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

Can Children Learn to Eat Healthy?

Teaching children from a young age to eat healthy fats can have lifelong health benefits according to

a new study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation in August, 2007.

The study focused on over one thousand children in Findland who were followed from the age of 7

months through age 14. The researchers found that children who were taught to focus on the

healthy fats found in fish, nuts, seeds, and plant oils had slightly lower cholesterol levels compared

to children who ate an unrestricted diet by the time they reached the age of 14.


Dr. Art Labovitz, cardiology director at Saint Louis University School of Medicine pointed out that even a

small decrease in cholesterol levels can have a big influence over the course of your child’s life.

“If you study large numbers of people, the small increments result in a significant change in heart attacks

and cardiac deaths,” said Dr. Art Labovitz.


Dr. Harri Niinikoski, lead author of the study done at the University of Turku in Finland, said children begin

forming their eating and lifestyle habits in childhood. “We think that this lifestyle change can be started

early,” he said.


Dr. Sarah Blumenschein, a pediatric cardiologist with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical

Center, said the study shows that early intervention is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “The

earlier you intervene, the more likely you are going to be successful,” she said.


The key is to teach your children, starting as young as possilbe, to appreciate the healthy fats found in

fish, nuts, seeds, and plant oils. By avoiding the saturated fas and trans fats which are in most

processed foods, fast foods and junk foods – your children will lower their total fat intake and enjoy more

of the benefits that healthy fats have to offer.  As your children grow into their teens and begin eating  

more meals away from home, their healthy habits will guide them towards healthier food choices when

unsupervised.

We encourage parents everywhere to read the nutrition information on the foods that their children eat.

The healthy fats are listed as unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

The unhealthy fats are listed as saturated fats and trans fats.


Wholefood Farmacy foods are rich in heart healthy fats which are found in nuts, seeds, and plant oils –

and these foods offer you a wonderful way to encourage healthy eating habits with your children starting

at a young age.  Great tasting Whole Food Farmacy foods, such as Phi Plus, Cornucopia, 

and Bucky Balls can be easily introduced to your children.

Please note, many of the Whole Food Farmacy products are a combination of wonderfully healthy

ingredients therefore it is advisable to read the nutritional information available on each product ahead

of your purchase to prevent issues children may have with food allergies.

Hook your children up with heart healthy meal replacements and snacks today!  

www.hookupiwthhealth.wholefoodfarmacy.com