Dr D's Blog: The Diabetes Diet Cure

Dr D's Blog: The Diabetes Diet Cure

Prediabetes and diabetes are the most significant health issues confronting Americans today. In the U.S. today the number of people diagnosed with prediabetes jumped from 57 million in 2008 to 79 million in 2010. Even more ominous, during the same time period, the number diagnosed with full-on diabetes went from 23.6 million to 26 million, the vast majority with Type 2 or adult onset. Put the two numbers together and it accounts for one-third of the U.S. population. Diabetes is a serious issue which can be alleviated by the diabetes diet cure.

Prediabetes means chronically elevated blood sugar levels but not high enough to qualify as diabetes. Prediabetics are "insulin-resistant" as their bodies have become less responsive to insulin, the hormone that keeps blood sugar levels in check. Having prediabetes does not condemn a person to diabetes. Lifestyle changes, including increased exercise and better diet, the diabetes diet cure, will often stave off diabetes or actually reverse full-blown diabetes.

Without the diabetes diet cure, prediabetics will develop diabetes within ten years. Compared with people who have normal blood sugar levels, diabetics are 50% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and two-thirds of diabetics die of heart attack or stroke. Many prediabetics are completely unaware they are at risk as the condition does not exhibit the typical symptoms of diabetes: heightened thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision and fatigue. Only a blood test can determine for sure if someone is prediabetic.

Who is at risk for prediabetes? Sedentary people and the overweight are most likely to have the condition. Gaining even 11 to 15 pounds for a person of normal weight doubles the risk of developing prediabetes. Of course, larger weight gains mean more risk. This means that at least half the adult population of the U.S. is at risk of developing the disease. The diabetes diet cure can have a major positive impact.

The landmark Diabetes Prevention Program study showed beyond a shadow of a doubt that diabetes diet cure along with moderate exercise can significantly reduce the incidence of prediabetes and diabetes. The 3000 participants in the study were randomly divided into three groups: a placebo group, a group given the diabetes drug metaformin and another group receiving intense support for exercise and diabetes diet cure. After three years, the third intensely-counseled group reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58% compared to those on metformin at only 31%.

What is the diabetes diet cure? It's not that complicated. Eat more fruits and vegetables while avoiding large quantities of meat. Avoid sweets and carbonated beverages. Reduce portion sizes. The goal is to lose even a moderate 5 to 10% of body weight which will produce significant health-protective results. Coupled with moderate exercise, as little as 30 minutes per day, better diet can almost eliminate the condition. The diabetes diet cure alone could completely stop the epidemic of diabetes now threatening this country.

Diane Butler, a writer living in Southern California, is particularly concerned with diabetes and advocates the diabetes diet cure. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Butler

The Diabetes Diet Cure

The Diabetes Diet Cure

Timeless Elegance of Italian Dinnerware

Timeless Elegance of Italian Dinnerware

Looking for Italian dinnerware? That's not surprising as many who live far from its shores admire the beauty, ambiance and cultivated style of Italy, seeking to bring that aura into their homes. This is especially true of the unique style of Italian dinnerware which is exceptionally colorful, beautifully designed and hard-wearing. Buy pieces of Italian dinnerware, care for them properly and you will have heirlooms your descendants will admire.

What are the best varieties of Italian dinnerware? A number of excellent companies spring to mind. Some of the most famous names in Italian dinnerware are Vietri, Gubbio,Deruta, Artistica, as well as other makers who produce Italian-style dinnerware such as Mikasa and Pfaltzgraff. Each maker has a different story and concentrates on a different style of Italian stoneware and other types of dinnerware.

Vietri, for instance, synonymous with Italian dinnerware in the U.S., is actually an American company co-founded by two American women who, in traveling to Italy fell in love with hand-painted Italian designs and started an import company. Today, Vietri is the largest importer of Italian tabletop items in the U.S., bringing in goods from over 40 manufacturers. Among Vietri's many offerings are blown glassware, urns, planters, stainless and pewter flatware and more. Part of its mission is to preserve the tradition of craftsmanship and artistry that is uniquely Italian.

Deruta Ceramics, on the other hand is a real Italian company, located in Deruta, the oldest town still producing majolica in the old style. Deruta, a small town in Umbria, is world -famous for its ceramics, maintaining an unbroken line of craftsmanship dating to the Etruscan period before the Roman empire.

Producing a wide variety of Italian ceramic items, ranging from the classic tableware to vases and special items, all majolica pieces are hand painted and all pieces, except for the tiles and dinner dishes (which must be stamped to be uniform) are hand-thrown, by artists living in Deruta. Deruta Ceramics also offers art pieces by famed locally-based artist Romano Ranieri.

Many other Italian ceramics companies produce fine Italian dinnerware and Italian ceramics in the majolica style. The art of Italian craftsmanship runs so deep that even today artists are turning out beautiful pieces in traditional as well as more modern styles. Hand-painted, hand-crafted, hand-thrown are the bywords of true Italian-crafted dinnerware.

Italian ceramics are so famous and so sought after that manufacturers like Mikasa and Pfaltzgraff have added collections of Italian dinnerware to their repertoire. Is it really Italian? Well, you be the judge. Neoclassical Italian country dinnerware is one line offered by Mikasa and it is elegant and serviceable. One set offered by Pfaltzgraff is called Villa de la Luna, decorated in the Italian style and modernized for today's taste. Is it hand-painted? No. Is it hand-thrown? No Is it had-crafted? No, but for what it is, it is lovely. Choose Italian dinnerware from the heart.

Diane Butler lives in Southern California whose mild Mediterranean climate reminds her of her many trips of Italy. It's easier to remember the ambiance of Italy when using Italian dinnerware and drinking fine Chianti. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Butler

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6102933

Tablet Computer Review: iPad 2, Hit or Miss?

Tablet Computer Review: iPad 2, Hit or Miss?

Finally, the much-awaited iPad 2 has arrived, and consumers are wondering if the era of the tablet computer has really begun at last. The answer we have all been waiting for comes down to this: we are closer than we were before. Consumers are going to love this tablet, and Apple stock is going up.

What's so great about the iPad 2? Now that the original iPad has a boatload of competition, it's got to be great. First, compared to its earlier iteration, this newer iPad is thinner, lighter and faster. It's so thin now, in fact,.034 inches to be exact, that it not only edges out all the other tablet computers on the market, but it now feels much more comfortable in the hand. According to Apple, this skinny Minnie still has 10 hours of battery life. More important, the slimmed-down design makes it seem utterly possible that one day soon, the tablet computer will replace both the laptop and the smart phone in one fell swoop, and may, indeed, become the only tech gadget we carry around with us.

Further, like other newer tablet computers, the iPad 2 now has two cameras, a low-resolution on the front side for video chatting, and a camera on the back for hi-def video. The camera on the back could be better to compete with, say the Motorola Xoom, but having both is an improvement. Thus, this new mobile device also replaces the digital camera. Plus, it has an HDMI slot so you can connect it to a hi-def TV. Like the iPhone, it also has a gyroscope, making game-playing more engaging. Little by little, tablets are becoming the all-in-one device.

As for price, the iPad 2 costs about the same as the original and considerably less than its competitors. The 16 GB version is $499 while the 64 GB 3G version about $829. The 32 GB iPad 2 3G is priced at $729. That's highly competitive, but another absolutely required item is the new magnetic polyurethane cover which, when clicked open, also wakes up the computer. Very cool. $40 more.

In sum, if you've been drooling for an Apple iPad, be glad you waited. This is it. Think of all those apps-65,000 and counting. No other brand of tablet comes close to the number of apps, though Android-based tablets are coming up fast. The iPad 2 is a super tablet computer.

Diane Butler is a writer living in Southern California who is very interested in tablet computers

Pasadena Short Sale: New Federal Loan Mod | Pasadena Area Short Sale Blog

Pasadena Short Sale: New Federal Loan Mod | Pasadena Area Short Sale Blog

Italy's Heel: Traditional Italian Wine Finds Greatness

Italy's Heel: Traditional Italian Wine Finds Greatness

Italian wine lovers know their Chianti and Killer B's, but are not always as knowledgeable about wines from the Italy's sun-drenched heel. For wine-lovers, Southern Italy is a great secret wine-making area which has been producing wines for thousands of years. Today, of course, Italian wine comes under the authority of the central government which carefully manages its certifications, especially important to the export market.

Italy, of course, can claim itself as the most diverse wine-making country on earth with over 300 designations [DOCs or Denominazione D'Origine Controlata]. Everyone knows about the famous Italians red wines of Tuscany and the whites of the Veneto, but only the cognoscenti know about the fabulous treasures of Southern Italy, especially the magnificent red wines made from purely local grapes growing on ancient vines.

Some of the very best Southern Italian wine comes from the Itria Valley, equidistant from the Ionian and Adriatic Seas where three southern provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto converge. There some of the most fabulous wines, produced by the Colucci family, can be found. Their vineyard, Azienda Vitivincola, has lately come to fame for honing the regional grape, coffee-and-plum-flavored Negroamaro into a world-class wine. Recently winning the ISO 9002 certification, the Colucci vineyard can now guarantee the quality of its wine in all aspects up to and including bottling.

Negroamaro grapes are small with thick skins, concentrating the color and flavor of the wine. The best Italian wine from the Colucci vineyard is grown on vines up to 90 years old, imbued with the terroir of the region. Broken up into small parcels due to rocky soil and hilly terrain, the plantings are fully exposed to the abundant sun of the region through the mild winters and temperate summers. Colucci Copertino Riserva is a fine premium Italian wine fully exploiting the dark, rich tannis of its regional Negroamaro grape.

Another local grape, Primitivo, has been described as an Italian varietal similar to Zinfandel. The Colucci brothers' Primitivo wine, called Duca Petraccone, is produced from small quantities of Primitivo grapes using modern micro-vinification tanks but built on the model of the ancient half conical tanks typical of Puglia.

Perhaps this is the secret: ancient grape types, old vines and new wine-making methods modeled on the traditional ways of the region. It's a winning recipe: respect the origin and try to make it better. The proud heritage of Italian wines and traditional winemakers find true expression in Italy's sunny heel as well as its famed Tuscan landscape.

Diane Butler is a wine lover living in Southern California who really enjoys her Italian Wines and counsels careful attention to storing your wine. Storing wines properly really pays off.

How To Choose A Drug Rehab Center

How To Choose A Drug Rehab Center

Getting the addict to agree to treatment is a big first step towards recovery, but the very first question that comes up is what type of drug rehab center is most appropriate? Most addiction experts agree that the most successful programs involve getting the addict away from familiar surroundings which have been nurturing the addiction.

Removing the addict from the using environment is crucial since being close to home makes it far too easy to slip back into old habits. Whether the drug treatment center is one hour away from home or a four-hour plane trip, the ideal environment for a recovering addict is in a residential treatment facility or drug rehab center.

Although a residential drug rehab center is ideal, many addicts and/or their families cannot afford the substantial cost involved. Too, many addicts seeking recovery have work or family commitments which make attending a residential facility unsuitable. The case of Charlie Sheen who sought treatment in the middle of filming his hit show "Two and a Half Men" well illustrates the dilemma of many addicts and their families. Out-patient treatment is the only possible treatment for many.

Among drug rehab centers, whether in-patient or out-patient programs, those making the selection will have a wide range of choice. One choice to make is between a tailored and a non-tailored treatment program. Tailored programs cater to groups of people from a similar demographic, work, lifestyle or socioeconomic background. Most today are familiar with celebrity rehab, one type of tailored program, due to the TV program of Dr. Drew Lipinsky and his staff.

Other types of tailored programs from drug rehab centers might be geared toward those whose professions are highly susceptible to excessive drug or alcohol use. Professional athletes, for instance, have high rates of perscription drug abuse, while musicians tend to illegal drugs. Indeed, creative people of all kinds seem to be more inclined to addiction. Today, too, the elderly are statistically more likely to abuse alcohol or perscription drugs. Any of these might benefit from a tailored program. Teenagers also seem to benefit more from treatment programs while they are among their peers.

For most, though, a non-tailored program will be the choice of drug rehab center. Here, the addict will encounter others from every walk of life and socio-economic station. For many addicts, realizing that anyone can suffer from the chronic disease of addiction is a crucial first step in recovery. Once addicts get past the self-blame, they can connect to other sufferers in the drug rehab center and start helping each other towards a lasting recovery.

Once the treatment at a residential drug rehab center is complete, usually within six weeks, then the careful preparation for returning home, to the formerly using environment, can begin. Most frequently, at this time another drug treatment center or an ancillary facility provides out-patient programs to the now-recovering addict. The recovery at this point is still new and fragile. The addict needs the support not only of friends and family but also of individual and group counseling from the drug rehab center.

Need To Speak To A Human? « Diane’s Blog

Need To Speak To A Human? « Diane’s Blog

Flames? Giant cauldrons of tar? My vision of Hell has been upgraded to an endless voice mail loop with robotic voices directing me ever deeper into the maze until, finally… disconnected. As a short sale specialist and all-around human American, I do , like millions of my fellow Americans, spend frustrating hours on hold, and, when prompted, repeating the same information until I seriously want to scream.

So, it was with great pleasure that I came upon a sneaky, geeky way to find a human quickly without suffering through the robots’ voice maze. Why wait, repeating your information over and over or plugging in the same credit card number or ZIP code? Why not GO DIRECTLY to a human? What an amazingly novel idea. It reminds me of my childhood, long before anyone ever dreamed of voice mail or even answering machines. Only humans answered the phones in those days. We didn’t know then how good we had it. So, here’s how to get back to the future once again.

Here’s the first fix. This doesn’t always work because different companies use different systems. One method that works with many systems is to simply push the zero button at every prompt. Eventually, the system understands what you want and, voila–a human. If it’s an Interactive Voice Response System [IVR], which operates by voice, then saying “Operator” at every juncture may produce the desired effect. Sometimes the word it understands is “Live Help.” You could try “Customer Service Representative”, but your jaw might get locked up and, anyway, the system is unlikely to understand. I’ve had my Android phone for 5 months now and it understand my voice commands only about half the time.

To complicate matters more, certain companies, especially big banks, are so enamored of their salary-saving voice-bots that you have to know their secret code. For BofA, it’s press the zero button twice right after you hear the menu the first time. Bingo. For Chase, press 5, wait and then press 1, 4 and zero.

Obviously, we can’t be expected to remember everybody’s secret human-seeking code, so, luckily, we have a great website, GetHuman.com. Somehow, the folks over there have spent endless hours figuring out the secret to getting a human. The website also lists average wait times. It’s infuriating to wait on your time to talk to billing about how you are going to pay the company; the company should compensate your time. One of the worst? Facebook.

One neat trick that also works sometimes if you don’t have time to consult the website. Click the button for Spanish and then when, you’re in, back out and choose English. You’ll be in the Spanish-language area, but all the humans there are bilingual and the wait is much shorter.

Also, if you are dealing with an IVR system which is one of my pet peeves–I really hate having a robot tell me what to do!–another website called Fonolo can dig deep for you and get you directly to the end where the human is stationed. It’s an interesting approach–check it out.

Sometimes, of course, even after you get the human, you are still put on hold for a long time. I run into this frequently with banks. And, at the end of the exhausting voice maze and hold times, when transferred at least half the time the call is disconnected…GRRR. So, enterprising humans have come up with another workaround for that with a website called LucyPhone. When you are put on hold, press “***” so you can disconnect and Lucy will hold for you and call you back when the human returns. So much for “unusual call volume.”

It seems that modern technology is doing everything it can to disconnect us from each other despite the plethora of social media and ways to connect. When caught in the metallic corridors of barren techdom, we creative humans always find a way. Sanity is back!

Thanks to Bob Rankin’s Tourbus for info used in this post.

Advice From A Drug Rehab Center: How To Do An Intervention

Advice From A Drug Rehab Center: How To Do An Intervention

Pasadena CA Area Foreclosures

Great new Facebook fanpage where you can actually search for the most recent foreclosures in the Pasadena, CA and San Gabriel Vally area. Get help in your purchase of a SoCal repo from Broker Diane. Fab

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pasadena-CA-Area-Foreclosures/193506937348354