Tips for Diabetes Patients

Being diabetic is not easy. When I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I became very careful with what I put in my mouth. I can't eat lots of carbs such as rice, pasta, bread, sweets, and potatoes. I became very afraid of getting wound especially on my feet. I don't want my feet to be amputated. Part of caring of my feet includes following these tips:

Ogedengbe's tips for finding proper footwear.

• Avoid shoes with pointed toes.
• Don't buy shoes with too flat a sole or high heels because they don’t allow for even distribution of foot pressure.
• Look for styles that have soft insoles.
• Choose leather, canvas, or suede styles to allow adequate circulation of air. Don't buy plastic or other materials that don't allow the shoe to ''breathe."
• Look for such features as laces, buckles, or Velcro. These make it easier to adjust the shoe.

Bitter Gourd for Anemia

Do you know that the tropical vegetable called bitter melon/gourd is good for anemia and blood sugar control? Yup, and I have been eating it at least once a day. At Asian store you can even find bitter gourd tea if you are tired of the meat itself. The leaves of bitter gourd can be put to your sauteed mung bean and it is good, too. This is one common medicinal food for diabetics.

According to Wikipedia:

In the Philippines, where it is known as ampalayá, bitter melon is used in many dishes. It may be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato. A very popular dish from the Ilocos region in the north of Luzon island is pinakbet, which consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables altogether stewed with a little bagoong- based stock. The young shoots and leaves of the bitter melon may also be eaten as greens; these are locally called dahon ng ampalayá (lit. "leaf of bitter melon").

Bitter melon contains a lectin that has insulin-like activity. The insulin-like bioactivity of this lectin is due to its linking together 2 insulin receptors. This lectin lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and, similar to insulin's effects in the brain, suppressing appetite. This lectin is likely a major contributor to the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon and why it may be a way of managing adult-onset diabetes. Lectin binding is non-protein specific, and this is likely why bitter melon has been credited with immunostimulatory activity—by linking receptors that modulate the immune system, thereby stimulating said receptors.

Cinnamon, Helps Lower Blood Sugar Level

Being a diabetic person, it i hard for me to lower my blood sugar level due to my love for foods and eating. I was borne and raised in the Philippines where rice is part of every meal; I still can't resist eating Filipino foods with steamed rice. As we know, rice turns into sugar when eaten, thus making blood sugar high especially if you are diabetic, it is bad! Right now, I am trying my best to eat less carbs particularly white rice, bread, sweet foods, as well as pastas. Anyway, insulin shot once a day, oral medication twice a day, cinnamon capsule, bitter melon tea and ground cinnamon help lower my blood sugar level. Talking about cinnamon, there are many use of it aside from lowering BSL, if you are interested, look online and be amazed with what cinnamon can do for your health. Note: be sure to choose cinnamon that won't damage your kidney!