18 Million Americans Need to Know... How to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

18 Million Americans have it...

20% of Seniors age 65 and older have it...

1 in 3 doesn't even know they have it... but they do!!!

What is it?

Type 2 (Adult Onset) Diabetes.

Yes, the number of Type 2 Diabetes cases in our society is skyrocketing. A great deal of it has to do with our food choices. In addition, this difficult chronic disease is now showing up in young adults and even in school age children.

Ready for some good news? 90% of Type 2 Diabetes cases are PREVENTABLE!

This post discusses several ways for you to prevent Type 2 Diabetes.

First, prevent starts with understanding how your body, particularly your pancreas, reacts to the food you eat.

When a healthy person eats a meal the body converts carbohydrates into blood sugar. The brain recognizes the rise in blood sugar levels and signals the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin is a chemical messenger that rings the "dinner bell" telling all 10 trillion cells in the body to come and feed on the available blood sugar. As the cells feed on the blood sugar, the blood sugar levels lowers to normal levels, reducing the amount of insulin produced.

The second level of understanding needed to prevent Type 2 Diabetes involves an overview of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates (carbs) come in two forms: Man-made (simple) and Natural (complex).

Man-made carbs are found in processed foods such as white table sugar, candy, sodas, high fructose corn syrup, and white bread. Eating man-made cards causes sudden, unusually high and sustained spikes in your blood sugar levels and stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin.

A constant over-stimulation of your pancreas, year after year after year, causes your "internal machinery" to wear out prematurely. In some cases, your pancreas gets tired and can't produce enough insulin. IN other cases, the "dinner bell" rings so often that the cells get tired of hearing it and stop running to get their blood sugar. Either way, when this happens, the health care industry declares that you have Type 2 Diabetes. And yes, for only a few hundred bucks a month for testing supplies and medication, they can keep you alive. Luckily there are alternatives with Natural sugars.

Natural sugars, like the sugars found in whole foods, are known as complex carbohydrates. They do not cause sudden and sustained spikes in your blood sugar levels. They allow your "internal machinery" to last a lifetime.

The next step in preventing Type 2 Diabetes is to access your risk.

The Washington University School of Medicine offers a comprehensive risk assessment tool on their website. We encourage you to click the link below and take the test - it only takes a few minutes.

http://www.yourdiseaserisk.siteman.wustl.edu/hccpquiz.pl?lang=english&func=start&quiz=diabetes

Finally, to prevent Type 2 Diabetes follow the advice of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Their findings show a few life-style changes can dramatically lower your chances of developing Type 2 Diabetes and also lower the changes of developing heart disease and some cancers.

Here are their top five Type 2 Diabetes prevention tips.

1. Control your weight. Excess weight is the single most important cause of Type 2 Diabetes. Being overweight increase the chances of developing Type 2 Diabetes seven-fold. Losing 7 - 10% of your current weight can cut your changes in half of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

2. Get moving. Inactivity promotes Type 2 Diabetes. Set limits on TV and Computer tip so you can work your muscles. Making your muscles work harder improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose, which puts less stress on your pancreas.

3. Tune up Your Diet. Two dietary changes can help prevent Type 2 Diabetes.

1. Choose whole grains and whole-grain products over highly processed carbohydrates. In other words, choose whole foods instead of processed foods. (Hook Up With Health can help in this arena).

2. Choose good fats, such as polyunsaturated fats found in tuna, salmon, liquid vegetable oils, and many nuts These foods have been found to help prevent the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Trans fats do the opposite. These bad fats, found in many margarines, packaged baked goods, fried foods in most fast food restaurants, and any products that include the phrase "partially hydrogenated" in the label should be kept to a definite minimum.

4. Quit Smoking. Non-smokers - skip to #5. Smokers take note, you are 50% to 90% more likely to develop diabetes than non-smokers. Take positive steps to become a non-smoker. There are many professional organizations to help you, as needed.

5. Moderate your Alcohol Intake. Moderate amounts of alcohol (1 drink / day for men and 1 drink every other day for women) increases the efficiency of insulin at getting glucose inside the cells. As a result, moderate alcohol may actually help in the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes. NOTE: If you don't drink alcohol or are under age, there is no reason to start. You can get the same health benefits by controlling your weight, exercising, and eating healthy foods.

Hook Up With Health is ready to provide you and your family with pure, great tasting, nutrient dense whole foods as snacks or meal replacements that your body needs to help prevent Type 2 Diabetes. We also have two wonderful 13-day programs to help you get on track with weight loss and a healthy new beginning. And, we offer a sampler pack for you to try out many of our favored products. Give us a try today.

Remember, today is the day to put your health in the forefront of your mind. You only have one life to live - make it a healthy one. And be sure to help your children lead a life of healthy choices, self-care and prevention as well.

Hook Up With Healthy Food Choices to prevent Type 2 Diabetes today.

www.hookupwithhealth.wholefoodfarmacy.com

How Does Childhood Obesity Shorten Your Childs Life-Span

A recent USA TODAY article reported on the many health dangers of childhood obesity. They highlighted several dangers of carrying excess weight around including the very scary reduction of your childs life-span.

Daniel Jones, president of the American Heart Association and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, says: "If something isn't done about the current childhood obesity epidemic, many of these kids will be at a higher risk of dying in middle age of heart disease and stroke."

Numerous other health risks were associated with childhood obesity including the potential for an increased rate of Heart Disease, Liver Malfunction, Type 2 Diabetes, Sleep Apnea, Fatigue, and more.

Remember, Hook Up With Health can help. We offer great tasting HEALTHY snacks and meal replacements so you and your family can eat right and feel healthy now. We have several different weight loss programs available too. If you or your child has a weight problem now is the time to do something about it. We can help. Click www.hookupwithhealth.wholefoodfarmacy.com for more details.

To read the full USA TODAY article click the link below.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2008-01-13-childhood-obesity_N.htm

Hook Up With A Healthy Child Today!

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