March is Brain Injury Awareness Month 2016

                                                                                           Types of Brain Injuries

The brain can receive several different types of injuries depending on the type of force and amount of force that impacts the head. The type of injury the brain receives may effect just one functional area of the brain, various areas, or all areas of the brain. Types of traumatic brain injuries and their characteristics are discussed below, followed by related definitions.

Brain InjuryA more descriptive term than “head injury”. Damage to the brain that results in impairments in physical, cognitive, speech/language and behavioral functioning. The damage may be caused by an external physical force, insufficient blood supply, toxic substance, malignancy, disease-producing organisms, congenital disorders, birth trauma or degenerative processes.

Concussion
A concussion is caused when the brain receives trauma from an impact or a sudden momentum or movement change. The blood vessels in the brain may stretch and cranial nerves may be damaged.

• A concussion can be caused by direct blows to the head, gunshot wounds, violent shaking of the head, or force from a whiplash type injury.
• Both closed and open head injuries can produce a concussion. A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury.
• A person may or may not experience a brief loss of consciousness (not exceeding 20 minutes). A person may remain conscious, but feel “dazed” or “punch drunk”.
• A concussion may or may not show up on a diagnostic imaging test, such as a CAT Scan.
• Skull fracture, brain bleeding, or swelling may or may not be present. Therefore, concussion is sometimes defined by exclusion and is considered a complex neurobehavioral syndrome.
• A concussion can cause diffuse axonal type injury resulting in permanent or temporary damage.
• A blood clot in the brain can occur occasionally and be fatal.
• It may take a few months to a few years for a concussion to heal.                                               
  

Contusion
A contusion is a bruise (bleeding) on the brain.

• A contusion can be the result of a direct impact to the head.
• Large contusions may need to be surgically removed.

Coup-Contrecoup InjuryCoup-Contrecoup Injury describes contusions that are both at the site of the impact and on the complete opposite side of the brain.

• This occurs when the force impacting the head is not only great enough to cause a contusion at the site of impact, but also is able to move the brain and cause it to slam into the opposite side of the skull, which causes the additional contusion.

Diffuse Axonal Injury
A Diffuse Axonal Injury can be caused by shaking or strong rotation of the head, as with Shaken Baby Syndrome, or by rotational forces, such as with a car accident.

• Injury occurs because the unmoving brain lags behind the movement of the skull, causing brain structures to tear.
• There is extensive tearing of nerve tissue throughout the brain. This can cause brain chemicals to be released, causing additional injury.
• The tearing of the nerve tissue disrupts the brain’s regular communication and chemical processes.
• This disturbance in the brain can produce temporary or permanent widespread brain damage, coma, or death.
• A person with a diffuse axonal injury could present a variety of functional impairments depending on where the shearing (tears) occurred in the brain.
  Source: Brain Injury Source Volume 4 Issue

Traumatic Brain InjuryDamage to living brain tissue by an external mechanical forces or motion. It is usually characterized by a period of altered consciousness (amnesia or coma) that can be very brief (minutes) or very long (months/indefinitely). The term does not include brain injuries that are caused by insufficient blood supply, toxic substances, malignancy, disease-producing organisms, congenital disorders, birth trauma or degenerative processes.

• Closed Brain Injury: Occurs when the head accelerates and then rapidly decelerates or collides with another object (for example, the windshield of a car) and brain tissue is damaged, not by the presence of a foreign object within the brain, but by the violent smashing, shaking, stretching and twisting of brain tissue. The nerve endings connecting the skull to the brain are often torn or become completely separated from the brain. Closed brain injuries typically cause diffuse tissue damage that result in disabilities, which are generalized and highly variable.
• Open (Penetrating) Brain Injury: Occurs when an object (e.g. bullet, knife) fractures the skull, enters the brain and injures the brain tissue in the process. These injuries tend to damage localized areas of the brain and result in discrete and relatively predictable disabilities.
• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI): The implication of this term is that the individual experienced normal growth and development from conception through birth until sustaining an insult to the brain later that resulted in impairment of brain function. ABI is caused by the shearing of brain nerve fiber due to trauma or by cell death related to swelling, bleeding, disease or loss of oxygen to the brain (anoxia). Whether mild, moderate or severe, acquired brain injury can cause physical, cognitive, speech/language and behavioral dysfunction.                                                 
  

Anoxic EventNear drowning, electrical shock, drug overdose, kidney/heart failure, industrial/chemical exposure, injury subsequent to TBI/CVA.

Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD)Acquired brain disorder is a broader category, which includes neurological disorders as well as acquired brain injury. They may each result in trauma or disruption to the brain and nervous system from a variety of sources.

The brain is the control board for all functions of the body. It is comprised of the cortex, which controls most thinking functions, the cerebellum, which coordinates movement, and the brain stem, which controls consciousness, alertness and basic functions such as breathing, respiration and pulse. The brain function can be disrupted in a number of ways: injuries, toxins, illness and unrelated medical conditions. These disorders to the brain and nervous system include, in addition to acquired brain injuries, neurological brain disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and other rare neurological disorders.

Second Impact Syndrome “Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injury”Second Impact Syndrome, also termed “recurrent traumatic brain injury,” can occur when a person sustains a second traumatic brain injury before the symptoms of the first traumatic brain injury have healed. The second injury may occur from days to weeks following the first. Loss of consciousness is not required. The second impact is more likely to cause brain swelling and widespread damage.

• Because death can occur rapidly, emergency medical treatment is needed as soon as possible.
• The long-term effects of recurrent brain injury can be muscle spasms, increased muscle tone, rapidly changing emotions, hallucinations, and difficulty thinking and learning.

Shaken Baby SyndromeShaken Baby Syndrome is a violent criminal act that causes traumatic brain injury. Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when the perpetrator aggressively shakes a baby or young child. The forceful whiplash-like motion causes the brain to be injured.

• Blood vessels between the brain and skull rupture and bleed.
• The accumulation of blood causes the brain tissue to compress while the injury causes the brain to swell. This damages the brain cells.
• Shaken Baby Syndrome can cause seizures, lifelong disability, coma, and death.
• Irritability, changes in eating patterns, tiredness, difficulty breathing, dilated pupils, seizures, and vomiting are signs of Shaken Baby Syndrome. A baby experiencing such symptoms needs immediate emergency medical attention.
  (The Shaken Baby Alliance. [Online August 22, 2002: http://www.shakenbaby.com])

Locked in Syndrome
Locked in Syndrome is a rare neurological condition in which a person cannot physically move any part of the body except the eyes.

• The person is conscious and able to think.
• Vertical eye movements and eye blinking can be used to communicate with others and operate environmental controls.                                                                                                                   

  How Are Brain Damage and Brain Injuries Treated?

  Anyone who has a head or brain injury needs immediate medical attention.
  A brain injury that seems mild -- referred to as a concussion -- can be as dangerous as clearly severe injuries. The key factor is the extent and location of the damage. Brain injury does not necessarily result in long-term disability or impairment. But the correct diagnosis and treatment is needed to contain or minimize the damage.
  The extent and effect of brain damage is determined by a neurological exam, neuroimaging testing such as MRI or CT scans, and neuropsychological assessments. Doctors will stabilize the patient to prevent further injury, ensure blood and oxygen are flowing properly to the brain, and ensure that blood pressure is controlled.
  Almost all patients will benefit from rehabilitation to assist in long-term recovery. That may include:
  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech and language therapy
  • Psychological support

American Diabetes Association Alert Day

As a person who was diagnosed over a year ago with type 2 diabetes I felt it was important to share this valuable information. It could help someone who may not know facts about Diabetes. 

What is Diabetes? A group of diseases that result in too much sugar in the blood, or high blood glucose.

Most common types

• Type 2 diabetes
  

  A chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose).
• Type 1 diabetes
  

  A chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
• Prediabetes
  

  A condition in which blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes.
• Gestational diabetes
  

  A form of high blood sugar affecting pregnant women.

Although there is a simple way to get rid of type 2 diabetes even in a natural way, like with basic exercise and a balanced nutrition, there are  20 mil. people today in America who live with this kind of  disease.

The percent of people who can get this disease drops down for an amazing 60%, if only people would have been able to lose 10 lb by a means of healthy diet or regular every day exercises such as walking or running.

Pre-Diabetes

The term pre-diabetes is referring to a risk of getting type 2 diabetes or even a heart disease. The positive thing here is that when you have this kind of a disease you can return glucose levels in your blood to normal and with this prevent getting a type 2 diabetes if you hold on to  our guidelines here.

Type 2 Diabetes

The previous name of this disease was adult onset diabetes, and it represents the most commonly spread type of diabetes. The primary symptom of this disease is resistance of insulin, when your body can’t act properly to insulin intake. There is no certain age for getting this disease because it is associated  nowadays  with dynamic lifestyle with intake of fast-food, a big level of stress and low or no amounts of exercise.

The chances for developing a type 2 diabetes are increasing highly with low body activity and high weight. Traditional ways for treating  this disease today are the proper diabetes medicines, daily consummation of aspirin, and regular controlling of  cholesterol levels in the blood or blood pressure often with some prescribed drugs.

Even a medium level of physical activity can prevent the chances of getting type 2 diabetes and provide continuation of your normal life.

Diagnosing Diabetes and Learning About Prediabetes

There are several ways to diagnose diabetes. Each way usually needs to be repeated on a second day to diagnose diabetes.
Testing should be carried out in a health care setting (such as your doctor’s office or a lab). If your doctor determines that your blood glucose level is very high, or if you have classic symptoms of high blood glucose in addition to one positive test, your doctor may not require a second test to diagnose diabetes.

If you feel that you are at risk for diabetes or are a prediabetic please have your doctor test you. Early detection can help you and possibly save your life. Remember proper diet and exercise will lower the risk of you getting diabetes.

For more information: http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/alert-day/?referrer=https://www.google.com/

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Today is especially meaningful because with all the racial discrimination still going on in this world today, everyone really need to take a step back and think on what is the real reasoning behind discrimination. God created all humans equal, no one above the other unless you are God himself. No color, no race, no gender, no religion, no language…. NO HATE! Everyone need to work together to make this world a better place not a hated place.

Racial discrimination divides us all and kills. It takes away peace between States and undermines social cohesion within increasingly diverse societies. All it is, is racial and religious-based slavery and it is escalating every day and in too many countries around the world.

What is The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination?

In 1966, the United Nations declared the first Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to commemorate those who had been killed on March 21, 1960, whilst peacefully protesting against the Apartheid pass laws in South Africa. “ The day is an opportunity to renew our commitment to building a world of justice and equality where xenophobia and bigotry do not exist.  We must learn the lessons of history and acknowledge the profound damage caused by racial discrimination.”, said by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001.

Everyone have a role in combating racism and we all must do our parts.

Racial discrimination, which can be brutal and wide-ranging, is sometimes embodied in iniquitous laws. It can continuously deprive people each and every day of their basic rights to employment, housing and a social life.

In this world there are so many shades of color and diversity and everyone is beautiful in their own way. Everyone was made to be different, unique and unlike any other regardless of skin pigmentation, we are ALL unique and different. Wouldn't the world be bland if everyone was the same? Thought the same way? Acted the same way? We are ALL different and should love one another in spite of the differences.

Say NO to Racial Discrimination and make your voice heard!

Signing out

Dr. Destiny Neuman-Ashland aka Big Sister On Point

MARCH 16TH IS NATIONAL KICK BUTTS DAY CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO FREE KIDS

Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. The next Kick Butts Day is today, March 16, 2016. More than 1,000 events in schools and communities across the United States and even around the world are expected.

On Kick Butts Day, teachers, youth leaders and health advocates organize events to:

• Raise awareness of the problem of tobacco use in their state or community;
• Encourage youth to reject the tobacco industry's deceptive marketing and stay tobacco-free; and
• Urge elected officials to take action to protect kids from tobacco.

Eta Sigma Delta Inc. is getting involved as well to do our part.

Kick Butts Day is organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The first Kick Butts Day was held in 1996.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leading force in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll in the United States and around the world. Our vision: A future free of the death and disease caused by tobacco.

They work to save lives by advocating for public policies that prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke. To achieve our mission, they:

• Promote public policies proven to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. These include higher tobacco taxes, comprehensive smoke-free laws, well-funded tobacco prevention and stop-smoking programs, and tough regulation of tobacco products and marketing.
• Expose and counter tobacco industry efforts to market to children and mislead the public.
• Strengthen tobacco control efforts in the United States and worldwide by providing support and information to our many partners.
• Mobilize organizations and individuals to join the fight against tobacco.
• Empower a tobacco-free generation by fostering youth leadership and activism.
• Inform the public, policy makers and the media about tobacco's devastating consequences and the effectiveness of the policies we support.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that accepts no government or tobacco industry funding. We rely on contributions from individuals, philanthropic foundations, corporations and other non-profit organizations.

Tobacco 101

The fight against tobacco is about saving lives. It’s also about taking on the tobacco industry, which targets kids and deceives people in order to sell its deadly and addictive products.

Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States and around the world. It causes terrible and deadly diseases, including many forms of cancer, heart disease and emphysema (a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe). In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General has found that tobacco use damages nearly every organ in the human body.

We know how to win the fight against tobacco by doing three things:

• Prevent kids from starting to smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products;
• Help current tobacco users quit; and
• Protect everyone from harmful secondhand smoke.

By getting involved in Kick Butts Day and other activities, America’s youth can raise awareness about the tobacco problem, encourage peers to be tobacco-free and support effective solutions to reduce tobacco use.

 TOLL OF TOBACCO IN THE UNITED STATES

In the United States, tobacco use kills more than 480,000 people each year – that’s more Americans than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.

Here are some other key facts:

• The vast majority of smokers start as children. In the U.S., 90 percent of all smokers start while in their teens or earlier.
• Every day, another 700 kids become regular smokers. One-third of them will die prematurely from a smoking-caused disease.
• Tobacco use costs us $132.5 billion each year in medical bills.
• It’s not just cigarettes that are bad for your health. Other forms of tobacco, including cigars and spit or smokeless tobacco, are also harmful and addictive.
• Secondhand smoke is also hazardous – it kills nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. each year. Secondhand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including at least 69 that cause cancer. According to the Surgeon General, secondhand smoke causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults and respiratory problems, sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, ear infections and more severe asthma attacks in infants and children.

There is good news: The United States has made a lot of progress in reducing smoking by both youth and adults. We’ve cut adult smoking by more than half since the 1960s, and youth smoking in half since 1997. But 15.7 percent of high school students and 18.1 percent of adults still smoke, so we still have a lot of work to do.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TOLL OF TOBACCO IN THE UNITED STATES

TOLL OF TOBACCO AROUND THE WORLD

Tobacco use is a serious problem not just in the United States, but in every country.

As smoking has gone down in the U.S. and other higher-income countries, tobacco companies have targeted low- and middle-income countries with their deadly products and deceptive marketing. As a result, many countries are paying a terrible price:

• Tobacco will kill one billion people in the 21st century unless countries take strong action to fight tobacco use. Nearly 80 percent of these deaths will be in low and middle-income countries.
• Tobacco will kill nearly six million people worldwide this year.
• Every day, as many as 100,000 young people around the world become addicted to tobacco. If current trends continue, 250 million children and young people alive today will die from tobacco-related diseases.

The world’s nations have responded with strong action to reduce tobacco use and save lives. An international treaty, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, took effect in February 2005. Nations that joined the treaty have pledged to take effective action to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TOLL OF TOBACCO AROUND THE WORLD

EXPOSING BIG TOBACCO

Tobacco’s terrible toll is no accident. It’s a direct result of the tobacco industry’s actions, including marketing that targets kids and deceives people about the harmful effects of their products.

In 2011, tobacco companies spent $8.8 billion – $1 million every hour – to market their deadly and addictive products. They target kids because they need “replacement smokers” to take the place of smokers who die or quit.

To attract young people, tobacco companies market cigarettes and other tobacco products as fun, cool and glamorous. While sweet-flavored cigarettes are now banned, tobacco companies continue to market cigar and smokeless tobacco products that are flavored and packaged like candy.

WINNING THE FIGHT AGAINST TOBACCO

We know how to win the fight against tobacco. Science and experience have identified effective strategies that prevent kids from using tobacco, help tobacco users quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke. It’s critical that elected officials support these life-saving solutions.

You can learn more about each of these solutions on the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids web site:

• Higher tobacco taxes – by making cigarettes and other tobacco products more expensive, we can keep kids from using them and encourage current tobacco users to quit.
• Laws requiring smoke-free workplaces and public places – these laws protect everyone from secondhand smoke and help reduce smoking.
• Well-funded programs – including television advertising campaigns – that convince young people not to use tobacco and encourage current tobacco users to quit.
• Regulations that restrict how tobacco products are made, marketed and sold. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration regulates tobacco products and has taken action to stop tobacco marketing and sales to kids.

I am a high advocate against smoking especially because I lost my mother to Lung Cancer. Tobacco use starts off young so we must do everything in our power to keep our youths from starting this trend early on.

Signing off...

Dr. Destiny Neuman- Ashland aka Big Sister On Point

All information was obtained from http://www.kickbuttsday.org/

National Nutrition Month 2016; Control what we put into our bodies

March is National Nutrition Month. National Nutrition Month is a special health awareness campaign that is held every March.Created by the American Dietetic Association, the event is dedicated to bringing attention to various aspects of nutrition. This includes the importance of making informed food choices as well as developing and maintaining good eating habits. Apart from that, the campaign also works towards building awareness around the need for regular physical activity. Why It's Important? National Nutrition Month isn't 'just another health thing'. The fact is that the majority of diseases that affect Americans today can be traced back to bad nutrition and unsound eating habits. Apart from that, a number of chronic conditions can be greatly improved by making healthy eating choices. By opting for a nutritionally sound diet, your body immediately gains access to higher energy levels. By breaking down components like carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, the body can repair and replenish itself. Unhealthy or junk foods don't provide anything that the body can use - apart from that; it needs to work twice as hard to push those extra toxins out of the body. There is a very simple way to see how this works in real life. After a person has done a workout or played a hard game of basketball, the best thing they can do is drink water. Not only does it quench the thirst, it also re-hydrates the body and replenishes the mineral salts that were lost through sweating. The worst thing to do is have a soft drink. Its high sugar content actually robs the body of water and can cause muscles to cramp. If a person has had a soda after a long run, chances are that they will end up being thirstier with a bad leg cramp later on. Today it is probably harder than ever to eat right, especially when fast foods seem like a more convenient option to a healthy meal. But there are a number of tips you can keep in mind to incorporate more nutrition into your daily diet. Nutrition Tips You can celebrate your own health and National Nutrition Month by keeping a few helpful health hints in mind. First of all, think fresh. Stock up on fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. Store these in small containers in your fridge so that they are easily accessible when you want a quick snack. You can also take them with you to work or even if you're just going to take a long drive. Snacking on fruits, nuts and vegetables is a much healthier choice as they are fat and sugar free. Unlike junk food, snacking on healthy foods will actually kill hunger pangs rather than just mask them. Most people tend to create their meals around themeat dishes they eat. Instead of doing this, try reducing the portions of meat and starch and increase the portions of fresh vegetables. Incorporating whole grains and cutting out things like ketchup and creamy salad dressings is also good. Using fresh herbs and spices for seasoning can not only be a tastier option, it's nutritionally sound as well. It's also a good idea to drink more water - avoid drinking artificially sweetened fruit juices or sodas. The more water you drink, the more toxins get flushed out of your body. In situations where it just isn't possible to eat healthy, try and eat as healthy as you can. For example, instead of burgers, order a grilled cheese sandwich. Eating in a nutritionally sound way might be a little hard at first but you'll feel the difference right away. Celebrating National Nutrition Month is an effective way to get your health back on track.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt has twice as much protein as other yogurts. It takes longer to leave your stomach, keeping you satisfied longer. Plus, you burn= more calories digesting protein than carbs. Choose nonfat, low-fat, and low-sugar types.                                                                                                        

Cinnamon

Some studies suggest cinnamon may have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels. This could curb your appetite, particularly in people with type 2 diabetes, Bonci says. Nearly everyone can benefit from cinnamon in its traditional role. Stir some into your coffee, tea, or yogurt to add sweetness without adding calories.

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                  

Hot Peppers

Hot peppers have a flavorless chemical called capsaicin. It's more plentiful in habaneros, but jalapeños also have it. Capsaicin seems to curb appetite and speed up metabolism slightly, but only for a short time. It probably doesn't have a big impact on weight, unless you eat less food because it's spicy.                                                                                            

Green Tea

Several studies suggest green tea may promote weight loss by stimulating the body to burn abdominal fat. Green tea contains catechins, a type of phytochemical that may briefly affect the metabolism. To get the most benefit, you may need to drink green tea several times a day. Bonci recommends taking your tea hot, because it takes longer to drink, providing a soothing, mindful experience.

         

Grapefruit

Grapefruit doesn't have any magical fat-burning properties, but it can help you feel full with fewer calories. That's because its soluble fiber takes longer to digest. Having half a grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice before a meal fills you up, so you eat fewer calories during the meal.                            

Watermelon

Foods that are rich in water take up more room in your gut. This signals the body that you've had enough to eat and leaves less room for other foods. Many raw fruits and vegetables are full of water and nutrients, and low in calories. Watermelon is a great example. It's a good source of the antioxidant lycopene and gives you some vitamin A and C, too.                                                        

Pears and Apples

Pears and apples are also high in water content. Eat them with the peels for extra fiber, which will keep you full longer. Go for whole fruits rather than fruit juice. You'll get more fiber, and you have to chew the fruits. This takes longer and you'll burn a few calories chewing, as opposed to gulping down a smoothie.                                                                                                                                              

Grapes vs. Raisins

Compare two cups of grapes to 1/4 cup of raisins. Either choice has a little more than 100 calories, but you'll probably be more satisfied with the grapes. Dried fruit has its place. When used sparingly, a few raisins or dried cranberries can liven up a salad.

Berries

Like other fruits, berries are high in water and fiber, which can keep you full longer. They're also very sweet, satisfying your sweet tooth for a fraction of the calories you would get from cookies or brownies. Blueberries are a good example because most stores carry them and they're loaded with antioxidants.                                                                                                                                            

Raw Vegetables

Raw vegetables make an outstanding snack. They satisfy the desire to crunch, they're full of water to help you feel full, and they're low in calories. Half a cup of diced celery has just eight calories. Coat celery with a little peanut butter or dunking carrots in salsa. When you're in the mood for chips and dip, replace the chips with raw veggies.

Lean Meat

You know that protein can keep you full longer and burn more calories during digestion. Choose your protein carefully. Dark meat tends to be high in fat, which could cancel out some of the benefits. Skinless chicken breast is a great choice. And some cuts of beef can make the grade. Flank steak, eye of round, and top sirloin are extra-lean with less than 4 grams of saturated fat per serving. Stick with a 3- to 4-ounce portion.                                                                                            

Salad

Another way to fill up before a meal is by eating salad. Lettuce has plenty of water content to take up space in the stomach. That leaves less room for fattier foods that might come later in the meal. Make your salad interesting by adding a variety of fruits and vegetables or grated cheese. Be careful about dressing, which can add a lot of calories.

Sweet Potatoes

Think of the typical toppings on your baked potato -- butter, sour cream, maybe cheese and bacon bits. If you substitute a sweet potato, you might not need any of that. Baked sweet potatoes are so full of flavor, they don't need a lot. This can save you loads of calories. As a bonus, sweet potatoes are packed with potassium, beta carotene, vitamin C, and fiber.                                                                              

Eggs

One egg has only 75 calories and 7 grams of protein, along with other vital nutrients. Remember, your body will burn more calories digesting eggs than a carb-heavy breakfast. If you have high cholesterol, one egg is almost all the cholesterol you should have in a day. Choose egg whites, which are cholesterol free.                                                                                                                                   

Coffee

It sounds too good to be true -- one of your favorite beverages may actually help rev the metabolism and help you lose weight. Coffee does stimulate the metabolismm, but only a little. Don't count on this for weight loss, especially if you add calories with toppings                                                                                       

Oatmeal

Oatmeal has three things going for it: fiber-rich whole-grain oats, lots of water, and it's hot. It's a very filling combination. Hot food takes longer to eat, and all that liquid and fiber will help you feel full longer. Avoid super-sugary oatmeal. Stirring in cinnamon or nutmeg will give you a sweet taste with less sugar.             

Soup

Soup -- we're talking broth-based, not creamy -- has a lot going for it. It's full of water, which fills you up with the fewest possible calories. It's hot, which prevents you from eating too much. Have it before a meal, and soup can take up space that might have gone to higher calorie foods. You can also make a satisfying, low-calorie meal out of soup alone by adding chicken, fish, cut-up vegetables, or beans.                                                                                                                                

Vinegar

Dress your salad with oil and vinegar. It's easy to make and it's full of flavor that can make salad more satisfying -- and it has no calories.                                            

Nuts

Nuts are an excellent way to curb hunger between meals. They're high in protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. Studies suggest nuts can promote weight loss and improve cholesterol levels when eaten in moderation. They're also rich in calories, so limit your portions. If you have to get them out of their shell, you'll slow down and not eat as much.                                                                                     

Air-Popped Popcorn

Three cups of plain, air-popped popcorn may seem like a lot, but you're not getting a lot of calories. All that air adds volume without adding fat or sugar.        

Skim Milk

Skim milk provides plenty of protein, calcium, and vitamin D with none of the fat found in whole milk. And even though it's fat-free, skim milk can help you feel full. It takes longer to leave the stomach than drinks with less protein.                   

Fish

One of the best sources of protein is fish. Most fish is low in fat, and the exceptions usually have a good form of fat -- omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3's, which are found in salmon, herring, and other fatty fish, may help protect against heart disease and other chronic conditions.                                                                 

Beans

Beans deliver a nutritional triple punch, They're a vegetable, a protein, and a great source of fiber. This means they'll help you stay full for the price of very few calories. They're also easy to prepare when the munchies strike. Open a can of garbanzo beans and toss them into soup or salad or mash them up to use as a dip. One cup packs 12 grams of fiber, just 4 grams of fat, and 15 grams of protein.                                                                                                                        

The Importance Of Having A Diet PlanFor diabetics, their diet plan is considered part of the treatment for their condition,  the diet helps keep the body from being overwhelmed by the things it can't handle efficiently, which are mainly sugar and carbohydrates that turn into sugar in the body. Diabetics also frequently have secondary health problems such as dyslipidemia, and problems with the levels of cholesterol in the body. A healthy diet plan is essential for managing blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight, which is often a problem for diabetics.

When a diabetic eats excess amounts of fat, carbohydrates and calories, the body responds with a dangerous rise in blood sugar. Over time, this can lead to chronic health concerns such as nerve, kidney and heart damage. In fact, diabetes and its complications plays a role in more than 231,000 deaths each year, so maintaining a healthy diet is essential.
In addition, those with type 2 diabetes often find that the diet required to keep their diabetes stable is also a healthy way to keep their weight under control, since type 2 diabetes is often the result of obesity.

Read more at http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/diet-plan-for-diabetics/#81KUQohHLVSqkTwy.99                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 SL Doctor: Egypt A. Xaris- (aka) Big Sister Southern Heat