Last year, I joined Weight Watchers. I stopped the "carb counting" and started following the Weight Watchers Freestyle eating plan. On weight watchers you track all your food. There is an app for your phone so it's very easy. Foods are given "points". Fruit and Vegetables are zero points. On the new plan chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, eggs and a few other things are now also free. I pretty much gave up red meat with the exception of lamb. We eat out regularly and most restaurant points are on the app. You can choose your entree by points and it's surprising what the points are. Some salads in restaurants are higher in points than a chicken burger! If I have the extra points, I savor a glass of wine. I eat whatever I want but stay within my point range. By last September, I lost another 10% of my weight and when I had my blood checked it was normal. I had it checked again today, and my sugar count is again normal. I am elated!
I've seen what diabetes does first hand. Cec's first cousin Donald Neibrandt was diagnosed a few years ago. His diabetes is bad and in September his left leg was amputated! He was in the hospital for over four months and has just returned home. Diabetes is a horrible disease and getting the diagnosis of prediabetes made me wake up and change my lifestyle.
Prediabetes refers to blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes (i.e. a fasting plasma glucose level of 7.0 mmol/L or higher). Nearly 50 per cent of those with prediabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. It is important to know if you have prediabetes, because research has shown that some long-term complications associated with diabetes—such as heart disease and nerve damage—may begin during prediabetes.
I found this article today on MSN:
Carrying around excess fat, especially in your middle, raises the chance you’ll become resistant to insulin, which is a major risk factor for developing diabetes. “Being overweight puts stress on your pancreas to produce enough insulin and it makes it harder for the insulin you produce to do its job,” says Halprin. When your belly is the main site of your weight gain, it means you have fat around your organs, which can also nudge you closer to the diabetes danger zone.
One smart way to trim belly fat: Eat more vegetables. “You can use the ‘plate’ method, where half your plate is filled with vegetables, a fourth is protein, and a fourth is a whole-grain starch,” says Halprin. Prediabetes is usually symptom-less, but in some people it may show itself through milder versions of symptoms that are associated with diabetes, like feeling thirsty or needing to pee more often. Another red flag is skin changes, like discoloration or skin tags.
Sweet treats may taste good, but overdoing them puts you at risk for prediabetes. While limiting candy is a start, refined carbohydrates such as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes can mess with your weight and sugar levels, too, says Halprin. Limit simple carbs and sweets and make complex carbs (like whole grains), proteins, and veggies your staples.
Regular physical activity helps your body use insulin more efficiently, says Halprin. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight, which, in turn, decreases your risk of prediabetes and diabetes. If you’re used to a sedentary lifestyle, start small with a 10-minute walk three times a day. Once you’ve found your groove (and after checking in with your doctor), kick things up a notch until you’re a regular mover and shaker. Ideally, you should aim to log at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
Women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy don't exactly go back to "normal" after their babies are born. Even if your blood sugar level is OK at your postpartum checkup, you still have an increased risk of prediabetes and diabetes later in life. Ditto if you had a baby who weighed over nine pounds at birth.
Your family history and ethnicity matter, too. If diabetes is in your family tree—especially if you’re African American, Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander American—you’re more likely to end up with prediabetes.
When you don’t get good shut-eye, your body can get out of whack fast. Bad sleep can make you gain weight, which raises your prediabetes risk. Sleep disorders, like obstructive sleep apnea, can wreak havoc on blood sugar, too, says Lee.
Talk to your doctor if you’re struggling with snoozing. Treating your sleep problems might help keep you out of the diabetes danger zone.
Prediabetes refers to blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes (i.e. a fasting plasma glucose level of 7.0 mmol/L or higher). Nearly 50 per cent of those with prediabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. It is important to know if you have prediabetes, because research has shown that some long-term complications associated with diabetes—such as heart disease and nerve damage—may begin during prediabetes.
I found this article today on MSN:
Carrying around excess fat, especially in your middle, raises the chance you’ll become resistant to insulin, which is a major risk factor for developing diabetes. “Being overweight puts stress on your pancreas to produce enough insulin and it makes it harder for the insulin you produce to do its job,” says Halprin. When your belly is the main site of your weight gain, it means you have fat around your organs, which can also nudge you closer to the diabetes danger zone.
One smart way to trim belly fat: Eat more vegetables. “You can use the ‘plate’ method, where half your plate is filled with vegetables, a fourth is protein, and a fourth is a whole-grain starch,” says Halprin. Prediabetes is usually symptom-less, but in some people it may show itself through milder versions of symptoms that are associated with diabetes, like feeling thirsty or needing to pee more often. Another red flag is skin changes, like discoloration or skin tags.
Sweet treats may taste good, but overdoing them puts you at risk for prediabetes. While limiting candy is a start, refined carbohydrates such as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes can mess with your weight and sugar levels, too, says Halprin. Limit simple carbs and sweets and make complex carbs (like whole grains), proteins, and veggies your staples.
Regular physical activity helps your body use insulin more efficiently, says Halprin. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight, which, in turn, decreases your risk of prediabetes and diabetes. If you’re used to a sedentary lifestyle, start small with a 10-minute walk three times a day. Once you’ve found your groove (and after checking in with your doctor), kick things up a notch until you’re a regular mover and shaker. Ideally, you should aim to log at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
Women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy don't exactly go back to "normal" after their babies are born. Even if your blood sugar level is OK at your postpartum checkup, you still have an increased risk of prediabetes and diabetes later in life. Ditto if you had a baby who weighed over nine pounds at birth.
Your family history and ethnicity matter, too. If diabetes is in your family tree—especially if you’re African American, Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander American—you’re more likely to end up with prediabetes.
When you don’t get good shut-eye, your body can get out of whack fast. Bad sleep can make you gain weight, which raises your prediabetes risk. Sleep disorders, like obstructive sleep apnea, can wreak havoc on blood sugar, too, says Lee.
Talk to your doctor if you’re struggling with snoozing. Treating your sleep problems might help keep you out of the diabetes danger zone.
PS: As I am typing this I got an email from Pat. Steve, Pat's husband and my second cousin said "cheesecake and nanaimo bars are best washed down with soda pop". Isn't he funny?!!!
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