The fasting plasma glucose test and the oral glucose tolerance test measure your blood glucose levels after fasting (oral test includes drinking a drink with glucose after fasting).
The third diabetes test, the random plasma glucose test, does not require fasting and is not used to detect pre-diabetes.
Check with your doctor about regular testing, as one way to keep on top of diabetes-related complications.
Featured for Balancing Blood Sugar Levels: Diabetonic
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...Beans, not just good for your heart!
Question on health care and healing: I just read something about beans being good for diabetics but aren't they starches? I thought starches were not good.
Healer's response: Well, apparently, it depends on what type of starch you eat, as to whether it's a good addition to the diabetic diet or not. White flour products like pastas, breads, cookies and other items made with white, or refined flour, are definitely not recommended because they do raise blood sugar levels. However, there are other strarchy foods that have different properties.
Resistant Starches in the Diabetic Diet
What foods are resistant starches?
1. Beans2. Lentils
3. White Northern Beans
4. String Beans
5. Red Kidney Beans
6. Black-Eyed Peas
7. Whole Grains (Unrefined)
This is only a partial list of some of the higher ranked resistant starches but you can include most any bean and whole grain to the list although some whole grains, like barley, are surprisingly low in resistant starch rating and soy has hardly any resistant starch value.
Weight Loss Benefits of Adding Resistant Starches to the Diabetic Diet:
In addition to the blood sugar regulating benefits of beans, lentils and other foods classified as resistant starches, there are also factors that may help diabetics maintain a more normal weight and lose weight easier if they are overweight.
- Suggested natural diabetes remedy for controlling blood sugar levels: Insulate from Native Remedies
When beans are added to the diet, they help with weight normalization for several reasons. Beans are very high fiber, they increase fat-burning potential for up to a day after you eat them, and they act as natural starch blockers. An added bonus for the diabtetic is the lowered glycemic response they illicit. As an added benefit, beans also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Important Additional Dietary Factors:
As nutrition-packed and benefical as beans and whole grains can be, as part of the diabetic diet, they cannot match or replace the benefits of Omega 3's, such as are contained in salmon. However, be aware that farmed salmon does not have the healthiest fat profile. Go for wild-harvested Alaskan Salmon and you'll be getting the healthiest high protein food of all.
Not all Salmon is Equally Beneficial:
According to Dr. N.V. Perricone, who always recommends wild-harvested salmon instead of farmed salmon, the health benefits of this delicious seafood include a powerfully anti-inflammatory, a uniquely powerful antioxidant, and a rare dietary source of DMAE.
Dr. Perricone is the author of The Perricone Prescription, and The Perricone Weight Loss Diet as well as several other wellness books. He has put together, with Vital Choice Seafood, an excellent health package that you may be interested in exploring.
Some of the information here was excerpted from the newsletter at Vital Choice Seafood. Please visit the site to sign up for very informative information. Vital Choice also features some wonderful, healthy free recipes to help you create health-conscious but delicious meals.
FDA Allows Labeling Claims: I'm thrilled to read that the Food and Drug Administration has announced that it will allow food manufacturers to make health claims for two omega-3 fatty acids. Food labels can now state that products containing these oils might provide some protection from heart disease. This information courtesy of Science News Online
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Diabetic Health Care Disclaimer: The diabetic diet you have been given by your doctor should not be deviated from without consulting your doctor first. Ask your doctor if adding more beans and whole grains is ok. The diabetes-related health care information on this page, or elsewhere on this site, is not meant to replace needed medical diagnosis or treatment.