5 Drinks to Help You Lose Weight

5 Drinks to Help You Lose Weight

 

 

The secret to losing weight isn’t just watching what’s on your plate; it’s also about watching what’s in your glass. Popular soft drinks, fruit juices, and energy drinks can be loaded with added sugars and carbohydrates that can sabotage your weight-loss strategy. Here are five tasty ways to drink up without packing on the pounds.

1. Water

We all know this one, but it’s important to remember that water is the single best choice for effective weight loss. Whether it’s still or sparkling, aim to make water your go-to beverage choice. Think water is boring? Try adding fresh lemon slices, lime, cucumber, and even a slice of tomato to add flavor without adding many calories.

 

2. Vegetable juice

Whether in a can, bottled, or homemade, vegetable juice is an excellent way to get the fiber and nutrients your body needs to fuel your weight loss. If you can find a low-sodium variety, even better. The veggies will keep you fuller longer and the tangy flavor will keep your taste buds happy.

 

3. Unsweetened tea

Green tea has been proven to help boost metabolism and speed up weight loss. Try it hot or iced with a bit of honey for a low-sugar sweet drink. Don’t forget black and oolong teas, too! Both are filled with antioxidants, which can help rid your body of toxins.

4. Black coffee

A morning cup of joe or an afternoon iced coffee can help spur your weight loss by providing a boost of caffeine that suppresses hunger. Also, coffee has been shown to stimulate thermogenesis, which heats up the body and boosts metabolism. Just be careful about what you add to your coffee — stick to skim milk and very little sugar.

 

5. Skim milk

Milk is an excellent source of lean protein, vitamin D, and calcium that can help build your muscles and keep your bones strong. Opt for low-fat or skim milk for all of the vitamins without the added fat. If you are feeling indulgent, add a little chocolate — low-fat chocolate milk is a great option for post-workout muscle recovery.

Sources: http://www.rdasia.com.my/5-drinks-to-help-you-lose-weight#sthash.IbNDbjDg.dpuf

What are Normal Blood Glucose Levels?

What are Normal Blood Glucose Levels?

The amount of glucose (“sugar”, measured in mg/dL) in your blood changes throughout the day and night. Your levels will change depending upon when, what and how much you have eaten, and whether or not you have exercised.

Normal Blood Sugars

• A normal fasting (no food for eight hours) blood sugar level is between 70 and 99 mg/dL
• A normal blood sugar level two hours after eating is less than 140 mg/dL

Diabetes is diagnosed by any one of the following:

1. Two consecutive fasting blood glucose tests that are equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL
2. Any random blood glucose that is greater than 200 mg/dL
3. An A1c test that is equal to or greater than 6.5 percent. A1c is an easy blood test that gives a three month average of blood sugars
4. A two-hour oral glucose tolerance test with any value over 200 mg/dL

Sometimes you may have symptoms of fatigue, excessive urination or thirst, or unplanned weight loss. However, often people have no symptoms of high blood glucose and find a diabetes diagnosis surprising.

Pre-diabetes

My doctor says I have pre-diabetes. What is that?

• You are at high risk of developing diabetes. You can prevent or delay diabetes by increasing physical activity, eating healthful foods, and maintaining or losing weight
• Pre-diabetes is also called impaired fasting glucose (IFG)

Pre-diabetes is diagnosed by any one of the following:

• A fasting blood glucose in between 100-125 mg/dL
• An A1c between 5.7 - 6.4 percent
• Any value between 140 mg/dL and 199 mg/dL during a two-hour 75g oral glucose tolerance test

 
Sources: https://www.virginiamason.org/WhatareNormalBloodGlucoseLevels

How to test blood sugar

 How to test blood sugar

To test your blood sugar level, collect your blood glucose meter, a test strip and lancing device.

See how to prepare the meter and test strip, lance your finger and get a reading using the ACCU-CHEK Aviva Plus system. Watch the video.

Or follow these steps:

1. Wash and dry your hands—using warm water may help the blood flow.¹
2. Turn on the meter and prepare a test strip as outlined in your owner's booklet.
3. Choose your spot—don't check from the same finger all the time.¹
4. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to prepare the lancing device and get a drop of blood from the side of your fingertip or other approved site.²
5. Check your blood sugar by touching and holding the test strip opening to the drop until it has absorbed enough blood to begin the test.
6. View your test result and take the proper steps if your blood sugar is too high or low, based on your healthcare professionals' recommendations.
7. Discard the used lancet properly.
8. Record the results in a logbook, hold them in the meter's memory or download to a computer so you can review and analyze them later.