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07-02-05 |
Living Life as a Diabetic Newsletter |
Issue# 6
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Kimberly Advent
Editor
Ashley's Diabetes
Information Center
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Welcome to our Sixth Newsletter.
Thank you to everyone who has written to me with idea's on what they would like to see in this Newsletter. Remember that I put this together for You. So anything you are interested in learning about write to Kimberly and I will research it for you.
I am looking for guest writers. If you are interested in writing a guest column for this Newsletter please contact Kimberly. Let me know what you would like to write about it. Columns must be about 600 words & related to Diabetes. I reserve the right to refuse any article if I don't think it is relevent to the Newsletter.
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This Newsletter is by subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of
"Living your life as a Diabetic NEWSLETTER". You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to it or
wrote to me at one point asking for information on Diabetes or Nutrition. If you are not interested in receiving this Newsletter full of great Diabetes & Nutritional information follow the Unsubscribe instructions at the end of this newsletter.
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- Feature
Article - To Exchange or not to Exchange by Kimberly Advent
- A word from our Sponsor
- Guest Article: "Sugar Free" doesn't mean "Side-Effect Free" by Marc Bollinger
- Review
of Products or Services
- News on Stem Cell Research
- Sugar Free Recipes
- Kid's Corner
- Diabetic Tips & Tricks
- Subscribe/Unsubscribe
information
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| FEATURE ARTICLE, To Exchange or not to Exchange by Kimberly Advent |
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To Exchange or not to Exchange
Lately I have received several emails about Exchanges. Especially people feeling confused about them. I have also received emails from several people who are not sure how many carbohydrates a day they should be eating.
Let's start with Exchanges. It's very simple. Throw them out!!! They are confusing & you don't need them. Simple Carb counting is the way to go. Most Dieticians & Endo's will agree with me. Exchanges are a thing of the past.
Now let's talk about counting Carbohydrates. I know that it can be pretty overwhelming if you are not used to doing it. But, truely it is very simple. Once you know how many carbs a day you should be eating. So let me show you a simple way to figure out how many carbs you need. Fill in the blanks below to determine your daily carb intake.
- First determine your desired weight in pounds from Table 1 below, or if overweight, a 10% reduction is ideal.
My desired weight is ________lbs.
- Choose a calorie factor that best describes your activity level from Table 2 below.
My calorie factor from Table 2 below equals _________.
- Next determine your total daily calorie need:
(my desired weight)________lbs. multiplied by (my calorie factor)____________equals(# of calories needed a day)__________calories.
- Then divide your total daily calories by 8* to determine the total grams of carbohydrate you will need each day with 50 percent of calories as carbohydrate:
(calories/day)_________calories divided by 8 equals (grams of carbs/day)__________grams.
*1/2 of calories as carbohydrate and 1/4 gram per calorie.
Consult with your dietician for specific help.
Table 1 Optimum Weights for
Men
and Women
(Any Age):
Height
4'10"
4'11"
5'0"
5'1"
5'2"
5'3"
5'4"
5'5"
5'6"
5'7"
5'8"
5'9"
5'10"
5'11"
6'0"
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Weight
in pounds
91-119
94-124
97-128
101-132
104-137
107-141
111-146
114-150
118-155
121-160
125-164
129-169
132-174
136-179
140-184
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Table 2 Calorie Factors for Different levels of Activity
Activity Level
Very Sedentary:
Limited activity, slow walking, mostly sitting.
Sedentary:
Recreational activities include walking,
bowling, fishing, or similar activities.
Moderately Active:
Recreational activities include 18 hole golf,
aerobic dancing, pleasure swimming, etc.
Active:
Greater than 20 minutes of jogging,
swimming, competitive tennis or similar
activities more than three times per week.
Super Active:
At least one hour of vigorous activity such
as football, weight training, or full-court
basketball four or more days per week.
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Calorie Factor
Male Female
13 11.5
14 12.5
15 13.5
16 14.5
17 15.5
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A dietician or Diabetes Educator can figure out a more exact carbohydrate count. Once you have figured out how many carbs a day you need you can divide them up any way you want. You can divide them into 6 meals or 3 meals. One nice thing about 6 meals is that you don't find yourself getting hungry during the day. Your 6 meals can be breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, & snack.
So let's say you decide to have 45 grams of carbohydrate for breakfast. You will need to figure out what foods will total 45. Which could mean reading the label of your favorite cereal & measuring out the correct amount. Don't forget the milk. To find out the carb counts for your favorite food items check out this area of my web site Nutritional Information.
Carb Counting can definately be work but, once you do it daily it becomes simple. Just like anything else that becomes a part of your daily routine. I have even gotten to the point where I can look at a serving of food & estimate how many carbs are in it. This is something that anyone can do with just a little time & energy. Believe me it is well worth any time you put into it.
Also remember you can always email me at kimberly@elviradarknight.com. I respond to all of my email personally.
The above chart to determine carbohydrate intake can be found in the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh.
by Kimberly Advent - kimberlydadvent@aol.com
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Guest Article: "Sugar Free" doesn't mean "Side-effect Free"
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Review By: Marc Bollinger
Some of you may remember my review of Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolates several years ago and since then there has been an enormous amount of sugar substitutes that have made their way into common products. It's extremely important that each of you take the initiative to do a little research prior to consuming such substitutes. You'll no doubt find that many of them have some serious side-effects that could potentially become harmful if not dealt with properly.
In this article, I'm going to review the 5 most common sugar substitutes and explain the benefits and side-effects of each. Please note that the intensity of side-effects varies from person to person, but I have found that most people suffer at least some minor effect from most of these sugar substitutes. Now, don't go getting paranoid on me. I don't typically buy into the “eat this and die” propaganda that floats around the internet these days. However, it's always important to know what you are consuming and what potentials exist for complications. Remember, the FDA only puts warning labels on foods and drinks where lab tests have confirmed that potential exists for complications. However, the products that carry this warning are usually labeled with vague wording, such as “too much consumption” or “eat in moderation”.
First up on a list is the offender I wrote about several years ago, Lactitol. Lactitol is becoming the least popular choice for sugar substitutes, but it typically is found in sugar free chocolates due to its ability to bond well with cocoa beans. Lactitol is beneficial for companies to use because of its strong intensity of sweetness from such a little amount. Lactitol is not considered complete sugar-free, which means that a portion of it IS STILL processed as glucose (which will raise your blood sugar). In comparison to sugar, Lactitol is 2g per serving and pure sugar is 5g per serving. The downside to Lactitol is its awful lower intestine side-effects. Lactitol tricks the body into waiting until the ingredient passes through the large intestine before digesting it. This causes the body to produce an excess amount of gas, which can lead to embarrassing flatulence or much worse, diarrhea. My suggestion: if you encounter Lactitol, I strongly urge you to restrict the amount you consume.. or you will be sorry!
Next, and a little more popular, is Sorbitol. This one is just as bad as Lactitol, and in some cases has been proven worse. Sorbitol is used to treat constipation. Should I say more? Next time you're in visiting your doctor, or know someone who is a doctor, ask them what Sorbitol is used for. 9 times out of 10, they'll say it's to relieve constipation (medical laxative). The most common places to find Sorbitol: Chewing gum (real common!), low carb snacks, low carb yogurt, low carb bread, well.. pretty much low carb everything. The FDA claims it takes 50g of Sorbitol for even the most minor symptom of a laxative effect to take place, but many people (including myself) have experienced it with as little as 4g. Just use caution when consuming this ingredient. I suggest taking small doses at first and gradually increasing it to test your body's acceptance.
The next ingredient is Sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda). Splenda is by far the best choice for most people when using a sugar substitute and it just so happens that it tastes the best! Very few have suffered any side-effects from this substitute, but those who have experience headaches that most of the common over-the-counter drugs can't get rid of. However, many believe that these headaches are actually caused by another ingredient that is frequently found when Sucralos is present, Acesulfame-K (a.k.a. Ace-K). I'm conducting more research on this, but this appears to be the cause of the headaches. So far, Sucralose is appearing in many of today's sugar-free items and I'm very thankful for that. If you haven't already, give the new Diet Coke (with Splenda) a try, it tastes amazingly like regular Coke, but 0g sugar! (This does have Ace-K in it, so be careful).
The last two are almost always found together, Malitol and Maltitol. These are also found with Sorbitol (most commonly in gum). These aren't as extreme as Lactitol or Sorbitol, but they offer the same side-effects. A good rule of thumb is to remember that any ingredient that ends in “tol” is probably related to these.
In conclusion, please use caution and educate yourself on all of these “sugar free” items that are appearing these days. These manufacturers aren't trying to “trick” you per se, but are merely creating products within the limits that the FDA has allowed them to. It's not all uncommon to hear about cases of diarrhea, flatulence, and headaches from ingesting these drugs, but again the dosage differs from person to person. However, as diabetics, we need to be mainly concerned with the number of carbohydrates we are consuming, thus consuming food items with some or all of these ingredients might be a better overall choice.
As always, if you have any feedback or questions that I could research further for you, please do not hesitate to shoot me an e-mail. Mbollinger79@hotmail.com
Thank you to Kim for including this article in her monthly diabetes newsletter, what a fantastic idea!
Respectfully,
Marc Bollinger
Type I Diabetic
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| REVIEW:
Products or Services |
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This Newsletter we will be reviewing ReliOn NewTek Blood Glucose Monitoring System.
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The ReliOn NewTek blood glucose monitoring system offers a new dimension in convenience. With 100 pre-calibrated test strips pre-loaded into your meter, you will no longer face the hassle associated with test strip handling. And, remarkably, after your 100th test, you simply dispose of the meter and purchase a new one.
Suggested retail price.....$54.76
Or if you prefer
ReliOn Ultima Blood Glucose monitoring system delivers advanced technology at incredible savings. Now you can have the benefits of end-fill strips that require a small blood sample.
ReliOn Ultima Meter
Suggested retail price.....$8.88
ReliOn Ultima Strips 50ct.
Suggested retail price.....$21.98
ReliOn Ultima Strips 100ct.
Suggested retail price.....$42.48
These Glucometers are available at Walmart & Sams Club.
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By Kim Tae-gyu
KOREA TIMES Staff Reporter
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Korean scientists have taken another gigantic step in their plan for gene
therapy by advancing technologies of growing stem cells into specific cells.
The team, headed by Seoul National University professor Moon Shin-yong, said
yesterday that it developed human embryonic stem cells into
insulin-secreting cells, one step before making beta cells of the pancreas.
``Scientists have typically depended on gene manipulation to harvest
specific cells from stem cell batches. But we adopted a new way of using
protein to make progress,'' the 57-year-old Moon said.
Moon's team injected protein into embryonic stem cells and saw them
differentiate into insulin-secreting cells, which can develop into the
pancreas' beta cells.
``If we can make beta cells of the pancreas, they can be used to deal with
diabetes. We found that proteins might open the door to the differentiation
of stem cells,'' Moon's top lieutenant Kwon Young-do said.
The differentiation technology is currently the most sought-after segment by
international embryologists, including world-famous cloning scientist Hwang
Woo-suk.
Hwang, who cloned a human embryo for the first time in history in 2003, said
the next goal for the world would be to solve the differentiation riddles.
In fact, Moon is a close friend of Hwang and he is also a coauthor of the
embryonic stem cell research papers, printed on the Science last year and
this year, led by Hwang.
Geneticists hope versatile stem cells might someday produce tissue to repair
spinal-cord injuries, diabetes or yield therapies for degenerative diseases
such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
The medical breakthrough of Moon's team will be featured in the next edition
of international journal Molecular Therapy.
Stem Cell updates come from The Stem Cell Information Newsletter run by Steve Meyer.
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Marbled Cheesecake Squares
Makes 16 servings
20 Vanilla Wafers, small
2 tbsp Confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
3 tbsp Margarine, melted
2 squares Semi-sweet chocolate
16 oz Light cream cheese
1/2 cup SPLENDA®
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 9" baking pan with cooking spray.
Crush vanilla wafers with a rolling pin. Mix together the wafer crumbs, icing sugar, cocoa, & margarine. Press firmly onto the bottom of prepared pan.
Melt chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Let cool slightly.
Beat cream cheese, Splenda®, vanilla & eggs until creamy and well blended. Stir half of the cream cheese mixture into the melted chocolate.
Spoon dollops of the white and chocolate batters over prepared crust. Gently swirl a knife through the batters being careful not to disturb the crust.
Bake 40-45 minutes, until set. Cool. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight). Cut into 16 squares to serve.
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:
Each serving of 1 square:
7g Carbohydrate
4g Protein
10g Fat
136 cal
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch
1 High-fat meat
1 Fat
Recipe brought to you by LifeScan
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Links to Web sites for Kids!!
If there is anything special you would like to see in this area don't hesitate to write to Kimberly.
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This month in the Kid's area we are talking about a group called Young Eagles. Check out their web site Young Eagles. Have you ever wanted to ride in an airplane? Kid's 8 - 17 can receive a free local airplane ride.
If there are parents of children with diabetes in Marathon FL (or the Florida Keys)10 July, San Diego CA 15 July, Bellingham / Seattle WA 17 July, Duluth MN / Superior WI 19 July, Bangor ME 21 July and Columbus OH 22 July who would like their child to fly in 'GOOFY', the 'Four Corners Around America' flight aircraft, then please contact Steve Wood directly by email at sprucepilot@aol.com.
Also check out Steve Wood's web site Four Corner's Flight. These people are really devoted to getting kid's interested in flying. I was really impressed with their web sites & how much they care about kids.
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In this area you will find tips that should be helpful to Diabetics. If you have any good tips or tricks please send them to me Kimberly.
Tips for People with Diabetes
Dietary fiber can help stabilize blood glucose levels and improve your blood cholesterol profile. Easy ways to bulk up your meals. Mix in wheat germ to yogurt or sprinkle it on salads. Two tablespoons contains two grams of fiber. Incorporate more fiber rich fruits and veggies into your diet. Opt for whole grain breads and cereals instead of the highly-refined versions.
Your registered dietitian can help you with more ideas to bulk up your diet. Keep in mind that high-fiber diet is not recommended for anyone suffering from diabetes-related gastroparesis (nerve damage of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract).
Testing blood glucose levels at home is important for good control, yet it can be a pain in the fingers. But there are ways to soften the stick:
Choose the right lancet. If you don’t use one already, test-drive a fine or ultra-fine gauge lancet.
Get a good sample. Nothing is more frustrating than getting an inadequate blood sample and having to re-stick. Wash your hands in warm water and rub them together to get blood circulating before testing.
Try the alternatives. An alternative site meter that allows you to test on the forearm or other locations may be an option.
Numb it. If pain is really an issue for you or your child, try numbing the area with ice first. You can also speak with your doctor about a topical anesthetic cream.
The weather can affect your blood glucose control and insulin requirements. Some people experience a sudden decline in their insulin requirements when a long period of cool weather (e.g., winter) is abruptly interrupted by significantly warmer weather. In such individuals, insulin requirements will rise as winter occurs and drop in the summer. The reason for this effect is not completely understood, but may relate to the increased dilation of peripheral blood vessels during warm weather and resultant increased delivery of glucose and insulin to peripheral tissues.
People with diabetes who also have the disease lupus erythematosus may experience just the opposite – lower insulin requirements in cold weather and higher requirements in warm weather.
If you find your blood glucose suddenly going unusually high or low and the weather is changing, test often and talk with your doctor about adjusting your treatment routine.
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