Tag: Carbohydrate Intake

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Desserts for Diabetics

Desserts for Diabetics are hard to find because desserts are often sweet and high in sugar, and for this reason diabetics tend to avoid them to prevent their blood glucose levels from skyrocketing. But just because you are diabetic does not mean you can no longer treat yourself to dessert after dinner. Although you have to pay attention to your sugar intake, the American Diabetes Association says that it is safe to eat any food as long as you limit your portions and factor that food in your daily allowance of carbohydrates and calories.

Desserts for Diabetics – Plan Ahead

A diabetic diet plan typically limits carbohydrate intake. Diabetics who want to eat dessert must include the dessert in their overall carb intake for the meal. To keep within the recommended allowance, substitute the dessert for another carbohydrate-containing food. By eliminating bread, potatoes or pasta, you can have a serving of your favorite dessert instead. Don’t forget to keep track of the total number of calories, too.

Desserts for Diabetics – Fresh Fruits for Dessert

Desserts for Diabetics

Desserts for Diabetics

Fresh fruits are some of the best desserts for diabetics. Fruits are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. They can help satisfy your sweet tooth without wreaking havoc on your blood glucose levels.

Sugar-Free Desserts for Diabetics

Sugar substitutes can be used for baking desserts for diabetics. The most popular sugar substitutes are sucralose and acesulfame. A non-nutritive sweetener or sugar replacement can be used to bake your favorite cakes and cookies at home. You can also continue to use regular sugar, but reduce the amount by up to one-third or one-half.

Foods and drinks with very few calories are considered free foods and you can have them for dessert. These foods include sugar-free gelatin snacks and ice pops. Prepare a delicious dessert by adding fresh diced fruits to a low-calorie gelatin mix.

Suggestions for Desserts for Diabetics

Diabetics also want to eat dessert now and then. By limiting your portions, it’s possible for you to enjoy cakes, cookies, and ice cream. You can also eat low-carbohydrate desserts such as fruit salads or ice pops made from frozen fruit juice.

If you do your own baking, try reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe by up to one-half. Once you get used to limiting the amount of sugar in your desserts, you may find regular desserts too sweet for your taste.

You can prevent your blood sugar from spiking by eating dessert as part of your meal. Just keep in mind that diabetics should keep an eye on their total calorie intake. When choosing desserts for diabetics, opt for low-calorie foods that are high in nutrients in order to maintain a healthy weight.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Weight Loss Plan: What’s a Quick Way to Lose Weight?



The best way to lose weight is to do it gradually but if you are like most people you will want to shed extra pounds as quickly as possible. Your goal may be to look fabulous at a reunion or wedding. Crash diets and fad diets that allow you to lose 21 pounds in 21 days can be very tempting but these diets do not work for long-term weight loss. If you are looking for a quick way to lose weight, it should be done safely and in the right way.

Plan Ahead

Quick and dramatic weight loss like the ones you see on TV must be supervised by a physician. At home, you can safely lose 2 to 4 pounds a week with a healthy diet and exercise. It’s important to keep in mind that you can’t lose weight overnight. Plan ahead and allow enough time for your body to shed those extra pounds. Your weight loss plan should be something that you can continue to follow even after the special event.

Eat Less, Exercise More

The formula for losing weight is very simple: burn more calories than you eat. A deficit of 500 calories per day results in a loss of up to 2 pounds of fat per week. For faster weight loss, you will have to eat less and exercise more. However, food intake for women should not go below 1,200 calories a day. Men should consume at least 1,400 calories per day.

Eat the Right Foods

A quick way to lose weight is to eat mainly fruits and vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables are low in calories while being high in fiber that makes you feel full more quickly. To control calories, eat low-fat protein sources such as skinless chicken breast, fish, lean meats, and nonfat dairy products. Minimize your carbohydrate intake and consume small quantities of healthy fats. Olive oil, walnuts, almonds, and salmon are excellent sources of healthy fats that your body needs.

Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking a glass of water before a meal can help you lose weight quickly. The water fills up some of the space in your stomach and makes you feel full. You also need plenty of water to keep your body healthy and functioning at its best. It also helps flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

Exercise for Quick Weight Loss

Cardio exercise burns more calories and offers a quick way to lose weight. If you haven’t been exercising much lately, start with a 15-minute walk everyday and gradually increase the time to 45-60 minutes. To get the most benefit, you should do cardio workouts for at least 30 minutes.

Strength training is also important if you want to lose weight quickly. It works out your major muscle groups and increases muscle mass which increases your metabolism and allows your body to burn more calories.

Avoid Fad Diets

Many people hate to exercise and often turn to fad diets or crash diets when they want to lose weight fast. Fad diets that promote the use of laxatives, pills, and fasting allow you to lose more than 2-3 pounds per week but they are dangerous and do not work for permanent weight loss. To maintain your ideal weight, combine a healthy diet with regular exercise.

  • Weight Loss Plan: Whats a Quick Way to Lose Weight?


Weight Loss Plan: Whats a Quick Way to Lose Weight?

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Which Is The Best Low Carb Diet?




The question of which is the best low carb diet often comes up for people who are searching for ways to incorporate the low carb way of eating into their lives. Low carbohydrate food plans can be very effective but they are not always easy.

Atkins Low Carb Diet

Dr Robert Atkins is credited with making low carb diets popular with his book ‘Dr Atkins’ Diet Revolution’, first published in 1972. It was largely revised in ‘Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution’ (2002) which remains the ‘bible’ for many people following the Atkins diet despite later amendments by the company that took over Dr Atkins’ business after his death.

The Atkins diet focuses on restricting carbohydrate intake to a very low amount (under 20 net carbs) for a two- week induction period, then gradually increasing them to the point where you stop losing weight (the ‘critical carbohydrate level for losing’). Foods are also limited during induction, and then gradually added back.

You can eat unlimited meat, fish, eggs and pure fats (oils and butter) at all times. Cheese, cream and vegetables are limited in induction, although you are advised to eat at least 2 cups of lower carbohydrate vegetables from the approved list. Milk, nuts, fruit, beans, starchy vegetables, whole grains, whole wheat products and alcohol are not allowed during induction but are added back later. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and sugar are not allowed at any stage.

South Beach Low Carb Diet

Which Is The Best Low Carb Diet?

South Beach Low Carb Diet

The South Beach Diet was developed by Dr Arthur Agatston. In the first phase it is very similar to Atkins induction but includes a few more foods, for example beans, nuts and seeds in limited quantities. Other foods are phased in later.

South Beach is more restrictive in the types of fats consumed, promoting monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil) and minimizing saturated fats like butter.

The main difference in format between South Beach and Atkins is that South Beach counts portions while Atkins counts grams of net carbohydrates (subtracting fiber, which is not digested).

Other Low Carb Diets

There are many other low carb diets out there. Some of the best known are Protein Power, the Sonoma diet and the Paleo diet. Broadly speaking they follow the same principle which is that restricting carbohydrates allows the body to go into lipolysis or ‘fat-burning’ mode, resulting in weight loss. At the same time there is plenty of fat consumed, which helps people stick to the diet because they do not feel hungry, even when calorie intake is relatively low.

So now for the big question: which is the best low carb diet? The answer will lie with you to some extent. Low carb diets do work provided you can keep to the rules. But think about what suits your lifestyle or food preferences before you start.

Vegetarians will find the induction phase of Atkins difficult, although it is possible as long as you eat both eggs and dairy foods. South Beach is probably easier for vegetarians.

The gram-counting style of Atkins is good for people with an analytical type of mind who like to know exactly where they are with a diet. South Beach would be better for people who would find carb-counting annoying and wouldn’t actually do it.

The bottom line is this: the best low carb diet is the one that you can stick to.

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