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Interpreting Blood Sugar Levels

If you have diabetes, your doctor has probably asked you to monitor and record your blood sugar levels on a daily basis. So you do your finger pricks, record your blood sugar levels, and bring the chart to your doctor at the next visit. But do you know what all those numbers really mean? Testing your blood sugar levels periodically throughout the day will give you an idea of how your glucose levels change based on what you do and what you eat. Exercise should help lower your blood sugar levels. Your food choices can send your blood sugar level … Continue reading →

Cinnamon For Lower Blood Sugar

Within the past few years, studies have shown that cinnamon is helpful in reducing blood sugar levels! Why does your blood sugar go up and down, anyway? When you eat, the sugars and starches in foods get broken down into glucose, also known as blood sugar. Shortly after you eat, the level of glucose in your blood is high. Insulin (a naturally occurring hormone in your body) takes the glucose and uses it for energy or stores it as fat. So what does cinnamon have to do with it? One of the compounds that makes up cinnamon is called MHCP. … Continue reading →

What is Pre-Diabetes?

A family member was recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is when your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a new name for an existing condition: impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose. Those names come from the test used to determine the blood sugar levels. Why the new name? Because calling it “pre-diabetes” gives patients a much clearer view of what the test results mean. A person with pre-diabetes is on his or her way to full blown diabetes. A person with pre-diabetes may already be experiencing some … Continue reading →

Do You Floss?

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Flossing is good for your pearly whites… but a lot of people don’t bother unless there’s something stuck. Why is flossing important, anyway? Dental floss is the best way to get plaque out from between the teeth and right at the gumline. Since a lot of periodontal disease tends to start at the gums, flossing is a good way to prevent problems. Brushing alone doesn’t always clear all the plaque. Here’s the way to do it, according to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association: Get about a foot and a half (18 inches) of floss. No, you don’t need to measure … Continue reading →

Honey is NOT an Option

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So many of us who are trying to lose weight look for healthy alternatives in sweetening our world. One alternative that we often look to is the very natural and seemingly healthy honey. We see a million varieties of it in health food stores, whereas we rarely ever see sugar in a health food store, so we know it must be healthy for us. So we spend a bundle on several varieties of honey, bring them home and sweeten our world in a way previously unknown and marvel at how wonderful life is without sugar. We do all of this … Continue reading →

The Scents of Romance

If you’re planning something romantic for Valentine’s Day (or any date night with your spouse), you can use aromatherapy to help set the mood. The right scent can help your loved one relax and enjoy the evening. Spicy and herbal, woodsy scents can mimic human scents — the pheromones that help make us attractive to others. Here are some scents you can try for your romantic evening! Anise — you may recognize it better as the smell of licorice — is appealing to both men and women, according to studies from the Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Institute. … Continue reading →

Diabetes on the Rise in Pets

Obesity is on the rise in pets — just like in people. And just like in people, diabetes is rising in dogs and cats. Diabetes affects as many as one out of every fifty pets, and overweight pets are at higher risk. What is diabetes? When the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, the body can’t process or properly use glucose (blood sugar). The glucose isn’t going into the body’s tissues, and instead builds up in blood and urine. If your pet is overweight, watch for these signs that may indicate diabetes: You may notice your pet drinking a lot of … Continue reading →

Spicing Up the Holidays with Healthy Spices

My daughter and I spent the better part of last week in the kitchen trying to get our holiday baking done. We’ve got a few more batches of cookies to go before I can collapse under the Christmas tree and start enjoying the fruits of our labor. It’s been hectic, but there’s nothing better than having your home smell like the inside of a spice factory. The mouth-watering aroma of warm spices got me thinking about the nutritional value of some of the ingredients we’ve been adding to our recipes—-namely the spices. Obviously spices make a dish taste good, but … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk Pregnancy – Awesome, Healthy Drink Options

With pregnancy comes new eating and drinking habits. Those of you who are used to enjoying a hot cup of coffee every morning may be seriously stumped as to how much is allowed, and/or what to replace it with. I myself was not a habitual coffee drinker, but I did enjoy a cup now and then. Decaf coffee does not appeal to me as it is decaffeinated by a process involving chlorine, so I was more interested in a naturally decaffeinated beverage. Colas are obviously a no-no due to caffeine content as well, so what is the pregnant woman to … Continue reading →

Just What The Doctor Ordered

Today on Rachael Ray’s show, she had Dr. Timothy Brantley on her show. He is the author of The Cure: Heal your body, save your life. He gave some helpful ways in which food helps us when we are sick or to prevent illnesses. He went over a few that I thought was interesting. Here they are: Lemons are a great food to keep on hand. Lemon improves your liver function. The liver helps to clean your blood. He suggests drinking 1/4 of a lemon in warm water to maintain the health of your liver. Potatoes are a great food … Continue reading →