The best diet for optimal blood sugar control & health
Cambridge University Autism Research Centre has found that compared to women who do not have polycystic ovary syndrome, women who do have this have about double the risk of having a child with autism. The risk was slightly higher in male children compared to female children.
Cherskov A et al. Polycystic ovary syndrome and autism: At test of the prenatal sex steroid theory. Transl Psychiatry. Aug 1 2018. doi:10.1038/s41398-018-01867.
Researchers looked at 17 high income countries to evaluate trends in national mortality.
In the UK there has been a drop of a few months in life expectancy for both men and women over the age of 65. Degenerative diseases were the main cause such as respiratory disease, circulatory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, nervous system disease and mental disorders.
In the USA drug overdoses were responsible for the decline in life expectancy.
The study looked at mortality between 2014 and 2015. A sixty five year old in the UK at that time would have been born in 1950, after the start of the NHS.
We will need to wait to see if this trend will reverse or not.
British Medical Journal. UK life expectancy drops while other western countries improve. National Health Services. 2018 August 16.
Researchers in Sweden have found that the earlier children are diagnosed with type one diabetes, the less their life expectancy is. Matters are worse for women than men. They think that adults diagnosed in childhood need increased input to deal with cardiovascular risk factors as they get older. Currently age of onset is ignored when it comes to stratifying risk.
Those diagnosed under the age of 10 had 4 times the hazard ratio for all cause mortality, over 7 times the risk of cardiovascular disease, 4 times the risk for non cardiovascular mortality, over 11 times the risk of cardiovascular disease, 31 times the risk of having a myocardial infarction, over 6 times the risk for stroke, 13 times the risk of heart failure, but almost the same risk as controls for atrial fibrillation.
There is a better outlook for those diagnosed in their late twenties. The risk was almost 3 times the background rate for total mortality and the most prominent risk was again for cardiovascular mortality coming in at 6 times the background rate.
What this means is that if you are a girl diagnosed with type one under the age of ten, you may expect to live almost 18 years fewer than your classmates and if you are a boy, 14 years fewer.
My comment: More effort could also be given to youngsters on diagnosis achieving normal blood sugars by advising parents about the easiest ways to control blood sugars such as the adoption of a low carb diet and advanced insulin techniques. Although these statistics are shocking to see, it doesn’t have to be like this at all. Many diabetics have changed their life expectancy around and reverse some complications by adopting practices that improve glycaemic control and metabolic factors such as we describe on this site.
Rawshani A et al. Excess mortality and cardiovascular disease in young adults with type 1 diabetes in relation to age at onset: a nationwide, register-based cohort study. Lancet 2018;392:477-86;doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31506-X
Videos of the lectures given at the Public Health Collaboration conference 2018 which was held in May over the royal wedding weekend have now been released on You Tube.
You can see my talk, Achieving your optimal blood sugar target, as well as others, on the link below. There are a wide variety of lifestyle topics discussed. Happy viewing.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=public+health+collaboration+conference+2018
Goats Cheese Rosemary Crackers – 2 Net Carbs
Published on July 13, 2017 at Shirley Yates low carb food blog.
These delicious goats cheese crackers are flavoured with fresh rosemary and make a great gluten free and low carb cracker to have alongside with a dip.
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 12 Crackers
Author: Angela Coleby
Ingredients
1/2 cup (56g) coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Rosemary, fresh
6oz (168g) Goats cheese.
Instructions
Put all ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Spoon the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper, then place another piece on top. Gently roll out the dough until about 1 cm thick.
Cut out with a cookie cutter or shape by hand.
Place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until firm and golden.
Allow to cool or place in the fridge overnight for best results.
Recipe Notes
Makes 12 crackers
Nutritional Info per cracker – 99 Calories, 8g Fat. 4g Protein, 4g Total Carbs, 2g Fibre, 2g Net Carbs
Parents and siblings of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome are more likely than non relatives to develop insulin resistance. The older relatives are, the more likely they are to develop type two diabetes.
Polycystic ovaries affects 4-19% of women of reproductive age. Type 2 diabetes is significantly higher among both the mothers and fathers of women with polycystic ovaries. Both are over twice as likely to be diabetic compared to matched controls. Type two diabetes is more prevalent in the sisters and brothers of those with polycystic ovaries but was not statistically significant. Fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance were significantly higher in the mothers, fathers and sisters of women with polycystic ovaries.
My comment: Doctors tend to regard polycystic ovaries as a gynaecological condition, but this research indicates that it is a disease of insulin resistance and increased likelihood of type two diabetes in the whole family and does not just affect women, but men in the family as well.
Yilmaz B et al. Diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance in mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil. Steril.2018 June 27 doi:10.1016/j.fertnsert.2018.04.024.PMID:29960703
USA researchers have proven that video games such as Kinect Sports and Just Dance can help overweight children lose weight and improve their cardiovascular risk factors.
Adherence to the programme of one hour three times a week was very high with 94.4 % sticking to the games. 46 families were involved with 23 families in the intervention and control groups.
BMI , blood pressure, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol all improved in the intervention group.
The study was funded by the AHA.
Ingredients
9 Eggs (medium)
300g Dark Chocolate (minimum 72% cocoa)
150g Inulin Powder
70g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
30ml Double Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Method
(makes approx. 18 servings)
Pre-heat the oven to 140°C. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over hot water (bain-marie) then stir through the double cream. Whilst the chocolate is melting separate the egg yolks and egg whites into two bowls. Whip the whites to form soft peaks. Combine the egg yolks with the inulin very gently (do not mix). Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg yolks then sift in the cocoa powder and add the vanilla and combine together. Fold in the egg whites. Pour into a large round spring form cake tin (buttered if non-stick or lined if not) and place in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool so the cake comes away from the sides of the tin slightly. Serve with berries and a dollop of cream!
Lucozade just isn’t what it used to be. With the sugar tax affecting the diabetics favourite emergency beverage the Independent Diabetes Trust have compiled a list of substitutes that you may wish to use.
For shear portability and cuteness Emma and I are great fans of Jelly Babies but you may have your own.
5-7 Dextrosol
4-5 Glucotabs
60 mls Glucojuice (one bottle)
150-200mls pure fruit juice
3-4 heaped teaspoons of sugar dissolved in water
4-5 Jelly Babies
An Australian study has shown that getting a good sleep at night and being active during the day was the most effective way to boost mood in retirees.
105 people took part in the Life After Work study. They were followed for six month before retirement to 12 months afterwards. They carefully logged their activities and their mood was measured.
The time spent on chores, physical activity, quiet time, screen time, self care, sleep, transport and work, all changed over this period of time. The most favourable substitution was replacing work time with physical activity and sleep. Replacing work with screen time and social activity showed less effect on mood enhancement.
After retirement, depression, anxiety and stress all reduced.
Olds T et al One day you will wake up and won’t have to go to work: The impact of changes in time use on mental health following retirement. PLoS ONE.2018;13(6);e0199605.doi:101371/journal.pone.0199605. PMID:29953472
Diabetes Diet 