The media and food industry have given fat such a bad name that people are terrified to eat it, thinking they will put on weight.

Ironically, they turn to carbohydrate foods to replace the fats,  is precisely what actually makes their weight problem worse.

If you’ve got Insulin Resistance, and want to lose weight, you’ve got to make friends with the right fats, and ignore any media gossip  and that includes celebrity diets promoting a fat free existence.

Foods that boast being virtually or totally fat free have normally had carbohydrates (e.g. sugar) added to compensate for both taste and texture. What this means is that the so called ‘healthy option’ foods that have reduced fat are actually less insulin friendly than if they hadn’t been tampered with at all.

So next time you are out shopping, rather than looking for low fat look for sugar free. As further confirmation that low fat diets do not work, Walter Willett, MD, an eminent researcher at Harvard University, found that none of the low fat weight loss trials carried out over the past decade helped the participants lose weight.

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Boiled coffee, like the kind drunk in Scandinavia and Turkey, tends to raise cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. But filtered coffee does not raise cholesterol or increase the risk of heart disease.

Researchers at Boston University polled 858 women hospitalized with a first heart attack and an equal number of healthy women on their health habits, including coffee consumption. Researchers found that compared with non coffee drinkers, women who said they drank five to six cups of coffee a day had a 40 percent greater risk of having a heart attack, women who drank seven to nine cups, a 70 percent greater risk.

But women who drank less than five cups of coffee a day had no higher risk than women who didn’t drink coffee at all. Investigators at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, California, evaluated the relationship between coffee and tea intake and mortality rate including deaths from coronary heart disease in nearly 129,000 people.

After an eight year follow up period, neither coffee nor tea was found to have increased the overall death rate in these individuals. Drinking four or more cups of coffee a day wastied to a slightly higher risk of death from heart attack, however.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore had 100 healthy men drink varying amounts of filtered coffee: 24 ounces of regular coffee, 12 ounces of regular coffee, 24 ounces of decaffeinated coffee or no coffee at all. After eight weeks, the men who drank the 24 ounces of regular coffee a day experienced small increases in their total cholesterol, due to slight rises in their “bad’ LDLm and “good” HDL cholesterol.

The researchers concluded that these small increases in LDL and HDL together “should not affect coronary heart disease risk.” That’s because small changes in HDL can protect against much larger changes in LDL.

In Israel, researchers analyzed coffee and tea consumption and cholesterol levels in 5,369 people. The investigators’ conclusion:

The individuals who drank five or more cups of coffee a day had higher levels of total cholesterol as much as 18 milligrams/deciliter higher than the individuals who abstained from coffee. The researchers also noted that the people who drank the most coffee in their study were also the most likely to have negative health habits, especially smoking. “It is conceivable that the increased cholesterol levels in smokers may be confounded by coffee drinking,” wrote the researchers.

Some coffee drinkers may make other lifestyle choices that may be responsible for elevating their cholesterol levels.  For example,  caffeine tends to stimulate hunger in certain people. Some people may respond by eating foods that increase their cholesterol levels. But it’s difficult to isolate the effect of caffeine on cholesterol and to determine whether the increases in cholesterol are caused by caffeine or by something else.

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“A fresh apple is a great snack food,” says Evelyn Tribole, R.D., a dietitian in Beverly Hills, California, and author of Healthy Home style Cooking .

But there are other ways to enjoy the delicious taste of apples. Try these suggestions.

•    Mix sliced apples with a low-fat cheese, sprinkle with fresh chives and serve on romaine lettuce. You might also toss sliced apples with raisins, almonds and cooked chicken and splash the salad with tarragon vinegar.
•    Add apples to baked goods. “You can grate apples into almost anything that you bake, including low fat muffins and cakes,” . Try grating one large apple into a recipe that yields six large
muffins.
•    Saute a side dish. Sauteed apples are a delicious accompaniment to meat (preferably leaner cuts). After sauteing turkey cutlets, for example, remove the meat from the pan and add sliced peeled apples
to the meat juices. Saute the apples for five minutes, then stir in 1/2 cup of apple juice and cook until the apples are soft (about three minutes). Serve with the cutlets.
•    Bake a guilt free pastry. Chop up some apples, add cinnamon and a little sugar, wrap the apples in phyllo dough and bake, suggests Tribole. “You’ll end up with something like apple strudel that’s very low in fat,”.

As healthful as apples are, you can sabotage their goodness. “Consuming apples in a pie with a thick crust loaded with butter isn’t the best way of eating them,” says Sheah Rarback, R.D., director of nutrition at the University of Miami School of Medicine’s Mailman Center.

You can indulge your sweet tooth occasionally. But if you want to help lower your blood cholesterol, it’s best to munch fresh apples or to prepare them in some other healthy way. To keep apples crisp, wrap them in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator. Apples kept at room temperature soften ten times faster than refrigerated fruit.

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While Type I (insulin dependent) diabetes is fairly common, most people with diabetes develop it after age 40. This is known as Type 2 or non insulin dependent, diabetes. Without proper treatment Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, kidney failure and blindness.

If Type 2 diabetes runs in your family, you have a greater risk of developing it. But biology isn’t destiny. Experts point out that even if both your parents had Type II diabetes, your risk is only about 1 in 20. In most cases whether or not you develop diabetes is pretty much in your hands.

A deciding factor? Body fat specifically, too much of it. Being 20 or 30 percent overweight increases your risk threefold, whether or not diabetes runs in your family.  This is one of the best reasons there is for maintaining a normal healthy weight.

A growing body of research shows that besides contributing big to excess weight, a high fat diet might contribute to your risk of diabetes in other ways. Studies suggest that some people who eat too much fat are more likely to have impaired glucose tolerance, in which the body has trouble metabolizing carbohydrates. And impaired glucose tolerance increases your risk of developing diabetes.

How much fat is too much?

A study at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver estimates that for every 40 grams of fatty food you eat each day the equivalent of a large fast food hamburger and fries your risk for Type II diabetes increases threefold.  By cutting back on fat and maintaining a healthy weight, people who already have diabetes can take an active role in controlling the condition and preventing serious convocations.

With the right diet, many people with Type ii diabetes can reduce or eliminate their riced for insulin. And because people with diabetes are at increased risk for heart disease. Adopting a low fat lifestyle is crucial for protecting their hearts and blood vessels.

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1. Vitamins C and E. Diabetics given vitamin C, one gram per day for three months, had an 18 percent reduction in HbA1c; high HbA1c is an indicator of poor long term blood sugar control. Elderly diabetics significantly improve glucose control after receiving vitamin E, 900 mg/day for 4 months .
2. Vitamin B-6. In diabetics whose vitamin B-6 status is normal, double blind studies show that the addition of 50 mg/day of B-6 as a vitamin supplement improves long term blood sugar control 6 percent. A form of B-6 called pyridoxine alphaglutarate given 600 mg three times daily for four weeks to insulin dependent juvenile diabetics achieved a 30 percent fall in fasting blood sugars and a 32 percent improvement in long-term blood sugar control (decreased HbA1c). Type II diabetics experienced a 24 percent decrease in fasting blood sugars and a 24 percent decrease in HbA1c. After stopping the pyridoxine alphaglutarate, all values returned to previous levels within three weeks.
3. Vitamin B-12/folate, particularly by injection, can cure diabetes disease and have shown benefits.
4. Biotin. Average blood biotin levels are significantly lower in type II diabetic patients compared to healthy controls. Raising plasma biotin decreases fasting blood sugars in diabetics. The blood sugars of type II diabetics taken off insulin and treated with 16 mg/day of biotin for one week have been shown to decrease significantly.
5. Inositol, given 500 mg twice daily to diabetics with peripheral neuropathy, has been reported to significantly improve nerve sensation. Not all reports confirm this finding.
6. Chromium aids insulin action and assists in losing weight. A reasonable dose is 200 meg/day.
7. Zinc tends to be utilized in higher amounts in diabetics, and zinc supplementation is a wise precaution (30 mg/day).
8. Magnesium levels are lower in diabetic patients compared to healthy people. And levels in diabetics with heart complications were significantly lower than those without heart involvement. Magnesium levels in elderly persons are significantly lower than those of younger persons. Insulin production and insulin utilization improves greatly in magnesium-supplemented type H diabetics (400—800 mg/day). Manganese is commonly low in diabetics; 5—15 mg per day is a reasonable supplemental intake.
9. Iron stores are elevated in 50 percent of poorly controlled type II diabetics. The most accurate index of iron stores is a blood ferritin test. In order to reduce iron content, patients with elevated ferritin have been treated with intravenous desferrioxamine (an iron chelating agent that removes iron), 10 mg per Kg twice weekly for 5—13 weeks. In 90 percent of those treated, in spite of the discontinuance of oral antidiabetic drugs, significant improvement occurred in blood sugars and triglycerides. Iron stores can be decreased by blood donations and avoiding iron in supplements.
10. Omega-3 fatty acids. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids enhances insulin binding to cells. Eicosapentaenoic acid given to diabetics results in significant inhibition of platelet aggregation (i.e., platelets were made less likely to enhance blood clots). Doses should be limited to 2.5 grams per day. Diabetic patients with neuropathy (nerve damage) given four grams per day of evening primrose oil, high in gamma-linolenic acid, improve their pain and numbness symptoms. Red blood cell membrane flexibility (decreased in diabetics) improves to normal with sardine oil and other marine oils (omega-3 oils, two to four grams per day) after only four weeks. Increased red blood cell membrane flexibility improves circulation.
11. Onion and garlic have both been shown to have blood sugar lowering effects and can be used liberally with benefit.
12. Alpha lipoic acid, 200 mg twice daily, adds a new helpful dimension in treatment, with especial benefits in diabetic neuropathy.

Herbs

1. Two bioflavonoids, catechin (one gram daily) and quercetin (400 mg twice daily) have been shown to stimulate the action of insulin and to scavenge free radicals. They are frequently helpful in control symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Aloe, one half teaspoon daily for 4—14 weeks in Type II patients, has been shown to reduce fasting blood glucose from levels in the high two hundreds to 150 mg per dl.
2. Type II patients given 100 or 200 mg per day of ginseng for eight weeks improved fasting glucose levels and resulted in weight ioss. Those receiving 200 mg daily demonstrated improvement in HbA1c (better long-term sugar control). Normalization of fasting blood sugars was achieved in four times as many patients treated with ginseng compared to those treated with placebo.
3. Momordica charantia (bitter melon), prepared as a juice of the unripe tropical Asian fruit, lowers blood sugar (25-50 gm three times a day).
4. Gymnema sylvestre is an Ayurvedic blood sugar lowering botanical contained in a product called Bio Gymnema, taken up to three capsules three times daily. It also contains other antidiabetic agents, including Pterocarpus marsupium , chromium, and biotin.
5. In patients with type II disease due to liver cirrhosis, 600 mg of silymarin daily significantly reduces average fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, daily insulin need, fasting insulin levels, and blood free radical levels.
6. Fenugreek, defatted, 100 gm daily, is recommended. Compared to baseline control values, non-insulin-dependent patients given 100 grams per day of defatted fenu greek seed powder for 10 days decreased their fasting blood sugars 3 0—65 percent.

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The condition,  which used to be called juvenile diabetes, generally begins before the age of 30. With diabetes mephitus Type II, also called non insulin dependent, the body can make insulin, but the body cells become resistant to the insulin due to obesity, age, pregnancy, certain drugs (such as contraceptives or cortisone) and other factors.

The most common symptoms of diabetes are extreme thirst and urination, fatigue and overeating coupled with weight loss. The patient may suffer from an increased tendency toward infections, especially of the urinary tract.

Diabetic women may suffer from more yeast infections of the vagina. Long term complications include ulcers and gangrene of the feet (possibly leading to amputation) and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and other problems.

The standard medical treatment for diabetes  Type I is a life long series of self administered insulin shots, careful adherence to a special diet, exercise and very strict medical control.

For Type II treatment, diet, weight loss, exercise and possibly oral medicines lower the blood sugar. In advanced Type II cases, insulin “pushes” the sugar into the cells. Diabetics must give special care to their feet, because they are at risk of ulceration, gangrene and amputation.

Alternative therapies for diabetes include:

1. Aromatherapy. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), juniper (Juniperus communis).
2. Ayurvecla. Diabetes is believed to be caused by an imbalance in the body’s water system. In the early stages, it may be a Kapha (water) disorder, related to obesity. Excess Pitta (fire) can also prompt diabetes by disturbing the functions of the liver and pancreas. Chronic diabetes is often a Vata (air) disturbance in which excess Vata has damaged the pancreas.
3. The general treatment for diabetes includes diet, herbs, spices, exercise and meditation, as well as wearing rings made from stones such a yellow sapphire or yellow topaz.
4. Nutrition. Pectin, niacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, bioflavonoids, biotin, co enzyme Q1O and inositol. Also, remain at ideal weight and eat a low-fat, high-plant fiber diet.

A few food sources for these nutrients are:

- Pectin apples and grapefruit;

- Niacin, almonds, chicken, fish and whole grains;

- Vitamin B6, bananas, cantaloupe, beans and sweet potatoes;

- Vitamin C, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, grapefruit and parsley;

- Calcium, cantaloupe, carrots, garlic and green beans;

- Chromium, apples, oranges and spinach;

- Copper,  beans and peas;

- Magnesium, barley, carrots and onions;

- Manganese, blueberries, pineapples and whole-grain rice;

- Phosphorus, fish, nuts and seeds;

- Potassium, bananas, carrots, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables;

- Zinc, oysters, cinnamon and milk;

- Bioflavonoids, oranges, grapefruit and tangerines;

- Biotin, beans, corn and peas;

- Coenzyme Q1O,  sardines and mackerel;

- Inositol, bananas, corn, peas and peanuts.

I believe that antioxidants are helpful for both types of the disease in order to prevent the breakdown of body tissue that occurs as a result of high blood sugar. Alpha lipoic acid is one of the most powerful of the antioxidants.

It helps to normalize blood sugar and protects the body against the damage caused by high blood sugar Alpha-lipoic acid “quenches” the  free radicals that cause the oxidative stress that, in diabetics, can damage the pancreas (which makes insulin), eyes and other parts of the body.

One of alpha lipoic’s great benefits for diabetes is its ability to reduce glycation (the combination of sugar with proteins of the ar-teries that damages the tiny blood vessels of the heart, eyes, kidneys and other parts of the body) Alpha lipoic acid increases sugar transport, “moving” it so that it doesn’t “stick” and cause damage.

It also improves the nerve function caused by diabetic neuropathy.  In addition, I often put my diabetic patients on a low fat, low  sugar diet based on fresh vegetables and whole grains, and I recommend beta carotene, vitamins C and E, selenium and other supplements. I suggest that they exercise often and learn how to recognize and defuse stress.

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If so, your risk of coronary heart disease will depend on the presence of other factors, including certain inherited blood lipid problems. Or you may be the one person in five with known coronary heart

disease who has a cholesterol level less than 200 mg/dl. If so, this  will help you understand why you developed coronary heart disease despite a desirable blood cholesterol level.

What is your family history? If your blood cholesterol level is less than 200 mg/dl but you have a positive family history of premature (less than age ~) coronary heart disease, you should obtain a complete

lipid profile. That is, following an overnight fast, you should have a blood test that measures your levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and HDL cholesterol.

If your triglyceride level is high (250—500 mg/dl) or very high (over 500 mg/dl), you have probably inherited one of the blood triglyceride problems. It is the combination of a positive family history of

premature coronary heart disease and a blood triglyceride problem that places you in this category.

If your HDL cholesterol level is less than ~ mg/dl, it is too low. A low HDL level combined with a positive family history of premature coronary heart disease may indicate that you carry a gene for hypoHDL, a condition discussed below. When the HDL cholesterol is too low, bad things can happen even when the blood cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dl. For example, take the case of a patient, who developed coronary heart disease requiring coronary artery bypass surgery at age 33 despite having a desirable cholesterol level. He smoked two packs of cigarettes a day right up to his bypass operation; his blood pressure was normal.

Nine years later, a repeat heart catherization showed that one of the bypass grafts was completely blocked, and that the blockages in the native coronary arteries had become narrowed further. When I saw him, his blood cholesterol level was 148 mg/dl, his LDL cholesterol 89 mgI dl, and his triglyceride i 8o mg/dl; but his HDL cholesterol was low at 31 mg/dl. After one year of a good low-fat diet, his triglyceride had increased to 234 mg/dl and his HDL cholesterol remained very low at 32 mgI dl.

I couldn’t use nicotinic acid because he was being treated with a medicine to decrease the high acid content of his stomach. I prescribed Lopid to try to lower his triglyceride level and increase his HDL. Before I could check him again, he developed more heart trouble and had to have a second triple-vessel coronary artery bypass, at the age of 45.

When I saw him again, Lopid had lowered his triglyceride to 109, but his HDL remained at 3’ mg/dl, and his LDL/HDL ratio was above 4.0, indicating that he was still in the higher-risk category for coronary heart disease. I knew I had to do something, particularly in view of the second bypass operation. I stopped Lopid and started Mevacor, one pill with dinner, to see if I could lower his LDL cholesterol and improve his LDL/HDL ratio.

This is precisely what happened. On Mevacor, his LDL cholesterol decreased from 132 to 70 mgldl, and his ratio of LDL/HDL fell to 2.0. A repeat coronary angiogram showed that his new bypass grafts were completely open. Further, even if your blood cholesterol level is less than 200 mgldl you are at increased risk of coronary heart disease if you have high blood pressure, smoke cigarettes, are considerably overweight, or have diabetes.

If you have even one of these other risk factors for coronary heart disease, you should have your levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and HDL cholesterol determined.

What is your lifestyle?Do you eat whatever you want? Is your diet high in calories, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol? Do you exercise rarely or never? Are you ten to twenty pounds overweight?

You are certainly not alone, but with such a lifestyle a blood cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dl is not particularly reassuring. An assessment by your doctor of your levels of triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol will provide further information, and may suggest modifications that will improve your health.

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Diabetes is a general term that refers to a group of biochemical disorders characterized by the body’s inability to utilize the carbohydrates, sugar, and starches that are found in food. As a result, blood sugar levels rise, which can lead to other serious  problems including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. Early warning signs include excessive production of urine, constant thirst, and weight loss.

Two types of diabetes are the most common: They are type I and type II. As its name implies, juvenile diabetes strikes during childhood and is caused by the failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin, the hormone  that breaks down glucose or sugar so that it can be utilized by body cells. Type 1 diabetes is typically treated with supplemental insulin, as well as a carefully restricted. low sugar diet. If you are born with type I diabetes or develop it early in life, you will require medical attention by a qualified physician, preferably one who specialized in diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is an entirely different problem: It is problem of insulin resistance. In other words, the body produces enough insulin, but the insulin does not work efficiently. Although it is usually not considered as serious as type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can lead to many serious health problems, including kidney disease, nerve damage, and blindness, and should be treated aggressively.

Clearly, a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes should not be taken lightly, but as a sign that it is time to make some constructive changes in your life. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to thwart the progression of this disease and, perhaps, to prevent it from occurring to the first place.

Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. In fact, 95 percent of diabetics are overweight. The right diet can go a long way in helping to control diabetes and to prevent obeisty, a major risk factor for this disease.

Trimming the fat will also definitely help to ward of diabetes as well as heart disease. When researchers tracked 123 people with glucose intolerance for up to three years, they found that those who ate the most fat were the most likely to develop diabetes. Researchers noted that an extra 40 grams of fat daily increased the risk of developing diabetes by sic times in people with elevated blood sugar.

Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, following a careful diet can prevent your condition from worsening. In addition to a careful diet, several key supplements can also help to prevent type 2 diabetes, or prevent it from worsening.

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Cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood, but is carried to and the cells by special carries called lipoproteins. Low density lipoproteins (LDLS) are the major cholesterol carries in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the arteries feeding the heart and brain, forming plaque that clogs those arteries.

High density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol  away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is passed from the body, HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because a high HDL levels seem to protect against hearts attacks. Exposure to smoke and other toxins appears to lower HDL levels.

People get cholesterol in two ways:

The body, mainly the liver produces cholesterol. The rest comes from eating animals that contain it. Eating saturated fatty acids raises blood cholesterol. So does trans fat. You should limit your average daily cholesterol intake to under 30 milligrams, or less if you have high blood cholesterol.

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One problem in diabetes is that diabetics cannot regulate the amount of water in the body as well as normal people. There are several reasons for this. First, a high concretion of glucose in the blood tends to cause water to leave cells.

This is due to a physical property called osmosis, according to which water will always flow from a dilute of sugar into  a more concentrated solution of sugar if the two solutions are separated from each other by a porous membrane that lets water, but not other molecules, pass through.

Osmosis is nature’s way of attempting to make the concretions of sugar in two different solutions equal, in diabetics, it causes water in cells to flow out through the membrane surrounding them and into the more concentrated solution of sugar in the bloodstream.

All this water eventually reaches the kidneys, which filter the blood to remove wastes. The kidneys cannot prevent high levels of glucose from passing into the urine. Loss of all this water and suggar in the urine is the reason why diabetic people, and diabetic rats, drink and eat so much but still lose weight. Also, high levels of blood glucose tend to damage structures in the kidney that filter the blood, so that diabetics may eventually have abnormal kidney function.

What can be done to help diabetics? Moderate, regular exercise is one thing that seems to help, since exercise somehow males muscles more sensitive to insulin and and allows them to remove some of the glucose from the blood.

Once in a while, exercise can actually makes muscles too sensitive to insulin , so that to much glucose is removed from the blood, making a diabetic feel sick or faint. This is why diabetics can eat sweets in these occasional emergency situations when their blood sugar actually falls to low. Eating the sweets raises their blood sugar and makes them feel better.

Eating regularly spaced, moderate meals is also helpful in preventing blood sugar in diabetics from becoming too high or too low. Also, drugs can be taken to stimulate the secretion of insulin by the pancreas.

Finally injections of insulin can be used to regulate blood sugar. Nowdays, specially modified forms of insulin are available that are slowly absorbed from the injection site and act for a long time, allowing a minimal number of injections per day. More recent advances involve miniature insulin pumps that introduce a steady flow of insulin into the bloodstream.

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