Type 2 Diabetes - Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference to Your Blood Sugar

If you have received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes and lowering your blood sugar levels and achieving weight loss are top of your list of things to do, please know eating healthily has got to be a daily commitment. You cannot be passive towards your condition and expect it to treat itself. You can hope as much as you like, but Type 2 diabetes does not go away without consistent effort. And people who do not control their Type 2 diabetes have chronically elevated blood sugar levels.
There is no cure for Type 2 diabetes, although it can be managed and the various complications avoided. You will not overcome diabetes overnight, but you can certainly take steps that will ultimately get you where you would like to be. Reducing your blood sugar, improving your insulin response and weight loss, are all factors you can influence, and by making a daily effort, you can ensure your diabetes does not exacerbate.

The first step in taking care of your body is to make lifestyle changes, and if you need to, take medications, be they drugs or insulin injections. People who start making lifestyle changes reap tremendous health benefits almost immediately. Lifestyle changes are seen as an ongoing, long-term proposition rather than a quick fix...

• a healthy diet,
• increased physical activity, and
• weight loss

are the safest and most efficient means for correcting your blood sugar levels and helping with weight loss. And by losing weight, you will do so much for your health it would be a shame if you were to overlook this opportunity. So we highly encourage you to start making a daily effort to lose weight, because it will make your Type 2 diabetes significantly more manageable.
Start eating healthily. We are not saying you have to go on a starvation diet that makes you question your sanity...

• eat a healthy diet low in calories and saturated fat. Limit your fat intake to 30 percent of your calories for the day, and saturated fat to no more than 10 percent of your calorie intake.
• choose more vegetables, fruit, lean meats, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and unsaturated fats.
• reduce your sugar intake.
• increase your fiber intake to 30 grams a day.

Drink plenty of water. You have heard it before, but it bears mentioning because it's critical to stay hydrated. It helps you keep your hunger pangs at bay.
Be physically active. Physical activity contributes to combatting insulin resistance so your cells can remove sugar from the blood more efficiently. Lift weights, attend a fitness class or take part in moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking for approximately 20 minutes on five days a week. What you do does not matter, as long as you do something.
Lastly, ask yourself at the end of each day if you have done enough to fight those high blood sugar levels and any weight gain. You can treat your condition through daily effort - but only if you are honest with yourself.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

Type 2 Diabetes - Four Meal Planning Tips For Accelerated Weight Loss

Most people can lose weight, but unfortunately few can keep it off long-term. Successful losers who keep their excess weight off...

• watched their fat intake,
• would eat breakfast to help them avoid overeating throughout their day,
• exercised for twenty minutes each day on five out of seven days, and
• frequently monitored their weight loss and continued to keep track of what they were eating.

Being overweight is the single biggest factor for developing Type 2 diabetes.
If you are looking to shed a few pounds but don't want to go on a full-blown diet, you may start looking into some of the tweaks you can make to your diabetic eating plan to get yourself on track and looking your best. You do not necessarily have to revamp your diet plan completely to see great results.

Far from it! Sometimes all it takes is a change here or there. Here are four meal planning tips for accelerated weight loss...
1. Harness Spices. As often as you can, start incorporating spices into your cooking routine. Spices are an excellent way to rev up the flavor of your dishes without adding unwanted fat or calories.
Spices will get you eating healthily and have you reaping health benefits because of it. Remember many spices offer more than just flavor: they can boost the overall health benefits of the food as well.
2. Know Your Cooking Techniques. It is also important you understand the cooking techniques you are using. Are you steaming foods? Stir-frying? Deep frying? Each cooking method will alter the nutrition of the dish you are preparing, so be sure to choose accordingly.
If you are trying to cut back on fat, steaming is likely your best bet, while if you are looking to have more healthy fats in your diet, stir-frying might be wise.
3. Think Lean And Green. As you build your menu, think "lean and green." Focus each meal around a lean protein and combine with salad greens or other vegetables. Then add healthy fats and carbohydrates as needed.

4. Watch The Add-Ons. Also, make sure you watch the add-ons. Are you drizzling on extra sauce? Are you adding condiments that pack on calories? Be highly aware of these because they can turn your meal from great to not so diet-friendly in a hurry.
Avoid add-ons as much as you can unless you know they are very healthy.
If you keep these four tips in mind, you should feel confident you are eating well. Some experimentation may be needed to find the best pattern for you.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

One of the main reasons some people suffer weight gain is simply an issue of overeating. You may not even be eating unhealthy foods; it is just when you do choose to eat, you eat way too much.

Sound familiar? If so, it is vital you do whatever you can to get your overeating under control so you can sustain a healthy daily calorie intake.

Let's look at four steps you can take to help prevent overeating next time you sit down at the table for a meal...

1. Slow Down. Speed eating is the biggest reason why many people consume more than they should. If you are eating too fast, you have the high probability of taking in too many calories before your body starts to register the satiety signals you will be receiving.

Then, when you finally do realize how full you feel, it is often too late, and you are faced with now being overly stuffed.

2. Picture Your Goals Before You Eat. Moving along, it is also important you imagine your goals before you eat. Reminding yourself of what it is you are working towards - whether it is...

• healthy and stable blood sugar levels,
• a life full of energy,
• a dream body, or
• the fact you will be there for your grandkids, keeping up with them as they run around,

think about this before you begin to eat.

Sometimes it can give you the motivation you need to put your fork down when you need to stop eating.

3. Fill Up On Salad First. Also consider filling up on a salad first. Salads are low in calories so you can eat a few cups without worry. Salad also takes up a lot of room in your stomach: this in turn can help to lower how much extra food you take in.

If you are not a big salad person, create a large batch of low-calorie vegetable soup instead. Serve the soup, and it will work much the same way.

4. Use Smaller Plates. Finally, consider using smaller plates. As silly as it sounds, for some this helps keep overeating under wraps. With smaller plates, you think you are eating more but will automatically be eating less.

Try it and see if it works for you.

There you have a few great ways to help prevent overeating and keep up with your weight maintenance program and healthy blood sugar readings. Always remember overeating of any foods can lead to weight gain. It doesn't necessarily have to be unhealthy food that does it.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

Type 2 Diabetes - Four Tips To Help Prevent Overeating

One of the main reasons some people suffer weight gain is simply an issue of overeating. You may not even be eating unhealthy foods; it is just when you do choose to eat, you eat way too much.

Sound familiar? If so, it is vital you do whatever you can to get your overeating under control so you can sustain a healthy daily calorie intake.

Let's look at four steps you can take to help prevent overeating next time you sit down at the table for a meal...

1. Slow Down. Speed eating is the biggest reason why many people consume more than they should. If you are eating too fast, you have the high probability of taking in too many calories before your body starts to register the satiety signals you will be receiving.

Then, when you finally do realize how full you feel, it is often too late, and you are faced with now being overly stuffed.

2. Picture Your Goals Before You Eat. Moving along, it is also important you imagine your goals before you eat. Reminding yourself of what it is you are working towards - whether it is...

• healthy and stable blood sugar levels,
• a life full of energy,
• a dream body, or
• the fact you will be there for your grandkids, keeping up with them as they run around,

think about this before you begin to eat.

Sometimes it can give you the motivation you need to put your fork down when you need to stop eating.

3. Fill Up On Salad First. Also consider filling up on a salad first. Salads are low in calories so you can eat a few cups without worry. Salad also takes up a lot of room in your stomach: this in turn can help to lower how much extra food you take in.

If you are not a big salad person, create a large batch of low-calorie vegetable soup instead. Serve the soup, and it will work much the same way.

Try it and see if it works for you.

There you have a few great ways to help prevent overeating and keep up with your weight maintenance program and healthy blood sugar readings. Always remember overeating of any foods can lead to weight gain. It doesn't necessarily have to be unhealthy food that does it.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.