Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Diabetes Meal Plans

Following Diabetes Meal Plans

Appropriate diabetes meal plans can help diabetes patients control the effects of this chronic disease. To understand the relationship between diet and diabetes, a brief definition of what diabetes is may be helpful. Of course, diabetics should not make a drastic change in their diet without first consulting their physicians.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic medical condition where the patient has unusually high blood sugar levels and an erratic metabolism. The blood sugar levels may be caused either by low levels of the hormone insulin or by resistance to the effects of insulin, combined with insufficient levels of secreted insulin. Symptoms of diabetes sufferers include excessive urination, increased fluid intake, and blurred vision.

Symptoms of diabetes can be improved by exercise and by following a carefully controlled diabetes meal plan.

Daily Menu Plan

Studies have suggested that a vegan diabetes meal plan, free of all animal products, may help diabetics lose weight and control their blood sugar with less medication than diabetics who eat meat, dairy products, eggs, and other animal-based products. A plant-based diabetes meal plan provides a balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates while adding vitamins and minerals and following the basic principles of a diabetes meal plan.

Of the three major nutrients, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, carbohydrates have the greatest effect on blood sugar. Planning a consistent amount of carbohydrates is essential to a diabetes meal plan. The diabetes meal plan deals with the concept of exchanges, which standardize foods for easy meal planning.

Breakfast: For breakfast, diabetics may eat:
One fruit exchange, consisting of 60 calories or 15 grams of carbohydrate. This exchange is equivalent to one small piece of fresh fruit or ½ cup of fruit juice.
Two starch exchanges, consisting of a total of 160 calories or 30 grams of carbohydrate. An example of one starch exchange is one slice of bread, ½ cup of cooked pasta, or 1/3 cup of cooked rice.
One fat exchange, consisting of 45 calories and 0 grams of carbohydrate. An example of a fat exchange is 1 tablespoon salad dressing or 1-1/2 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise.
One milk exchange, consisting of 15 grams of carbohydrate. For vegans, the milk exchange is met with 8 ounces of soymilk, rice milk or hemp milk, containing zero grams of cholesterol.

For lunch, the recommended exchanges are two starches, two fats, one vegetable, one protein, and one milk exchange. For dinner, two proteins, one fat, one vegetable, two starches, one fruit, and one milk. A typical daily diabetes meal plan also includes three snacks, each consisting of one starch and one protein. Vegan proteins include tofu, cooked beans, and nut butters.

A vegan diabetes meal plan may be the best way to control your diabetes. Consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Cooking Spray

Counting The Many Uses for Cooking Spray

Cooking spray is a recent invention, and it is already becoming more popular than the conventional cooking oil. This is because it can cut a lot of fat and calories in cooking. However, there are more uses for cooking spray than merely what it was intended for. If you get creative, you can think of many more uses for cooking spray.

Within The Cooking Field

Cooking spray can be used to accomplish many things within the kitchen. For example, when you are grating cheese, you can put less work into it if you spray the cheese grater before you start. Not only does this make the cheese easier to grate, but it also makes clean up much faster! When you are measuring sticky ingredients like honey, try coating the inside of the measuring cup with cooking spray to make the ingredient come out more easily. If you want your vegetables to be seasoned more thoroughly, try coating them with cooking spray before you add the seasoning.

Not Just For Cooking

Cooking spray can serve many purposes in your daily life. Some uses for this handy invention are obvious, like those in the kitchen. However, others are—well, weird. Yet, if you ever encounter one of these problems, you will be happy to know that there is quick solution, even if it does involve something typically used for cooking!

Have you ever had a bug crash into the windshield of your car? After a few days, the bug debris can be difficult to remove. Cooking spray on the car helps it to wash right off! Another use is to oil bicycle chains and door hinges with. Sure, you can buy the special oil intended for this purpose, but cooking spray is less expensive and you are more likely to have it on hand.

To remove oil or paint from your hands, simply spray your hands with cooking spray and work it into your skin well. Wash your hands, and repeat as needed. This cooking tool can also be used to make fingernail polish dry more quickly, and it can be used to prevent grass from sticking to the blades of the lawn mower.

Simple Solutions

Though you might never have thought of them before, there are many uses for cooking spray. To discover them, all it takes is a little creativity. Who knows? Maybe it is the solution to your next big dilemma. Give it a try the next time you need help with a sticky situation.



Eagle Pack Dog Food

Eagle Pack Dog Food – The Food With Natural, Human Grade Ingredients

Quality of food is the first and foremost thing on the priorities list of all the dog owners in the world. Everyone who buys the readymade meals indicate that they prize quality well enough to pay for it. The Eagle Pack dog food has gained its popularity particularly on this priority – the quality it offers through its two types of dog food, i.e. the Eagle Pack Super Premium and the Eagle Pack Holistic Select.

The Eagle Pack Dog Food Reigns Supreme Over The Last Two Decades

The Eagle Pack dog food was introduced in 1980, when the Company first attempted providing quality pet food that has no harmful ingredients. The Eagle Pack dog food was the first to ever have nutritional supplements added to their ready to serve dog meals, so the animals would be assured of 100% nutritional value for an all round development.

This dog food was also the first ever to include animal (dog) specific health supplements such as probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins, minerals and digestive enzymes among others which makes it healthy. The food has also grains that have been assured to be herbicide free and there are no added hormones to any of the Eagle Pack dog food ever. How many other dog food brands can say the same about their brand of pet foods?

The brand of Eagle Pack over the last two decades became synonymous with quality and extreme care for pets. Owners who valued the health of their dogs would seek out this brand of dog food because they were reassured about the excellent quality of food that the Company provided for dogs.

Extraordinarily Positive Response To Criticism

There is more to it than the promise of quality and total dedication to provide the best there is for your pet as food, i.e. their attitude towards criticism. They might ignore praises and thank you notes from millions of dog owners across the globe who use and recommend the Eagle Pack dog food. However, they pay extremely close attention to any complaint, criticism or suggestion for improvement.

The Company is passionate about customer satisfaction and continuous development and growth both in quality and approach. This is why they are always ready to listen and tap in to the opinions of the masses – because this is the best source of inspiration. This attitude is one of the most endearing things of the Company, which more often than not is able to convert customers' loyalty for the Eagle brand forever.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Dog Supplies

Dog Supplies – Choosing a Good Dog Bed

There are a variety of dog supplies on the market and some are important and some might be a little frivolous. A comfortable, quality bed that is selected based on your dog's specific criteria will help provide him with the appropriate amount of sleep he needs to stay healthy and happy. If your dog could talk he would probably tell you to buy him a comfortable bed when you are purchasing dog supplies.

Comfort

Let's take a look at the criteria you might want to consider while choosing a bed for your dog. When people choose a dog bed one of their major priorities is finding a bed that will look cute in their house, but the comfort of your dog should be the first priority. After you select the bed based on the needs of your dog, you can go about selecting the attractive colors that match the décor in your home.

Size

When selecting a dog bed you have to consider the size of your dog, his usual sleeping habits, his behavior and any health issues he might have. Make sure the bedding provides an ample amount of cushion and is also easy to wash. Selecting a bed which provides enough surface area for your pet partially depends on the way he places his body while sleeping.

It is a good idea to measure your dog while he is in his usual sleeping position. If he sleeps in a curled up position then it is important to measure his diameter and you might want to select a round pillow bed or perhaps a nest bed. If he stretches out while taking a nap, choose a rectangular shaped pillow bed or a cushioned mat.

Dogs with Arthritis

As with other dog supplies find a bed that is resistant to chewing and doesn't have any substances that might harm your dog. If your dog sheds a lot of fur, a bed made from smooth fabrics will make it easier to remove the fur. If you have an older dog you might have already purchased dog supplies that help with his arthritis and you might consider adding an orthopedic dog bed which is typically provided with more padding than the typical dog bed. Some are made with high density foams that will provide your dog with the extra cushion that will help his arthritis.

Dogs with Fleas

If your dog has a problem with fleas, purchase a dog bed filled with cedar chips due to the chips being somewhat effective as a flea repellent. A sense of security seems to be vital for some dogs and you can provide him a little more security by providing him with a bed with raised up sides such as a lounger or a nest style bed. If your dog enjoys burrowing down in the bed, add a blanket to the bed and some pet stores that carry a large selection of dog supplies actually carry what are known as burrow beds.

Diabetes Management

Understanding Diabetes Management

With the way the world is shaping up to be, or not shaping up, is becoming a major concern for not only those in the medical profession, but for individuals who are the ones suffering from excess weight gain. Whether it was due to a poor diet, a predetermined gene, or a mixture of the two, millions of people are suffering with their weight issues everyday. And it goes beyond just how someone feels about the way they look, carrying too much weight may very well be the cause for the majority of the diabetes cases.

Those who are suffering from the onset of this disease, for whatever the reason, must become very concerned with their diabetes management, if they are not already. By paying close attention to diabetes management, one is able to control the disease and possibly even cure it for the time being. If the disease is caused by eating much much of the wrong foods, by using diabetes management, one is able to control their intake of food, drop some excess weight, and end up no longer having diabetes.

Tips For Healthy Living

With the fast passed world that we live in it can be hard to focus on healthy living but it is something that we must take time out and focus on. The convenience of fast food and already processed food that is available in our grocery stores, it is no wonder our society as a whole is getting bigger. The key is to stay away from unhealthy foods as much as possible. A good tip to remember is that the more time it takes to prepare something, the more likely it is better for you. Foods such as fast foods or most microwave dinners are things that are not healthy for proper diabetes management.

Also, in helping with diabetes management, there needs to be a lot more focus on exercise. While spending hours at a gym every week is ideal, there are other things you can do if that is not a possibility for you. The most important thing is that you keep moving. Parking your car at the end of the store parking lot and walking that little extra distance is exercise. Using the stairs instead of the elevator is also a good thing as this is something that hardly anyone ever does anymore. As long as you keep moving and make subtle changes in your diet, you are sure to have an easier time with diabetes management.

Cooking Schools

Too Cool For Cooking School

It used to be the pure passion for cooking was enough to get you started on the path to being a professional chef. Not anymore! The cooking field has become so competitive, meaning that now a degree is usually required in order to be successful. This is just one of the many reasons why cooking school is a great idea for those who desire to become professional chefs. Before you can attend cooking school, evaluate yourself to find out what you are looking for in a school—and then find a cooking school that matches your needs.

A Higher Education

There are many different cooking schools that accept aspiring chefs. However, not all of them are the same. It is important to understand your own personal criteria before applying to any culinary schools. Many cooking schools focus on one specific are of cooking. For example, some schools will focus on baking and pastries. Other schools are designed to focus on a specific cuisine—Italian, Mexican, Japanese—the list goes on and on! Identifying your goals as a chef is part of the process you will undergo before applying to culinary school.

Are You Cut Out For The School?

Culinary school is not for everyone. The professors and teachers at culinary school are usually very critical of every dish that is presented to them, expecting no less than perfection. Therefore, someone looking to attend culinary school must always strive for perfection. It is important to be able to take criticism constructively, and to admit that your dish might not be the bets.

The cooking industry in general will expect a lot of a chef; therefore, cooking school imposes similar expectations. Most chefs have to work more hours during the evenings and during weekends, because this is when the prime time is for the restaurant business. To prepare you, culinary schools will often impose similar schedules. Be prepared to make sacrifices, but also be prepared to have a lot of fun.

Worth It In The End

Like most things in life, becoming a professional chef will not come easily. You will have to make sacrifices and work very hard. However, once you have graduated from a cooking school, there are so many options available to you. A beginning chef can earn anywhere between $28,000 and $35,000 per year—and with experience, this number will surely rise. Get your degree in cooking to expand the opportunities you will have throughout your life.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Dog Food Recipes

Think Before Making Dog Food Recipes Yourself

The massive pet food recall of early 2007 scared the willies out of most pet owners. One of our worst nightmares had come true. Some responded by feeding other brands of food. Others responded by making their own dog food recipes and being chef to their dogs. The argument for making your own dog food recipes is that you have total control over what ingredients go into your dog's dinner bowl. But you might wind up only making things worse for you and your dog.

The Complexities Of Canine Nutrition

Think of how difficult it is to feed yourself a healthy diet. Scientists and nutritionists still can't decide what the best diet is for people, let alone for dogs. All animals, including dogs, have complex nutritional needs that need to be addressed. For example, your body can't make Vitamin C, so you need to eat foods that contain Vitamin C. Your dog, however, makes Vitamin C all by himself, thank you very much. So adding any Vitamin C would be a mistake.

Vets caution owners against cooking up their own dog food recipes for Fido for many reasons. The first, is that you need to be aware of the ratios of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and fats your dog needs. Secondly, this changes as the dog ages or develops any illnesses. Can you do the research and keep up with these changes and make sure your dog food recipes have exactly the right proportion of nutrients?

Practical Considerations

Another reason vets caution against pet owners cooking up their own dog food recipes is that most people are lazy and stupid. Cooking for your dog takes a lot of hard work, money for the best ingredients and dedication. Sadly, most people are not capable of this, due to natural laziness or perhaps an illness like advanced arthritis.

Commercial dog food is actually healthier for you than most people food. This is one reason why some low income and homeless people turn to pet food in order to survive. Some brands are better for you and your dog than others. And the nutrients are more or less balanced for dogs.

If you start cooking dog food recipes for your dog, get used to it and be committing to cooking meals for your dog every day of your dog's life. Once they get used to people food, they can really put up a fuss about going back to dog food.





Diabetes

Only Diabetes Information Can Show You If You Are Diabetic, And How To Deal With The Condition

It is interesting to note that besides some hugely popular things and events that shook us up in recent times, today it is diabetes that has become something of a rage, judging by the way diabetes information is hitting us so hard in this age of the Internet. In fact, whichever source you check out, you will find some pretty disturbing diabetes information that will surely send you into a bit of a tizzy trying to figure out just what you need to do about this near epidemic disease that is currently affecting as many as, it is believed, twenty million Americans and about twelve times as many people in the rest of the world.

Too Many Future Diabetics

And, an even more disturbing piece of diabetes information is that the numbers of people that are on the road to becoming diabetic will dwarf the numbers that are presently affected by diabetes. Furthermore, it is believed that as many as fifty-four million Americans are in the stage known as pre-diabetes in which blood sugar levels are higher than is considered normal, though who are not yet considered as being diabetics.

In addition, with more people enjoying the fruits of economic prosperity throughout the world, their lifestyles are changing for the worse because they eat foods that are mainly convenient to consume and not necessarily healthy and another contributory factor is the fact that they are leading more sedentary lifestyles, resulting in about a third of all Americans turning obese, which, according to diabetes information, is a leading cause for becoming diabetic.

There is also a need for people to have adequate exposure to latest diabetes information, because there are many millions of people that need to know about this disease because they may in fact could be diabetic and not even be knowing about it, and it is only through being exposed to diabetes information that they can find out whether they have symptoms of the disease and what to do about the symptoms, in case they do show up.

What is known about diabetes for sure is that it is usually caused by a person’s pancreas not being able to produce sufficient amounts of insulin, or that the person’s body cells have become insulin resistant. This in turn leads to the person having elevated levels of blood sugar which is then a warning sign of being affected by diabetes. Furthermore, you can also learn from diabetes information that diabetes is of three main kinds including Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is relevant only in the case of children; type 2 is normally associated with adults, though of late children are also becoming affected by it, while gestational diabetes is relevant only to pregnant women.

All in all, when a person comes across diabetes information, it is only then that he or she will learn how to deal with the condition, even though the disease may be at an advanced stage.

Cooking Salmon

Benefits Of Cooking Salmon

Many people today are looking to improve their health. Obviously, this has to start with how we cook and eat. For most people, their daily diet consists of a large amount of fat, sugar and sodium. With more and more processed foods becoming available, this trend will only get worse. To stay healthy, people have to make a conscious effort to change the way they eat. One of the best things you can add to your diet is fish, and salmon in particular. There are many benefits of cooking salmon.

Health Benefits

The benefits of cooking salmon are quite numerous. This article will take a look at just a few of them. You can greatly improve the quality of your health just by adding salmon to your diet a couple of times a week. Obviously, like other types of fish, salmon is extremely high in protein. In addition to this, cooking salmon will add a wide variety of other nutrients to your diet, such as amino acids, creatine, and fatty acids that your body needs.

Salmon also contains many other vitamins and minerals that are essential for maintaining good health. In a four ounce serving of salmon, you will receive about half of your daily requirements for Vitamins B3 and B12, and a full day's supply of Vitamin D. You'll also get around eighty percent of the daily requirement for the fatty acids mentioned earlier. These vitamins and minerals will not only help you keep the extra weight off, but they have many benefits for your heart as well. Another nice thing about salmon is that you get all of these benefits with a very low calorie count.

Adding Salmon To Your Diet

There are many ways you can begin cooking salmon and adding it to your diet without making major changes to your routine. The first thing you need to know is that wild salmon will benefit you far more than farmed salmon. Wild salmon can be found in many different varieties. Again, you don't have to completely scrap the way you cook now, but cooking salmon twice a week instead of some other high fat foods will be enough for you begin enjoying the benefits mentioned above.

Many people shy away from eating salmon because they are turned off by the fishy taste. This should not deter anyone from trying to work salmon into their diets. Salmon can be prepared in hundreds of different ways, which means even people who don't like the taste of most fish should be able to find a recipe that they can enjoy.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Diabetes in Children

Reducing The Occurrence Of Diabetes in Children

The incidence of obesity in children has led some to describe childhood obesity as a crisis. Unfortunately, diabetes in children is consequence of the childhood obesity crisis. The incidence of diabetes in children has multiplied threefold during the last 30 years.

Diabetes in Children – Symptoms

Diabetes in children is evidenced by these main symptoms, which may appear over the course of several weeks: thirst, weight loss, fatigue, and frequent urination. In addition, children may experience stomach pain, headaches, and behavior problems. If children complain of these symptoms, or if parents notice them, they should seek medical attention immediately and inform the doctor of their suspicions.

Diabetes in Children – Causes

As mentioned above, the childhood obesity crisis is the cause of diabetes in many children, and doctors can expect to see more and more young patients presenting with diabetic symptoms. Abdominal obesity in particular has been noted as a factor that contributes to diabetes in children.

A sedentary lifestyle exacerbates the condition, so children who get little or no physical exercise are more likely to develop diabetes than their active counterparts.

Diabetes runs in families, so a family history of diabetes also makes the incidence of diabetes in children more likely to occur. Diabetes in children is more prevalent among certain races, so children of African-American, Hispanic, and Native American descent are more likely to develop diabetes than other children.

Diabetes in Children – Prevention

Fortunately, there are strategies parents can adopt to prevent diabetes from occurring in their children. Improving a child's diet is probably the most important thing a parent can do to prevent diabetes in their children. Children should be encouraged to eat foods that are high in nutrients and low in fat and sugar. A child's diet should consist of plenty of whole grain cereals and breads, vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins. Sugar-filled beverages should be excluded.

Recent studies among adults have shown that diabetic adults benefit from a low-fat vegan diet that excludes all animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs. Many parents have found that children thrive on a low-fat vegan diet, and children, loving animals as they do, enjoy eating a diet that is low in animal products.

Another important way to prevent diabetes in children is to encourage the child to get plenty of exercise and increase the child's physical activity. Sedentary parents tend to raise sedentary children, so the best thing a parent can do is put down the remote control, get out of the recliner, and go for a walk or a bike ride with their children.

Dog Food Ratings

Use Dog Food Ratings to Determine What Is The Best For Your Dog

You have brought home a wonderful puppy which initially was just a sweet looking animal for your 10 year old son. However, within a short span of just two months or so, this puppy becomes as dear to you as your own son. Is that possible? Is it really possible for a completely rational person to set out relating to an animal only to find out that in due course of time it becomes part of his/her family?

The answer is a definite 'yes'. This is the conversion that millions of pet owners experience all over the world. Why dogs, there are people in this world who love their gold fish just as much as a person loves his son, daughter, cat, dog or ferret.

The Real Role Of Dog Food Ratings

When you realize how much your dog means to you and knowing that these animals live for only 10-15 years at best, you become desperate in your quest to make its life as good and as comfortable as it can ever be possible. The first thing anyone starts from is the dog food.

Look around you and you will see a sea of leading brands all offering "the best" dog food. How do you find out which one is the "real best" among all this dog food? Try to analyze the dog food ratings that you will find both online and offline. Before you go through these dog food ratings it would be good if you knew what exactly you should look out for so you can make your decision:

The first and most important on the checklist is the quality of ingredients that goes into the food. The dog food ratings would be able to point out how many of the ingredients are organic and how many are not; whether there are any antibiotics in it; whether there are health supplements included; whether it has adequate proportions of grains and even fruits extracts to give the dog a completely and closest to its natural type of food.

Secondly, you should watch out in the dog food ratings whether there is any mention about preservatives (these are usually very harmful chemicals), especially the BHA, the ethoxouin or the BHT as well as food coloring which has been found to be a possible trigger for fatal diseases in dogs and other pets.

Another very important factor that the dog food ratings should be able to throw a light upon is whether the food has been thoroughly tested for allergens. There are many instances where some of the ingredients – especially grains – create terrible allergies in your dog, which could sometimes end in the death of the animal.

Cooking Recipes

3 Easy yet Different Cooking Recipes for Appetizers

Cooking Recipe #1: Chick Pea and Corn Salad

Ingredients:
1 can of ready to eat chick peas or garbanzo beans
1 small packet of frozen corn
½ a can of tamarind paste (available in the Indian or ethnic foods store or section of your grocery store)
Coarsely ground red chilies
Coarsely ground and roasted cumin seeds
Salt
Finely chopped tomatoes
Finely chopped onions
Finely chopped cilantro

Method:

Drain the water and empty the chick peas in to a pan. Add the corn and tamarind water (by mixing the tamarind paste in to hot water). If the brand of tamarind you choose has seeds in it, throw them away. Add the spices and cover the pan for around 10 minutes. Let it simmer. When the corn is cooked, garnish with the veggies and serve hot or cold.

Cooking Recipe #2: Spicy Hot Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes
Lemon juice
Curry leaves
Whole red chilies (long or round)
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Salt
Finely chopped cilantro
Chunks of jalapeno (optional)
4 tbsp. canola oil

Method:

Boil the potatoes. Let them cool and then cut them on to medium sized chunks. In a pan, add some canola oil and fry the red chilies until they are dark. Add the other spices and curry leaves with a little water (be careful as it may splatter) and let it simmer for around 7 minutes. Now add the potato chunks and lemon juice and stir until the potatoes are well coated with all the spices. Garnish with the cilantro and jalapeño.

Cooking Recipe #3: Leftover Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Left over fried roasted or any kind of chicken
Cream cheese
Mustard powder or paste
Mayonnaise
Brown and white bread
Salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

Method:

De-bone and wash off any sauce or spices from the left over chicken. Cut or shred in to smaller pieces and put in a hand help blender with a little of the cream cheese, mayo, salt, pepper and mustard. Taste as to how tangy or sweet or spicy you would like it to be.
Grind to a paste and spread on white and brown bread cut the sandwiches in to fours and alternate them on the serving dish so that it resembles a checkerboard. a simple cooking recipe that costs very little when you use leftovers!


Cooking Recipe #4: Easy Pineapples and Cream

Ingredients:
1 tub of Cool Whip
1 can of pineapple chunks
1 packet of pineapple flavored jello
Colored sugar for decorating

Let Cool Whip thaw in the refrigerator for five hours. Open a can of pineapple and using its syrup plus water, make the pineapple jello as per the instructions on the pack. Let it cool but keep on stirring so that it doesn’t set. Blot the pineapple chunks on kitchen towels.

Then using a spoon or an electric beater, mix the jello into the cream. Add the pineapple chunks and let it chill over night. Decorate with remaining chunks and some colored sugar.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Diabetes Education

All About Diabetes Education

With the Internet giving you access to billions of pages of information, it is no wonder that this is the place to go when trying to bring diabetes education into your life or the life of someone you care about. But it doesn't stop there, as must be a need for the information in order to get someone educated on the subject. More and more people must learn that one of the key factors in preventing and treating this illness is through diabetes education. There are so many people walking around with little or no knowledge on the subject matter and it is important for your nation and for our future for us to be more informed.

There is the need a diabetes education in every level of a person's life. It is not just the adults that need to learn about diabetes education once they have the disease, but children need that education as well. There are so many advertisements on the television promoting children to ask for foods that are unhealthy and everything you turn around there is another commercial for a fast food chain. And even within our schools, there are more choices for unhealthy foods and snacks then there are for healthy ones. There needs to be more focus on our children and diabetes education before it is too late for them as they are our future.

How To Promote Diabetes Education

If you are ready to get involved and to take action in the fight against diabetes, you can start by talking to the school boards of the districts in your local area. Trying to get them to listen may be hard at first but once you do have their attention you want to drive your point home hard. Advise that diabetes education is just as important to our young people as it is to those adults who already have it. And without proper diabetes education, we are looking at having even more children diagnosed with this deadly disease.

If you are involved with a church, a scrap booking club, a book club, or any other type of organization, it is important to try and spread the word there too. By explaining to those near you the importance of diabetes education, you may be reaching more people then you realize, as they too would have people they know, schools they can talk with, and other clubs they can talk about diabetes education with. All in all, with just a little effort, we can help make everyone aware of this illness.

Cooking Pumpkin Seeds

Cooking Pumpkin Seeds Provides A Health Snack

Most times in the fall when pumpkins are harvested for pies, bread or for Halloween decorations, the seeds are routinely discarded. However, knowing the many different methods of cooking pumpkin seeds can provide a healthy snack. One of the simplest methods used for cooking pumpkin seeds is to place them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven with a little bit of salt, but there are other ways to create a tasty treat.

Considering the pumpkin seeds can be toasted, roasted, boiled or baked cooking pumpkin seeds can also be a fun experience for the kids. Depending on the type of flavor used when they are cooked, they can also be plain, hot or mild. Some of the suggestions for cooking pumpkin seeds include using cayenne pepper or some other form of spice to add a real kick to the finished snack.

Before embarking on a plan for cooking pumpkin seeds, there are some guidelines to use, regardless of how you plan to prepare the seeds for eating. All of the pulp left over from extracting them from the pumpkin has to be removed and the seeds should be thoroughly rinsed and dried. Once rinsed with plain water, they can be spread out on paper towels and allowed to dry for several hours, usually overnight.

Baking Can Provide Healthier Choice

If you plan on cooking pumpkin seeds in the oven, once the seeds are dry that can be sprayed with cooking oil or placed in a sealed plastic food storage bag with a one teaspoon of melted butter or olive oil for every two cups of seeds. Shake the bag until the liquid is evenly spread on the seeds and then spread them out on a cookie sheet covered with non-stick aluminum foil.

Sprinkle the spice of your choice on the seeds and place in the oven at 250-degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until the seeds begin to turn light brown. It is important when cooking pumpkin seeds not to allow them to burn. Once they are done, they can be kept in a sealed bag for about a week but like many baked snack product they will go stale after a few days if left opened.

The same preparation can be used with other method for cooking pumpkin seeds and those who do not like the taste, can place them in the oven, without all the cleaning and baked for 10 or 15 minutes for a treat for the birds.

Dog Food Nutrition

Important Information on Dog Food Nutrition

There is really nothing more important to your dog’s health than dog food nutrition. The food that you feed to your dog is going to have a major aspect on their health and wellbeing and so it is crucial that you take the time to choose a dog food that is going to suit them well and provide them with the vitamins and nutrients that they need to strive.

In order to assure that your dog or puppy is receiving nutrition, you will need to have a basic understanding of pet food ingredients, labeling, and nutritional requirements.

How to Choose Dog Food

When it comes to dog food nutrition, there are several tips you can use to help you choose the right dog food for your beloved pet. First you want to consider your dog’s stage of life. Puppies and adult dogs require different dog food nutrition and so this is going to be one of the most important aspects of all.

You are also going to need to decide what type of food to get. There is dry and wet as the most major options, and many pet owners are confused on how to make a decision here. It depends on the individual animal, and although dry food is most often recommended there are certainly cases in which the wet food would be better for a dog.

Next on the topic of dog food nutrition you are going to want to check out the list of ingredients. There are certain dog foods which include only all natural ingredients and others which include a lot of additives that are not necessarily, some of which will actually even be hurting your pet.

High quality ingredients are essential for a healthy food, and when you are looking for a healthy dog food you want to look for meat, fish, egg, or some type of meat meal or fish meal as the first or second ingredient. Protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fats, all of these are going to be important to review before deciding on a dog food.

Also when it comes to dog food nutrition you will want to check for the AAFCO statement. Remember that dog foods labeled as complete and balanced need to meet standards established by AAFCO, or Association of American Feed Control Officials.

If you want your dog to live the longest healthiest life possible, you are not only going to want to ensure they are eating the best food but also that they are getting lots of water and regular exercise.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Diabetes During Pregnancy

Questions And Answers About Diabetes During Pregnancy

The best way to understand diabetes during pregnancy is to first understand what non-pregnancy diabetes is.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by unusually high blood sugar, or glucose, levels and by erratic metabolic function. High blood sugar levels are caused either by low levels of the hormone insulin or by resistance to the effects of insulin, combined with insufficient levels of secreted insulin. Symptoms of diabetes sufferers include excessive urination, excessive thirst, increased fluid intake, and blurred vision.

Why Does Diabetes Occur During Pregnancy?

Every pregnant woman knows that hormones go crazy during pregnancy. The placenta, which nourishes the developing fetus in the womb, creates hormones that help the baby grow and develop.

Insulin is also a hormone, and the hormones created by the placenta can sometimes interfere with the pregnant woman's ability to use insulin. As the pregnancy progresses and the placenta increases its hormonal production, the pregnant woman's pancreas loses its ability to create insulin. As a result, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, and diabetes during pregnancy results.

Risk Factors

Pregnant women can assess risk factors to see if they are likely to get diabetes during pregnancy. Some of the risk factors are having a family history of diabetes, being overweight, having had a previous stillborn birth, having had a previous baby with a birth weight of greater than nine pounds, and being over 25 at the time of the birth. The African-American, Hispanic, and Native American races are all more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy.

Testing For Diabetes during pregnancy

A doctor should test a pregnant woman for diabetes during pregnancy as part of the normal prenatal care. Two tests are used to detect diabetes during pregnancy: a blood glucose test and a glucose tolerance test. A blood glucose test involves the patient swallowing a glucose solution and waiting one hour for a blood test to be taken. If the blood glucose level is above a certain level, the doctor will recommend the second test, the glucose tolerance test.

During the glucose tolerance test, the patient follows a special diet for three days, followed by eight hours of fasting. A blood sample is taken, and then a glucose drink is consumed. Blood samples are taken hourly for three hours straight. If the blood glucose reading is abnormal, diabetes during pregnancy is diagnosed.

Testing for diabetes during pregnancy is an important part of every woman's prenatal care. Any pregnant woman who is concerned that she may develop diabetes during pregnancy should consult her physician.

Dog Food Ingredients

Common Dog Food Ingredients

Dog food is the best possible meal that you can give your dog. This is because these foods are well balanced and adjusted to meet the requirements of our animal companions. Dog food ingredients need to be the right measurement to be bale to give the right kind of nutrition to the dogs that eat the food. Manufacturers of food for dogs need to be knowledgeable regarding the nutritional needs of dogs in stages.

The kind of dog food ingredients that are integrated into the meal will depend on the age of the dog. Puppies have different nutritional needs compared to older dogs while senior dogs also need different dog food ingredients to help them in their senior years.

Vital Dog Food Ingredients

One of the more needed dog food ingredients is carbohydrates. Dogs need this to be able to have energy to function well and perform to the best of their abilities. Carbohydrates are what humans need to burn into energy and the same goes for dogs, too. Carbohydrates take the form of corn, wheat, rice and other staples.

Chicken is also one of the more popular dog food ingredients. Chicken gives the dogs their supply of protein, iron and other necessary minerals. Almost all byproducts of the fowl are used for dog food ingredients. These do not usually include the feathers, heads feet and entrails of the chicken although some dog food brands do include all chicken byproducts except for the feathers. Other animal byproducts and meats are also included as dog food ingredients such as beef, poultry and lamb.

Vegetables are also essential dog food ingredients that are added to the mix. The usual vegetables are potatoes, carrots, corn, oats, wheat, soybeans and others. Manufacturers may add other vegetables as dog food ingredients depending on the nutritional requirements of the dogs in question and the capacity of the vegetable to add the vitamins or minerals.

Puppies need more carbohydrates because they are usually more moveable than older dogs and senior dogs need fewer carbohydrates because they do not move as much as puppies. Some athletic dogs also need more carbohydrates than sedentary dogs because sedentary dogs do not use up as much calories and carbohydrates. The right balance and nutritional value of the dog food ingredients must be maintained to be able to meet the needs of the dogs. They also have daily requirements which are computed for them by researchers and veterinarians.

Cooking Measurements

Cooking Measurements Help Duplicate Recipes

Years ago most cooks used their memory when cooking and cooking measurements was something of a guess. A dash of this and a pinch of that usually described the amount of a dry ingredient used in a recipe. Depending on where you live and what you are cooking, measurements are typically given in teaspoons, tablespoons and cups, in the United States and in countries that use the metric measurement system grams and milliliters are most often used.

Cooking measurements will also include ounces, either fluid ounces or dry ounces, depending on whether the ingredient is wet or dry, but when following a recipe common sense prevails. Some of the most basic cooking measurements are learned while in grade schools, but there may be some equivalents that seem unnecessary to learn. For example, if a recipe calls for one cup of an ingredient, a one-cup measure is usually used. However, if you don't have one, just add 16 tablespoons.

During the early to mid 20th century, many recipes called for cooking measurements that were somewhat subjective such as drop, dash and pinch. To many a pinch would be as much of a dry ingredient that the cook could pinch between the thumb and first finger. In reality, a pinch is one-fourth of a teaspoon.

Need Math Whiz For Changing Recipes

Many times, recipes are written down to realize a certain amount of the product being cooked. Many recipes for cookies, for example will produce between two and three dozen baked cookies. To make a larger batch the cooking measurements will have to be altered evenly to make the finished product come out correctly. Some of the measurements can simply be doubled if making a double batch but knowing that a dash equals .06 of a teaspoon will reveal that two dashes equals one 12th of a teaspoon.

One of the easiest conversions in cooking measurements is teaspoons, as everyone knows that three teaspoons equal one tablespoon and since 16 tablespoons makes a cup, it will take 48 teaspoons to equal a cup. Instead of writing the recipes with these cooking measurements, it is much easier to write it as one cup. It is easier to measure out as well.

However, there are going to be times when simply doubling a recipe can end in questionable results. A recipe calling for a teaspoon of salt for example, if doubled may end up with more salt in the food that wanted. While most cooking measurements are accurate, slight variations can be used to adjust the taste of the individual cook.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Diabetes Drugs

Diabetes Drugs Will Help Diabetics When Diet And Exercise Don’t Do The Trick

There are many diabetics that are able to control their condition by simply making dietary changes and combining that with taking adequate amount of exercises, though for the most part, most diabetics require taking diabetes drugs to control the levels of sugar in their bloods. No doubt, different types of diabetes drugs must be used to treat different instances of diabetes and their use is determined according to whether the pancreas are not producing sufficient amounts of insulin, or whether the body cells have become insulin resistant.

High Blood Sugar Levels

What is common to each different type of diabetes is the fact that the levels of sugar in the blood are higher than is recommended and thus there is need to control this level and one of the options open to diabetics is to use diabetes drugs. What’s more, if you have Type 2 diabetes, you may require taking oral medications which will help to increase the quantity of insulin in your body.

Normally, diabetes drugs do not make the user suffer from many side effects, though being synthetic in nature, such drugs can cause adverse reactions and whenever any side effects are noticed, they must be reported to a doctor without delay. Among the earliest of all diabetes drugs that were developed to treat diabetes was Sulfonylurea that could help increase the amount of insulin produced by the user, and this kind of diabetes drug was most used in the mid nineties because it did not cause any serious side effects either.

Another type of diabetes drugs are Biguanides that are class of drugs that are usually used on diabetics that are overweight, and a common brand of this type of drug is Metformin that helps the body to use its insulin in a more effective manner, though there are certain known side effects to using this drug including nausea and diarrhea, though not in every instance of its use.

In the recent past, there have even been some diabetes drugs that are a combination of Biguanides and Sulfonylurea, which is a change because earlier these two drugs were taken individually and only recently have they been combined together and examples of such combination drugs are Glyburide and also Metformin.

Yet another type of diabetes drugs is the one that helps the body deal with sugar after having taken a meal and such drugs are of the Meglitinide class of diabetes drugs. Normally, however, doctors will often start their patients with one or several diabetes drugs and then adjust the drugs and dosage so that the patient gets to maintain a proper level of blood glucose.


Dog Food for Allergies

Choosing Dog Food For Allergies

Dogs are similar to us humans when it comes to allergies. They also have some things that they react to such as food and other allergens. Food is one of the prime causes of allergies in dogs, which is why there is specific dog food for allergies. This dog food for allergies is specially formulated in such a way that they contain hypoallergenic food products that can still meet the daily requirements of the animals' nutrition.

There are actually numerous dog food for allergies available in the market today. Some are similar to each other due to their being organic and natural. These are two aspects of dog food for allergies that is highly important, being organic and all natural. These means that the ingredients in the dog food for allergies can not trigger allergies and are pure enough to pass muster with allergic dogs.

Contents Of Dog Food For Allergies

Other than the dog food for allergies being organic and all natural, other requirements for it are that the ingredients must be friendly to the dog's digestive tract and system. Foods and ingredients that might upset the stomach of the dog are out of the question as well as foods that are known to trigger an allergic reaction in some dogs.

Dog food for allergies must also have no chemical preservatives since these can also cause allergic reaction sin some individual dogs. There are natural or organic preservatives that can be used for dog foods and these act as well as the chemical based ones. Artificial flavors and coloring are also discouraged from dog food for allergies because some are known to cause reactions. After all, dogs can not appreciate colors and it is only for the people that artificial coloring is added.

Some meats such as pork, lamb and beef can also cause allergies, although there are not as much cases of this. Alternatives to these protein sources are venison and salmon. There are also some dog food for allergies that are specific to one breed of dog. A particular breed of dog may have a particular allergy, which is why some dog food manufacturers have formulated specific dog food for allergies for particular dog breeds with known allergies.

Dog food for allergies is necessary to make your dog healthier and more comfortable. Allergies tend to make them itchy and restless, which can also affect your home and your family. Choosing the right hypoallergenic dog food is vital in controlling your dog's allergies.

Cooking Light Recipes

Stay Fit By Cooking Light Recipes

Recent studies have shown that vitamins and minerals are more significant than they were previously thought to be, and that some foods and nutrients help fight illness and diseases. Fruit, vegetables, grain and seeds are not only in rich in vitamins and minerals but consist of a compound called phytochemicals which build up our immunity system to fight diseases. This does not mean we become complete vegetarians to stay healthy, but turn to cooking light recipes when cooking non-vegetarian dishes.

Going Green and Light

Cooking light recipes are nourishing and easy on the digestive system. The less we cook our green vegetables the better it is for our health. Soups, plenty of green salad, juices and whole bread sandwiches are nutritious. Soups stimulate appetite and simultaneously nourish and fill you up. Mouth watering soups are turned out by choosing the right kind of vegetable and spice. Tomato, spinach soups are rich in minerals and vitamins.

Most spices have medicinal properties. A pinch of spices in our cooking adds flavor and taste to the food. Cooking light recipes which include spices and ginger and very minimal amount of cooking oil do immense good to the body.

Fresh salads combined with a spoon of honey and a dash of salt and pepper is heavenly. A little further experiment with slices of orange and pieces of mango and garnished with nuts added to the above makes a healthy salad in a couple of minutes.

For a filling meal, use pasta mixed with sliced and shredded vegetables which are partially boiled. Add herbs, and toss with olive oil. If it is a sandwich you are looking for, go in for whole wheat bread with plenty of fresh partially boiled vegetables stuffed in it.

For the sweet tooth, fresh fruits with fresh juice, honey and yogurt is a better alternative to ice creams or candy. Use carrots to sweeten sauces. Grate carrot, cabbage, cucumber and raw mango, top it with yogurt with a pinch of salt, and there you have the lightest of recipes. Use seasonal fruits to make dessert. Slice up apples, bananas, plums, pears into a bowl. Boil for a few minutes, custard powder added to cold milk. When this mixture thickens, pour into the bowl of fruits, and allow to cool. There you have a healthy and a light dessert.

Next time you head for the kitchen, keep in mind that basic and simple foods are hassle free. There is no mess in the kitchen and no long waiting time for the food to cook. Cooking light recipes is not at all difficult. The trick is to have a little imagination and creativity. Cooking light recipes makes you focus on one type of dish and it is up to you to find variations.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Diabetes Diet

Components Of An Effective Diabetes Diet

People who suffer from diabetes need to monitor the food that they
eat and the fluids that they drink. A diabetes diet can also be
recommended for people who do not have diabetes but wish to
maintain their weight. A diabetes diet need not be bland and have no
excitement. The key to an affective diabetes diet is to make it
diverse and exciting to ensure that the person eating enjoys the meal.

Foods To Lessen or Omit In A Diabetes Diet

There are very obvious foods that you will need to omit from or lessen
in your diabetes diet. Foods rich in fats, sugar and calories are foods
that a diabetic person needs to be wary of. We do not actually need
extra amounts of these in our body so omission can not only lessen
health risks for those who have diabetes but will also lengthen your
life expectancy if done early.

Foods and beverages that are sweet, even if it says sugar free can
still be risky for those with diabetes. Fatty foods contribute to
diabetes as well so these should be avoided or lessened. Alcohol is a
contributing factor to diabetes so limit your ingestion gof these or
get rid of it altogether.

Eat More Of These Foods

In your diabetes diet, you can benefit from foods that are whole grain
and starchy. Whole grain foods offer us fiber and good digestive
health. Starchy foods are needed for a diabetes diet to provide
carbohydrates. Around six to eleven servings of grains and starches
are needed by a diabetic person.

Fruits and vegetables also promote better health and help control
diabetes. These contain natural vitamins, fibers and minerals. We
need at least three to five servings of vegetables per day and two
to four servings of fruits daily in a diabetes diet. Meat is also
included in a diabetes diet. We do not need as much meats as other
components in our diabetes diet so meats are kept to a maximum of
six ounces per day.

Keeping to a diabetes diet may be difficult for some. Actually, all you
have to think of is the state of your health and the length of your life
to be motivated to stick to a diabetes diet. Setting your priorities
about the importance of good health and long life are great
motivators. This kind of diet can also work for those who do not have
diabetes but want to stay healthy.

Dog Food Coupons

Dog Food Coupons Add A New Enjoyment To Purchasing Dog
Foods


Spending time with your pet dog is a very rewarding experience, but
how many dog owners actually find buying dog food products and
other items for their dog’s use to be a fun and rewarding experience?
The answer would no doubt be not many, because the costs of
feeding the dog and keeping good care of him is usually enough to
make buying stuff for your pet dog a less than fun experience.
However, if you as a dog owner can use dog food coupons, you would
find that buying things for your dog can be quite exciting.


Dedicated Sites

There are many sites on the Internet that are dedicated to those who
love their dogs and the mission of such sites is to inform the many
dog lovers out there buying food for their pets that they can now
even get added pleasure every time they make a purchase for their
pet dogs. Dog food coupons are an excellent way of making your
purchasing activity enjoyable and to also save money, and since such
dog food coupons are not just limited to buying particular dog food
products, you can use them on many of the best known dog food
brands as well.


Sites such as www.doggiecoupon.com are dedicated to making your
purchasing a more rewarding experience, though of course this site
does stipulate that you can only use their dog food coupons online,
though on the flip side, you will get substantial discounts each time
you shop for dog food products, especially at sites such as
PetSmart.com, which as everyone knows, is a most trusted pet
supplies online site.


Another notable feature about getting your dog food coupons from
doggiecoupon.com is that their coupons are being constantly updated
and so you won’t be disappointed by finding any invalid coupons. To
be sure, these dog food coupons are all constantly tested and
ensured as being valid and they are absolutely free to use, so that
you don’t need to spend a single cent on any of these coupons.


since you can use these dog food coupons to shop for many of the
well-known dog food brands including Iams dog food, Eukanuba dog
food and Nutro dog food, to name but a few big brand names, you
can ensures that your dog gets only the best food though at a
cheaper cost. Very often, you will find that these dog food coupons
allow you to obtain as many as ten percent discounts on various dog
food products and some will even go better and make the purchase a
real steal.


All you need to do is find a suitable dog food coupon and click on the
link that is provided which will take you to a pet-supplier site where
you can do your shopping as you do normally and then enter the
coupon code while checking out the goods that you have purchased
and your discount will be activated and credited to your account.


Cooking Light

Delicious Ways to Cook Light for Your Family

If fried chicken and deep dish pizza are staples for your family,
cooking light may sound very hard to do. However, the key to cooking
light is not to make a big deal about it. Do not tell your family that
they will never have fast food again or that they can only snack on
carrots while watching television; such drastic announcements will not
help you in any way. The plan to start cooking light will backfire with
grumbles and groans all around.


However, if you make subtle changes slowly and gradually, your
family may actually enjoy the light cooking you prepare without even
noticing it.


Whole Grains

If you are a big pasta fan, start mixing 100 per cent whole grain pasta
such as spaghetti or other shapes into your regular meals. A few
strands of browner colored spaghetti here and there will not throw
your family off. Gradually increase the ratio of brown to white and mix
it with a lot of veggies and they will not be able to tell the difference.
If they do notice, ask them if they feel there is a drastic difference in
taste. When they answer in the negative, you will have won your first
battle.


Sneak in Veggies

There are lots of recipes to be found on the internet and in books on
how you can make zucchini muffins and carrot pancakes and no one is
the wiser. Many popular fruit juices have started including healthy
servings of veggies in their fruit juices so that your children get their
daily recommended amounts without it having to be a big issue.


Switch to Low Fat

In any recipe you make, whether it is for brownies, Alfredo sauce or
meatloaf, you will come across the need for milk, cheese and other
such products. Thankfully today, cooking light is made easier with
reduced fat and fat-free versions of many of the staples. When
mixing milk, cheese and butter for macaroni and cheese, use skim
milk, reduced fat cheddar and vegetable spread instead of the
regular ingredients and your children will barely notice the difference.


Simple Substitutes

Use no calorie sweeteners for your cookies, unsweetened apple
sauce instead of butter or oil when baking and switch to canola or
olive oil and cooking light will neither be a chore for you nor a big
problem for your family.


Thursday, March 6, 2008

Cooking for One

Helpful Tips When Cooking For One

Many people find themselves living alone for any of a number of
reasons. It could be that they are a young person just striking out on
their own. They could be a college student living in a dorm or
apartment. They could even be some who was recently divorced or
widowed. Living alone has it's advantages and disadvantages, but one
thing many people don't realize is how challenging cooking for one can
be. Most people, especially if they're just starting out, can't afford to
eat out every night, and you can only eat so many microwave T.V.
dinners. Eventually, you're going to want to cook an actual meal. Try
some of the following tips if you find yourself cooking for one.


Common Problems

One of the biggest complaints from people who live alone is the fact
that most recipes that you find in books or elsewhere are designed to
feed at least four. You may wonder why they don't just half or
quarter the ingredients, but if you've ever tried to do so, you'd know
that it's not as easy as it sounds. You may end up with more hassle
than you started with. A simple solution to this would be to prepare
the full recipe, and freeze what you don't intend to eat at the time.
This will not only save you from having to waste uneaten portions,
but it will also save you from having to plan a meal later on.


Another problem with cooking for one also has to do with leftovers.
It's easy to get tired of eating the same thing over and over again.
Even if you freeze your leftovers, you could find yourself becoming
bored with the same dish. This problem can be solved with a little
creativity. You can eat the same entrée for a couple of nights in a
row without sacrificing variety. If you change the way it is prepared
or served each time, it will feel like a completely different meal.


Cooking for one also becomes a challenge when you're at the market.
Usually, you get better deals on food items when you purchase them
in larger quantities. This is especially true in the case of canned
goods, such as fruits ad vegetables. Even though it seems like you
are getting a bargain when you buy the larger cans, when you think
of the unused food that is wasted, it just doesn't make sense. Even
though purchasing the smaller amounts doesn't seem very cost
effective, at least you'll be getting your money's worth by using it all.
You also won't have to feel guilty about wasting food all the time.


It's also easy to skip meals because you don't feel like cooking for
one. Sometimes it's easier to just raid the snack cupboard since
there's no one else to cook for. Obviously, this is an unhealthy habit
to get into. If you do give in to the temptation to skip cooking meals,
make sure you have some healthy snacks on hand so you don't have
to feel guilty about stuffing your face with junk food.


If you're new to it, cooking for one can be a bit tricky. However, with
some of these helpful tips and a little bit of experience, you'll catch
on to it in no time.




Diabetes Control

Understanding Diabetes Control

Some people may see diabetes control as something that no one
should be bothered by as it is simply eating better and exercising
more. But for those who have had their diabetes brought on by
certain lifestyles, it is not as easy to change as one may think.
For someone who has spent twenty or thirty some years not
exercising or eating unhealthy, to suddenly think that they can just
go home and change is easier said then done. Diabetes control for
some people goes far above just changing what they eat as a lot of
people suffer from mental and emotional addictions to food. So, the
person who is now facing diabetes control has to learn what got
them to this point to begin with.


For many people, there may be the need of bringing in the love and
support of family, friends, and maybe even emotional support from a
professional counselor who can help the person facing diabetes
control with the ups and downs that they will experience due to the
sudden chance in lifestyle. For anyone, this can be an emotional
journey that they need help getting through in order to make their
diabetes control efforts a success and so that they can continue on
their path of healthy living.


Ways To Handle Diabetes Control

Besides the obvious facts of having to change the way one eats and
that they must exercise more, it is often helpful that those facing
having to tackle diabetes control, to have a plan of action. Going
through this life changing process and it often easier done with the
help and support of someone close to them. Even if that person
helping them does not suffer from diabetes, everyone could use a
little healthier eating and exercise. By having someone right by his or
her side, it makes for a journey that is much easier to handle.


Handling diabetes control does not have to run someone's life but it
is all about changing the way you view life. By drinking more water
instead of pop or tea and by substituting candy for fruit, a person
can have a better time adjusting to the new lifestyle. As for
exercise, which may be something the person may not be used to,
taking simple steps like parking the car further away from the
entrance or taking the stairs instead of the elevator are simple ways
to fit a little exercise into your day to day activities.


Dog Food Comparison

The Importance of Doing a Dog Food Comparison

The food that you feed to your dog has much more significance than
you may realize. There are literally hundreds of different brands and
varieties of dog food, and it is important that you take the time to
choose the food that is going to be best suited to your dog in
particular. This is very important, and should be done when the dog
is a puppy if possible, so that you can keep them on this same dog
food for the rest of their life.


By doing this and keeping them stabilized on the same dog food
long term, you will be ensuring they live the longest, healthiest
life possible.


Dog Food Comparison

When it comes to choosing the dog food for your dog, there is really
no way around it but to do a dog food comparison. Remember that
the best way to determine the quality of your pet food is to carefully
read and understand the label. There are a few questions that you
will want to ask yourself when doing a dog food comparison by label.


This includes whether the food uses high quality ingredients, whether
there is a quality meat source used as one of the first two
ingredients, and if the ingredients are human grade. Just as you
would with food for yourself and your family, you want to ensure
that your dog is only going to be getting the freshest, healthiest and
most natural ingredients.


Also in a dog food comparison you want to consider whether your
dog is a puppy, adult, or senior, because this will play a major role in
the determining of which food is going to be best for them. Also think
about whether your dog has special needs or not, for instance if
they are overweight or underweight. This is important because you
will then want to feed them special foods that will help them get to
an ideal weight.


A dog food comparison is going to be incredibly helpful to you, and
will help you find the dog food that is going to give your beloved pet
the longest, healthiest life possible. Also keep in mind that there are
always new and updated dog foods being introduced, so you should
always keep your eyes open to this in case a new one comes out
that is better suited to your dog.


By giving them the right food and making sure they get plenty of
exercise, your dog will be healthy and happy for years to come.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Diabetes Complications

Type 2 Diabetes Complications

Type 2 diabetes is referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes.
In majority of the cases, type 2 diabetes is preventable, but its
prevalence is on rise. If you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, it
means your body becomes resistant to the actions of insulin, a
bodily hormone responsible for the regulation of sugar absorption
in the body. Type 2 diabetes can not be diagnosed in early stages
as it comes with fewer complications, however, as it progresses -
it brings several complications along with.


Type 2 diabetes complications can be categorized under two
sub-headings – short term complications and long term
complications. For short term complications for diabetes type 2, it
needs immediate care. Left untreated, these types of diabetes
complications may even lead to coma, eventually death. Long term
complications of diabetes type 2 develop gradually on time. These
types of diabetes complications depend on a wide variety of factors
such as onset of the disease, inability of control blood sugar level,
etc.


Short Term

The major short term type 2 diabetes complications are high blood
pressure or hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia.
Your blood pressure level may increase at any time due to several
reasons such as excess food consumption, other illnesses or
inadequate administration of glucose-lowering drugs. Since the body
becomes resistant to insulin, the energy production process gets
severely hampered. At this time, body may start breaking fat content.
During this process, toxic acids, known as ketones, are produced.
This condition is known as diabetic ketoacidosis.


Long Term

The long term diabetes complications of type 2 take long time to
develop. However, in most of the cases, these diabetes
complications can be disabling and even fatal. These diabetes
complications are heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage or
neuropathy, kidney damage or nephropathy, eye damage, foot
damage, skin and mouth disorders, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's
disease. Diabetes basically heightens the risk of developing coronary
health complications to a greater extent. Excess accumulation of
sugar may harm the soft walls of the tiny capillaries or blood vessels
that protect the nerves.


Diabetes can heighten the risk of kidney failure by damaging the
filtering system of the kidney cells, leading to irreversible and
progressive kidney disease. Diabetic retinopathy is also one of the
most common long term diabetes complications mostly prevalent in
type 2 diabetes. Nerve damage as a result of diabetes may lead to
develop various foot complications. If it is left untreated, it may lead
to leg amputation. Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk
for developing Alzheimer's disease.


Cooking For A Crowd

Keep Your Cool When Cooking for a Crowd

Cooking for a crowd can be daunting, but with the right equipment
and adequate preparation, you can pull it off. Whether you are
cooking for as few as ten or as many as a hundred people, the key is
to be safe, organized, and prepared.


Play It Safe

You should be aware of the health risks associated with cooking
meals for a crowd. Hot food not only has to be cooked to a certain
temperature, it has to remain at that temperature until it is served.
Similarly, cold food has to be kept cold until you serve it. When food
is improperly cooked or cooled, bacteria can grow and reproduce,
sickening everyone who ate the tainted food.


What’s a cook to do? When you’re cooking for a crowd, use
instant-read thermometers to monitor the temperatures of your
large-scale dishes to make sure no one gets sick. If you’re cooking
ahead for a crowd, and you need to cool, say, a large pot of soup or
broth, ladle the hot liquid into several small containers so each
container can cool more quickly, inhibiting bacteria from forming.


Quantities – Rule Of Ten

At large dinners and potlucks, it seems like there’s way too much food,
or not enough food. Try to have just enough food by planning
quantities carefully.


When you’re cooking for a crowd and you need to figure out whether
to double, triple, or quadruple you recipe, follow the catering Rule of
Ten. When cooking for a crowd of ten adults, serve:


Four pounds of meat
Three pounds of potatoes (to make potato salad)
One pound of dry pasta (to make pasta salad)
Two to three pounds of pre-cooked, peeled shrimp
Two pounds of clams or mussels
One-half gallon of soup or stew, if served as an appetizer
One gallon of soup or stew if served as a main dish
Two pounds green salad, or three large heads of lettuce
Three cups of salad dressing for all that salad.
Twenty cocktails per hour
One gallon of punch

If you are cooking for a crowd of ten that loves cocktails, remember
to have on hand ten pounds of ice and a variety of soft drinks.
A standard cocktail uses 1.5 ounces of liquor, so plan on getting 16
cocktails from each 750 ml bottle.


Cooking Supplies

Finding pans, bowls, and dishes when you’re cooking for a crowd can
be a challenge. You can buy large, disposable foil baking pans, but
they can be flimsy when loaded with hot, heavy food. Your best bet
is to rent professional catering equipment, including large coolers, so
you have all the supplies you need and you can concentrate on the
food.


Stay Organized

Things can get pretty crazy when you’re cooking for a crowd, so
make a list of every dish you’re serving and check the list frequently.
You don’t want to have the party end and the guests go home only
to find that you have six gallons of uneaten potato salad in the
cooler because you forgot to serve it.


Being prepared and organized takes the guesswork out of cooking for
a crowd. When the party’s over, kick off your shoes, put your feet up
and congratulate yourself on a job well done.


Dog Food Brands

Benefits Of Using Organic Dog Food Brands

The organic wave has hit the shore and many are looking forward to
more and more organic products every year. Organic food products
not only cover food for people but also for companion animals as
well. There are several dog food brands that have organic lines while
some brands are really exclusively organic.

Dog food brands that are exclusively organic may be more expensive
than other commercial brands but the benefits that you and your
pet reap from organic dog food brands are immense. Dogs, like
human beings, are also sensitive to the kind of foods and fluids that
they ingest. Some dogs have even developed allergies pertaining to
food that are reused or recycled as dog food. Other dogs are
sensitive to eating other animals' byproducts.

Feeding your dog organic dog food brands is beneficial because they
usually contain food products that are organically grown and
processed. This means that the dog food has not undergone
chemical processing nor have no growth hormone additives that may
alter your dog's health. Other benefits of feeding organic dog food
brands are getting the right weight and growth of the dog, reduction
of skin allergies, reduce digestive problems and a better immune
system.

Several dog food brands are very particular about the kinds of
ingredients they put in their products. These are highly
commendable companies that seek to make the world a better pace
by providing products that are safe for the environment and for the
animals these are fed to.


The Downside To Organic Dog Food Brands

There is actually just one downside to feeding your pets organic dog
food. This downside is the cost of the organic dog food brands. All
other organic products, may they be for humans or animals are really
marginally more expensive than commercial products. This is because
organic products need to be constantly monitored and the process is
not commercial at all. It entails a lot more vigilance compared to
other commercial products.


In spite of the rising cost of organic dog food brands and other
organic products, people are leaning more and more towards organic
products. The obvious reason for this demand for organic products is
the concern that we have for our health and well being. We are also
concerned with the welfare of our animal companions, which is why
we prefer that they also eat organic dog food brands as well as use
organic products applicable to them.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Diabetes Care

Diabetes Care: An Ongoing Process That Requires Being Extra
Vigilant


It is sad but true that diabetes is a major health concern in the West
which can be seen when we find that there are an estimated three
to five percent Westerners affected by this silent killer of a disease,
and an estimated one million Canadians are also so affected.
Diabetes generally causes an individual’s body cells to become unable
to absorb as well as use glucose in an adequate manner and for
various reasons including becoming resistant to the hormone known
as insulin or because of lack of insulin. And, without proper diabetes
care, the patient’s body cells may become starved of fuel that is
needed to provide energy to the body and sugar will not then be
able to get into the cells, thus causing elevated levels of it in the
blood.


Change Diet, Exercise Sufficiently And Take Medications

There are both immediate health problems associated with diabetes as
well as long term complications and to prevent the condition from
worsening, obviously the diabetic requires proper diabetes care.
Thus, to manage diabetes may require paying special attention to the
diet the patient takes, and the need for them to exercise adequately
and to also take medications whenever required so as to control blood
sugar levels and keep the level as close to normal as is possible.
Furthermore, diabetes can take either one of three forms that are
Type 1, Type 2 and also gestational diabetes, with the last
mentioned form of diabetes affecting only pregnant women.


Thus, it stands to reason that diabetes care is an essential
requirement in order to monitor as well as ensure that the diabetic
is taking adequate care to control the problem, and in this, there
are few ways that he or she can check their condition, especially
when in a pre-diabetic stage, and before the diabetes becomes a
full blown problem.


It is certainly necessary for the patient to know of his or her family
history, and if someone in the immediate family was or still is a
diabetic, then chances of the individual also being diabetic is
increased. However, one of the problems with diabetes care is
that it often requires a lot of effort and it can easily tire the
individual out, and thus should only be used if it cannot be avoided.
However, having a regular checkup is one aspect of diabetes care
that is not so tiresome and which can and should be done in order
to closely keep tabs on the progress or lack of it in a patient’s health.


Being vigilant is also another aspect to diabetes care and so is having
an eye examination performed which must be taken once in a year at
least, because diabetes will affect a person’s eyes and thus needs to
be addressed at the earliest. Also, avoiding smoking is another aspect
of diabetes care, and in any case proper care is a continuous process
that requires closely monitoring the health to ensure fewer further
complications, and to also manage the existing condition and keeping
it as close to normal as is possible.


 

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