Tag - diabetes

2015, New Year Revolution & Setting Your Fitness Goals: Update 1/2/2016 by Kevin Angileri

January 3, 2016

January 2nd, 2016.
Well, here we are again. This article was written in December 2014 with an update on January 23rd, 2015. How was your 2015? I hope you accomplished many of your goals. Now, it is time, to start all over again. I am really looking forward to 2016. With all my past failures, I believe this is my year to shine. Let’s make history together. I have 4 or 5 vices, but only 2, I want to work on here. First and foremost is that I am addict for cigarettes. I have been smoking for 60 years. I have COPD, but doing well. No Oxygen yet. My other vice is food. I generally eat really good food. Low fat, no sugar to speak of, but on occasion, I fall off the wagon. Ice cream is the number culprit. Bread is another.
This is my plan. For 30 days, I will not have a single puff of a cigarette and I will eat only good food and a lot less of it. I plan on losing at least 10 pounds in the next 30 days. That is not a great feat, considering, I now weigh 249 pounds and I am 5’9″ tall. I took a pretty disgusting side view picture of myself, today. 90 days from today, I will post it along with current picture, so all can see, if I succeeded or failed.
Good luck to all of you and Happy New Year.

1/23/2015: We hope everyone is doing well on their New Years’s Revolution. Unfortunately, I have not been doing as good as I hoped. I have lost focus and motivation and I need help to get back on the wagon. Maybe, some of you have had the same problem. I have been on a few sugar binges and put myself on the usual “guilt trip”. Pistachio muffins have been my downfall. Were they worth it? Truthfully, they were very good. But now, realization has set in and I need to get back to the goals, I have set for 2015. So, today is a brand new day of a brand new year. If you have fallen, as I did, then today is the day to start anew. Good luck to all of us. If you have any suggestions, please send them in. We need all the help, we can get.

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No, I did not make a mistake. I meant Revolution. Most of us make New Year Resolutions and we try really hard to live up to the. Some are about losing weight, quitting smoking, getting more exercise and any number of other things, we want to do starting the New Year. Most of those resolutions last a month or two, at best. We generally fall back to doing the same things again.

Setting Fitness Goals In New Year:

This year, 2015, I suggest a change. Let this be the year of revolution. The year, you make a difference in your total being. The year, you make you body as perfectly healthy as you can. The year, you allow you body to heal itself, after many years of feeding it unhealthy foods and preventing it from healing. Your body is a wondrous mechanism. It can cure itself. It doesn’t need any doctors or medications. All it needs is good nourishment. Feed it good foods and let it works wonders.

This is not about fad diets and exercise programs. We have been feeding our bodies all the wrong things. Cheeseburgers, French fries, tacos, pizza, and all the processed foods are stopping our bodies from keeping us healthy. We drink all kinds of drinks that are loaded with processed sugars and empty calories, and expect our bodies to thrive. Instead of thriving, we contract diseases like Obesity, Diabetes, Heart disease, just to name a few. Our bodies are begging for help, so they can do what they do best, heal themselves of these terrible diseases.

So, here is our 2015 Revolution. Make this the year, to learn how to feed your body what it needs, to work it’s magic and bring back your health. It won’t happen overnight and it will not be easy. Don’t forget, it has taken many years for you to develop whatever diseases, you have. How many years have you been eating processed foods and drinking sugar loaded drinks. It has taken years to strip your body of it’s curative powers. Here comes the good news.

It won’t take long for you body to regain it’s strength. Once it has, you will see you health change in a matter of a few months. You will start to feel better within a week or two. In six months, you will be able to do things, you have not done in years. You will have more energy than you have had it years. Your skin will get back it’s glow. In one year, your body can and will free you of most disease. Note: You should consult with your doctor before embarking on any lifestyle changes. Keep taking any medication until your body has time to work it’s wonders and you doctor says it is okay for you to stop. Seeking the help of a Certified nutritionist is a great idea.

Learn as much as possible about the foods that nourish your wonderful body. Become an expert about your bodies’ needs and any disease, you may have. Learn what nutrients your body needs. The more you learn and put into practice, the faster you will regain your health. There are hundreds or possibly thousands of diets around and they all work. Well, they work for a while anyway. If you feed your body properly, you will not have to diet ever again. Your body knows, how much you should weigh. Feed it well, and let it work.

My wish for all of you is this. May 2015 be the year, your body gives you the healthy life, you deserve.

Do you need some inspiration? Watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on your social media. We sure would appreciate it. Thank you.

Why Is Exercise Important For Type 2 Diabetes?

July 17, 2015

Kevin Angileri

Healthy Tips

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Why Is Exercise Important For Type 2 Diabetes

Exercises have been considered to be one of the most important ways of maintaining good health from the ages. Hence it is no doubt that exercises will help to control and reduce diabetes considerably including Type 2 Diabetes. How physical activities help to lower blood glucose level can be best understood if we know the causes of diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a problem that is tormenting individuals of all age groups around the world. It can happen to anyone at any time. So if you can understand the problems that are related to diabetes you can easily understand why doctors recommend exercises at the very start to control your blood sugar level. But what is diabetes? It is a condition when there is enough glucose in your blood but it is not utilized by the body properly and so the level of glucose rises up making you a diabetes patient.

Insulin production

You must be thinking why does not the body use the glucose when it is available? This is because the insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas is either not enough to open the cells of the body to allow glucose to enter which is used as energy resources or your body may not be reacting to the insulin produced by your pancreas in which case also, the blood glucose remains in the blood itself and gradually rises high for it remains unused by the body. It is for these two reasons that you suffer from diabetes.
There are mainly two types of diabetes namely Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes which is the most common type and is somewhat a chronic problem that lingers for life. Hence it is very important to treat Diabetes in the best possible ways to stay healthy and enjoy life like all others. In Type 2 Diabetes, the body fails to produce sufficient insulin and it may also happen that the cells are insulin resistant.

Visiting the doctor

When you visit a doctor complaining about your problems of weakness, frequent urination, dizzy feeling etc the first thing that he advices you is to go for a blood test to ascertain the blood sugar level, whether it is too high or within the normal range or it is on the rise. Accordingly he prescribes certain medicines and he emphasizes on physical exercises the most along with diet control and certain lifestyle changes.

Exercises to Check Diabetes

It has been proved that exercises make it easier to keep a check on diabetes. So anybody who is suffering from diabetes, do not sit back in dismay, rather get up and visit your nearest gym and talk to the professional instructor who can design your exercise routine according to your requirements and what suits you the best. Physical activity is one of the most important components of Type 2 Diabetes treatment plan.

How Does Exercise Affect Blood Sugar?

1. During exercise, the body requires extra energy and that is supplied by blood sugar or glucose. Even when you do something quickly, the muscles and liver release glucose for fuel. The maximum amount of glucose is used when you do moderate exercise for a long period of time like hiking. Your blood sugar level goes down through these movements. Thus it has been proved that physical activities especially exercise help to reduce diabetes problems.
2. During your workouts the muscles can use the glucose present in the body without insulin. It does not matter whether you are insulin resistant or you do not have enough insulin. When you exercise, the muscles get the glucose they need automatically thereby reducing the blood sugar level. It has been found that if you are insulin resistant, exercise makes your insulin more effective because the insulin resistance goes down and the cells can use the glucose more effectively.
3. Exercises can also help people with Type 2 Diabetes avoid and reduce long-term problems. Most diabetics have blocked arteries that lead to cardiac arrest. Exercise reduces chances of heart attacks by keeping the heart healthy and strong by lowering glucose level.
4. There are other reasons of diabetes namely tension, stress, overwork and lack of rest and peace of mind. Exercise has an amazing effect not only on the body but also the mind. You will often hear people speaking about feeling rejuvenated and fresh after doing their workouts. This also helps to combat diabetes.
5. Exercises help to reduce weight too since overweight individuals are often diabetics. So by losing weight through workouts, you can control diabetes also.

Importance of professional help

When your doctor advice you follow a fitness routine, he also tells you that you should do those exercises which are perfect for you. But how will you know which exercises are best for you? It is the professional health instructor who will design your exercises in the correct way so that your aim of reducing blood sugar level is successful.
All kinds of exercises are not fit for a person with diabetes especially if the sugar level is quite high. In such cases, the doctor and the experienced instructor sit together and decide on the moves that will benefit the patient greatly.

What kinds of Exercises are recommended?

There are three main kinds of exercise namely strength training, flexibility work and aerobics. All the three kinds of exercises are organized in a balanced way by your personal instructor to achieve the most.

Aerobic Exercises: It is best to start with aerobic exercises because they are light and the basics of exercise that you can do on your own. These exercises include walking, running or jogging and sports like tennis, swimming, basket ball and biking. Any of these exercises must be done regularly for at least 30 minutes. If you cannot do it at a stretch, break it into 10 minutes each but try to complete the total 30 minutes. It may be difficult at first, but with practice you can easily achieve that for you have to reduce your glucose level.

Strength Training: When you become used to aerobic exercises and do not feel much strain, you will be started on strength training. This training builds up lean and efficient muscles for which you need a lot of energy that is supplied by the glucose in your blood and thus reduces sugar level. So the more you use glucose, the better it is for your diabetes control. Pull-ups and push-ups are often recommended by trainers. Lifting weights for 20 to minutes twice or maximum thrice a week is enough to get full benefits of strength training for diabetes control.

Flexibility Training: Of the various types of exercises stretching is one of the most important flexibility exercises that allows one to ascertain how well the joints and muscles can work and also ascertain their strength levels. By doing the various stretches, you again consume a lot of energy that is derived from the glucose in your blood and reduces the level of sugar which is the main aim of exercise in Type 2 Diabetes.

The final word about exercises to help reduce Type 2 Diabetes is that you must do your workouts willingly and enjoy every movement. Motivate yourself and stick to your plan to enjoy amazing results of exercises in reducing Type 2 Diabetes.

Written by Kevin Angileri

Good Carbs & Bad Carbs Fruits

July 16, 2015

Kevin Angileri

health tips

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Aren’t Fruits Full Of Carbs – Advice For Diabetic Patients:-

We are often told that fresh fruits are extremely good for health. But what about the sugar contents in the fruits? Aren’t fruits full of carbs? But do you know that there are two types of carbs- the good carbs and the bad carbs? Well, it is what makes the difference. If you have fruits that are enriched with good carbohydrates then they will not harm you in any way. Your blood sugar or obesity problems will not be affected at all. Rather you will be able to handle them easily.

Fruits enriched with good carbs and other nutrients:

Apples and pears are low in sugar and contain a sufficient amount of fiber and so satisfy your sweet tooth you can go for these fruits without disturbing your pancreas.
Although grapefruit is a citrus fruit unlike other fruits of the same group are not high in sugar and can be taken in salads paired with avocado slices but without sprinkling sugar on top.
Apricots and peaches too are a smart way to get vitamin C and fiber in a tasty way. They have the same nutritional elements like apples and pears.
Figs are low in sugar and store a lot of fiber. Do not miss them during the season.
Strawberries, Cranberries, Raspberries and Grapes are some of the best fruits that have low in sugar and supply sufficient quantity of good carbs to the body for energy and metabolism as well. You will often see jams and diabetic sugar-free desserts prepared with these fruits for the natural sugar in them are just right enough to offer you a tasty treat.

There are certain fruits which are high in sugar and other essential nutrients. A normal individual especially children can have them profusely, but if you are a diabetic or an obese patient or trying to stay low on carbs avoid the following fruits.

Fruits to avoid – Bad Carbs:

Watermelons are really a tempting fruit. But they are very high in sugar and carbohydrate contents. So avoid it.

Mangoes and Papayas are those fruits that attract everyone. But they are full of sugar and carbs that cannot be digested easily. So it is better to avoid them.
Pineapples are good sources of enzymes that treat joint pains and inflammation. But the high sugar content in them is harmful for many.

Nature is full of all the necessary nutrients that we require to stay healthy. It is our task to pick out the ones that are best for us.

What is Insulin, Must I go on It As Diabetic Patient?

July 14, 2015

Kevin Angileri

health tips

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Diabetes has become a very common problem all over the world. Rather the number is rising at such a great pace, that doctors and researchers are trying to find out ways to combat this issue and help humans to live a healthier life. Diabetes is caused when the body does not produce insulin naturally or in sufficient amounts to maintain blood sugar levels.

What is insulin & What it is made of?

Insulin is a hormone which is made by the body naturally in the pancreas. Its work is to maintain the levels of sugar in the blood. But due to various reasons, the system does not produce this specific hormone and it also happens that the body is unable to use the insulin produced by the pancreas. In such cases, blood sugar level rises and you are diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes has many other effects on the body. You become prone to diseases like heart attacks, hypertension, bone problems, vision deficiency etc. Hence the problem has to be treated immediately to reduce risks of other complications.

Most often, Insulin is administered to diabetic patients. It entirely depends on the blood sugar level and the doctor’s advice. If usual medications, diabetic diets and physical activities do not work well to control diabetes, Insulin is given. It cannot be taken orally as the digestive enzymes in the body destroy this insulin. So it is given by an injection under the skin surface.

When is Insulin administered?

Insulin is injected when you are diagnosed with Type1 Diabetes because in this case the body does not produce the hormone in the pancreas. You do not get the energy you require from glucose. So it has to be supplied to the body through injection. The amount of the hormone and the type of insulin is determined by your physician in accordance to the composition of your system and blood sugar levels. Age, weight, sugar counts, general health are the aspects that the doctor considers before starting the insulin plan. The responses received from the body after the first dosage, are of great importance. The amount that is to be injected depends on such responses.

It is very important for the patient to work in cooperation with his/her doctor to achieve the desired goals. You want to live a healthy life and for that end you have to follow every advice you are given. The best way to start off is by walking or jogging or going to a gym to get assistance from a fitness instructor and a balanced diabetic diet.

PillPack: A Revolutionary Pharmacy For Diabetic Care

July 3, 2015

Kevin Angileri

health tips

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In the United States, 30 million people suffer from diabetes. A lot goes into the treatment of a diabetes patient. To maintain good health, they must monitor their glucose levels, eat the right foods and get the proper amount of exercise each and every day. And to make matters more complicated, most diabetics take five or more medications each day. While many people think using an old-fashioned pillbox is the only way to keep track of what medication need to be taken on specific days, the online pharmacy PillPack offers a much better option.

Why PillPack Is Different From Other Traditional Pharmacies:

A full-service pharmacy that specializes in diabetic care, PillPack is a revolution when it comes to pharmacies and how patients keep track of their medications. Delivering pre-sorted medications free to a person’s home, PillPack pre-sorts medication, vitamins and supplements into packets that are easy to tear and labeled with the day and time they should be taken. PillPack not only can deliver pills but also items like insulin pens in a separate refrigerated container. Not only is the service a much more convenient method that a pillbox, but it also eliminates the guesswork of trying to remember what medicines need to be taken when. This not only helps to keep their diabetes in check but also saves them from other life threatening complications and illnesses.

What makes this online pharmacy stand out from so many other traditional pharmacies is the convenience and attention to detail they use with each patient’s order. In addition to having everything delivered right to their door, patients using PillPack now have a staff of pharmacists available 24/7 to answer any questions they may have. Add to that no extra cost beyond the standard copay and an easy-to-use online dashboard where they can track shipments, review billing information, manage their medications and more, and you have a pharmacy that is clearly head and shoulders above the competition.

Patients as well as those who act as caregivers to those with diabetes, such as a younger child’s parent, can have tremendous peace of mind when using PillPack. For many patients, one of the most stressful aspects of their medications is keeping up with refills. With PillPack, that task is taken care of for them. Acting in a proactive manner, PillPack pharmacists contact a patient’s doctor four weeks before their last scheduled refill, making sure that any prior authorizations are obtained and that doctors and insurance companies are working together to make sure all prescriptions needed go through in a timely manner.

Managing diabetes is hard enough on its own, and the goal of PillPack is to eliminate as much stress as possible from patients and their caregivers. By using this revolutionary pharmacy, peace of mind is indeed theirs.