Nutrition

Valentine’s Day is one of the hardest holidays through which to stay on track. After all, the holiday is characterized by offering sweet things to your sweetheart…and receiving sweet things from your sweetheart. However, Diabetics, especially Type 1 Diabetics, need to be careful about accepting sugary surprises from their loved ones next week.

Obese people with diabetes can lose weight if they use plates and cereal bowls with markers for proper portion sizes, a new study has found.

Read more on this story at SAWF News. For more stories on diabetes care and other related topics, read Diabetes in the News.

What are the risk factors for Diabetes?
Risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes include older age, obesity, family history of Diabetes, prior history of Gestational Diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for Type 2 Diabetes.

Risk factors are less well defined for Type 1 Diabetes than for Type 2 Diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in developing this type of Diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes, which was previously called insulin-dependent Diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset Diabetes, may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin-dependent Diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset Diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of Diabetes. Gestational is a type of Diabetes that only pregnant women get. If not treated, it can cause problems for mothers and babies.

It is important for Diabetics to be aware of what a carbohydrate is and how it reacts within the body. In general, a carbohydrate is a unit of energy, similar to a calorie, that is derived from sugars ingested into the body.

The Glycemic Index is a measure of how fast it takes a particular food to raise your blood sugar level for up to two hours after you eat. As you probably know, not all foods have the same amount of sugar and not all sugars act the same way after they are consumed.

What Is Dietary Fiber?
Dietary fiber is an important part of our diet. It adds bulk to keep other foods moving through the digestive system, and it holds water, which in turn softens the stool for easy elimination. Dietary fiber describes the part of the plant that can't be digested. It can be divided into two types, which are essential to proper bowel function:

Food Pyramid

Good nutritional practices involve maintaining a well-balanced diet that includes whole grains, protein, dairy, vegetables, fruit and some fats. Americans are accustomed to seeing the traditional Food and Drug Administration pyramid on the box of every cereal box and FDA-approved publication. While the American food guide pyramid is by all means healthy and comprehensive, we thought it would be fun to share food guide pyramids reflecting the histories of many other ethnic beginnings, cultures and beliefs.