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Diabetic Treatment; Beware The Diabetic Diet Myths

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Test, Health Screening | Posted on 28-09-2010

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Diabetics can go on the Internet and get an amazing amount of information to help them control their disease. Unfortunately, many urban legends or myths surround this disease, which interferes with those seeking to manage it properly.

Here are a few of the most common diabetic diet myths.

Myth #1 Diabetics cannot eat carbohydrates

False. Most dieticians recommend that Type 2 diabetics eat carbohydrates daily. Legumes, whole wheat breads, rice, pasta and cereal are all essential to a healthy diabetic diet. In fact, most dieticians recommend that 25% of your diet contain carbohydrates in your caloric intake. Sugar is also a carbohydrate that is packed with calories and should be kept to a minimum.

Myth #2 Diabetes is contagious, passed by sharing food or drink

Diabetes comes primarily from two sources – a genetic pre-disposition, inherited from your parents or excessive weight gain, which triggers high glucose levels, creating a diabetic condition.

Myth #3 Diabetics cannot eat sugar

False. Diabetics can eat sugared products, such as candy, cookies and other sweets. But, they need to eat them in moderation. As previously stated, sugar is a calorie dense carbohydrate and should be kept to a minimum in diabetic diets. Sugar substitutes should be used where possible.

Myth #4 Diabetic food must be a part of a healthy diet

False. Diabetic food is not necessary. What is necessary is that you eat a healthy diet, that’s low in fat and moderate, as previously mentioned, in sugar intake. In fact, most experts agree that there is no such thing as a “diabetic diet”, but just follow healthy eating guidelines, as most people should follow, and you’ll be healthier

Myth #5 Diabetics cannot drink alcohol

Partly true. Be sure to check first with your doctor as wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages can interfere with medications.

Myth #6 Diabetics shouldn’t snack between meals

False. Consuming between meals can help prevent over-eating at mealtime or binging on food. Healthful snacks, such as low sugar apples, are a great way to keep calories down and keep blood sugar in check.

Myth #7 Diabetics should eat a lot of protein

False. There is no evidence to support the fact that diabetics need more proteins than non-diabetics. 5-6 ounces of protein per day, or meat portions in the size of two decks of playing cards is sufficient.

Myth #8 Diabetics can eat fat because it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels

False. Diabetics shouldn’t eat fat. Although it doesn’t affect blood sugar level, heart disease is the number one complication caused by diabetes, so fat levels should be kept at a minimum.

It should also be noted that most physicians and dieticians believe that there is no such thing as a “diabetic diet”. Healthful eating is the key to controlling weight and glucose levels.

One of the best tips we’ve found to control weight and, in turn, control blood sugar, is to look closely at your current diet.

Make a list of the 10 top foods high in calories you eat on a regular basis. Every week, take out one of those foods from your diet. By the end of ten weeks you’ll be surprised how much weight you’ve lost.

Incidentally, if you’re drinking soda, you should stop. Non-diet sodas contain a high level of calories. Many people have a 5-10 sodas a day habit, that’s putting on a tremendous amount of weight.

Plus, the sweeteners most often used in sodas, high fructose corn syrup (not sugar, that’s generally not used in sodas) has been found to drain chromium from your system. Chromium, a trace mineral that helps to regulate your body’s blood sugar levels, is depleted from your system, triggering spikes in blood sugar.

10 Foods to Lower Blood Sugar

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 28-09-2010

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This is a short list of foods that lower blood sugar. Since controlling blood sugar is one of the most important things you are able to do to remain healthy and live a long life, you should learn how to lower a high blood sugar level, and what kind of foods and diet can help you do that.

Nuts – Although these tend to be high in fat, it’s the good kind of fats, which can actually lower insulin resistance, which means your cells will be more sensitive to the insulin your body produces which will more effectively lower your blood sugar.

Also, nuts because of their fat content help in controlling blood sugar by preventing you from becoming hungry between meals, and thus you avoid the sugary snacks that tend to elevate your blood sugar.

Examples of healthy nuts are –

Peanuts

Walnuts

Almonds

Cashews

Pecans

Brazil Nuts

Macadamia Nuts

This of course is dependant on whether you have food sensitivities or allergies to certain nuts. If so, don’t eat them. However if you don’t have any allergies to nuts, make them a regular part of your daily diet.

Avocado – This is actually a fruit and contains the healthy fats that raise your insulin sensitivity and is thus another of the foods that lower blood sugar. It is can be used in dips, sauces, and spreads, or as a garnish. Avocados contain fiber to help slow down blood sugar increases when added to a meal. It is a convenient, tasty, and healthy food that will help in lowering a high blood sugar level.

Sweet Potatoes – These are much lower on the glycemic index than regular potatoes due to their higher fiber content. They contain carotenoids, which are powerful antioxidants and are thought to have a positive affect on insulin, and chlorogenic acid, which combats insulin resistance. Don’t negate their value by using sugary sauces or toppings on them.

Cinnamon – this is a commonly used spice that contains natural compounds that mimic the effect of insulin, as well as reducing LDL cholesterol in people with diabetes. It’s high in fiber and also a rich source of magnesium, which also helps in controlling blood sugar.

Onions – The high sulfur and flavonoid content of onions which when consumed at a level of 2 ounces per day by diabetics caused a significant reduction in blood sugar. Onions also raise HDL and are thought to help prevent cancer as well due to their high antioxidant levels.

Garlic – This beneficial herb is another of the foods that lower blood sugar. Garlic can raise insulin production and increase insulin sensitivity. Raw garlic has potent antioxidant properties and promotes a healthy cholesterol profile as well as protecting against certain types of cancer.

Flaxseed – ground flaxseeds are rich in lignans and magnesium, which helps lower blood sugar. It’s also a potent source of omega-three fatty acids, which also help in controlling blood sugar. an added bonus is that flaxseed can also block some of the negative effects of natural estrogen and help prevent estrogen related cancers.

Barley – is a fiber packed and healthier alternative to rice for people attempting to reduce a high blood sugar level. Barley has the same cholesterol lowering fiber found in oats and helps to significantly reduce the glycemic index of a meal it is added to. It will also tend to make you feel fuller while eating less calories.

Cherries – are a excellent option among foods that lower blood sugar as they contain red-pigmented antioxidants, which can help raise your body’s insulin output. Cherries are high in soluble fiber and low in calories, and their antioxidant levels help protect against cancer and heart disease in addition to diabetes.

Lemons – round out our ten best foods for controlling blood sugar. They’re rich in vitamin-c, contain potent health promoting compounds like rutin and limonene, and their acidity can lower the glycemic index of a meal considerably. They have cholesterol lowering and anti cancer properties as well.

One thing you might have noticed about these foods that lower blood sugar is that they also provide a lot of additional health benefits as well such as protecting against cancer and heart disease. Among the reasons is that decling a high blood sugar level also lowers insulin levels, which correlate with a longer and healthier life.

In addition, the alkalizing effects of many of these foods also promote an environment in your body’s cells, that is unfavorable to the development of cancers. Fresh, whole, raw, natural foods are nature’s apothecary, and controlling blood sugar is but one of the many benefits these foods provide.

Pregnancy Symptom – Detect Pregnancy Before Pregnancy Test

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 27-09-2010

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If you are planning a pregnancy, take into account each and every pregnancy symptom you come across after you conceive. These symptoms of pregnancy are the signals your body sends to out, to make you aware of your pregnancy. These symptoms will start arriving within a couple of days after you conceive. Your first pregnancy symptom can be anything. It can be a missed period or a feeling of nausea, cramping or even bloating. If you are confused about which symptoms are to be considered as pregnancy symptoms and which ones are to be taken as common health disorder, get detailed facts on pregnancy symptom. After all, a pregnancy symptom is an indication that it’s time to consult a physician or take a pregnancy test.

Earliest Pregnancy Symptoms To Detect Pregnancy

You might miss your period due to an improper diet or burden of stress due to your work loads. So does missed periods symptom alone make a reliable condition to confirm pregnancy? After you conceive numerous changes you will notice in your body and in your lifestyle habits. Make a note of every pregnancy symptom you experience right after conception to detect pregnancy at a very early stage. Pregnancy symptoms are likely to arrive in different women in different sequence, period and intensity. Therefore, absence of one symptom that your friend might have undergone is usually not a sign to be fret over if you do not undergo it. These pregnancy symptoms are also likely to appear alone or accompanied by other early symptoms of pregnancy. For example, implantation bleeding or vaginal spotting may escort abdominal cramping.

How To Identify A Pregnancy Symptom

Your clear idea about the symptoms will help you distinguish a pregnancy symptom from a common health disorder. Still, you should better bring every symptom under observation of your physician to confirm pregnancy. The following list of initial pregnancy symptoms will give you a clear idea in identifying pregnancy symptoms.

Vaginal Spotting – As the fertilized egg shifts from fallopian tube to your uterus and gets attached to the inner wall of the uterus, you will be signaled by this pregnancy symptom. You will have slight vaginal bleeding within 3 to 4 days of conceiving. Because this bleeding results from the implantation of the egg in the uterus, doctors term it as implantation bleeding. Since, the color of this bleeding will be light pinkish or brown, you are able to identify this as a pregnancy symptom, not any other health disorder.

Abdominal Cramping – Onset of cramping also indicates attachment of embryo to your uterus. Attachment of embryo to the inner lining of uterus makes ligaments in the uterus expand to accommodate fetus’s growth in it. Such expansion can give you a cramping sensation in your abdomen as you feel during menstruation. However, sharp and acute cramping pain is a negative pregnancy symptom, consult your physician immediately.

Morning Ailment – Drastic hormonal changes may cause you to frequently throw up everyday and leave you feeling queasy and nauseous. As opposed to its name,

Blood Type Diet: Fact or Fiction

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Biometric Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 27-09-2010

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As per the author of book

An Introduction To Type I Diabetes

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Test, Health Screening | Posted on 27-09-2010

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When the sugar level in your blood is too high, you have diabetes. In Type I diabetes, the level of sugar is not only high, it is out of control. The reason being the body has stopped the production of the required quantity of insulin. As a result, type I diabetes patient needs two to five insulin shots per day, to keep the blood sugar levels under control.

Insulin is a chemical substance in the body that is essential to keep blood sugar levels normal. Its second function is- it helps the body to use fat and protein. An organ near the stomach, pancreas, is the production headquarters of insulin.

The causes of Type I Diabetes can be listed as:

1.Your body just stops making insulin.

2.The pancreas gets damaged.

3.The cells that make insulin are destroyed.

Initially, when a part of the cells in the body are destroyed, you may not know that you have diabetes. When the destruction of the cells is complete, disaster awaits you. Now you suddenly realize what all problems you had were due to some vague reasons. You neglected the early warnings.

But, what were those warnings? You suddenly lost weight and then you thought that you were evolving into a fit personality. You used bathroom a lot, your hunger almost seized you and you were happy about it. When you became very thirsty, you thought that drinking lots of water is good for health. A nature cure fad had advised you about it. You’d blurred vision, you got your eyes tested and you bought a glass and sunglass too. You felt tired but you thought that all hard and sincere workers get tired- not once a thought streaked into your mind, that you must’ve a check up! And you now have a life-long companion, Diabetes Type I.

Is there a cure for Diabetes Type I? NO, there is not!

Now, what’s to be done? Nothing precisely can cure this problem. But, something that can not be cured must be endured. If you take proper diet, and exercise regularly, you can still live happily, even in the company of diabetes.

There is no cure for diabetes. But, if you work with your healthcare team, eat right and exercise, you can live a excellent life and stay healthy.

How to Lower Blood Sugar – Tips You Can Make certain to use Today

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 27-09-2010

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If you’ve been diagnosed with kind 2 diabetes, how to lower blood sugar is likely one of your first questions. You can do it — beginning right now — but it is both easy and hard.

Why’s it easy? Because the steps are simple and uncomplicated.

As to why it is hard? It means changing our way of life up to this point. How we look at how we eat (the wrong foods) and exercise (not enough).

Never fear, you can do it! High blood sugar ravages your body, but, here are three easy ways to lower your blood sugar and escape the damages that having high blood sugar afflicts on your body.

But First –  You are Not Alone

First, remember that if you have type 2 diabetes, you are not alone. There are millions of people out there who already have this disease. And people have it in different degrees as well. Some people are just slightly over the edge, while others suffer from brittle diabetes (i.e. uncontrolled diabetes).

You’ve plenty of company. Some famous people with diabetes include Patti LaBelle, Stephen Furst and Mick Fleetwood, to name three. Diabetes does not discriminate; it strikes people of all races, nations and ages.

Lowering Blood Sugar to a Safe Range

First, what is a safe range? You need to know your fasting blood sugar, and this generally means testing it the first thing in the morning, before you eat. You want the range somewhere between 4.5 to 6.5 mg/dl.

So let’s get down to it — three ways to lower blood sugar and even reverse kind 2 diabetes.

First Make sure to look at Your Diet

Diet is the first and the most important step you are able to take to lower your blood sugar. Think about it; ignoring your diet is probably part of why you have kind 2 diabetes in the first place. What’s the secret here? It is what you have heard all along; plenty of fresh veggies, lean proteins and healthy fats.

Go Easy on the Carbs

All to many diabetics don’t think about the carbohydrates in “healthy” foods, like fresh fruits and whole grains. yes, you need these as part of a new lifestyle, but caution is necessary. You see, fruits and grains both contain sugar and sugar-like substances.

Oh, and forget about fruit juice; the kind you buy is normally sweetened with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) that is dreadful for your glucose levels.

Be sure to get Your Exercise

You knew this was coming, right? Your goal is to get in at least 30 minutes a day. Can’t do 30 minutes right now? Make certain to work up to it. We’re talking your health and even your life here!

The higher your current level of blood glucose, the more you need to make exercise a daily affair. Straight out, exercise helps to regulate blood sugar.

You cannot just ignore diabetes and hope it’ll just go away. You must takes steps — today — to ensure your health for the future.

Making Babies: A Humorous Guide to Getting Knocked Up

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 26-09-2010

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You’ve got to wonder what makes a couple decide to have a baby. Do they grow tired of those endless, restive Saturday and Sunday afternoons? Sick of sleeping eight straight hours without interruption? Bored with weekend getaways and romantic dinners at expensive restaurants? Whatever the cause, most married men and women decide at some point to replace their champagne flutes with sippy cups, their passion with pacifiers, all in search of that feeling parents get mooney-eyed over, as they hold a baby in their arms and radiate incredible, unconditional love and selflessness for the very first time in their lives.

My husband and I had an easier time than most making the baby decision. He’d been married before and had two daughters, 10 and 12, who lived a few minutes away and visited every weekend and then some. A year earlier, I had slipped out of my wedding dress and into the role of cook, housekeeper, soccer team mom, Disney Channel watcher and Uno player. Try adding to that a new house fully baby-proofed by its previous owners and a new job that let me work at home and it seemed there was no time like the present for tossing the birth control and making a baby.

I could already picture myself cuddling my gurgling, giggling bundle of joy. I’d take the baby for long walks in the warm sunshine, letting it nap in its carriage while I enjoyed a book and a latte at the local coffee shop. Everywhere we’d go, wrapped in our golden aura, people would stop us and marvel at my baby’s beautiful eyes, curly hair and sunny disposition. Some would even hand me business cards, begging to use Baby in their next commercial/photo shoot/film. Oh, there would be hard times too, of course. A few times a day, the baby would be hungry and I’d have to nurse it for five or ten minutes, but it would suck the extra pregnancy calories I’d collected right out of my body, leaving me even slimmer than I was before getting pregnant. I’d done my reading and I had this baby thing all figured out.

For his part, Hubs attacked our latest project with the all the determination of an Olympic sprinter. Picturing a cuddly, cooing baby waiting at the finish line, he single-mindedly pursued amorous encounters at any time, place and hour. Within days, the man had become a sexaholic and I, his co-dependent accomplice. We were going to be the best damn baby makers out there, and do it in record time. Yet even a gold medallist can only give so much. Within a few days, we were sore, exhausted and unusually crabby. For the first time in our history, an extended period of rest was required. Egos were nursed along with minor cuts and scratches. A pregnancy test at the end of the month confirmed the pathetic news: USA’s best damn baby makers hadn’t even bronzed.

Feeling betrayed by my own body, I, like thousands of other baby-making rejects, sought solace on the Internet. Here were the tormented accounts of women who’d tried for months and even years to make babies, all to no avail. They poured out their angst on pregnancy message boards, denouncing their smug, baby-toting friends and their grandchild-obsessed mothers-in-law. I quickly realized my own plaintive tale, tentatively titled “5 Straight Days of Action, No Baby Satisfaction”, would look like child’s play sandwiched in between stories of $3,000 fertility treatments and a sorry husband’s low sperm count. Wordless and alone, I skulked out of their online clubhouse, searching instead for a little baby making advice. I had no idea of what a tangled web I was about to discover.

Apparently baby making, even for the young and fertile, now required an advanced command of a language I was unprepared to learn. It seemed that conception could only occur during my luteal phase, after a luteinizing hormone had triggered ovulation. At that point, the added progesterone would help an egg attach itself to my endometrium. All I had to do was learn to recognize my cervical fluid pattern and a baby would be on the way. Huh?

In simpler terms, I had one of three options. I could write down the condition of my cervical mucus, noting each day whether it was pasty, sticky, stretchy or creamy. Not only did this option absolutely gross me out, but the resulting document potentially would be more embarrassing than the discovery of my secret diary. I could already see the writing on the public bathroom wall: “For slippery cervical mucus, call 555-3897!” Next.

Option two was even more horrifying. With two clean fingers, I was to feel the condition of my cervix once a day. A high and soft cervix equaled prime baby making time. Not only did I have doubts that I could even find my cervix with two fingers, but the warnings about possible infection using this method made me envision a humiliating discussion with my gynecologist. “Well, you see doctor, I was searching for my cervix and apparently, I had a hangnail…. maybe a slightly… dirty… hangnail.” Next.

Option three was a picnic compared to the first two. All I had to do was take my temperature each morning using a basal body thermometer, then chart it on a special graph that began on the first day of my period. My temperature would remain constant for the first 13 or so days, then dip lower on the day that ovulation, or “O” Day as I called it, was to occur. Eagerly, I printed out a chart, bought my thermometer and began tracking my temperature. I kept a companion graph online, so that other mommy wannabes could track my progress, and I could keep an eye on theirs. Soon, I was locked in an obsessive charting competition with countless other baby making hopefuls around the globe. Who would win the golden positive pregnancy test? Would it be Giselle from Dijon? Suki from Japan? Jo Nell from Mississippi? Surely not! I hadn’t come this far for nothing. My husband, noting the maniacal gleam in my eye as I scribbled down my temperature each morning, cowered beneath the sheets, praying that “O” Day wouldn’t be too painful.

And suddenly, it was upon us. Detecting a definite temperature plunge on Day 14, I turned to Hubs, who knew by the strange combination of my gritted teeth and come-hither smile that it was time. Resolutely, he stepped up to the plate and hit no less than four home runs that day. I’m embarrassed to admit that when he left the room for a few minutes, I even attempted a flailing bike leg exercise on the bed that ended prematurely when I lost my balance and strained my neck. No matter. We had done all we might do. We had given our best and surely our efforts would be rewarded.

Now, all I could do was wait and ask Hubs for frequent neck rubs. A pregnancy test wouldn’t detect the presence of a baby for at least another 9 to 12 days. I became obsessed with identifying the early signs of pregnancy. A late night headache? It means I’m pregnant! Lost keys? A baby’s on the way! Bickering with Hubs? I’ve gotta be preggo! Mornings found me fixedly staring at my breakfast, willing myself to feel nauseated before finally wolfing it down. After a week and a half of this torture, I finally got a break. Hubs, the girls and I headed for California to visit his parents and the pregnancy fixation was trumped by a succession of amusement park visits and gluttonous nights out. It wasn’t until the return flight home that I realized I couldn’t shake a feeling of vague nausea, fatigue and unheard-of constipation.

That afternoon as I unpacked, Hubs headed to the grocery for a pregnancy test. By this time, we’d talked and schemed about our baby-to-be so much that I nearly forgot about the test after I took it. As we emptied our suitcases and idly chatted about the trip, I happened to look down at the little wand on the bathroom counter. Two lines had appeared in its tiny plastic window. Two very definite lines. “Oh my god,” I said. “I can’t believe I’m preg…..ners.” We laughed like two dazed hyenas, then hugged and laughed some more.

That evening, we told the girls. They had known a baby was in the cards and already granted their approval, so we weren’t expecting fainting spells or hysterics, but I still felt a little nervous as their father stated the news. “Girls, Lucinda’s going to have a….” In a surprise move, Hubs turned to me. “Ba….by.” I croaked. Our 12-and 10-year-olds stood staring in perfect cinematic-style shock, their mouths forming little Os. “How?!” 12 finally said, quickly following up with “….Don’t answer that!!!”

Late that night, I held my own private winner’s ceremony, posting a positive pregnancy test symbol at the end of my online chart as the Giselles, Sukis and Jo Nells stamped their feet in frustration. With the benevolent smile of a gold medallist, I ignored the churning of my stomach and laid my head on my arm, watching the computer screen blur before my eyes closed and a pool of drool formed on my desk. In just nine months, there would be poopy diapers, I thought sleepily. There would be spit up. And there would be a demanding little creature I’d waited my whole life to meet.

Lab-based Blood Typing Vs Home-based Kits: a Comparative Analysis

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Biometric Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 26-09-2010

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Blood typing is a method of determining a person’s blood type by serological methods. It’s important to know your blood type for various reasons. In case of blood transfusions, organ transplantation, pregnancy etc., knowing one’s blood type is very vital for various medical purposes. These blood types depend on whether or not there are certain antigens on the red blood cells and if there are antibodies to these substances in your blood. Some of these methods are Laboratory based while some are home based and are available in the form of easy-to-use kits. A range of Laboratory based tests are available nowadays, including:

o  Direct Coombs test: This type of test determines the presence of antibodies to the red blood cells and allows detection of baby’s blood cell destruction by an antibody reaction (Rh, Kell, etc.).

o  Indirect Coombs test: This type of test can screen for minor blood factors and presence of antibodies. It is always done on an Rh- mother. This type of test detects the presence of antibodies (anti-Rh and others) only. If the Indirect Coombs comes up positive, Rh antibody titer test is necessary to determine the type and level of antibody in the blood type.

o  Rh antibody titer: If an Indirect Coombs test comes back positive, this test determines the type and quantity of antibodies in the blood. Since the anti-Rh is the most sensitizing, they are the ones most likely to rise during the pregnancy and cause problems. Depending on the level of other antibodies (e.g. anti-Kell) these antibodies can cause  hemolytic problems in the baby and need to be monitored. It’s usually repeated several times during pregnancy (at 32, 36, and 38 weeks).

o  Keihauser-Betke stain: In any case where a possibility of blood mixing is suspected, the Kleihauser-Betke stain should be done. It checks for fetal blood cells in the mother’s system and is usually done only when excessive fetal transfusion is suspected. It determines if the mother needs more than one injection of Rhogam.

Home based Testing Kits:

Such home blood type testing kits are now available in the market and due to the ease of their use, they are quite popular. They usually work on the principles of immuno-precipitation and involve antibodies attached to a solid matrix in the form of strips and detection is facilitated by calorimetric assays.

Saliva based Blood typing kits:

There are certain home based tests that help in determining blood types without drawing blood. In 80% of the population, blood group antigens are also present in the saliva. In such groups, ABO blood types can be detected using their saliva instead of blood. Such kits are also based on the same principles of immuno-precipitation.

Comparative Analysis:

While Laboratory based methods are usually extensive in nature for advanced diagnostics of potential hoemolytic problems associated with agglutination, home based kits contrarily are quite simple in nature and approach for they usually are limited to detection of few antigens only. Although lab based tests are far more reliable and accurate than the home based tests but home based tests are far easier to conduct. With just few drops of blood, you are able to find out your blood type within minutes. So for rapid and easy analysis, such kits certainly come handy.

Exercise For Diabetics

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Test, Health Screening | Posted on 26-09-2010

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Exercise for Diabetics

The two most common forms of diabetes are referred to as Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes, also known as adolescent diabetes, differs from Type 2 in that the body stops producing insulin altogether. Type 2 diabetes is generally diagnosed in older adults and occurs as the body stops producing enough insulin or the individual becomes resistent to their own insulin.

With either form of diabetes, we lose our ability to adequately untilize sugar. Blood sugar levels increase due to the body’s difficulty in transporting sugar into the cells and out of the blood stream. There are various ways to lower glucose levels including exercise, diet, and medications.

Exercise is a very important part of diabetic management for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. For the Type 1 diabetic, regular exercise helps to maintain insulin sensitivity, helps prevent accumulation of excess weight, and increases the use of glucose by muscles, thereby lower glucose levels. While there is currently no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes, it may be possible to prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Things to consider when attempting to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes are regular exercise, supplementation with vitamins and herbs that help prevent insulin resistance, and proper weight control.

Exercise not only helps directly in diabetic management by lowering glucose levels and maintaining insulin sensitivity, but also helps minimize many of the complications that can arise in a diabetic individual. Studies have shown that walking for 30 minutes per day can substantially diminish the possibility of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetics tend to develop circulatory problems and exercise can certainly help lower blood pressure and improve circulation throughout the body. Since individuals with diabetes tend to have poor blood flow to their lower extremities and feet, better circulation is of excellent benefit.

There are some risks associated with exercise, but the potential advantages greatly outweigh the risks. Since exercise does lower glucose levels, people with diabetes should measure their blood sugar both before and after exercising. Since your body uses more sugar while exercising and makes you more sensitive to insulin, there is a risk of blood sugar becoming too low and causing hypoglycemia.

When exercising it’s important to let others know that you are diabetic. They should be informed what to do in case of hypoglycemia. You should always carry candy or fruit juice to treat low blood sugar levels should they occur. During and after exercise sessions, you ought to pay close attention to how you feel since rapid heart beat, increased sweating, feeling shaky, or hunger can signal that your blood sugar levels are becoming too low.

Exercise is a vital part of diabetic management and treatment. Exercise helps blood sugar control when the muscles use more glucose and the body become more sensitive to insulin. Exercise also helps to prevent and minimize common diabetic complications including heart problems, high blood pressure and circulatory deficiencies. All diabetics ought to include a regular exercise program as part of their overall management plan.

6 Tips on How to Lower Blood Sugar Level

Posted by Blood Tests | Posted in Blood Testing, Blood Tests | Posted on 26-09-2010

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What is blood sugar?

Before listing out the tips on how to lower Blood Sugar, one should be acquainted with what actually High Blood Sugar means. It is precisely defined as an elevated level of the sugar glucose in blood otherwise phrased as ‘the spillage of glucose into the urine (glucosuria) converting the urine sugary.

Your blood sugar is regulated by your body but it cannot do the job without some help from you. The types of foods you eat play a big part in the level of your blood sugar. Some foods help to lower the levels. Others enter the blood stream faster, thus raising sugar levels. The pancreas produces insulin and high-gylcemic foods make it have to work harder to produce the insulin your body needs.

The following tips should help you to maintain a normal sugar level and cut down on the threat of developing diabetes.

1) The number one way you can lower your blood sugar is by eating the right foods. The types that are digested slower help to maintain good sugar levels such as fruits – apples, oranges, pears – vegetables such as – peas, zucchini – and grains such as – oatmeal, barley, granola.

Even if you already have diabetes, these foods can help you to keep it under control. Because diabetes, when uncontrolled can cause circulation problems as well as other problems, there should be an ongoing regimen to stay as healthy as possible.

2) Exercise is another way you are able to control blood sugar levels. If you exercise in the morning before eating this can lower your glucose just about in addition to medication. The alternative to medicines to regulate blood sugar can be exercise is it is maintained on a regular basis. Not only is it beneficial in this way but losing weight and keeping a healthy weight can reduce  the incidence of diabetes.

3) Consuming four to five small meals a day rather than three large meals will also help to lower your blood sugar.

4) Avoid drinking a lot of soft drinks because they are high in sugar and carbohydrates. Many people drink six and eight soft drinks a day. One 12 ounce soft drink contains 11 teaspoons of sugar. This is eventually going to cause a problem.

5) Before taking over the counter drugs always read the ingredients and what effects they may have on you. Many times these types of drugs can cause an increase in blood sugar levels.

6) Find out why your glucose levels are high. This can differ from individual to individual and you ought to know the specific reasons for your high levels. This can help you to know what to do to lower them. Stress is one situation that can cause higher levels. If your blood sugar level is high due to stress you ought to make some changes in your lifestyle.

As well as eating healthy, there are certain foods that you ought not eat. Foods such as potatoes, pasta , and foods that are high in carbohydrates should be avoided. Because the body turns carbohydrates to sugar this will add more sugar to your diet. Lowering the intake of carbohydrates will help you to lower your blood sugar. This isn’t to say you cannot have carbohydrates at all. But you should eat foods that are low in carbohydrates such as chicken, seafood, and turkey. Certain vegetables are also low such as broccoli, asparagus, and greens. Salad ingredients are also another way of getting the vitamins you need while still eating a low carbohydrate diet.

Controlling blood sugar is an art. If you want to be an expert in it, you should know the full details of foods to avoid for diabetes and natural remedies.