Sugar, Sugar everywhere but how much do we need?

We all know what sugar is, but do we really know where how we can find it in our daily meals? Sugar is a carbohydrate that is a source of energy for our bodies. It comes in all sorts of forms;

Fructose is found in fruit

Glucose in animal products

Lactose in milk

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a person with a 2000 calorie diet can have 267 calories of - approximately 8 teaspoons a day.

But where are these actually found?
Aside from naturally being in some foods, it is put into most processed foods. And it's everywhere. I was shocked to find it in a can of Kidney Beans. where it is listed as the second ingredient on the can, High Fructose Corn Syrup. By adding this into virtually any processed food, even salad dressings, it's added to the prevalence of obesity and diabetes plaguing our nation. And with our diet consisting of many processed foods, it gets harder and harder to track down how much sugar we are consuming everyday.

Important Tip: Take in some complex carbs instead.

These consists of fruits, green leafy vegetables, pastas, grains and other foods.
By taking in these types of carbs, our body uses almost 25 times more energy to try to store this as fat as opposed to simple sugars which require almost no energy whatsoever to convert and provide almost no nutritional value.

Have you found sugar added to something that surprised you?

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Tips to Achieve Healthy Living with Diabetes

Having a healthy lifestyle, like eating right and exercise plays a big role in the treatment of diabetes. However, if you are newly diagnosed, you may feel overwhelmed. Where do you start and what changes should you make?

The American Diabetes Association warns against making a lot of changes all at once. They offer these suggestions:

1. Take small steps over a significant amount of time. This will make accomplishing your goals easier.
2. Face your bad habits. And don't be afraid to ask for help and support from your family, friends, or health care provider.
3. Locate your motivation-An example-wanting to be around for your grandchildren to grow up
4. Prioritize your changes. Complete goals that you're comfortable with initially, and save others for later.
5. Look at how much impact these changes will make, and start with those that pack the biggest punch, such as getting more active.
6. Setting goals should include what you'll do, how quickly you can accomplish it, and how to incorporate the task in your daily life.

If you need support in setting goals, there are Diabetes Education Centers who can help you. Diabetes Education Services are medical centers that provide people with information and self-care skills so they can manage their diabetes effectively. A specialist at the Diabetes Education Center can help you set up goals, and develop a plan to achieve your goals. To locate a Diabetes Education near you, use the WhereToFindCare.com Diabetes Education Center directory.

To view the full story, visit Yahoo News

*Information on WhereToFindCare.com is for informational purposes only. Always seek medical advice from your physician. In cases of emergency, seek care from an emergency health care provider.

Tips to Reduce Stress for Those with Diabetes

Stress can have a negative impact on your life, especially if you have diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association gives these tips for coping with diabetes and reducing your stress:

• Tell my family and friends about ways in which they can help me.
• Be patient with myself.
• Shift my perspective.
• Take a different route to work or home.
• Go for a 10-minute walk.
• Avoid negative people.
• Read for pleasure.
• Take things in stride.
• Celebrate life.
• Find humor every day.
• Pick my battles.
• Keep writing in my journal.
• Do something different.
• Look forward rather than backward.
• Know my limits.
• Get enough rest and sleep regularly.
• Daydream.

They also emphasis that you should not focus on things you cannot change--like that long stop light, the long wait at the doctor's office, or accidents. Focus on things you can change--like your diet, your exercise routine, how you react to people, and how you spend your day.

Do you need any help with your diabetes and managing stress? Diabetes Education Centers may be able to help you . To locate a Diabetes Education Center, use the Diabetes Education Services directory.

These tips come from a new book the American Diabetes Association plans on publishing this fall. It's called "Your First Year with Diabetes: What to Do Month by Month.". To learn more about it, see the American Diabetes Association website.

New Cookbook has Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals

If you have diabetes, it can be difficult to come up with new recipes that fit your recommended diet plan.

The American Diabetes Association(ADA) and the American Heart Association(AHA) recently joined forces to tackle this issue, and created a cookbook called: Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals For Two: Over 150 Delicious Recipes that Help You (Both) Eat Well and Eat Right.

The book contains simple recipes, specially designed for two that take on average ten minutes to prepare(not including cooking time) All recipes fall within the guidelines of a healthy eating plan set forth by both the ADA and AHA. All the recipes include information on calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, and protein, as well as diabetic exchanges or choices.

Why did the ADA and AHA join forces? Because heart disease strikes people with diabetes twice as often as the rest of the population. Diabetics need meals that are both diabetes & heart healthy.

To learn more about the cookbook, or to see sample recipes, visit: American Diabetes Association

Diabetes Education Centers can also help you develop a meal plan. To locate a center need you, use the Diabetes Education Services Directory.

Scientists are Closer to a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

A team of European and US scientists say they are getting closer to a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Their current research is focused on altering pancreatic cells to produce insulin. Altering cells to produce insulin would help diabetics metabolize sugar and reduce or eliminate the need for daily insulin injections, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Future trials will focus on how to activate the cells and then turn them off so too much insulin isn't produced.

To read the full story, visit UPI.com