Spiritual Fasting With Diabetes

There seems to be a new move of God in the Body of Christ and a growing hunger for a deeper and more powerful relationship with Christ. Even as I write this article, thousands of men and women across North America and around the world are turning to prayer and fasting as they seek God and His wisdom for their lives.

But can you fast if you have diabetes? That's a question I am asked regularly on the Daniel Fast Blog that I started on WordPress in December 2007. The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" In fact, many have reported back to me that they were healed of their Type 2 diabetes as a result of changing their eating habits while on the Daniel Fast. The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, typically practiced for 21 consecutive days (you can learn more about the Daniel Fast by following the links at the end of this article).

Diabetes

I always encourage people with diabetes to contact their health professional before engaging in any fast. Depending on the severity of the infirmity, usually only slight adjustments must be made to the Daniel Fast Food List if any at all. The Daniel Fast is actually a very healthy way of eating and therefore almost always results in improved health for the individual, along with a deepened relationship with God.

Spiritual Fasting With Diabetes

I also stress to readers that fasting isn't necessarily about the foods you eat or don't eat. Rather, it's about your heart and that you are engaging in a spiritual fast to draw closer to the Lord. God tests your heart, so if you need to eat extra protein or consume more calories for health issues, then you can still fast successfully.

On the other hand, if you hear yourself saying, "I just can't give up coffee," and then adjust the fast so you can still have your morning java...then that attitude in your heart won't necessarily bring you successful fasting results.

Spiritual fasting is denying the body food for a spiritual purpose. It should never harm the body, but rather provide health to your body, your soul and your spirit.

If you have diabetes, I encourage you to learn more about the Daniel Fast by visiting the Daniel Fast Blog. There you will find just about everything you need for a successful spiritual fast that will increase your faith and bring you into a deeper and more abiding relationship with Christ.

Spiritual Fasting With Diabetes

Susan Gregory has been called "The Daniel Fast Expert" and teaches about spiritual fasting on The Daniel Fast Weblog which you can visit at http://DanielFast.wordpress.com

Diabetes Blood Sugar Chart - Normal Blood Glucose Ranges

Monitoring your glucose ranges is very important and must be done on a regular basis (especially if you are a diabetic). One of the best ways to monitor your glucose is to use a diabetes blood sugar level chart.

Glucose is the main fuel that your body uses to produce energy. Without it your body won't function properly (just like an automobile). The chart that I'm about to show you will be very helpful to you as it will help you monitor when problems occur and if there are any patterns of your readings. The patterns will become very clear to you (as you learn how your own body works) and you will be able to discuss them more clearly and effectively with your health professional. It is crucial that you know kind of events, food, activities, and medications may cause your blood sugar to increase or decrease.

Diabetes

You should work closely with your health care provider to ensure that you are meeting your goals. He will provide a meter tool for you to help you keep track of your levels. You should familiarize yourself on how to use the meter.

Diabetes Blood Sugar Chart - Normal Blood Glucose Ranges

Diabetes Blood Sugar Chart - Normal Blood Glucose Ranges

Upon waking up (and before breakfast), your levels should be between 80 and 120. This is considered to be a healthy range.

Before meals your levels should also be between 80 and 120.

Two hours after you eat meals, your levels should be 170 or less.

Before lunch, it should drop back down to 80-120.

Before you go to bed, it is ideal to be between 100 and 140.

At 3am (while sleeping), it is ideal to be between 70 and 110.

While fasting, it is ideal that you stay in the 70 to 100 range.

The numbers from this chart will help give you a good idea of normal blood glucose ranges; however, you may want to ask your health care provider where exactly your range should be at (during each of the above events). It is important to receive frequent testing as this can reduce the risk of having complications from your diabetes.

Diabetes Blood Sugar Chart - Normal Blood Glucose Ranges

I hope this diabetes blood sugar chart was beneficial to you and taught you a little bit about how to monitor your ranges. If you would like to learn more about diabetes and Learn how to Find Diabetic Relief, please check out my Diabetes and Blood Sugar Tips website.

Protein Principles for Diabetes

Dietary considerations can present a Hobson's choice in diabetes. Even when the intake is nutritious, assimilating it can be another matter. Then there is the problem of progression of diabetic complications if one ends up with excess glucose or fat in the system. Excess carbohydrates in a meal, and the resulting uncontrolled blood sugar levels can be detrimental to any number of tissues, from the lens of the eye, to the neurons, small blood vessels and the kidneys. Fat is also a problem with increase incidences of atherosclerosis, large vessel disease and cardiac complications. What, then is the appropriate macronutrient for the diabetic population? Enough medical literature exists to suggest that in diabetes, proteins are probably the best bet.

Proteins are the natural choice of the body when faced with diabetes. In uncontrolled diabetes, muscle protein is broken down into amino acids to be converted into glucose by the liver. If left to fend for itself, this can create a commotion within the body. Since proteins have to supply enough energy to substitute for carbohydrates, proteins are broken down faster than they are made. The body ends up with a protein deficit, a situation with subtle, yet far-reaching effects on normal body functions. Importantly, for diabetics, a protein deficit has been shown to impair resistance to infections (Ganong WF). Replenishing the depleting protein stores is a vital requirement of all diabetic diets.

Diabetes

Importance of proteins in a diabetic has been well documented. The American Associations of Clinical Endocrinologists have made it clear that not much evidence exists to indicate that the patients with diabetes need to reduce their intake of dietary proteins. The AACE recommends that 10-20% of the calorie intake in diabetes should come from proteins (AACE Diabetes Guidelines). It is in fact believed that this is one nutrient that does not increase blood glucose levels in both diabetics and healthy subjects (Gannon et al).

Protein Principles for Diabetes

Nutrition therapy for diabetes has progressed from prevention of obesity or weight gain to improving insulin's effectiveness and contributing to improved metabolic control (Franz MJ). In this new role, a high protein diet (30% of total food energy) forms a very pertinent part of nutrition therapy. One of the most important causes for type II diabetes is obesity. Excess body fat raises insulin resistance and higher levels of insulin are required to bring down blood sugars as the weight increases (Ganong WF). Another problem with excess fat is the clogging of arteries with atherosclerotic plaques that is responsible for a wide range of diabetic complications. Any mechanism that reduces body fat decreases insulin resistance and improves blood glucose control. Parker et al have also shown that a high protein diet decreased abdominal and total fat mass in women with type II diabetes. Other studies by Gannon et al. and Nuttall et al have verified that blood glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin (a marker of long term diabetic control) reduce after 5 weeks on a diet containing 30% of the total food energy in the form of proteins and low carbohydrate content. It is speculated that a high protein diet has a favorable effect in diabetes due to the ability of proteins and amino acids to stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Thus, a high protein diet is not only safe in diabetes, but can also be therapeutic, resulting in improved glycemic control, and decreased risk of complications related to diabetes.

The benefits of a high protein diet do not end here. Individual protein components of such a diet, when aptly chosen, can have other advantages as well. Dietary supplements containing proteins like whey and casein come highly recommended. Casein is a milk protein and has the ability to form a gel or clot in the stomach. The ability to form this clot makes it very efficient in nutrient supply. The clot is able to provide a sustained, slow release of amino acids into the blood stream, sometimes lasting for several hours (Boirie et al. 1997). A slow sustained release of nutrients matches well with the limited amount of insulin that can be produced by the pancreas in diabetes. A protein supplement containing casein can thus increase the amount of energy assimilated from every meal and, at the same time, reduce the need for pharmacological interventions to control blood sugar.

Whey proteins and caseins also contain "casokinins" and "lactokinins', (FitzGerald) which have been found to decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive humans (Seppo). In addition, whey protein forms bioactive amine in the gut that promotes immunity. Whey protein contains an ample supply of the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine appears to enhance glutathione levels, which has been shown to have strong antioxidant properties -- antioxidants mop up free radicals that induce cell death and play a role in aging.

Thus, development of a protein supplement containing casein and whey can provide an apt high protein diet and its health benefits to individuals suffering from diabetes, obesity and hypercholesterolemia.

ABOUT PROTICA

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com

You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com

Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

REFERENCES

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Medical guidelines for the management of diabetes. AACE Diabetes Guidelines, Endocr Pract. 2002; 8(Suppl 1).

Boirie, Y., Dangin, M., Gachon, P., Vasson, M.P., Maubois, J.L. and Beaufrere, B. (1997) Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proclamations of National Academy of Sciences 94, 14930-14935.

Counous, G. Whey protein concentrates (WPC) and glutathione modulation in cancer treatment. Anticancer Research 2000; 20, 4785-4792

FitzGerald RJ, Murray BA, Walsh D J. Hypotensive Peptides from Milk Proteins. J. Nutr. 134: 980S-988S, 2004.

Franz MJ. Prioritizing diabetes nutrition recommendations based on evidence. Minerva Med. 2004; 95(2):115-23.

Gannon et al An increase in dietary protein improves the blood glucose response in persons with type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78:734- 41.

Gannon MC, Nuttall J A, Damberg G. Effect of protein ingestion on the glucose appearance rate in people with type II diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86: 1040-1047, 2001

Ganong W F. Review of Medical Physiology, 21st Ed. Lange Publications 2003

Ha, E. and Zemel, M.B. Functional properties of whey, whey components, and essential amino acids: mechanisms underlying health benefits for active people. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2003; 14, 251-258.

Kent KD, Harper WJ, Bomser JA. Effect of whey protein isolate on intracellular glutathione and oxidant-induced cell death in human prostate epithelial cells. Toxicol in Vitro. 2003; 17(1):27-33.

Nuttall et al. The Metabolic Response of Subjects with Type II Diabetes to a High-Protein, Weight-Maintenance. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 3577-3583, 2003

Parker et al. Effect of a High-Protein, High-Monounsaturated Fat Weight Loss Diet on glycemic Control and Lipid Levels in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 25:425-430, 2002.

Seppo, L., Jauhiainen, T., Poussa, T. & Korpela, R. () A fermented milk high in bioactive peptides has a blood pressure-lowering effect in hypertensive subjects. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003; 77: 326-330.
Unger RH. Glucagon physiology and pathophysiology. N Engl J Med. 1971; 285:443- 449.

Protein Principles for Diabetes

Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

Foot Pain and Diabetes

Foot pain can certainly be caused by any number of reasons. However, foot pain resulting from diabetes is both painful and very common for those living with diabetes.

Diabetes and foot pain is generally defined by four different types.

Diabetes

A nerve problem (where the nerves themselves are affected by the disease) called peripheral neuropathy is the most common source of foot pain tied to diabetes. Peripheral neuropathy comes in the form of sensory, motor, and autonomic neuropathy.

Foot Pain and Diabetes

Sensory neuropathy is the most common and is defined by symptoms where the amount of pain is much greater than the source that is causing the pain. As an example, just touching, or lightly pulling on your socks triggers a painful reaction. Also, with sensory neuropathy you may experience some numbness along with tingling, burning, or even stabbing type pain symptoms.

Because blood sugar can be a player in this type of pain, check your blood sugar levels for the past several weeks to see if perhaps there is an upward trend toward high levels.

Relief is of the utmost importance in these cases and can come from various applications. Massaging your feet or using a foot roller can sometimes drop the level of pain. Anything you can do from a shoe perspective such as cushioned supports and inserts can assist as well. Anything to help mitigate the pressure and pounding of daily activities on the foot and/or any rubbing or chaffing is beneficial. There are also prescription drugs that your doctor can recommend that will often times work.

When the nerves to the muscles become affected by diabetes (motor neuropathy), your muscles will begin to feel weak and achy. Although the smaller muscles of the feet aren't usually the first to be affected, your balance can eventually become affected which may cause alignment problems and/or rubbing on the feet which ultimately results in pain. Support, exercise, stretching, and massage are your best weapon against motor neuropathy. Keeping your muscles healthy and flexible is a key element in relieving this type of foot pain.

Autonomic neuropathy affects the nerves that we don't consciously control, hence the 'auto' of autonomic. With this condition existing your sweating triggers are altered and as such you may suffer from dry or cracked skin. For your feet this may result in a build up of foot calluses, thickened nails and such that lead to foot pain. The daily use of conditioning agents formulated specifically for diabetes can aid or prevent this problem.

With diabetic people proper circulation is a primary concern. Circulation problems in the feet can cause severe pain. Addressing circulation problems should always be done in conjunction with your medical doctor. Various approaches may include an exercise program, physical therapy, medication, or even surgical procedures, but again, consult with your physician before considering any strategy that involves addressing a circulation issue.

With diabetic people muscle and joint pain is not uncommon. If tendons and joints begin to stiffen coupled with imbalances associated with peripheral neuropathy and walking alignment occurs, the foot and the joints become painful. In fact, if the walking misalignments continue, this can lead to other foot disorders such as corns, bunions, and hammertoe.

People living with diabetes are more susceptible to infections within their body because of the changes that have taken place in their body. If a bacterial infection attacks the foot, the foot can become red, experience swelling, feel warm, and be painful. Keeping the immune system as healthy as possible by controlling your blood sugar, proper nutrition, and exercise, should be a top priority in your defense against infections.

If you are afflicted with diabetes, in addition to being mindful of the above information, work closely with your primary care physician to ensure that you receive proper information and care for your personal situation.

Foot Pain and Diabetes

For more important information on sore feet visit sore-foot-remedies.com where you will find advice on foot pain causes such as plantar fasciitis, foot corns, and other articles.