The Essential Guide to Vitamins, Minerals and Herbal Supplements

Your body needs a certain amount of essential vitamins and minerals to function properly.

There are specific vitamins, minerals, and all-natural supplements that can help you lose weight.

Vitamins and minerals act as catalysts, speeding up reactions which can result in weight loss.

Many of the vitamins which support metabolism and weight loss are water-soluble.

This means that they are not stored in great quantities in the body.

Therefore, to get the greatest benefit of vitamins for weight loss, you must be sure to eat a daily balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

With minerals, it may take your body some time before you begin to see results.

It is essential to follow the suggested usage guidelines for vitamin and mineral supplements.

The temptation may be that more is better for weight loss and health.

However, large amounts of any nutrient can potentially cause negative health impacts.

In addition, some vitamins and minerals may have adverse drug interactions.

Consult your doctor before adding any nutritional supplement to your diet.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Tree Of Life Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother – Raw & Unfiltered 1 Litre

This has long been associated with weight loss, and is said to help you feel more full when you drink it, therefore allowing you to eat less, or have fewer cravings.

It’s definitely all natural because it’s made from pressed apples. When taken in small amounts there are few side effects linked to it.

You  don’t need to drink copious amounts of it to feel fuller and see the benefits.

For more great Health and Nutrition Tips refer to the website positivehealthwellness.com.

B Vitamins 

There are plenty of ways that these vitamins help the body in all of its processes, and a lack of them will not help your weight loss efforts.

The B vitamins are essential for metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates.

Vitamin B12 aids in red blood cell formation.

Red blood cells deliver oxygen to the body.

If you exercise to lose weight, you can increase your body’s efficiency in producing energy.

Vitamin B2 helps the body use oxygen more efficiently.

B Vitamins are excellent for keeping your body in top condition as they help with nerve and muscle function.

B Vitamins are great for the skin and hair as it keeps them moisturised,it is also good for producing collagen which keeps the skin young and fresh!

People who are in a low mood should take B vitamins as they are great for boosting your mood!

If  you are tired and irritable a dose of vitamin B gives you a boost of energy!

For More Great Health Care Tips refer to the Website 16best.net

Chia 

Organic Chia Seeds (1 Kilogram) | Highest Quality Available | Certified Organic by the Soil Association | By MySuperfoods

Chia seeds have high levels of Omega-3.

It provides a non-fish oil way of introducing more omega-3 into the body, and also contains healthy amounts of alpha-Linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that is often added to healthy diets.

Chia seeds are pretty easy to incorporate into your diet, since they don’t have a distinctive flavour and aren’t like a typical seed that you have to crunch up, you can basically sprinkle them on anything you want and enjoy the benefits they bring.

Choline 

Cauliflower Cookbook: Top 50 Most Delicious Cauliflower Recipes (Superfood Recipes Book 17)

It’s possible to have a choline deficiency, so this is one nutrient that you want to make sure you’re getting enough of.

Natural sources of choline include cauliflower and other veggies in the cruciferous family like broccoli and cabbage.

Eggs are also good sources!

You can also get it in supplement form, although it’s always best to get it through food so that your body processes it naturally and can easily get rid of what it doesn’t need.

It also increases brain and memory function!

It is also good for the heart and immune system!

Chromium Picolinate

This compound  helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which in turn reduces cravings, that can lead to weight loss.

Stabilized blood sugar levels means more energy throughout the day, and less high and low blood sugar levels!

And reduced cravings mean that you’ll feel less deprived when on a diet, and more satisfied overall with the foods you’re eating.

It’s meant to act as an aid in weight loss, not to cause you to drop pounds on its own.

Coconut Oil

Organic Raw Virgin Coconut Oil 500ml

Coconut oil for weight loss is the best fat to choose, due to the healthy medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCTs) that boost metabolism for immediate energy.

As a bonus, the MCTs in coconut oil don’t end up as stored body fat like longer chain fatty acids sometimes can.

Countries that consume high amounts of coconut and coconut oil in their diets such as the Philippines, India, and the Pacific Islands have significantly fewer cases of heart disease and obesity .

Coconut oil naturally solidifies at 76F.

You can simply eat the coconut oil and let it liquify in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing.

Twenty minutes before mealtime is the best time to take your coconut oil as it will significantly reduce appetite and help you to feel full more quickly and be satisfied with smaller portions.

 

Coenzyme Q10

CoQ10 or Coenzyme Q10 is a chemical compound made naturally in our bodies, it has extremely powerful antioxidant, anti inflammatory and anti aging qualities.

Ubiquinol CoQ10 and Weight Loss go hand in hand due to CoQ10’s integral role in the production of energy.

As an addition to your weight loss routine or diet regimen, CoQ10 may be just the extra boost you need to achieve substantial, long term weight loss benefits.

By increasing energy production CoQ10 is quite literally increasing your energy, allowing for increased stamina when working out and less of a chance you will become out of breath when climbing a flight of stairs.

Add this super enzyme to your daily routine and it will aid in weight loss.

The best foods that have this enzyme are all fruits and vegetables especially those with a low glycemic index!

For more information on a glycemic index diet click here!

Green Tea Extract 

You’ve probably heard a lot about the benefits of drinking green tea, mostly for its antioxidants.

But recently green tea extract has been making the news as an effective weight loss supplement for its ability to increase your metabolism.

And since its derived from green tea there are few instances of adverse reactions, and it has been shown to have anti-cancer properties and other positive qualities.

Green tea is a powerful weight loss supplement especially when taken with citrus fruits such as lemon and jasmine!

I like herbal teas a lot especially peppermint tea which aids digestion and helps the heart!

What is your favourite herbal tea and why?

Herbal teas are really lovely but I also enjoy a cup of black English tea especially with a digestive biscuit and a hobnob biscuit!

I am interested in finding out what type of different teas people drink all over the world what is the most popular tea to drink in your country?

Iodine 

Lugols Iodine – a 12% Solution 30ml

Iodine helps with the thyroid gland, which in turn helps to regulate how your body functions and therefore helps with weight loss!

If your thyroid is not working properly your metabolism slows down therefore it is a lot more difficult to lose weight!

Your thyroid needs certain levels of iodine in order to do its job, so a deficiency in this area will lead to poor performance.

 L-Carnitine 

Aside from assisting in weight loss, this has a lot of benefits as an antioxidant and is a great addition to a healthy lifestyle and overall well-being.

It will help you to lose weight along with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise!

It’s been shown to help maintain energy levels, increase your muscle mass which leads to a healthy strong body!

The body does not produce L-Carnitine on it’s own so you need to get it from eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables!

For more information on a healthy diet look at the following post on a plant based diet!

Omega-3 

High Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg (360 Capsules)

This fatty acid is the most widely known.

The reason they’re focused on so heavily is that the body doesn’t produce it, but it’s needed in order to have a proper metabolism.

Fish oil is the most commonly recommended way to supplement this.

The benefits of supplementing omega-3 are wide and varying, they include an improvement in heart health, increased metabolism, and overall anti-inflammatory effects in the body.

All types of fish contain omega-3 especially oily fish such as mackerel and sardines!

Vitamin C

Getting a daily dose of vitamin C not only helps your body function properly, but it could aid in effective weight loss.

In fact, people who are deficient in vitamin C may have a harder time losing weight.

The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is 90 milligrams daily for men and 75 milligrams per day for women.

These amounts should be treated as minimum daily requirements.

Vitamin C-rich foods include red peppers containing 95 milligrams in 1/2 cup, orange juice providing 93 milligrams on each 3/4-cup portion, a medium orange has 70 milligrams and one medium grapefruit supplying 64 milligrams of vitamin C.

More vitamin C isn’t always better, especially when you’re trying to shed pounds.

Vitamin C helps to prevent scurvy and is good for the digestion system!

Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most commonly unrecognized medical conditions and that deficiency negatively affects your body.

It’s more than just a vitamin,it’s also a hormone, one that plays a role in a remarkable range of body processes.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.

People trying to lose weight or who are overweight should get their vitamin D levels checked.

Difficulty losing weight can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency.

If you are deficient, a doctor may give you up to 10,000 international units to help normalize your levels.

The best way to naturally increase your vitamin D level is to get outside.

Just thirty minutes of direct sunlight can give you all the vitamin D you need!

People think that a lot of  vitamin D is bad for them but this is not true!

What is true is that people need as much vitamin D as possible especially from fruits and vegetables!

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient, providing support for a number of processes and functions.

It is also an antioxidant, that protects your body’s cells from damage from free radicals.

As a vital nutrient for healthy bone formation, vitamin E can also be useful for weight loss.

The recommended daily amount of vitamin E is 15 milligrams for adults.

Vitamin E works with vitamin K to produce red blood cells .

Because of its role in red blood cell formation vitamin E could potentially improve your overall physical fitness performance.

Vitamin E is beneficial as part of a weight loss regimen.

Improved bone formation can help facilitate a healthy weight for both adults and children!

Vitamin E can be found in a number of foods, including dark, leafy greens, nuts and avocados.

Animal sources of vitamin E include eggs .

Low levels of vitamin E can lead to a number of complications, including arthritis, depression and preeclampsia in women.

Symptoms of vitamin E deficiency include weak muscles, muscle loss and blurry vision or eye problems.

In prolonged cases, deficient levels of vitamin E can lead to kidney and liver complications.

It is better to eat food that contains vitamin E instead of taking supplements!

Chromium

Chromium is one of the top minerals that help you lose weight.

It stablises your blood sugar levels and helps fight cravings for carbohydrate-dense foods and sugar-filled snacks .

Chromium is an essential mineral for weight loss as it is excellent at looking after your health especially your emotional health such as lifting your mood and making you feel happy!

Chromium is present in the body already so there is no need to get it from outside sources!

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is important for the nervous system, blood sugar, blood pressure, bones and digestive tract.

Magnesium is responsible for some chemical reactions in the body.

Magnesium is the miracle mineral due to its ability to help you sleep, reduce anxiety, get rid of headaches, lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, balance hormones and so much more.

It can help relieve sore muscles after exercising , improve your energy levels and relax your gastrointestinal tract which is the first thing to be upset when you are stressed.

The natural sources of magnesium are fruits and vegetables!

Zinc

Most of us think of the flu or colds when we think of this powerful mineral as it is good for relieving flu like symptoms!

What most don’t know is that zinc promotes hormonal balance in the body, especially testosterone.

It is important for women nearing menopause when their body produces less hormones.

For more information on the menopause and diabetes click here!

Zinc also helps and assists with enzyme regulation.

It helps keep your immune system working efficiently.

By balancing your mood and increasing your libido, zinc intake can lead to weight loss.

Calcium

Calcium is important for weight loss and calms your nerves.

Calcium is vital for bone maintenance in the body and you need a stong skeletal system for a healthy metabolism.

Calcium is present in dairy products especially milk and also in all fruits and vegetables!

Potassium

Potassium is a powerful mineral we all need to be consuming, but is also very important for weight management.

Potassium is what keeps you from being bloated and aids in proper muscle contraction.

Potassium is present in all fruit and vegetables especially colourful fruits such as oranges,mangos and grapes!

It is also present in colourful vegetables such as tomatoes!

For more great Health and Nutrition Tips refer to the websitePositivehealthwellness.com

Nothing replaces a healthy diet and regular exercise!

When the body is getting the right foods, and is getting daily exercise, even if it’s just a 30 minute walk it is the best way to lose weight!

For more great information on how to lose weight with diabetes refer to the following articles that one of our readers recommended!

Understanding Excess Weight and its Role in Type 2 Diabetes

The data are in: Eat right, reduce your risk of diabetes

Losing Weight with Type 1 Diabetes

 

If you have any information,questions, or feedback you would like to include in this post.

Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.

Low GI Life Plan

The glycemic diet is formed from the glycemic index (GI).

If you’re not diabetic or have normal blood-sugar numbers, you may be unfamiliar with the glycemic index.

For those of us who have to constantly measure or be vigilant with our blood-sugar levels, the glycemic index is an important tool.

The glycemic index was created in the 1980s to help people manage and prevent diabetes.

It ranks food based on the amount of time it takes glucose to get into the bloodstream.

Those foods which release glucose rapidly have a higher GI; those that release glucose more gradually generally have a lower GI.

Lower GI scores are better because foods that release glucose quickly can cause spikes in blood-sugar.

This diet contains a mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

It focuses on carbohydrates that are lower on the glycemic scale.

The diet is built upon the belief that too many carbohydrates from the wrong sources can cause the body to produce too much insulin.

Excess insulin can cause side effects like  low energy levels and  hunger.

On this diet, 40 percent of your total calories come from unrefined carbs like whole-grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Thirty percent of your calories will come from lean protein sources like fish and eggs.

The remaining 30 percent of your diet will consist of healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and nuts.

The goal of the meal plan is to include each type of food in every meal so you create balance and prevent wild swings in blood sugar levels.

This diet is proven to be an effective way to lose weight in the long term.

No, it doesn’t promise rapid weight loss like some diet plans.

Yet, precisely because you don’t remove any food groups and maintain a good ratio for each, you can expect the weight to stay off.

Researchers have found that those who ate foods that had a high glycemic load (which includes refined grains, starches, and sugars) gained more weight than those who ate foods with a low glycemic load (foods such as nuts, dairy, and certain fruits and vegetables).

Other research has shown that going lower on the glycemic index (GI) scale will help you lose weight.

Researchers found that the best diets for weight loss were high in protein-rich foods like fish, nuts, and yogurt, which helped prevent weight gain.

Avoiding refined grains, starches, and sugars further helped, as did replacing all meat consumption with other protein-rich foods like fish,eggs and cheese.

The glycemic index diet goes beyond calories; it encourages you to look at the way foods are digested and metabolized in your body and what impact that has on your body weight and how full you feel after eating.

Use a glycemic index list as a weight-loss tool by selecting low-glycemic foods or balancing out a high-glycemic food choice with a lower-glycemic one.

Use the information in the glycemic index list below to add healthy benefits to your food choices.

GI Of Popular Foods

The Shopper’s Guide to GI Values: The Authoritative Source of Glycemic Index Values for More Than 1,200 Foods (The New Glucose Revolution Series)

Despite this slight variation the index provides a good guide to which foods you should be eating and which foods to avoid.

The goal for weight loss on the glycemic index diet is to consume mostly nutritious low-glycemix foods and incorporate medium- and high-glycemic foods rarely.

The glycemic load takes into consideration both the glycemic index of a food and the amount of carbohydrate in the portion of food eaten.

The glycemic load is calculated by multiplying the glycemic index value by the number of grams of carbohydrate, then dividing by 100.

In general, a serving of food with a glycemic load of 1—10 is considered to have a low glycemic load.

11—19 is a medium glycemic load.

and 20 or higher is a high glycemic load.

For those with diabetes, you want your diet to have GL values as low as possible.

The Glycemic Index Range is as Follows:

Low GI = 55 or less Medium GI = 56 – 69 High GI = 70 or more

Breakfast Cereal Low GI All-bran (UK/Aus) 30 All-bran (US) 50 Oat bran 50 Rolled Oats 51 Special K (UK/Aus) 54 Natural Muesli 40 Porridge 58 Medium GI Bran Buds 58 Mini Wheats 58 Nutrigrain 66 Shredded Wheat 67 Porridge Oats 63 Special K (US) 69 High GI Cornflakes 80 Sultana Bran 73 Branflakes 74 Coco Pops 77 Puffed Wheat 80 Oats in Honey Bake 77 Team 82 Total 76 Cheerios 74 Rice Krispies 82 Weetabix 74 Staples Low GI Wheat Pasta Shapes 54 New Potatoes 54 Ravioli 39 Spaghetti 32 Tortellini (Cheese) 50 Egg Fettuccini 32 Brown Rice 50 Buckwheat 51 White long grain rice 50 Pearled Barley 22 Yam 35 Sweet Potatoes 48 Instant Noodles 47 Wheat tortilla 30 Medium GI Basmati Rice 58 Couscous 61 Cornmeal 68 Taco Shells 68 Gnocchi 68 Canned Potatoes 61 Chinese (Rice) Vermicelli 58 Baked Potatoes 60 Wild Rice 57 High GI Instant White Rice 87 Glutinous Rice 86 Short Grain White Rice 83 Tapioca 70 Fresh Mashed Potatoes 73 French Fries 75 Instant Mashed Potatoes 80

Bread Low GI Soya and Linseed 36 Wholegrain Pumpernickel 46 Heavy Mixed Grain 45 Whole Wheat 49 Sourdough Rye 48 Sourdough Wheat 54 Medium GI Croissant 67 Hamburger bun 61 Pita, white 57 Wholemeal Rye 62 High GI White 71 Bagel 72 French Baguette 95 Snacks & Sweet Foods Low GI Slim-Fast meal replacement 27 Snickers Bar (high fat) 41 Nut & Seed Muesli Bar 49 Sponge Cake 46 Nutella 33 Milk Chocolate 42 Hummus 6 Peanuts 13 Walnuts 15 Cashew Nuts 25 Nuts and Raisins 21 Jam 51 Corn Chips 42 Oatmeal Crackers 55 Medium GI Ryvita 63 Digestives 59 Blueberry muffin 59 Honey 58 High GI Pretzels 83 Water Crackers 78 Rice cakes 87 Puffed Crispbread 81 Donuts 76 Scones 92 Maple flavoured syrup 68 Legumes (Beans) Low GI Kidney Beans (canned) 52 Butter Beans 36 Chick Peas 42 Haricot/Navy Beans 31 Lentils, Red 21 Lentils, Green 30  Pinto Beans 45 Blackeyed Beans 50 Yellow Split Peas 32 Medium GI Beans in Tomato Sauce 56

Vegetables Low GI Frozen Green Peas 39 Frozen Sweet Corn 47 Raw Carrots 16 Boiled Carrots 41 Eggplant/Aubergine 15 Broccoli 10 Cauliflower 15 Cabbage 10 Mushrooms 10 Tomatoes 15 Chillies 10 Lettuce 10 Green Beans 15 Red Peppers 10 Onions 10 Medium GI   Beetroot 64 High GI Pumkin 75 Parsnips 97 Fruits Low GI Cherries 22 Plums 24 Grapefruit 25 Peaches 28 Peach, canned in natural juice 30 Apples 34 Pears 41 Dried Apricots 32 Grapes 43 Coconut 45 Coconut Milk 41 Kiwi Fruit 47 Oranges 40 Strawberries 40 Prunes 29 Medium GI   Mango 60 Sultanas 56 Bananas 58 Raisins 64 Papaya 60 Figs 61 Pineapple 66 High GI Watermelon 80 Dates 103 Dairy Low GI Whole milk 31 Skimmed milk 32 Chocolate milk 42 Sweetened yoghurt 33 Artificially Sweetened Yoghurt 23 Custard 35 Soy Milk 44 Medium GI Icecream 62

 

Glycemic Load Table

By choosing low-glycemic foods, you’ll naturally eat fewer calories, feel fuller for longer, and lose weight.

When you follow a low-glycemic lifestyle, you’re not always eliminating the foods you enjoy.

If you enjoy your food choices, you’re more likely to continue with this healthier way of eating.

Strive to maintain an even carbohydrate intake at meals .

GI: How to succeed using the Glycemic Index diet (Collins Gem)

Choose foods that are higher in fiber and monounsaturated fat, enjoy seafood that contains beneficial omega-3 fatty acids more often, and decrease the amount of saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium that you consume.

Fortunately, low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains already meet these heart-healthy nutrition guidelines, so simply incorporating a variety of these low-glycemic foods into your diet each day can help protect you from heart disease.

Lettuce is a very low glycemic index food more so than any other food!

Knowing which foods to eat before, during, and after exercise based on their glycemic index level helps people maximize their energy and recovery time.

The human body digests and metabolizes low-glycemic foods slowly, thereby providing a continued amount of energy for working muscles.

Start your day with a breakfast that’s built on lower-glycemic foods to provide longer-lasting energy and wake up your brain.

Serve a low-glycemic breakfast cereal (such as rolled oats), top it with some fruit, and pour a glass of goats milk for a balanced, low-glycemic breakfast that’ll give you sustained energy throughout the morning.

Food cravings occur for many reasons, both physiological and psychological, but one core cause of food cravings is erratic blood glucose levels.

When your body’s blood glucose levels go through high spikes throughout the day, you can wind up feeling hungry hence the unwanted yet nagging food craving.

Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that are overloaded with high-glycemic foods can also send your blood glucose levels sky-high.

To keep your food cravings under control, choose low-glycemic foods for your meals and snacks,match these foods with protein and monosaturated fat sources.

Hummus Beiruti Recipe: Hummus Beiruti is a Lebanese version of Hummus that adds a copious amount of garlic, bringing a touch of spice to it. Drizzled with olive oil, this dish is mainly paired with wholegrain Pita bread.

Two food groups are generally safe to eat in greater amounts when you want to lose weight: vegetables and fruits.

These foods (particularly vegetables) contain lower calorie levels and lower glycemic loads than most other foods.

As for the calorie factor, a whole cup of raw vegetables or a half cup of cooked vegetables is, on average, a mere 25 calories. That’s a lot of food for such a small calorie amount!

On the fruit side of things, most fruits tend to have a low-glycemic load, and one small piece averages out to 60 calories. Sure, that’s not as low as the veggies, but it’s still lower than many other food groups.

Of course, you can’t pursue weight loss and health without taking a look at all the foods you consume, including your protein and fat sources.

Some examples of lean-protein sources are skinless chicken breasts, lean cuts of beef and  eggs, fish  and soy foods like tofu.

Believe it or not, fat is healthy when it’s the right kind and when you consume it in moderate amounts.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish, chia seeds, and flax seeds (among other foods) are essential for good health.

Look for unsaturated fat sources, specifically oils, seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, and avocados.

Do your best to limit saturated fats like butter and cream, and avoid trans fats like hydrogenated oils.

 

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Eating the right amounts of low-glycemic fruits and vegetables along with portion-controlled low-glycemic starches is great, but if you’re pairing those foods with excessive amounts of butter, oils, or high-fat meats, your hard work may all be for nothing. Pay attention to your portion sizes!

Low-glycemic foods can become high-glycemic foods if you eat too large of a serving.

The low-glycemic status of many foods is dependent on you consuming the right portion size, meaning if you eat more than that amount, your glycemic load will add up.

So if you eat two servings of pasta rather than one, you wind up with a higher glycemic load for that whole meal.

More food equals more calories.

Adding more calories with large portion sizes will defeat your efforts at weight loss quickly.

Whether or not your calories are coming primarily from low-glycemic foods, eating too many of them raises your insulin levels and causes you to gain weight.

Portion sizes are probably one of the biggest culprits in weight gain.

People are eating larger portion sizes than ever these days, a fact that correlates directly to the rate of weight gain in many countries.

Glycemic Index Diet Plan

The Gl Cookbook and Diet Plan: A Glycemic Load Weight-Loss Program with Over 150 Delicious Recipes

 

Eat more of the Following Carbohydrate Foods

All green vegetables including broccoli, courgettes/zucchini, green beans, kale All white vegetables including cauliflower, white cabbage, mushrooms, radishes All salad vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes Whole fruits such as apples, cherries, grapefruit, pears, plums, oranges, strawberries, peaches Pulses such as lentils, chickpeas and dried beans Seeds such as linseeds/flax, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and hemp Nuts such as almonds, brazils, walnuts, pine nuts, macadamias and peanuts Plain yoghurt High fibre, unsweetened cereals High fibre, whole grain bread * Sweet potatoes * Whole wheat pasta * Brown basmati rice, buckwheat grains, quinoa, bulgur wheat, pearl barley *

* whole grains, starchy vegetables and some fruits are in between on the GI scale – treat them cautiously until you know you can include them in your diet and still lose weight

Cut out or Severely restrict the Following Carbohydrate Foods

Starchy vegetables such as parsnips Fruit yogurts and desserts high in sugar such as imitation mousse Fruit juices White bread, baguettes, bagels Cream crackers, white rice cakes Iced cakes and pastries, filled biscuits/cookies, doughnuts Scones, crumpets, waffles Sweet pies Fruit canned in syrup Breakfast cereals containing sugar Baked and mashed potatoes, chips/fries White rice Corn and rice pasta Pizza High sugar jams/jelly Crisps/chips and other potato- and corn-based snacks Fruit drinks containing added sugar Fizzy drinks containing sugar Sweets/sugar candy and chocolate bars/chocolate candy Thickened soups Table sugar Ice cream containing glucose syrup or high levels of other sugars

Swap these higher GI foods…	… for these lower GI foods
Refined sugary cereal	Old-fashioned oatmeal porridge
Cornflakes or rice krispies	All bran or muesli
White bread sandwich	Whole grain / granary bread sandwich
Baked potato	Basmati rice, wholegrain rice or sweet potato
White rice	Basmati rice or wholegrain rice
Biscuits/cookies	Small handful of nuts, or raw vegetable sticks
Cola or other regular fizzy drink	Caffeine free herbal tea (or better still, water)
Sweets/sugar candy	Apple or pear or other low GI fruit
Fruit-filled chocolate bar	Plain dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa solids)
Jam/jelly or marmalade on toast	Egg on toast
Curry with rice	Curry with chickpeas or lentils
Rice cakes	Oatcakes
Pretzels	Walnuts

Follow a meal plan that is tailored to a healthy lifestyle and helps achieve goals for stable blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight management.

For more great Health and Nutrition Tips refer to the website positivehealthwellness.com.

If you have any information,questions, or feedback you would like to include in this post.

Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.

The Essential Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book: A Quick Start Guide To Cooking On The Blood Sugar Diet! Lose Weight And Rebalance Your Body PLUS Over 80 Delicious Low Carb Recipes

Learning how to regulate your blood sugar is really crucial in losing weight.

So the way your body normally regulates blood sugar, is your body always has to have a certain amount of sugar in your bloodstream at all times to provide energy for your brain and for your muscles and for your liver, and just for basic functioning.

If you have too much sugar in your bloodstream, it’s going to cause problems.

It can cause nerve damage ,eye damage,kidney and heart problems so it is extremely detrimental.

And if you have too little sugar in your blood, it’s going to make you tired and you’re not going to have enough energy for your brain.

So your body always has to keep a certain amount of sugar in your bloodstream at all times, not too much, and not too little.

 

A well-balanced blood sugar level is crucial to your overall fitness and well-being, regulating your hormones, triggering your body to burn stored fat, and increasing your metabolism to help you lose weight.

Unfortunately, most people’s blood sugar is not properly balanced.

If you’re getting too much glucose, it leads to high blood-sugar levels, which your body can’t break down and stores as fat.

Ironically, not getting enough sugar can also lead to putting on extra pounds!

Eating too little glucose can lead to a low blood sugar level, causing your body to go into “starvation mode” where it burns your lean muscle instead of the fat.

When we eat, our body converts carbohydrates into blood sugar (glucose), our main source of energy. Blood sugar levels can affect how hungry and energetic we feel.

Glucose also determines whether we burn fat or store it.

To understand diabetes, you should first understand how your body handles glucose, the sugar that fuels your metabolism.

After you eat, your digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates into simple sugars that are small enough to be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Glucose is far and away the most important of these sugars, and it’s an indispensable source of energy for your body’s cells.

But to provide that energy, it must travel from your blood into your cells.

Insulin is the hormone that unlocks the door to your cells.

When your blood glucose levels rise after a meal, the beta cells of your pancreas spring into action, pouring insulin into your blood.

If you produce enough insulin and your cells respond normally, your blood sugar level drops as glucose enters the cells, where it is burned for energy or stored for future use in your liver as glycogen.

Insulin also helps your body turn amino acids into proteins and fatty acids into body fat.

The net effect is to allow your body to turn food into energy and to store excess energy to keep your engine running if fuel becomes scarce in the future.

Diabetes is a single name for a group of disorders.

All forms of the disease develop when the pancreas is unable to supply enough insulin to meet the body’s needs.

In some cases, the problem is a low supply, in others, the body resists the insulin it has, and in still others, it’s both a low supply and insulin resistance.

The initial assessment of people with diabetes should include the following measurements: height, weight, calculation of BMI (kg/m2)  and waist circumference (WC) to assess the degree of abdominal obesity.

If you adopt a diabetes diet you may  find yourself losing some weight, because high blood sugars make us more insulin resistant and that causes weight gain.

But there’s another reason why diabetes diets can help you lose weight , when you flatten out your blood sugar after meals, you eliminate the overwhelming hunger that comes with blood sugars that go very high and then drift back down.

When you aren’t starving all the time, losing weight is a lot easier.

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It is the carbohydrates you eat that raise your blood sugar. If you cut back on carbohydrates, your blood sugar will come down. It’s that simple.

Use your blood sugar meter after each meal  to determine how many grams of carbs you can eat and still meet a healthy blood sugar target.

Start out by measuring your blood sugar one and two hours after each meal. Write down what you ate and observe what it did to your blood sugar.

If a meal allows you to reach your blood sugar targets, try eating it again on a different day and test it test again, possibly at a later time, to make sure that your good numbers weren’t just a result of slow digestion.

If you end up too high after a meal, the next time you eat it, cut back on the portion size of the carbohydrate-bearing foods in the meal and test again.

Do this until you can hit your targets, or flag the carbohydrate-containing foods in that meal as ones your body can’t handle and replace it with something else.

How much carbohydrate you can manage depends your body size and muscle mass as well as on how damaged your beta cells are.

The more you weigh or the more muscle you have, the less each gram of carbohydrate you eat will raise your blood sugar.

You must learn how many grams of carbohydrate are in normal portions of the foods you eat.

The best way to learn how many grams of carbohydrates are in the different foods you eat is to read food labels carefully.

When you estimate how many grams of carbohydrate there are in a portion of food, it is very important to find out if the amount of food on your plate corresponds to the amount in the “one serving” listed on a label,or in a cookbook.

The best way to do this is to invest in an electronic food scale and to weigh your foods for a few weeks until you get the hang of estimating portion size.

This may sound like a lot of work, and when you first start, it is.

But after you do it for a few weeks you’ll find you have memorized the carbohydrate gram counts and the portion sizes for the foods you usually eat.

Foods with a lot of fat in them take longer to digest than those without a lot of fat. This is why pizza and ice cream often give deceptively good readings on your meter.

If you test a meal and see a reading that is too good to be true, be sure you test at 3 or four hours after eating.

Come up with new recipes and finding new, delicious and healthy foods you can substitute for old, high carb standards.

As you learn what foods raise your blood sugar and what foods don’t, you will almost certainly find that there are a lot of foods you used to love that don’t work for you anymore.

If your dietitian tells you a food is good for you, but your meter tells you it is raising your blood sugar to a level that is high enough to cause complications, you will have to listen to your meter.

Your meter will tell you what is safe to eat and while you are learning how to get your blood sugar under control and how to bring those high blood sugars down to normal levels you will have to accept that you can only eat those foods that don’t cause spikes.

INFOGRAPHIC – Calculating Protein Intake for Weight Loss And Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

While the exact cause of Type 2 diabetes is still not fully understood, it is known that being overweight or obese (having a body mass index – BMI – of 30 or greater) has a significant impact.

In fact, recent research suggests that obese people are up to 80 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with a BMI of less than 22.

So losing weight and bringing your BMI below this value is one of the most important, and controllable, ways to reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes. And according to research, simply optimizing your protein intake can help you achieve rapid weight loss results – even with light-to-moderate exercising.

Thanks to Thinner You Centers, the following infographic on protein for weight loss contains science-based information about the effects of protein intake on body composition, and how to calculate your optimal protein intake for maximum weight loss potential!

Click here to view  YOUR SECRET WEAPON WEIGHT LOSS INFOGRAPHIC!

For more great Health and Nutrition Tips refer to the website positivehealthwellness.com.

 

If you have any information,questions, or feedback you would like to include in this post.

Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.

Diabetes What To Eat and How To Lose Weight: Foods, Tips and 7 Day Diet

Obesity is a serious worldwide problem and is associated with the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Obesity combined with a genetic predisposition are high risk factors for type 2 diabetes to develop.

Today, more than 1.1 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and 312 million of them are obese.

 

In the past 20 years, the rates of obesity have tripled in developing countries that have adopted a Western lifestyle, with the Middle East, Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, India, and China facing the greatest increase.

Consequently, the number of people with diabetes in these countries is expected to increase from 84 million in 2000 to 228 million by 2030.

Thus, preventing obesity is a high priority for the prevention of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes and you’re overweight, you should get started as soon as possible on a weight loss plan.

It is important to work with a registered dietitian to help you figure out a plan that will work for you—a healthy meal plan, physical activity, and realistic goals will help you reach a healthy weight.

As you may already know, losing weight can be a challenge, but don’t let that stop you. Do whatever you need to in order to stay motivated.

It is the amount of calories we eat that contributes to weight gain.

Make small changes. Learn portion sizes and reduce the amount of snacks in your day to reduce the total amount of calories you consume each day.

It’s no secret that losing weight and keeping it off isn’t easy. But it is possible, and the benefits for those with diabetes are great.

1.Weight Loss and Glucose Control

The Essential Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book: A Quick Start Guide To Cooking On The Blood Sugar Diet! Lose Weight And Rebalance Your Body PLUS Over 80 Delicious Low Carb Recipes

Learning how to regulate your blood sugar is really crucial in losing weight.

So the way your body normally regulates blood sugar, is your body always has to have a certain amount of sugar in your bloodstream at all times to provide energy for your brain and for your muscles and for your liver, and just for basic functioning.

If you have too much sugar in your bloodstream, it’s going to cause problems.

It can cause nerve damage ,eye damage,kidney and heart problems so it is extremely detrimental.

And if you have too little sugar in your blood, it’s going to make you tired and you’re not going to have enough energy for your brain.

So your body always has to keep a certain amount of sugar in your bloodstream at all times, not too much, and not too little.

Click Here For More Information

 

2.Glycemic Index Diet

Low GI Life Plan

The glycemic diet is formed from the glycemic index (GI).

If you’re not diabetic or have normal blood-sugar numbers, you may be unfamiliar with the glycemic index.

For those of us who have to constantly measure or be vigilant with our blood-sugar levels, the glycemic index is an important tool.

The glycemic index was created in the 1980s to help people manage and prevent diabetes.

It ranks food based on the amount of time it takes glucose to get into the bloodstream.

Those foods which release glucose rapidly have a higher GI; those that release glucose more gradually generally have a lower GI.

Lower GI scores are better because foods that release glucose quickly can cause spikes in blood-sugar.

This diet contains a mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

It focuses on carbohydrates that are lower on the glycemic scale.

The diet is built upon the belief that too many carbohydrates from the wrong sources can cause the body to produce too much insulin.

Excess insulin can cause side effects like dizziness, low energy levels, and intense hunger.

On this diet, 40 percent of your total calories come from unrefined carbs like whole-grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Thirty percent of your calories will come from lean protein sources like chicken, beef, and eggs.

The remaining 30 percent of your diet will consist of healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and nuts.

The goal of the meal plan is to include each type of food in every meal so you create balance and prevent wild swings in blood sugar levels.

 

This diet is proven to be an effective way to lose weight in the long term.

No, it doesn’t promise rapid weight loss like some diet plans.

Yet, precisely because you don’t remove any food groups and maintain a good ratio for each, you can expect the weight to stay off.

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3.Vitamins, Minerals And Natural Supplements That Help Lose Weight

The Essential Guide to Vitamins, Minerals and Herbal Supplements

Your body needs a certain amount of essential vitamins and minerals to function properly.

Taking vitamin and mineral supplements in addition to a balanced daily diet can give your body the nutritional support it needs for optimal metabolism.

There are specific vitamins, minerals, and all-natural supplements that can help you lose weight.

Click Here For More Information

 

4.Diabetes Medications

Losing Weight with Your Diabetes Medication: How Byetta and Other Drugs Can Help You Lose More Weight Than You Ever Thought Possible (Marlowe Diabetes Library)

If you have any information,questions, or feedback you would like to include in this post.

Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.