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    Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar: Achieving Optimum Daily Balance Through The Power of Holistic Nutrition
    Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar: Achieving Optimum Daily Balance Through The Power of Holistic Nutrition
    Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar: Achieving Optimum Daily Balance Through The Power of Holistic Nutrition
    Ebook234 pages1 hour

    Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar: Achieving Optimum Daily Balance Through The Power of Holistic Nutrition

    By Orsha Magyar, M.Sc, B.Sc, RHN and Darlene Higbee Clarkin, RHN

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    About this ebook

    Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar

    More than 120 million North Americans have diabetes or prediabetes (high blood sugar), and about 2 million new cases are diagnosed each year in the US. Of these, ninety percent are type 2 diabetes, the most common form of this deadly disease that prevents the body from using the insulin it produces. This life-changing eBook is the definitive holistic guide to achieving optimum blood sugar balance.

    The impact of her father’s battle with diabetes led Darlene Higbee Clarkin through her own transformation. She founded WholeLife Holistic Nutrition Inc., in 2012, and her compelling vision to make a difference in the lives of diabetics brought her together with co author Orsha Magyar. Their collaboration has produced Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar, a remarkable eBook.

    Each of us has the ability to achieve peak energy, maintain maximum productivity, and stabilize our moods. In Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar, you’ll discover the tools and knowledge you need to establish healthy blood sugar levels and maintain optimum daily balance in your life.

    The nutritious recipes in this landmark eBook’s full meal plan lead you to a new world of robust health through these simple, effective lifestyle changes. You’ll learn about:

    • Top blood sugar-friendly foods and supplements
    • What foods to eat
    • What foods to avoid
    • How to manage blood sugar in your day-to-day activities.

    A must-read, Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar could save your life—or the life of someone you love.

    This eBook is based on the WholeLife Holistic Nutrition Blood Sugar app, was awarded “My Favourite Find” at The Best of Canada 2012 Natural Health Awards. The app’s content has been enhanced for eBook publication.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateFeb 17, 2014
    ISBN9780993627507
    Power Up: Master Your Blood Sugar: Achieving Optimum Daily Balance Through The Power of Holistic Nutrition

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      Book preview

      Power Up - Orsha Magyar, M.Sc, B.Sc, RHN

      Contents

      About this Publication

      myStory: How Diabetes has Affected My Life

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 – Blood Sugar: What it Means, Why it Matters

      Blood Sugar Defined

      Blood Sugar and Daily Life

      How Nutrition Affects Blood Sugar

      Chapter 2 – Living with Diabetes or Blood Sugar Imbalances

      Introduction

      Diabetes

      Hyperglycemia

      Hypoglycemia

      Other Known Causes

      Chapter 3 – Nutrition and Blood Sugar: The Evidence

      A Natural Remedy

      The Research

      How Each Food Group Affects Blood Sugar

      WholeLife Holistic Nutrition Philosophy

      Chapter 4 – Foods to Avoid, Foods to Eat

      What to Avoid, How to Avoid it

      Making Better Choices

      Cereals, Grains & Pasta

      Legumes

      Vegetables

      Fruits

      Meats & Alternatives

      Dairy & Alternatives

      Fats & Oils

      Nuts & Seeds

      Sweeteners

      Spices

      Beverages

      Chapter 5 – Your Lifestyle

      Living for Balanced Blood Sugar

      Nutrition Tips

      Activities

      Therapies & Relaxation Techniques

      Suggested Daily Routine

      Chapter 6 – Taking Supplements

      Complementing Your Diet

      Supplement for Blood Sugar Control

      Chapter 7 – Your New Meal Plan & Recipes

      Time for a New Grocery List

      7-Day Meal Plan & Recipes

      Chapter 8 – Takeaway

      Acknowledgements

      Definitions

      Resources

      References

      About this Publication

      The information in this eBook is provided by Registered Holistic Nutritionists and Registered Dietitians specializing in an integrative approach to nutrition. It is based on a unique blend of the latest clinical evidence from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled scientific studies and the current guiding principles of holistic nutrition. For certain items - such as whole foods and supplements - research is somewhat limited, and therefore animal research studies are referenced as needed.

      Type 2 diabetes is the primary focus of this publication, however, if you have existing blood sugar issues not related to diabetes, or are seeking preventative measures, this eBook will give you the tools and knowledge to establish healthy blood sugar levels, naturally, and maintain optimum daily balance.

      myStory: How Diabetes has Affected My Life

      Over 9 million Canadians¹ and 104.8 million Americans² have been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. One of them was my father, James Higbee. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in his early 60s, and within 10 years, the disease began to take its toll. The effects of my dad’s diagnosis were heartbreaking.

      My dad lived a remarkable life. Growing up, my parents fostered teens that faced many challenges. My sister, two brothers, and I grew up with five foster teenage boys, and my parents later opened their home to any child needing emergency short-term placement, at any time, day or night. At one point, they even accepted a child who had recently attempted suicide.

      My mom and dad have given back their whole lives. They were incredibly involved as parents to all of us, and they were always there for anyone in need. We were completely taken aback when my dad, a former university football player and volunteer firefighter, started having trouble walking. No one expected him to have type 2 diabetes.

      As his diabetes progressed, I made the decision to move my parents out from Montreal to live with me here in BC in June 2006. My dad was open to the idea as his ship had been stationed in Victoria for a time while working for the Navy, but my mom was crushed. She had lived in the same house in Montreal for 40 years, surrounded by lifelong friends and family. She cried for a year while making the preparations to move. I tried to remake my home so that it would remind my mom of her place in Montreal.

      Three years later, with diabetes overwhelming his body, my dad was told he would lose his leg. This news was devastating to all of us. At first, he didn’t know if his leg needed to be amputated above or below the knee. This was the determining factor for whether wearing a prosthetic or whether walking was an option. I remember being in that waiting room, just waiting to hear the news about the surgery, about whether or not my dad would have the chance to walk again. I saw an attendant go by with a yellow bag, and thought nothing of it, until I saw what it was. I saw the length of the limb being carried in the bag and knew that my dad could get his prosthetic.

      Sadly, within months my dad began experiencing dreadful phantom pain, and his leg wound refused to heal. Any thought of a prosthetic became irrelevant, as he lost his second leg and became wheelchair-bound. Nevertheless, he still thought he might drive, but as diabetes ravaged his body, he suffered a series of strokes. He soon lost his peripheral vision, and then his license. Finally, in July 2011, he had the stroke that would render him paralyzed in his right arm, and unable to speak. Knowing he understood everything but could not respond is very difficult for me to come to terms with.

      Despite his dire situation, my dad James kept plugging away, even with a failing heart functioning at only 20 percent. After his paralysis, he taught himself to eat with his left hand, and I could still get him to smile. Yet this fact remains: his retirement years were destroyed by diabetes.

      The key was, my dad never changed his diet. He took his medication and got medical care, but he didn’t ever make the dietary changes that are so necessary for diabetics. So when I started to experience high blood pressure and joint inflammation myself, I immediately recognized the pattern I had seen in my dad. Although I had always been active and tried to eat healthy, I knew it was time for drastic change.

      I was already familiar with the supplements available at health food stores, but I was intrigued by foods, so I looked up ‘holistic schools’ online and came across the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I called that very day, arranged a meeting for the next, and asked to start immediately. At first, I just wanted to educate my family and myself, but I soon realized the value of what I was learning, and I vowed to bring this information to the masses.

      After two years of study, I am now a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and CEO of WholeLife Holistic Nutrition Inc. I’ve assembled a team of experts to publish recipes, blog posts, and offer a Free Health Report at our website, www.mywholelife.ca. My team has also developed nutritional apps to help people live healthier lives. The most recent app, Blood Sugar, won My Favourite Find at the 2012 Canada Natural Health Awards.

      I wanted to create educational materials that focused specifically on diabetes. The Blood Sugar app was the first step, and this eBook is the next step in exploring an issue that is so near and dear to my heart.

      My goal with this eBook, this company, and this new career path is to make a fundamentally positive difference in people’s lives. I hope it makes a difference in yours.

      Darlene Higbee-Clarkin, RHN

      CEO and Founder, WholeLife Holistic Nutrition Inc.

      Introduction

      Blood glucose, more commonly known as blood sugar, is the primary source of energy for all people regardless of age, gender, size, race, or medical history.

      For individuals managing diabetes, prediabetes, hypoglycemia, or hyperglycemia, maintaining optimum levels of blood glucose is a daily routine. But for those without these conditions, the topic is much less familiar. In recent years, however, blood sugar issues have become an epidemic in a large portion of the population.

      For people with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes, there is either insufficient production - or insufficient use - of insulin, making it difficult for the body to properly manage blood glucose levels. According to the Canadian and American Diabetes Associations, there are 9 million Canadians¹ and 97.8 million Americans² living with diabetes or prediabetes.

      Here at myWholeLife, blood sugar management through the use of holistic nutrition is something our nutritionists address every day. Both people with and without diabetes are seeking help in getting their blood sugar to what we call optimum daily balance. Much of the growth in awareness is coming from people without diabetes, who are discovering the positive effects blood sugar management can have on productivity, energy levels and mood.

      Our daily exposure to this topic has resulted in a treasure trove of research and data related to what to we should and should not eat to keep our blood sugar in balance. Using this information, we released an app in 2012 called Blood Sugar, which helps users manage blood sugar on their mobile devices. The app won My Favourite Find at the Canada Natural Health Awards.

      This eBook is the culmination of everything we’ve learned on how to manage blood sugar. It’s a complete nutritional guide based on leading-edge science, and includes the top blood sugar-friendly foods, foods to avoid, supplements, and lifestyle suggestions. Most importantly, it includes a full meal plan for achieving optimum daily balance.

      Chapter 1 - Blood Sugar: What it Means, Why it Matters

      Blood Sugar Defined

      Blood glucose level is a measurement of the glucose present in an individual’s bloodstream. The measurement is generally presented in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL) or in millimoles per litre (mmol/L).

      To maintain homeostasis, our bodies naturally control the level of blood sugar in the body, a process called blood sugar regulation. The pancreas plays the greatest role in this process, secreting hormones that convert glycogen to glucose when blood sugar is too low, or releasing insulin to convert glucose to glycogen when levels are too high.

      The hemoglobin A1C¹ test is commonly used to diagnose and/or monitor diabetes because it details average blood glucose levels over the past 2 to 3 months, rather than a snapshot picture. A1C is reported as a percentage. Target A1C levels for most people with diabetes is 7.0%, however, the goal may change for each individual.

      For most people, the normal blood sugar range is between 4.0 and 7.0 mmol/L² (also measured as 70-100 mg/dL). When blood sugar levels are consistently out of this range, medical conditions such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, or hyperglycemia are most often the cause. These conditions are discussed in detail in Chapter 2 of this publication.

      Blood Sugar and Daily Life

      Even in people without diabetes, the peaks and valleys of blood glucose levels can be felt throughout the day. Something as simple as feeling sluggish before lunch, feeling tired and hungry after a period of exertion, or being anxious and irritable after eating too little can be a result of low blood sugar.

      In urban vernacular, the term hangry is sometimes used to describe the irritable, low-energy feeling experienced by people who have exerted themselves too much in a given day without adequate nutrition. What these people are really saying is my blood sugar is low!

      The symptoms of excess blood glucose in people without diabetes are less pronounced. However, those who experience excess blood sugar on a regular

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