Diabetic Live

Keeping Healthy With Type 1 Diabetes: Staying healthy is essential for everyone but if you suffer from type I diabetes it can be the difference between life and death. There are a number of factors that have to be monitored and in some cases strictly controlled if you are going to remain active and able to enjoy life to the full. These include:

Blood Glucose Level
This is possibly the most important factor that needs to be monitored because you know that the level of glucose within your blood can change dramatically in a very short period of time. Many diabetics can feel to some extent when their blood glucose levels aren’t normal however if you are newly diagnosed you may not be akin to these feeling yet and so strict monitoring is essential.

Diet
Your diabetic diet is not a special diet as many people think; it is simply a healthy, well-balanced diet that is low in fat, high in fibre and contains an abundance of starchy foods, vegetables and fruits. You will be, more often than not, referred to a dietician shortly after you are diagnosed so that you can learn what to eat and what not to eat and how to balance your food intake with your daily insulin injections.

Insulin
Daily insulin injections are absolutely crucial to your well being and so they must be strictly controlled with regards to amounts and times. Getting it wrong or forgetting a shot could have dire effects on your health and it could even result in diabetic coma. You should try to stick to your schedule as closely as you can, even if that means popping to the toilet while out shopping to give yourself a quick boost.

Blood Pressure
If, as a type I diabetic, you find yourself with high blood pressure you could be at an increased risk of developing secondary complications, such as cardiovascular disease. For this reason you should have your blood pressure checked regularly and if you are prescribed medication to lower your blood pressure, then you must take it religiously. After all you can still lead a full life with diabetes but heart disease may limit your options slightly!

Exercise
Regular exercise will help to decrease the chances of you developing complications such as heart disease and blood vessel disease but it may also affect your blood glucose levels if you exercise to the extreme. A 20-30 minute walk around 5 times a week is sufficient and it will not leave you too exhausted to do anything else.

Weight
Excess weight is another factor that can contribute to serious complications such as heart disease, decreased kidney function and stroke when combined with type I diabetes. If you are overweight or obese then you should definitely try to loose some weight as not only will it help with your diabetes but you will feel a whole lot better within yourself as well.

If you are careful what you do and you monitor your blood glucose levels regularly then diabetes is not a hard illness to control and there is no reason why you can’t enjoy all the things you used to enjoy before being diagnosed.

Controlling Diabetes With Diet And Exercise: Everybody should aim to eat healthily but for people who have been diagnosed with type II diabetes a sensible healthy diet could be the difference between life as it is and life with the rigmarole of daily medication.

However because everybody’s diabetes is different there is no single diet that will suit all diabetics. All diabetic diets will have some things in common though, and because around 80% of type II diabetes is associated with being overweight or obese, these diets will all be low in fat and low in calories so that the maximum amount of weight is lost.

Weight loss reduces the degree of insulin resistance in the body tissues of a diabetic meaning that the insulin produced by the pancreas can work more effectively. Weight loss also reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels so that the risk of cardiovascular disease is also reduced.

Many, if not all, people diagnosed with early type II diabetes will be made to see a dietician so that a meal plan can be discussed and agreed upon however research has shown that around 60% of diabetics find it hard to stick to the agreed plan.

The underlying reason for controlling the diet is so that the blood glucose levels can be kept constantly within the ‘normal’ range. For example, eating large amounts of sweets and drinking fizzy pop will cause the blood glucose levels to raise above normal and in a type II diabetic this will add to their weight problem, not reduce it.

In order to maintain a constant blood sugar level, diabetics should ideally eat approximately the same amount of food per day, with a set number of calories at around the same time of day so that blood sugar levels don’t fluctuate too much. In addition, healthy snacks should be enjoyed to stop the blood glucose levels from dropping too much in between meals. Meals should never be skipped and the day’s food should contain a mixture of whole grains, fruits, lean meat or meat substitutes i.e. Quorn, vegetables and low fat dairy products.

In conjunction with a healthy low fat diet, moderate exercise should be taken at least five times a week for around 30 minutes each session. How a diabetic person chooses to exercise will depend to some extent on their initial level of fitness i.e. obese people will not go jogging or cycling for miles at a time, and any exercise routine should only be performed after consulting a doctor. As an individual starts to lose weight then the level of physical activity can be increased accordingly but overdoing it to begin will undoubtedly lead to even bigger problems.

Millions of type II diabetes sufferers around the world successfully control there illness using a combination of healthy eating and exercise and in some cases people who have lost weight, have also lost their diabetes…for good.

Biochemistry Of Energy Production: Any diabetic who has incorporated regular exercise into his or her diabetes management plan knows how exercise can help to work-up a sweat. As the body muscles move more and more, the body makes an ever larger amount of heat. Both heat and movement are forms of energy, energy produced by cells in the body.

The production of energy demands the presence of a fuel. Food gives the body the fuel that it needs to make energy. Carbohydrates are a prime source of energy. Fats and proteins can also be broken-down, stored and used by the body to obtain energy. The biochemistry of the body even directs the manner by which the body will make at least some of its energy. That direction opens and closes certain biochemical pathways.

The movement of voluntary muscles calls-for the availability of a ready-to-go source of energy. The body stores energy for the purpose of supplying it to muscles that are getting signals from the brain. That stored energy, potential energy, is found in a naturally-produced phosphorous compound called ADP.

When a muscle receives a signal from the brain, then muscle cells start to change molecules of ADP into ATP. The body can obtain the energy that it needs from the ATP. At the same time, the body anticipates the creation of added amounts of heat. The body appreciates the need to limit the amount of its natural energy production.

The body produces catechinpolyphenols, chemicals that can block the biochemical pathway that is used for heat production in the non-active individual. The production of heat in a non-active individual is called thermogenesis. The sort of polyphenols produced during times of muscle activity limit the ability of the body to carry-out thermogenesis.

How do the polyphenols limit the rate of thermogenesis? The polyphenols act on the fatty acids inside of the body’s fat storage cells. The cells then make the chemicals that are necessary for the production of heat.. The cells thus facilitate the movement of hydrogen ions (H*) into the cell’s mitochondria. The mitochondria help the cell to make energy.

The mitochondria do not make energy for muscle movement; they the energy that the cell uses to produce heat. The movement of H+ into the mitochondria allows the cell to bypass the biochemical pathway that is used to make ATP. Still, because it is a fat-burning process, thermogenesis requires a source of fuel (calories).

Some health professionals have sought-out foods that have high polyphenol content. According to the above information, such foods should help the body to burn fat. Recent reports indicate that green tea contains such chemicals. That is why green tea has been tooted as a way to loose weight.

Now a diabetic, more than most people, must pay attention to a second aspect of energy production. That is due to the fact that the diabetic with a well-managed diabetes control plan eats a diet with few carbohydrates. The diabetic who wants to control his or her diabetes eats lots of dairy products, and lots fruits and vegetables. The cells of the diabetic must thus obtain energy from the proteins found in those foods.

When cells use protein as an energy source, then the cells (in the course of making energy) make certain unneeded chemicals. Those unneeded chemicals can build-up in the muscles. The body must find a way to get rid of those unneeded chemicals.

The body needs to wash those chemicals out of the muscle cells. The performance of exercise initiates a rise in the movement of blood in the circulatory system. As more blood flows into the muscles, that blood then carries-away the unneeded chemicals in those muscles. An extended period of exercise washes out a larger number of chemicals.

The above fact underlines that reason why exercise should be included in a diabetes management plan. Exercise does help the body to burn energy, but exercise does even more. Exercise helps the body to deal with the biochemistry of energy production whenever the fuel for that energy comes from proteins instead of carbohydrates.

When a diabetic engages in some form of exercise, then he or she encourages the formation of more capillaries in the muscles of the body. Sometimes, the body can make up to 50% more capillaries. At the same time, the diameter of the existing capillaries increases. Blood begins to flow more quickly in those capillaries.

As the blood rushes past the muscle cells, it takes-away the unneeded chemicals in those cells. When the blood flow increase, those chemicals disappear at an ever faster rate. The blood helps to clean the muscles. Exercise enhances the rate of the blood flow. That is why diabetics need to include regular exercise in a diabetes management plan.

Exercise can also help to control hunger pangs. Diabetics understand the discomfort of hunger. Diabetics want to control their hunger, so that they are not tempted to eat foods with high carbohydrate content. Exercise can help a diabetic to reduce the number of temptations that arise from the presence of strong hunger pangs.

In that way, a diabetic can avoid the temptation to “wolf-down” his or her food. The slow digestion of food insures the slow absorption of food. The slow absorption of carbohydrates should be one goal of a diabetes management plan. That is why such a plan normally includes complex carbohydrates, as opposed to simple carbohydrates.

Bearing that fact in mind, one can better appreciate the danger of frequent visits to a fast-food restaurant. Such frequent visits should not be part of a diabetes management plan. At the same time, a diabetes management plan should provide for times spent outside of the home. A diabetic should not remain at home all day long. In that way the diabetic normally fails to obtain an adequate amount of exercise.

By understanding the biochemistry of energy production, a patent with diabetes can better fashion the sort of diabetes management plan that helps with weight control and also insures removal of any unwanted by-products from that energy production.

A Diabetic Diet To Keep The Body Healthy: A major part of properly managing diabetes involves participation in a healthy diet and lifestyle. A strict meal plan and suitable food choices are crucial in the everyday routine of a diabetes patient. It is commonly believed that to maintain blood sugar levels, diabetics do not have a wide variety of alternatives concerning food and nutrition. However, a healthy diabetes meal plan can contain an assortment of nutritional options, to satisfy the cravings and physical needs of the diabetic.

Devising a Healthy Diabetic Diet
Building a suitable diabetic diet plan can seem overwhelming at first, but is actually a very simple process. There are essentially two different goals in relation to nutrition for Type I and II diabetes. In Type I diabetes, the total amount of daily carbohydrates has the most significant effect on blood sugar maintenance, and how much insulin is needed. With diabetics who use a fixed dose of insulin to maintain their disease, the daily carbohydrate amount in snacks and meals should remain consistent. To produce ideal levels of glucose, diabetics must incorporate a suitable balance of carbohydrate consumption, insulin, in addition to physical activity. If these elements do not equate, there will most likely be a varied fluctuation in the levels of blood glucose.

The management of Type II diabetes focuses primarily on weight control. An estimated 90 percent of Type II diabetics are overweight. For these individuals, a diet consisting of an equal disbursement of carbohydrates and reduced calorie foods is recommended to assist in the improvement of blood glucose tolerance. In several cases, reasonable weight loss and an increase in physical activity can greatly improve the lives of Type II diabetics. However, in children and adolescents with Type II, certain measures must be taken. Dietary plans for these age groups should be formulated to account for the change in caloric requirements as the child grows. To meet the needs of a growing diabetic child, physicians often recommend consumption of three snacks and three small meals daily.

For both forms of diabetes, there are certain, similar guidelines that should be followed for a nutritional eating plan. All aspects of food and eating can affect your blood glucose levels. When you eat, how you eat, and most importantly, what you eat are a crucial part of diabetes management. To keep your levels within a healthy range, there are a few points that must be taken into consideration. Diabetics should have a routine when it comes to both medication and diet. Meals should be eaten at the same times daily, with medication taken at a set time, as well. Equal amounts of food should also be eaten every day, and should incorporate foods from each of the food groups. This includes, milk and yogurt, vegetables, fruits, starches, in addition, to meat and meat alternatives. The ideal protein consumption should be in the range of 15 to 20 percent of total daily calories. About six ounces of protein, which is equal to the size of two card decks, is recommended daily. Diets should contain foods reduced in saturated fat, with no more than 10 percent consumed each day. Low fat choices are lean meats, legumes, and skinless poultry. Carbohydrates should also be taken into careful consideration when devising a meal plan. Suitable carbohydrate choices include pasta, brown rice, beans, and whole grain breads. Look to food labels for information about serving size and the type of carbohydrate, as certain types can affect overall blood glucose control. For those still unsure of how to properly balance food choices, a physician or registered dietician can be of assistance.

Controlling Diabetes the Yoga Way: The ancient practice of yoga is now being used to combat the complications of diabetes. Suited for both types of the disease, a high energy yoga workout has been proven to normalize blood sugar levels. Regular practice of this age- old activity can also stimulate the pancreas, and reduce both blood pressure and weight, as well as, alleviate physical complications and emotional stress often associated with chronic illness.

Simple Yoga Poses to Combat Diabetes
Before beginning a yoga workout, you must take a few crucial points into consideration. Each and every yoga pose is essentially composed of three phases: coming into the pose, holding the pose, and finally releasing the pose. Proper posture and breathing technique is critical, and it is very important to inhale and exhale with the flow of the yoga movement until the last stage of the exercise is completed.

There are a few easy yoga poses that can be performed to lessen the risks associated with diabetes, in addition to, alleviate stress. Consistent practice of these exercises is believed to improve both the physical and mental well-being of the diabetic patient.

Sun Salutation: An ideal exercise for diabetics, sun salutation is one to the core poses of the yoga philosophy. This pose can increase blood supply to the body, which in turn improves insulin administration. To begin this exercise, stand up straight, with your palms together in a prayer position. Slowly exhale. Raise your arms over your head, keeping your palms together. Slowly bend forward until your hands have reached your feet. While arching your back and lifting your chin, bring the right leg backwards. Next, bring the left leg back, keeping your spine in a straight line. Your weight should be supported by the hands and feet. Lower your body one section at a time. First the knees, then the chest, and finally the head.

Yoga Mudrasana, “The Symbol of Yoga”: This yoga posture is great for the nervous system, and prevention of various other diabetic complications. To start this pose, sit up with your back straight and your legs crossed. Clench your fists into a ball, and center them on each side of the stomach, directly below the naval. As you exhale, bend forward, forcing your fists against your stomach. For beginners, holding this pose for ten seconds is sufficient. As you become more advanced, this yoga posture can be held for up to three minutes.

Posterior Stretching Pose: This stretching exercise is believed to calm the brain and alleviate stress, as well as, improve digestion, reduce fatigue, and reduce obesity. To come into this pose, sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Without bending your knees, lean forward from the waist and grasp your big toes. Keeping your legs straight, rest your forehead on your knees, holding the pose for five seconds. Release the posture by slowly returning to your original position.

Corpse Pose: If executed correctly, this yoga pose can stimulate circulation, improve concentration, improve fatigue, and help with digestion. This yoga exercise requires much concentration, and can be done in between each posture, and at the end of a yoga workout. To begin, move your legs inwards, and then outwards, gradually letting them fall to the sides. Your arms should be slightly apart from the body, palms up. To center and rotate your spine, move your head from side to side. In this portion of the pose, you should begin stretching your body out. Breathing deeply from your stomach, imagine as if someone is gently pulling you from head to toe. This yoga posture should be held for several minutes. To come out of the posture, slowly bend your knees. Propel yourself onto one side using your leg muscles. Finally, return to a sitting position.

Practice of these various yoga exercises, combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can assist in controlling the physical and emotional stressors of diabetes. In time, these postures can not only strengthen your body, but your mind as well.

Making The Right Decisions: When you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes you’ll probably start to wonder what you can do to help your condition. When you have been diagnosed, the first thing you can do to help yourself, is to start exercising and start dieting.

This is key to making sure your glucose levels stay in normal range rather than at a harmful state. It is as simple as that. If you exercise daily and watch what you eat you could be your old self within no time. Granted you will still very much be a type 2 diabetic but you will be taking care of yourself and your health which means that you can live a normal life.

Just remember to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and stay away from sweets and candies. That is of course, just step one. Try yoga or Tai Chi, both will help to boost your health and lower you glucose levels. If you are looking for something that gives you more of a workout then you might want to try aerobics or hitting the gym 3 times a week.

When you choose to go out to eat make sure you choose the best food for both you and your diabetes. It’s like you are eating for two. Think about having a little baby inside of you. What would be best for your baby? Well then at this point that is best for you. Try apples, oranges, bananas and grapes or even kiwi if you like. Make sure to drink plenty of water and some sugar free juices. I like the Sunrise drink by Crystal Lite. It has a lot of vitamin C and doesn’t increase my blood sugar.

Just because you are diabetic doesn’t mean you can’t have sugar, it simply means you must cut down on your sugar which granted on its own can be a hard thing. However, your health needs it and your body must have it.

Sometimes meditation can be another way to help lower glucose levels you would honestly be surprised at how much meditating could mean to your life. It could mean a huge amount of things for your health and even your family’s health if they wish to meditate also. It is also a form of exercise so you could totally get away with mediating daily while reducing your blood sugar level.

This all sounds like a good plan. However, many people have a hard time sticking to it. Of course there are those of us who are complete health nuts of would have this new diet and exercise plan already on speed dial if this is you then that’s wonderful you have already won have the battle.

It is important however to exercise for various reasons not just for lowering your glucose level. You will also want to exercise because of the many problems that come with being a diabetic. Some circulatory problems come from being a diabetic, therefore getting your blood up and moving around is most important. You could even walk for 30 minutes a day and that would provide you with enough exercise to get your blood moving and get everything else to start moving also. Exercising also helps to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, the more exercise you do the better off you can be and feel. It’s pretty much all up to you!

Yoga And Diabetes: When you have diabetes it can hurt both your life and your health and what better way to help take care of you and your health than to exercise. No doubt if you have developed Neuropathy then you don’t feel like really moving at all depending on how much pain you are feeling. However, there are times when you are not feeling the symptoms as bad as other times and those are the times when you should try to do some light-weight exercise.

Yoga has become very popular through many different people, not just those who are going through physical therapy. It can help to manage and maintain your blood sugar levels. If you follow a healthy diet, great exercise routine and a slower paced life then what people are living now you can live healthier and live longer. If you avoid a hazardous life by not smoking and doing drugs and follow the plans from above then diseases cannot find a way into your life. Not saying there is not the occasional person that disease happens to no matter how many cautions they have taken. However, playing it safe can bring on better opportunities of not developing diseases.

Life is today’s world is so fast paced and sometimes hard to keep up with that people let their health’s drag behind them. Yoga helps to slow down life and make a “stop to smell the roses” kind of affect to your life. Diabetes shows up in your life and has a huge impact on both your emotional and physical well being. Usually your doctor will tell you after you are diagnosed with diabetes that you can exercise in the ways of swimming, jogging, gardening, cycling, or walking. These are all light-weight exercises that do not involve any hard labor or tiring affects which can be perfect.

Yoga is another way that does not involve heavy-lifting or tiring exercise; it had been proven to manage diabetes and help keep you and your body healthier. Yoga works by contracting muscles in your body which will in turn use up a lot of sugar. Since the pancreas is what creates the problem in diabetes (makes insulin) it is good to know that yoga helps to take some of the pressure off of it. Yoga will also help to decrease weight it also helps to reduce stress and improves the action of insulin.

Here is a list of Yoga exercises that you can choose from:

The first one is called Asanas
It is not really referred to an exercise it is more the warm-up to get you to the exercises. There are many stretches, strains and twists involved with this routine. It increases blood and oxygen to all your organs it can provide a healthier function for some of your other organs and glands also. Which for a person who had diabetes that can be a life-saver all on its own. Some Arsana exercises that have helped those who have diabetes are called sarvangaasana, pavan muktasana, yoga mudra, vajrasana, arhamatsynedrasana. Those are just a few exercises helps take care of some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes.

When starting an exercise routine you should use some of the following techniques to help with your diabetes. When injecting insulin you should find a place that will not affect by exercise because that could cause some unnecessary pain. Always check you blood sugar level before exercising to ensure a low level. You never want to do any hard labor exercises but even low cardio exercises could be dangerous when you have a high blood sugar level. If you have Neuropathy is an extremely good idea to start some sort of meditation routine. Meditation can provide many things that some other exercises can not, such as lower stress and positive thinking.

Another position that can be used throughout a Yoga routine is called Surya namaskara this is also referred to as salutation to the sun because the position has your arms pointing straight up to the sky. It can give you a sense of feeling free, almost like you are flying especially if you are doing the position outside. It always produces more blood supply through-out the body and providing insulin to more parts of the body.

Another exercise is called Kapalbhati pranayama this exercise will help your mind to feel more free and less stressed while also helping the annoyances of diabetes. This is the only exercise that basically puts you in charge of it by using your minds potential. This exercise usually consists of more of a breathing procedure then anything else. Used commonly for meditation practices.

Anuloma-viloma is another exercise that can help with the symptoms of diabetes. This is another breathing exercise and helps to get rid of some of the toxics that have been building up because of pollution and stress. This exercise is not only good for diabetes it also helps to cure the common cold, chronic headaches, asthma and insomnia. You will first want to sit in a comfortable yet erect position making sure that your head, neck and back stay relatively straight then place you middle finger and index finger toward your palm. You’ll want to place your thumb to your right nostril and you little finger and ring finger to your left nostril. Then close your nostril with your thumb and inhale slowly thorough your left nostril after that close your little finger and ring finger to plug up your other nostril while slowly exhaling from your right nostril while taking your thumb away. After exhaling start inhaling from that same nostril, finally close off your right nostril with your thumb again and start exhale from your left nostril while taking your fingers away. Once you have done that, then you have completed the first session and are ready to start round 2. Do this same routine for 10 times around.

For meditation help you might want to follow the following advice. You will want to meditate when not many people are around; in fact it is better to be in a quiet room without and interruptions. Meditation helps to the nervous system which is essentially helps your stress levels. Intelligence can also be progressed through meditation, clearness of the mind can be reached and your senses to be alert more often can be found. Health wise you will be less prone to diseases and feel a sense of being more social and less anxious. Meditation has been found helpful in a numerous amount of conditions such as family issues, more memories remembered while forgetting less. Another great benefit for those who have high blood pressure is that they will find themselves having lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

When you have diabetes it may very hard to find any motivation for any sort of movement alone let along exercise. However, you could do some chair exercises that will help you to feel more in tune with your body and less concerned about stressful issues. If you sit still for too long you are calling more diseases and more unhealthiness to your life and no one wants that. Just mediating for 30 minutes through-out the day helps to let go of some of your stress which ultimately bring a lot of people down.

Diabetic Exercise: Exercise is a horrible topic to cover when it comes to diabetes. The reason almost always has to do with the lack of interest. That lack of interest can occasionally be hostile.

Apart from the argument that it is a helpful instrument in dealing with and managing blood sugar levels it is simply not an effort that is a lot of fun. It’s not even something you can be greatly motivated to do.

The reasons are many, but for the diabetic it could be that you are very tired and the thought of exercise is a burden that is easy to ignore.

While you know a good workout will probably make you feel better it’s hard to take that walk, ride that bike or climb onto that elliptical.

Often what predicated onset diabetes is being overweight. This is generally a condition that has not found much use for exercise and the additional burden of carrying the label of diabetic makes it even harder to muster the courage to launch a needed exercise routine.

AmericaOnTheMove.org is just one organization that is encouraging people to exercise a little bit more. Like other programs they encourage extra time working out and they provide ways to decrease your caloric intake, but they also advocate a buddy system.

This organization understands that when you have someone willing to encourage you it will be possible for you to walk more, bike further and exercise more than you would on your own.

These individuals become your cheerleaders and they can help hold you accountable for your health management goals.

You might find a suitable ‘buddy’ online. This will be someone who can email you to check on your progress. They can also be people you email to check on their progress.

A good buddy might be found in your own home. Your spouse or children might be willing to be exercise partners with you. Sometimes a family pet might be a great excuse for a diabetic to go for an extended walk.

If you have a heath and fitness center in your town you might find a workout partner there. Plan on meeting at the same time everyday or every other day to get in a mutually beneficial workout.

One of the most difficult things you can do is try to manage self-motivation for exercise.

People tend to be created for mutual encouragement. It is a difficult decision to try to do it all yourself. Reach out. Find a friend. Gain encouragement. All of us need it.

Sign up for a motivational email service. Read inspiring quotes. Find those things that inspire YOU. You don’t need someone to say you should be encouraged by what they offer. Keep searching for the things through which you actually gain encouragement.

As much as we’d like to be self-reliant we are built to lean on others, just as they are designed to lean on us. This sense of interdependency is what has always sustained individuals, families, communities and nations.

Longevity among diabetics is helped by personal mobility. Surprisingly this knowledge alone is rarely enough to get people up and moving. Something that may surprise you is that when you develop a routine that involves activity that routine becomes something you look forward to. You can move from being unmotivated to an individual that is highly motivated in a short period of time. Your successes can then be the encouragement others might need to do the same thing.

Accept the help of someone else and then offer your friendship to others who need the same encouragement you received.

In Search of a Better Diet: A Veggie Quest: Reports surfaced as early as mid 2006 that a vegan diet may contribute to a more effective treatment plan for patients with diabetes.

According to WebMD.com researchers indicate there is 17% better disease management using a low-fat vegan diet when compared to a control group that followed the American Diabetes Association diet management plan.

Reasearchers at that time noted vegan diet benefits that included weight los and lower cholesterol levels. The intent of the study was to see if such a diet could reduce or in some cases eliminate the need for diebetic drugs.

One of the findings of the study indicated an average weight loss that was slightly more than double that of participants in the ADA diet plan. In the 22-week study vegan participants lost an average of 14 pounds.

Nearly half of all vegan participants were also able to reduce their total pharmaceutical intake. This compared with about one-forth of the ADA diet participants.

There is no question that both study groups showed improvement by utilizing a diet specifically targeted to those with type 2 diabetes, however, the vegan diet showed the most overall promise as a means of reducing the need for drugs to manage the disease.

In the fall of 2008 WebMD.com issued a new report indicating a vegan diet for diabetics also contributes to less difficulties associated with cardiovascular disease. The indication seems to be that a vegan diet can help reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes among those who live with diabetes.

While veganism is typically thought of as a lifestyle choice those who have diabetes may choose to utilize a vegetable-based diet as a health care choice and not because of a dislike for meat or animal derived products.

Researchers do caution that those who are diabetic may require an extra boost of calcium along with vitamins D and E. The truth is neither the ADA nor the vegan diet did an adequate job of providing recommended quantities of these vitamins. A physician should be consulted to determine the needed supplemental intake for each individual.

These findings are especially important to those who want to manage their health as drug-free as possible.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine even suggest that under certain conditions it may be possible to reverse the effects of diabetes using a well defined vegan diet. As with all parties they curb their excitement by indicating more research is needed.

It is believed that part of the success of a vegan diet is in the fact that it should contain only unrefined fruit and vegetables that will be high in fiber and low in fat. This diet will see zero cholesterol, 80% complex carbohydrates and 10% total fat content.

One element that seemed to contribute to the success of the diet was when family members voluntarily adopted the same diet in support of their loved one who had type 2 diabetes.

It is also interesting to note that other health issues seemed to abate for those who were on a vegan diet. For instance some who suffered from asthma found symptoms decreased the longer they were on the diet.

As of this writing there have been no recommended changes in the ADA dietary guidelines, but continuing research would seem to indicate that apart from the ADA diet there may be another plan that may also serve diabetics well in their long-term health management plans.