Category - health tips

Meet George: Obese, Diabetic, Heart Bypass, Sleep Apnea

September 9, 2014

Yesterday morning, I met George. It doesn’t matter where, but we spent about 2 hours, just talking about ourselves. George is a great guy, good family man with 3 grown children. Has worked hard his whole life and is retired. His wife, Betty, has been going through some difficult problems, the last few years. Cancer in her eye and Glaucoma in both eyes. She will be, soon, completely blind. We can only hope and pray, that through some new technology, her sight can be saved.

Now George, on the other hand, is a real mess. He is 5’ 6” and weighs about 285. These were his remarks to me. He had just retired as a sheet metal worker and had a wonderful wife and 3 children. Of course, our conversation turned to health. I had mentioned, that I had just lost 28 lbs. and was trying to lose another 35. Over the course of an hour, he listed all his medical problems to me.

George is or has:

Obese

Diabetic

Had quad heart bypass

COPD

Sleep Apnea

Is on Oxygen therapy

Allergic to some foods

He mentioned that some 15 years ago, when the doctor told him, he had COPD, that he quit cigarettes, cold turkey. I thought, that was amazing.

I asked George, to go to his doctors and asked them, if it was ok, for him to go on a plant based eating plan. As it turns out, Betty has been a Vegetarian for some time, so the switch over would be easy. George’s answer was, “Nick, I have always been a meat and potatoes kind of guy”. He said, he would think about that and that his doctor had advised him to see a registered dietitian.

I asked George, to try it for 90 days and then go back and have another blood test. I told him, that after 90 days, there would be a great improvement in his life, He said, he would think about it. Like most of us, he will procrastinate. I hope, he does not, because George is on the brink of catastrophe.

Let us all take a lessen from George. Let’s stop procrastinating. Let us start today to take charge our our health issues. Good health is 60 or 90 days away. Bless us all. Kevin Angileri

The Quest for Wellness

September 9, 2014

Kevin Angileri

health tips, Healthy Tips

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Welcome back to CarbaholicsAnonymous. We appreciate your loyalty to this site.

Whether you are here about weight loss or Diabetes, we try to keep you up on the latest information, to help you gain Wellness.

The Dictionary Definition Of Wellness:

The dictionary has 2 definitions for “Wellness”.

1. the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.

2. an approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.

Our goal is to aid you in achieving both definitions of Wellness, in an easy format. Not a lot of medical jargon. So, lets start with definition 1.

The key words, in definition 1 , are “deliberate effort”. Read and learn as much as you can about any ailment, you may have. Knowledge is Power. The more you know about your ailment, the easier, it will become, to overcome it. Most ailments can be overcome and cured. It gets confusing at times, at times. For instance, if you are on a quest for weight loss. there are hundreds, if not, thousands of weight loss diets. Which one to choose? If you are very overweight (50 pounds or more), first consult your doctor. Because he or she knows your particular situation, and can direct you to a particular diet or even send you to a certified dietician.

Definition 2. Yours and everyone’s goal is preventing illness and prolonging our lives. It is exciting to see healthy people in their 90”s. This is achievable to all of us. It just take a little work and perseverance. It is not magic. The keys are being careful of what we eat and getting off our duffs and a bit of exercise. It is a matter of developing new and better habits. Many years ago, a friend said to me, there are 2 kinds of people in this world. “Those, who live that eat to live and those, who live to eat”. I was the latter. Now, I try to “eat to live”. Think hard about that. Which are you? Make the change, it is the most important thing, you can do. Let your doctor treat your ailment, and give him all the help you can, by doing your part.

Here is the most difficult part of all of this. Procrastination. We have been living our lives so long, it is difficult and we say “Ok, I will start next week or Jan.1 of next year”. Don’t procrastinate one more day. Today is a great day to begin your quest for wellness. Maybe, if you are strong and change some bad eating habits, by Jan 1, you will see some wonderful results. It does not take a long time to get results. I was going to say “Good luck”, but it is not a matter of luck. Instead, “Good wellness”.

Can Diabetics Eat Ice Cream? Yes OR No!

September 9, 2014

Kevin Angileri

health tips

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Can Diabetics Eat Ice Cream?

Do you love ice creams and cannot resist rushing to the parlors at least once a week? Then you must maintain a good diet chart if you want to stay slim and fit. But what will happen if you are diagnosed with diabetes? Will you have to stop even looking at ice creams? Well, the answer is NO, but there are certain restrictions.

Actually a vanilla ice cream or a cone once a while is not the cause of diabetes. It is caused due to various other reasons and it is for you to find out which foods and what situations increase your sugar levels and then keep check on them. Previously ice creams contained a lot of fats and were made from full cream and sugar and other flavors. But now, since everybody has become health conscious and are eager to stay slim and strong, the different brands are offering delicious ice creams that are low in calories and also use sugar substitutes in place of sugar thus making the dessert diabetes friendly as well as heart healthy.

How can you enjoy ice cream sometimes while keeping the blood sugar level unaffected?

Diabetics always need to be a bit alert about whatever food they take and the time is also of vital importance. So what you should do is:

Read the labels of the ice cream tubs or cups.
Know the ingredients that have been used in the dessert.
Which type of sugar has been added is of utmost importance.
If it contains cellulose fibers or carrageen which slows down the absorption rate.
Know your capacity to digest the fat.
The type of sweetener other than sugar that is used in the ice cream matters a lot.

So being a diabetic you have to set your own plans if you cannot stay away from ice creams. Follow the given rules to stay healthy and fit while enjoying your ice creams.

First, go for a blood test and ascertain your blood glucose level.

Second, the day you wish to have ice cream, reduce the intake of other carbohydrates in your meal and see the effects after 6 hours. This will enable you to decide what amount and which brand of ice cream is safe for you. Once you know how to make ice cream a part of your meal plan, you can enjoy it freely.

Nutritional Guidelines per 1/2 cup of ice cream:

– 150 calories or less

– 5 gms total fat or less

– 3 gms saturated fat or less

– 0 trans fat

– 20 grams of carbs or (1 carb choice)

– 100 mg of sodium or less

On My Way To Health Revival After 50 Years Of bad Carbs

September 9, 2014

Kevin Angileri

health tips, Kevin Angileri Blog

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1964 50 years later 2014

11/07/2014

I went back to get on scale and I have lost another pound (wearing exact clothes). One pound loss. I am OK with that. Here is an interesting point. My blood pressure has always been about 130/80. Not really bad, but start of hypertension. Blood pressure is 107/72 today. I will let you know how I am doing.

11/03/2014

This article was originally written on August 11, 2014. I had all of the best intentions to start dieting and exercising. Well that lasted about 1 week, and then I fell off the wagon, like so many of us do. In fact, about 6 weeks ago, I had a follow up appt. with my doctor. I jumped on that scale and boom, I had gained 3 more pounds. Now, I was 258 pounds.

Still, I did not commit to going back to dieting and exercising. but I did start eating better and cutting my portions. I did not write any plan down, just cut back and eliminated some bad foods. About 5 days ago, I went to an Pharmacy clinic to get my annual flu shot(as you should) and I jumped on their scale. Lo and behold, I had lost 18 pounds down to 240. I could not believe my eyes. I was thrilled.

So here is the deal. If I could lose 18 pounds in 6 weeks, just by cutting my food portions, I am back on that wagon. I know, there is no way to get to 180 by Jan 1st, 2015. So, with some steady exercising and good eating, my new goal is this 205 by Jan 1st. 35 pounds in a little over 7 weeks. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas.

America has approx. 36% obese people. I’m just another one of them. The before picture, I was 180 pounds. The after picture, I am 255 pounds. Where did those 75 beautiful pounds come from? They came from every fast=food restaurant you can think of. Tacos, french fries, hamburgers, sugar filled soft drinks, and the list goes on and on.All that processed food with bad carbohydrates helped me get here.

Until recently, I have led a sedentary lifestyle, which means, I sat around and watched tv or the computer for hours and ate anything I wanted. So many of us are addicted to the tv and our computers. I knew, I had to make a change in my lifestyle. Either that, or get ready for the “BIG ONE”. I have started going to the gym and walking the treadmill. Starting off easy. Two miles per hour for 20 minutes, which knocks off about 100 calories. I will increasing time and speed as I progress. Within the next two months, I hope to be walking at 3 mph for 60 minutes.

I calculated that to maintain my 255 pounds, I would have to eat between 2250 to 2450 calories each day. Well, that is pretty easy to do. Let’s figure it out. Breakfast of 2 fried eggs, 4 strips of bacon, hash brown potatoes and coffee w/3 spoonfuls of sugar. Lunch could be a double cheeseburger, large order of fries and a chocolate malt. Dinner, ah dinner, one of my favorites. Three slices of a 14 inch, deep dish, double meat supreme pizza and a couple of diet cokes. There, I have succeeded in maintaining my grandiose figure. Sound familiar? That is all about to change.

Since my goal is 180 pounds, I have calculated that I would need to eat 2141 calories per day. At that rate, it would take me another 50 years to get to 180. To reach my goal in 8 months, I need to eat approx 1500 calories per day. Here is my planned diet consisting of 1500 calories per day. Low fat content(20-25 %), 75 grams of protein and approx 250 grams of unprocessed carbohydrates. Unprocessed carbohydrates are raw or cooked fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact, fresh frozen fruits and vegetables are great because they are picked and frozen when perfectly ripe.

I have been on this diet for 7 days and have averaged 1517 calories. I have not weighed myself, but 3 pairs of pants that hadn’t fit, do fit now.

Come back and visit CarbaholicAnonymous to see my progress. Try it for yourself. Let’s get back in shape together. Contact CarbaholicsAnonymous with any questions you may have. Hey, don’t forget to press the “Subscribe” button. See you next month.

Diabetes Risk Factors & Possibility Of Other Medical problems

September 9, 2014

Kevin Angileri

health tips

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Diabetes is really a disease that has shaken the entire world with its various effects. It belongs to the group of metabolic diseases in which the individual has high blood sugar for many years. Although there are remedies, you cannot get rid of it completely. Hence once you are diagnosed with Diabetes you have to lead a restricted life especially in all that you eat.

There are 2 types of Diabetes. In Type 1 Diabetes, the pancreas cannot produce the required amount of insulin to control blood sugar level and in Type 2 Diabetes, the cells of the body do not respond to the insulin properly. It has been proved that this second type is due to obesity and lack of enough of physical exercises that help in reducing weight. But whatever may be the type or the causes, Diabetes should not be left untreated even for a day. The disease has far reaching effects on the entire health and becomes the cause of fatal diseases.

Diabetes Risk Factors:

Heart diseases are a serious health problem for those suffering from Diabetes. Since this disease cannot be totally cured, it slowly damages the blood vessels of the body that results in heart attacks and other problems related o the heart.
Over time, Diabetes affects the eyes that gradually lead to blindness.
Kidney damages is another risk factor for diabetic patients. The smaller blood vessels get affected and they gradually stop performing the functions of cleansing and filtering the blood for which toxic wastes accumulate in the blood and the patient needs dialysis.
Diabetes also damages the nervous known as diabetic neuropathy. Here the small blood vessels become diseased and the flow of blood to the nerves become limited leading to nerve disorders like numbness, aching feet etc.
Injuries and cuts and blood loss takes a long time to stop and heal if you have diabetes. Sometimes when sores do not heal, doctors check out the sugar level to see if the person has diabetes or not. Diabetic foot ulcers are quite common.
Increase in blood pressure and blood cholesterol is also the affects of high blood sugar.

The rule is to treat Diabetes as soon as it is diagnosed. Even if the blood sugar is only on the borderline, take measures to arrest the increase in blood sugar level. And the best way to do it is to stay on a diabetic diet, take medications and do your exercises regularly to stay fit and straight for many years fighting all the other diseases away.