Guest Post by Alison Howard - 3 Reasons Why Processed Meat and Too Much Protein Are Linked to Diabetes

Dear friends, Here is a wonderful and very useful post by Alison Howard, this is a must-read for all diabetics and also for those who are in the diabetic-risk group; another reason why processed meats and red meats should be avoided by diabetics.


3 Reasons Why Processed Meat and Too Much Protein Are Linked to Diabetes
Eating meat is something that millions of people across the country do every day. At this point in history, individuals generally realize that many different activities pose some sort of health risk. However, you might not know that eating too much processed meat and protein could lead to the diabetes. What are the reasons for this connection?

Weight Gain
You are probably aware that being overweight or obese can be a direct link to diabetes. When you put on the pounds, you are also increasing your chances of getting diabetes and other types of diseases. Lots of meat, especially beef and pork, can really start to make you gain weight. Therefore, your chance of getting diabetes rises. Selecting lean cuts of meat is a really smart idea. When you are craving sausage, look for turkey or chicken sausage instead. If you are going to purchase beef, you can usually look for versions that have less fat in them.

Type 2 Diabetes
Livestrong's article by Angela Ogunjimi entitled "Diabetes & Red Meat" discusses the connection that has been found between type 2 diabetes and eating red meat. According to Ogunjimi, Harvard University conducted an extensive study that looked at the link between meat consumption and diabetes. The researchers found that people who consumed more meat were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Ogunjimi goes on to explain how the researchers discovered that people might be taking in too much iron and too much sodium nitrate, and both of these substances can lead to an increased risk of diabetes.

Other Substances
In your meats, you are also going to find an array of other substances that could cause problems. Salt is a major culprit of which you need to be aware. As you probably know, any type of processed food is likely to be loaded with salt. Not only is this salt bad if you are trying to avoid diabetes, but it can cause other health problems as well. The Heart's article "Processed Meat, Not Red Meat Per Se, Linked to CHD, Diabetes" by Lisa Nainggolan talks about how the presence of salt, saturated fat and cholesterol in these processed meats can cause health problems.

What to Do
You might be a little bit worried because you do love your meat. Well, as mentioned earlier, you can certainly looking into less fattening alternatives. You might even want to have a vegetarian night or a vegan night once in awhile when dinner time comes around so that you are not eating as much meat. Chicken, turkey and seafood are always excellent choices too. Start looking around online to find recipes. Of course, whenever it comes to medical issues, you must speak to your doctor.

Now, as you can see, eating too much processed meat and having too much protein can certainly increase your risk of getting diabetes. Diabetes is a seriously disease that can completely change your life, so you want to make sure you are taking any necessary steps to avoid it.
Author Pam Johnson is a certified nursing assistant who cares for a majority of diabetes patients. She obtained her degree from one of the Top 10 Best Online Certified Nursing Assistant Programs.

Guest Post by Bridget Sandorford - Top Apps for Healthy Cooking


Dear friends,
Here is a very useful article from Bridget Sandorford about the top apps to look for healthy eating, a very informative list for the tech-savvy as well as people looking for healthy foods and lifestyle choices on the run. 
Top Apps for Healthy Cooking
A lot of people want to eat healthier but just don't feel like they have the time. It can be too much trying to plan out meals and learn about healthy ingredients -- let along actually finding the time to prepare and to cook meals. This is where your smart phone can be your ally.
There are a number of great apps that can help you with everything from meal planning to recipe substitutions so that you can cook healthy meals effortlessly. Here are a few of our favorite apps for healthy cooking:
Learn how to make over 100 healthy recipes that take less than 10 minutes to prepare with this app. You'll also get lots of information about the benefits of organic and raw foods and how to use more of them in your diet. The app is a great resource for anyone looking to eat healthier. $1.99.
Buying foods that are local and in season will not only save you money, it will also help you to eat healthier. This free app will help you find farms, farmer's markets and CSAs near you so that you can get great local products to jumpstart your healthy eating. You can also get recipes for seasonal ingredients.
This free app offers 200 recipes that are both healthy and easy to prepare. All of the recipes can be made in less than 45 minutes, but most are ready in only 15 minutes. You can get full nutritional information for each recipe and create easy shopping lists. It makes eating healthy fast and easy.
Maybe you already have some favorite recipes that you like to cook but they don't use the healthiest ingredients. This app can help you make smarter choices by providing you a list of healthy substitutions for some of the most common ingredients. You can sort ingredients by category, such as dairy, spices and gluten for easy reference. $1.99.
Sometimes, knowing what not to eat is as important as knowing what to eat. This app can help you by providing a directory of known harmful ingredients, with information about the problems associated with each one. You can search the database or browse it to discover new information. $1.99.
You don't have to spend hours a day planning and creating healthy meals. You can cook healthy meals that are fast and easy to make. These apps can make it easy to create a healthy eating plan that you can stick with no matter what your schedule is like.
What apps do you use to eat healthier and to stay on track? Share your favorites in the comments!
About the Author:
Bridget Sandorford is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching culinary arts schools in Iowa. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.

Lauching of CureItApp - An App for Natural Remedies and Health Tips by Sweet'N'Spicy

    As a mother of two toddlers, my house is always bustling with teeny weeny ailments like sore throats, toothaches, tummy burns and “boo-boos”.  I found a quick solution on my iPhone through this interesting App called CureIt App.  The layout of the App is great and easy to use.  Easy navigation, amount of information is really awesome, and more over it’s simple, devoid of any medical or technical jargons.

Recent studies have shown that there has been an increasing rates of diseases like type-2 diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, and arthritis in youngsters even as early as teens and early 20's.  Some simple home remedies when combined with an active and healthy lifestyle (like taking a teaspoon of soaked fenugreek seeds everyday can help regulate the blood sugars, and taking a handful of soaked almonds everyday helps taking care of the calcium for the day) can go a long way to help prevent the early onset of these types of disease and thus prevents from starting on medications at an early age.

Natural remedies are the most practical and affordable ways to deal with the most common ailments.  The reason I trust natural remedies is that it has no side effects as compared to taking over-the-counter medicines or supplements.  When it comes to my kids, I would always go for a simple home remedy like applying turmeric paste on a swollen area or like giving a mixture of honey and ginger for cough and sore throat than any other prescription medications, which does not provide much relief for the kids than the simple measures we take at home.

It is surprising to know that our simple kitchen is stored with 2000 plus home remedies.  I loved reading some of the interesting facts and cures from simple ingredients in the pantry like garlic can cure headaches, prunes can relieve constipation, orange peels can help in relieving acnes and more and more of such useful information that is packed in this App, for Instant Home Relief.

This App is a great resource for people on the lookout for tips for a healthy lifestyle, and trying to avoid chronic or hereditary diseases by healthy living and dietary modifications.  There are some trusted and proven natural remedies listed in this App for controlling cholesterol, blood sugars, and for a healthy heart.

To sum up, this App is a great choice for people who are on the lookout for home remedies for their family.  CureIt App is now available in App store http://cureitapp.com