Understanding Blood Sugar in Non-Diabetics--- How can this help me?

Disclaimer:  If you have concerns about your blood sugar, please see a health care professional!  Problems with blood sugar can be a very serious disease.

Can you have high or low blood sugar and not have diabetes?  Yes you can and understanding why and what to do about it can help you feel better.

Normal blood sugar is between 70mg and 110 mg per dl.  It can be tested with a simple home test and prick of your finger, or your doctor's office can test it for you. 

How you eat effects your blood sugar.  A high carbohydrate meal can cause sudden increase in blood sugar.  Carbohydrates eaten with protein and fats cause a more moderate effect on blood sugar and help your body keep your blood sugar at a more even level for a longer period of time.  Your blood sugar could also be high because of stress.

Check out this video with Doctor's advice on Blood Sugar Health:

http://www.livestrong.com/video/1658-blood-sugar-health-byte/

Do you ever forget to eat?  What happens when your blood sugar goes too low? You may feel weak and dizzy. You may get a dull throbbing headache.  When you eat something, these symptoms quickly go away. This can happen to anyone.


Hypoglycemia is a slightly different story.  People with hypoglycemia may  overproduce insulin when they eat carbohydrates.  Abnormal hormone levels can also cause hypoglycemia. Symptoms of hypoglycemia are lightheadedness, weakness, throbbing headache, sweating, and from personal experience of dealing with people with hypoglycemia, it can also cause irritability. "If your blood sugar dips low enough you can even lose consciousness."
http://www.painaction.com/members/article.aspx?id=398&gclid=CJG4x9W8yagCFUOo4AodOW

Eating a moderate amount of carbohydrates in combination with fats and protein can help treat hypoglycemia.

Symptoms of diabetes may be different from hypoglycemia.  Symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, increased thirst, increased appetite, weight loss and fatigue.

So what does this mean for me? Eating meals or snacks with protein, carbohydrates, and fats can help your body regulate your blood sugar more easily and it can help you feel fuller longer.  Eating this combination of foods doesn't as easily cause spikes in blood sugar, or crashes either, as compared to a simple carbohydrate only meal. An example snack might be:  cheese and crackers or peanut butter and celery.  A good meal choice might be a sandwich with meat, vegetables, whole grain bread, and hummus or chicken noodle soup.

Happy eating!

References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/270969-what-regulates-blood-sugar-levels/#ixzz1LCYJ9rno

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_symptoms_of_high_or_low_blood_sugar#ixzz1LCo49GJd

http://www.painaction.com/members/article.aspx?id=398&gclid=CJG4x9W8yagCFUOo4AodOW

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_have_high_blood_sugar_but_not_have_diabetes

Fiber---does more than keeps things moving :-)

http://www.diabetes-watch-blog.com/blogs/permalinks/3-2009/those-diabetics-high-fiber-diets.html

FIBER

What's up with that?  Here are some things you should know:

What are some of the health advantages of lots of fiber in your diet?

*It can help prevent and relieve constipation.
*It can help lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease.
*Lowers blood cholesterol levels.
*Helps control blood sugar levels. (It helps make food slower to digest, so you don't have as dramatic swings in blood sugar.  More about blood sugar next week.)
*Aids in weight loss.  High fiber foods are less calorie dense, so we eat less calories for the same volume of food. They make us feel full longer.


What is the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber?


Fiber is classified by how it mixes with water.  Insoluble does not mix with water, soluble does.  Both types are necessary and to be healthy we should eat both types. Here is some info from Mayo Clinic:

• Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools. Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts and many vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber.
• Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.        http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033

How much should we get?  What are ways to get more?

It is recommended that we get 21-25 grams of fiber every day for women and 25-38 for men.  Under 50 years of age you may need the lower end amount.  Most of us don't get that much!  How can we get more? 

*Eat whole grain foods. (whole grain leaves the fiber on the grain with the added vitamins that come with it.)
*Whole fruits and vegetables, including the peel when possible.
*Legumes--- beans, peas, lentils, etc. (great source!)
*Nuts and seeds (watch the fat content)

Fiber supplements are not as good because they do not provide the vitamins and minerals that come with whole foods.  Supplements may be necessary to treat medical conditions, so talk to your doctor about them.  Some people can become dependent on them.


Limit the about of processed foods you eat.  Processing usually takes out the fiber and nutrients your body needs.  Do your body a favor and eat foods as close to the way God made them as possible.  God made them.  He knew what he was doing.  :-)

Here is an example of a high fiber diet from Livestrong.com 
(Be careful if you are not used to high fiber foods to increase your fiber gradually to minimize stomach cramping until you get used to it.)

Breakfast

A good fiber breakfast meal may include 1 cup of whole grain ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup of sliced strawberries and 1 cup of milk. Foods with 5 g of fiber or more per serving rate as high-fiber foods. Your breakfast meal should contain 5 to 10 g of fiber. Another good fiber breakfast meal includes two slices of whole-wheat toast with one slice of low-fat cheese, one container of high-fiber yogurt and a fresh orange.

Lunch

Lunch should contain about 5 to 10 g of fiber. A fiber-rich lunch meal includes 2 cups of mixed greens with grilled chicken, 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tbsp. of raisins with low-fat salad dressing, served with 10 whole-grain crackers and one medium pear. Another fiber-containing lunch meal includes 1.5 cups of cold quinoa salad made with cooked quinoa, dried craisins, green onions and slivers of almonds, served with raw carrots and a fresh apple.

Dinner

A good fiber dinner meal may include grilled salmon with 1 cup of cooked spinach, a 6 oz. baked potato with the skin and a tossed salad with low-fat salad dressing. Another good fiber dinner meal may include a bean burrito made with 1/4 cup of black bean paste spread on an 8-inch whole wheat tortilla with low-fat cheese and served with salsa and brown rice and beans. Aim for 5 to 10 g of fiber at dinner.

Snacks

Include one to two high-fiber snacks in your diet. Examples include a small piece of fresh fruit, 1/4 cup of nuts, five whole grain crackers or 3 cups of air-popped popcorn.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/352000-examples-of-a-good-fiber-diet/#ixzz1KXjnJue0

Check out the fiber content of some of these foods:

I found that at:
http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Programs-and-Services/Urology-Center/Prostate-Cancer/Nutritional-Information/Dietary-Fiber-for-Prostate-Cancer.aspx
Here is a link to a site where you can look up the fiber content in many foods:

http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html

On Wikipedia I found some example of different types of fiber, we need both:

Some plants contain significant amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber. For example plums (or prunes) have a thick skin covering a juicy pulp. The plum's skin is an example of an insoluble fiber source, whereas soluble fiber sources are inside the pulp.^[4]
Soluble fiber is found in varying quantities in all plant foods, including:

• legumes (peas, soybeans, lupins and other beans)
• oats, rye, chia, and barley
• some fruits and fruit juices (including prune juice, plums, berries, bananas, and the insides of apples and pears)
• certain vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes
• root tubers and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and onions (skins of these are sources of insoluble fiber)
• psyllium seed husk (a mucilage soluble fiber).

Sources of insoluble fiber include:

• whole grain foods
• wheat and corn bran
• nuts and seeds
• potato skins
• flax seed
• lignans
• vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, zucchini (courgette), celery, and nopal
• some fruits including avocado, and bananas
• the skins of some fruits, including tomatoes^[5]

Try a higher fiber diet! Your body will thank you and I bet you will feel better!

Get healthier today--- :~)