our choices.

Understanding these contexts is therefore of utmost importance when designing behaviour change campaigns. If we can better understand how individuals are likely to respond to different campaigns and policy measures to change their diets, then we can help social marketers and policymakers design measures that are least likely to encounter resistance and most likely to encourage the desired behaviour changes.

The food system is inherently complex and reducing meat consumption is just one example of how consumer habits will need to change if we are to alleviate world hunger and sustainably feed the planet. If we can arm policy makers and change agents with the right tools to encourage a shift to different behaviours, then hopefully we can enable a smoother transition to a sustainable food system.

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Eating insects instead of beef could help tackle climate change by reducing harmful emissions linked to livestock production, research suggests.

Almost 20 per cent of the food made available to consumers is lost through over-eating or waste, a study suggests.

Thirty-nine percent of adults worldwide are overweight, 13 percent even obese with the trend increasing, says the World Health Organization (WHO). At the same time, 795 million people are starving. Still, 1.3 billion ...

When we hear about the horrors of industrial livestock farming the pollution, the waste, the miserable lives of billions of animals it is hard not to feel a twinge of guilt and conclude that we should eat less meat.

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Greenhouse gas emissions from food production may threaten the UN climate target of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, according to research at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.

(Phys.org)A small team of researchers with the Directorate for Sustainable Resources in Italy and Ghent University in Belgium has found evidence that shows some parts of the planet are becoming cooler and others warmer ...

A new NASA study finds that during Greenland's hottest summers on record, 2010 and 2012, the ice in Rink Glacier on the island's west coast didn't just melt faster than usual, it slid through the glacier's interior in a gigantic ...

Experiments with tiny, shelled organisms in the ocean suggest big changes to the global carbon cycle are underway, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

An international team of scientists has found evidence suggesting the dehydration of minerals deep below the ocean floor influenced the severity of the Sumatra earthquake, which took place on December 26, 2004.

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Summer rainfall in one of the world's most drought-prone regions can now be predicted months or years in advance, climate scientists at the Met Office and the University of Exeter say.

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Changing our diet to save the planet - Phys.Org

Cody Kessler is in the middle of the most important offseason of his professional career. So, the second-year Browns quarterback, who has a chance to win the team's starting job overBrock Osweiler, DeShone Kizer, and Kevin Hogan, is doing everything in his power to improve after a so-so rookie season.

That includes his diet. On Wednesday, Kessler explained that he followed a strict diet for three straight months. In the process, he revealed that he ate plain whole wheat pasta (with no sauce) every single night.

ESPN's Pat McManamon provided the list of foods that Kessler consumed every single day for the three-month period:

"I switched it up here and there maybe a couple days, different things," Kessler said. "But it worked for me. I really stuck with it."

Kessler's diet has nothing on Tom Brady's. Last year, Brady's personal chef revealed his eating habits. We learned that Brady doesn't eat or drink:

Maybe like Brady, Kessler can turn his bland diet into his own food delivery service. First, Kessler will obviously need to establish himself as a star in the league. And before he can do that, he'll need to hang onto the starting job this summer. Earlier this month,Browns coach Hue Jackson confirmed that the job is Kessler's to lose.

In Kessler's rookie season, he appeared in nine games, starting eight. He completed 65.6 percent of his passes, averaged 7.1 yards per attempt, and threw six touchdowns and two picks. As a starter, he went 0-8, though that's clearly not all his fault considering the Browns went 1-15.

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Here's the bland diet Browns quarterback Cody Kessler followed for three months - CBSSports.com

Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what pro athletes in different sports eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the daily diet of NASCAR's Martin Truex Jr.

Who needs to hit the gym five times a week and count calories when youre constantly fighting the G-forces that come along with driving a car at 200 miles per hour? Certainly not Martin Truex Jr. All that time throwing weights around and pre-planning meals could be used for something fun. Like fishing. Or running a foundation that supports cancer research. Or winning NASCAR races. All of which the Toyota driver has been doing a lot of this season. We caught up with Truex ahead of the Coca-Cola 600a race he won last yearto find out the best meal for tackling NASCARs longest trek and how exactly one avoids having an accident. (We dont mean the automobile type).

GQ: Youve been a NASCAR driver since the early 2000s. Have you seen a shift in the way that people address their diet or nutrition as the sport has evolved?

Martin Truex Jr.: I think in general, most people are more focused on being fit, eating healthy, working out, training, blahblahblah. I try mostly to eat somewhat healthy foods, but I really dont have a scientific approach or anything specific that I do. I just try not to eat junk or eat too much. I really dont do anything special. I just do my own thing. I really dont do a lot of training either. I absolutely cannot stand working out. I try to stay busy instead. Im always doing stuff when we go outside to work on [the house]. I make sure Im doing something so Im not sitting on the couch eating food all day. Thats my training schedule.

So what does a typical day look like for you then? Is it all over the place, food-wise?

Im not a huge breakfast person. Sometimes Ill have cereal. Corn Flakes are my favorite. But Ill usually have something small. I like to grab something quick as Im running out the door if I can. Just a granola bar or protein bar is enough for me. I dont get up super early so Im usually only a few hours away from lunch anyways. I just need something to hold me over until then.

And then you just go all in on lunch?

Sometimes Ill have a Cobb salad, but I really like quesadillas. A ham and cheese quesadilla is really good if you throw it on the grill. We have a lady who cooks for us and the quesadillas that she makes are really good. She even makes this pizza quesadilla that is so good. So Ill do cool things like that for lunch. And dinner is all across the board. I like a lot of different foods. I like beef, I like red meat, I like fish, I like all kinds of seafood. We really mix it up, honestly. Ill eat just about anything.

Your girlfriend, Sherry, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a couple years ago. I know you both are huge advocates for raising awareness and educating people on the disease. Did Sherrys diagnosis change the way you both approached food at all?

Absolutely, yeah. Everything we bring into our house, all the things we eat on a daily basis, has changed a little bit based off what she went through. I mean, her diet has changed 100 percent. My diet has probably changed 40 to 50 percent. Some of the things we used to have in the house we dont even look at anymore. We started paying a lot more attention to what was actually in the foods that were eating and what type of products were using. You know, trying to lose the chemicals and get rid of all the stuff they say is bad for you. We definitely focus on that a lot more these days. Like I said, with Sherrys diet and what she does, its really 100 percent based around that.

When it comes to the day of an actual race, is there anything special youll do in terms of what youre eating or drinking?

I do actually have a little bit of a routine for most races. Generally Ill drink a lot of water for probably two days leading up to the race to make sure Im hydrated. Before the race I like to try to eat a decent-sized breakfast. If its a night race, Ill make sure I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But the meal right before a race is really pretty standard. I go with something light. Chicken and rice is always pretty bulletproof. No spaghetti. Nothing with heavy sauces. Nothing spicy, nothing wild. Im not eating sushi before a race. I try to keep it kind of standard with chicken and rice. Its not going to upset your belly and youre going to feel good all night. Plus itll keep you fill long enough, so thats the go-to.

Ive heard of some racers actually eating in the cars during a race. Jimmie Johnson once said hes had actual sandwiches passed to him during a race. Is that something you ever do?

You can have a granola bar or a protein barwhatever your favorite choice isjust as a quick snack if were under caution or whatever. I actually havent done that in the past few years, though. I used to always have something there in the car for a snack but for whatever reason I really havent had the need for it recently. We do have a drink bag system in the car, so you have a hose that runs to your helmet. Usually Gatorade or whatever is what I use. For a long race, I definitely go with Gatorade. I think it helps me a little more.

This is something I would love to know: The Coca-Cola 600 this weekend is a 600-mile race. Im assuming its got to get pretty hot in that car, especially with all your gear on. Then youre in the middle of a race with your adrenaline pumping. Youre probably drinking a bunch of Gatorade or water to stay hydrated. So when it comes to going the bathroom

I think its a case where youve trained for so long to be able to do this without thinking about having to go. Youre so focused during the race that sometimes Ill get out of the car and be like, Oh my God, I really have to get to the bathroom! It just kind of sneaks up on you without you even noticing it. Then theres the element that youre sweating so much. Especially in the summertime when its hot out, youre sweating so much that I dont know that you could ever drink enough water to actually have to end up going to the bathroom. So its probably a combination od things, but Ive never had an issue with that. Ive heard stories of guys actually peeing in the car because they couldnt hold it. Ive never done that. Never had to. I guess it depends on how precise your mental focus is. [Laughs]

After a race, and after youve relieved yourself, is there a meal you typically like to have to refuel?

Usually its a race to the airport in order to get home, so we always end up eating on the plane. So whatever area we happen to be in, whatever theyre famous for, Ill get. If we go to Kansas City, usually Ill have barbeque on the way home. Most times its a sandwich or a cheesesteak or a cheeseburger. Something thats just going to fill you up quick because youre absolutely starving by that time after a race. And you dont want something thats going to sit on the plane for an hour or two and get soggy, so youve got to be careful about what you order.

Im assuming its the same thing with hydration. Are you just pounding water after a race?

I could literally drink five bottles of water after a race. I mean, Im so thirsty that I will drink water until my stomach hurts. Ill keep drinking it right up until I get to bed that night. I try to get all that water back in there pretty quickly.

Youve had success at the Coca-Cola 600 in the past. Youre the defending champ there. Im not sure you want to give away any secrets on how to win that race, but could you reveal any tips or secrets for winning a race that long?

I honestly dont know how to answer that one. I just try to approach this race as I would any other race. Its a tough challenge with it being the longest race of the year, but I look at it like this: Its only an extra hundred miles. Once you do 500 miles, thats a pretty long ways already. Whats a hundred more?

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The Real-Life Diet of Martin Truex Jr., Who Has Never Peed in his Racecar - GQ Magazine

A lot of people have asked me about developing a weight loss plan that revolves around baby food. Because I deliver babies, they think that I know all about baby food; so I looked into this diet. Below are the facts about it, including its plan and how it works:

The Diet

On the so-called "Baby Food Diet," you literally do as the name suggests. You replace several meals and snacks with jars of baby food, from sweet potato mash to pureed peas and blended chicken. Many people on the diet will eat 1014 jars of baby food throughout the day and end with a regular-sized dinner.

Why do people like this diet? It gives them an easy way to control their portion sizes while still getting in fruits and vegetables.

Since the snack and meals take little time to make, they also dont have as much motivation to eat out and can get on with their busy lives. They do not have to spend half an hour or more cooking meals.

Health Concerns

There are many health concerns that come with replacing adult-sized meals with portions made for little babies. First of all,babies digestive systemsare just developing, meaning that they have to take eating slowly and easily so that their stomachs can process it.

5 COMMON CAUSES FOR HAIR LOSS IN TEENS

On the other hand, adults have fully developed digestive systems. They get great satisfaction from tasting and chewing food, then letting the heavy substance settle in their stomachs.

Their active digestive systems will zip right through baby food, leaving them hungry and unsatisfied throughout the day. You can probably guess what will happen if this cycle of hunger continues. The person will launch right into a binge after a while, undoing any progress he may have made.

Second, adults can suffernutritional deficiencies. Aside from needing over a dozen baby food jars to accommodate an adults metabolism, adults can easily get too little nutrients.

Baby food does not have enough fiber for a grown human body, and some people may limit their choices if they do not like the taste. For example, adults might find it hard to stomach pureed meats. Also, while baby food consists of mainly fruits and vegetables, its small size likely will not suffice for an adults nutrient needs.

In addition, health professionals have no research to show that the Baby Food Diet is actually safe for people to use. Therefore, dieters are proceeding with unknown risks to their safety.

Not an Effective Diet Program

While many people do not realize this fact, those promoting the Baby Food Diet actually use it formaintainingweight, not losing it. They recommend losing weight on a different diet regimen before starting the Baby Food Diet.

WHAT VEGETARIANS NEED TO EAT DURING PREGNANCY

In fact, you should not rely on this diet for weight loss at all. It does not provide a safe, effective route for it.

The Baby Food Diet may lead to severe caloric restriction, slowing down your metabolism. In addition, because you need high motivation to keep up with it, you risk binge-eating or resorting back to your old habits.

Also, professionals have absolutely no research to back this diet, making it entirely unsafe. In fact, the diet does not even have rules or guidelines to help each person obtain similar results.

One person might replace two entire meals with one or two jars of baby food. Another person might eat four or five at a meal and pick through a few more for snacks.

Then, on a busy day, a person could forget to eat all of their dozen jars and experience dizziness, nausea, or weakness. They have no consistency.

COULD THIS BE THE NEXT GREAT WEIGHT LOSS SECRET?

Last but definitely not least, the Baby Food Diet does not teach adults the essential rudiments of a healthy diet. Adults who go back and forth between normal food and baby food will find themselves regaining any weight they may have lost before or during this diet. They may also have more temptation to cheat, undercutting their health and learning little about a truly healthy lifestyle.

The Baby Food Diet simply does not workunless youre a baby. It does not have adequate research to prove its safety nor guidelines to help people gain consistent, healthy results. Dieters risk getting nutritional deficiencies due to the small portion sizes and lack of fiber, and they do not learn the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. Do yourself a favor and toss out this diet fad in place of a more balanced plan. You will see healthier, longer-lasting results.

This article first appeared on AskDrManny.com.

Dr. Manny Alvarez serves as Fox News Channel's senior managing health editor. He also serves as chairman of the department of obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive science at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. Click here for more information on Dr. Manny's work with Hackensack University Medical Center. Visit AskDrManny.com for more.

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Keep the baby food diet for babies - Fox News