Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body does not properly process sugar. While diabetes often runs in families, its onset and course cannot be predicted or prevented. But, with medication, proper nutrition and exercise, diabetics live healthy lives.

Uncontrolled, however, it can cause heart and blood vessel disorders that may lead to blindness, gangrene, kidney disease, and even death.

There are two basic types of diabetes. Type I, the more severe, is caused by a deficiency of the hormone insulin. With Type II, or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, there may be enough insulin, but the body’s cells have trouble using it.

In either form, excess sugar builds up in the blood because insulin is unable to regulate it. The sugar then “spills” into the urine, where it is excreted from the body. Frequent urination or excessive thirst often signals high blood sugar levels.

Having diabetes means you need to eat foods from each food group. Include breads and cereals, milk products, vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, nuts and legumes, and fats and oils.

Minimize sugars and fats while maximizing starches and proteins. The old standard of avoiding carbohydrates no longer applies. In fact, a diet in which 50 to 60% of total calories is obtained through complex carbohydrates is recommended. Keep fat to 30% of calories.

Control your caloric intake; being overweight makes diabetes worse. Weight management, especially in Type II diabetes, is crucial. Losing even a small amount of weight can improve or even normalize blood sugar levels in older diabetics.

Type I diabetics must eat meals on a regular schedule in order to balance their injections of insulin. All diabetics need to space their meals throughout the day so as to minimize extreme highs and lows of blood sugar levels.

If you haven’t been physically active, start slowly and build the intensity. Consult your doctor before starting your exercise program. Be aware that strenuous exercise can throw you out of balance by lowering blood glucose too much; this could lead to hypoglycemia.

Moderate exercise helps lower blood sugar by “burning” it off, making tissues more responsive to insulin and reducing weight. It also reduces fat and cholesterol in the bloodstream and lowers blood pressure. This is important because diabetics are at high risk for heart and vascular diseases.

Babies born to diabetics have a greater risk of birth defects than others. To minimize the risk:

• Get your body in the best possible condition three to six months before you conceive. If you must lose weight, do it under supervision of your doctor.
• Choose a doctor trained to care for diabetic mothers and their babies.
• Closely monitor your blood glucose before and during your pregnancy.
• Breastfeeding is good for both you and the baby, but it will set up new conditions for controlling blood sugar.

Although this surgery is not typically covered by insurance, many insurance plans, including Medicare, pay for weight loss surgery in cases of medical necessity. Additionally, recent advances in the procedure have made it much more reasonable even for private pay.

But not all people who need to lose weight will be considered for the program. Diet restrictions are important to the success of the surgery. The stomach is reduced in size. This assists in weight loss, but to maximize results and minimize complications, patients must restrict their diet. Diet restrictions are necessary in the pre and post-surgery stages.

A consultation appointment with a surgeon will determine if you are an eligible candidate. If so, your surgeon will begin to discuss expectations. Not only will he or she outline what you can expect from surgery, but they will outline what is expected from you.

Doctors take a close look at the whole person when determining if the person is a good candidate for weight loss surgery. If the patient is not willing to do the pre-surgery diet and work, the doctor may not elect to move forward with the procedure. After all, if you couldn’t restrict your diet before, what would be different now?

There are other factors the surgeon will consider in determining if the procedure is right for you, such as:

Age – Generally, weight loss surgery can be performed on anyone between the ages of 18 and 60.

Weight – If your weight is double your ideal body weight, you may be a candidate for the procedure.

Medical – There are no medical conditions responsible for the weight gain such as hormonal imbalances, tumors or other diseases, or those diseases have been treated, or are currently being treated.

Commitment – You are committed to changing your habits including eating, lifestyle, diet and exercise–not only immediately, but also into the future

History – You have a history of trying to lose weight and gaining it back, or you have been obese for at least five years with no success at traditional weight loss methods.

Addictions – You have no known or diagnosed addictions to alcohol, drugs or other controlled substances.

If you meet all of the above requirements, you’re probably a good candidate for weight loss surgery.

Diets come in all forms and one that many people rely on is the low Glycemic Index Diet.

The Index is a number value or scale, from 0 to 100, that tell us how quickly the carbohydrate in a certain food will raise blood sugar in the body. The low level on the scale is 55 and below, medium index levels are between 56 and 69, and high on the index scale is 70 and above. Different carbs (carbohydrates) will convert to glucose (sugar) and enter the bloodstream at different rates, and therefore vary in how much of a blood sugar spike you experience.

This blood sugar spike is important because a sudden flood of glucose into the blood puts a demand on the pancreas to release a corresponding amount of insulin. Insulin will bring our blood sugar back to an acceptable level by transferring the glucose from the blood and into your cells where the cells use all they need for energy, with the excess being stored as fat. Excessive levels of both blood glucose and insulin have been associated with many health concerns, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Foods with a high glycemic index rating are those that fill you up quickly, give a fast burst of energy, but then leave you feeling hungry, lethargic, sleepy, moody, and irritable a short time later when you crash from the “sugar high”. These foods include white bread, pasta and white rice. These are the same foods that many nutritionist refer to as “bad carbs”.

Food with a low glycemic index reading, on the other hand, fill you up, but raise blood sugar slowly and steadily, giving you a longer feeling of being full and continuous energy. These are also foods containing carbohydrates, but are considered “good carbs” as found in fruits and vegetables.

Obviously diabetics must concern themselves with these numbers for better control over their condition. However, having some familiarity with the glycemic index ratings of foods can be effective for those who are attempting to lose weight. Many physicians are recommending Glycemic Index Diets because short-term studies show that consuming foods with a low glycemic index (gi) number can be an effective approach to long term weight loss, as foods with a low gi makes you feel full longer and stay satisfied longer, thus you are less likely to overeat, and because the body is actually utilizing the amount of glucose being produced, there is no excess glucose being stored as fat.

Eating a low Glycemic Index Diet is not about avoiding carbs all together, but focusing on the more healthful carbs. Foods with low glycemic index make it possible to enjoy all foods, even those that rank high because combining these two together helps to balance out the count, with index levels in the medium range. So if you crave foods with more sugar, try eating them with foods that rank lower on the scale so that your health will not be compromised. Remember, it’s the overall diet that counts, and not individual foods.

Manage your weight loss diet to a successful conclusion.

If you’re going on a diet for the sole purpose of losing weight, it requires discipline, a regular exercise program and counting calories, but not much else. What? Isn’t that enough trouble? Sure, but think of your weight loss diet program from the positive, glass-half-full perspective. People who are on ‘restricted’ diets, such as heart or diabetes patients, have many more factors to consider with every bite they take. So take heart. You can do it! The properly managed and planned weight loss diet lets you plan your menus and count calories, while allowing for an occasional forbidden treat. Let’s go over each aspect and see how you can stick to the program, without undue suffering, and still achieve your goal.

We’ll start with the discipline factor. Just as with any endeavor, you need to abide by the rules. For example, you’ve got to be on time to work. Students need to turn in assignments on a timely basis and drivers have to obey traffic laws. Conforming to these rules becomes simply a matter of habit. However, managing your weight loss diet program means that you make the rules.

For example, if your goal is to lose one pound a week, you’ll need to reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories a day. Let’s say you normally drink four or five regular sodas a day. Cutting back to just two a day cuts your calories by an awesome 400. Substituting a piece of fruit for your usual afternoon candy bar and you’ve reached your weight loss program goal!

Now let’s move on to exercise. If you want to enhance the effectiveness of your managed weight loss diet, know that exercise is your friend. A regular program of daily exercise burns calories. Your weight loss exercise program of choice makes all the difference. If you hate jogging, you won’t follow through. Choose something you truly enjoy. Do you like dancing to music? Turn on some music and dance to your heart’s content. A half hour of such activity burns lots of calories. With headphones, you can lose weight in the wee hours of the morning, without disturbing anyone and have a good time doing it! Do something you like and do it every day.

OK, how about counting calories? On a weight loss diet program, calories are the bottom line. Tailor your menus for maximum satisfaction and minimal suffering. If there’s nothing you like more than a juicy burger, there are a number of ways to have your cake and eat it too. Instead of packing your burger bun with beef, try a chicken or turkey burger. Soy burgers are another healthy, low calorie option, loaded with nutrition. Just as juicy and tasty, these burgers have far fewer calories.

Good weight loss diet programs include foods high in fiber. High fiber foods sometimes require that your body expend more calories in digesting the food than the calories contained. Fruits, like apples, and vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens and carrots are high in fiber, packed with nutrients, and low in calories. Here’s a great weight loss secret. Eating an apple before lunch quenches your appetite, due to the high fiber content, making you feel full before you ever tackle lunch. You’ll need less food for your meal, consume fewer calories, feel satisfied rather than deprived, and burn off some of the calories you’ve already ingested.

Managing a successful weight loss diet program is easier than you might think. Planning is the key. Count your calories, exercise and stick to your menus. This formula allows you to lose weight while enjoying an occasional piece of cake or an ice cream cone without guilt! It’s doable! Watch the pounds disappear.