GlucoMenu Tip of the Week, May 3-9, 2004

Tip of the Week:

Put the butt out!  Sure, everyone knows smoking can lead to cancer but did you know smoking can affect diabetes complications?  Smoking raises blood sugar levels, increases blood pressure, increases blood fats, and damages arteries.  Those with diabetes who smoke are more likely to die due to cardiovascular disease compared to those with diabetes who do not smoke.  Unsure how to quit?  Consider these tips to put the butt out for good.

• Talk with your doctor about quitting and any recommendations he or she might have to help with kicking the habit.
• Make a list of reasons for quitting.  Post this list on your mirror, computer monitor, refrigerator, etc. as a reminder of why you are quitting.
• Evaluate why you smoke.  Is it habit, social, or stress?  Consider ways to modify those habits.
• Examine situations that might prompt you to smoke.  You might consider avoiding those situations to limit temptation.
• If you are concerned about weight gain, chew sugar free gum or drink water to avoid high calorie foods when quitting.
• Reward yourself for sticking with your commitment to quitting.  If you do smoke a cigarette, remind yourself of your reasons for quitting and stick with it.

Reap the benefits of quitting.  Almost immediately, circulation improves and carbon monoxide levels begin to decrease.  Within a few days, sense of smell and taste returns & breathing becomes easier.  After 10-15 years, premature risk of death of a former smoker is close to that of a non-smoker.

Did You Know?

Did you know the American Diabetes Association & the American Heart Association recommend eating less than 2400 mg of sodium per day?  Salt or sodium can increase blood pressure in some people.  If you have high blood pressure, you may have been told to reduce your salt or sodium intake.  High blood pressure increases risk for heart disease and stroke.

Did you know all GlucoMenu plans average less than 2400 mg sodium per day?  If your doctor advises that you decrease your salt intake be sure to ask how much salt/sodium you should have each day.

Featured Article:  "Food Tips to Control Blood Sugar"

Consider these tips when choosing foods to control blood sugar!  Controlling blood sugar can delay or prevent diabetes complications...

Exercise Tip:

Burn some fat.  Strive to exercise 30-45 minutes everyday.  After 20 minutes of aerobic activity, the body begins to use stored fat as its main energy source.  Low to moderate intensity exercise for longer durations is best for burning fat.  A 45 minute fast paced walk is better for burning fat in comparison to a 15 minute high intensity run.

Type 2?... Pre-diabetes??... Glucose intolerance???:

• Why eat an even amount of carbohydrate throughout the day?
• Wondering what you can eat?
• Confused by carbohydrate counting & what is the story with fiber?
• Unsure what to buy at the grocery store and how to prepare meals?

Let us save you time and energy with our complete weekly meal plans!  Our professional diabetes educator staff has already created recipes, counted carbohydrates, analyzed nutrition facts, and compiled grocery lists for specific calorie needs.  Contact us toll free 877-990-3926 or use our online form:

Join us for dinner!

Diabetes Education:

Featured diabetes professional: Physician - What is an A1c test?  Should I have my cholesterol levels tested?  What is a microalbumin test?  A physician can help you answer all of these concerns. You probably already have a primary care physician, but you may want to see a specialist in diabetes.  This specialist can help you with management of diabetes.  Look for diabetes specialization including board certification in endocrinology.  Some physicians are Certified Diabetes Educators too.  You will probably want to visit your physician every 6 months depending on treatment. 

Use this link to find a listing of credentialed Diabetes Educators with expertise in areas including nutrition, nursing, pharmacology, occupational therapy, optometry, physical therapy, medicine, and podiatry.

Find Diabetes Education

Diabetes Prevention:

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) has recently found that those with pre-diabetes can make simple lifestyle changes to reduce risk for diabetes later in life.  The DPP found that subjects with pre-diabetes experienced a 58% reduction of risk for Type 2 diabetes when they:

• lost a modest amount of weight (5-7% of their body weight),
• exercised at moderate intensity for an average of 30 minutes a day, five days per week (most chose to walk for exercise), and
• lowered their intake of fat and calories.

Those following the lifestyle changes were able to reduce their risk even more so than those taking medications to lower blood sugar.  These preventative measures can "turn back the clock" and return elevated blood sugar to normal levels. For those with Type 2 diabetes, following the same lifestyle changes can help to control blood sugar more effectively.

Attention GlucoMenu Members:

Food Picker:

Wondering if your dinner met your goals to control diabetes? Look up the nutrition facts of foods you normally eat.  There are over 6,000 foods to choose from, complete with analysis for diabetes!

Top Reasons Customers Choose GlucoMenu!

• Easy to follow complete meal plans
• New menus every week (hundreds of new menu ideas)
• Grocery lists make shopping much simpler
• No "special" foods to purchase
• Carbohydrates evenly distributed throughout the day
• Meets ADA sodium recommendations
• Meets ADA cholesterol and saturated fat recommendations
• Comprehensive Substitution List
• Supports weight loss
• A "Chart" tracking A1c, BMI, Blood Sugar and more
• Includes menus for holidays and all four seasons
• We only focus on Diabetes & Pre-Diabetes