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<p>In recent years, the number of people who have decided to adopt a diet that reduces or eliminates meat consumption has increased dramatically. This is particularly the case for veganism, which is driven by ethical, environmental and nutritional motivations. Below is a focus on this increasingly popular topic, and on the nutritional considerations it involves.</p>
<h2 id="h-veganism-versus-vegetarianism">VEGANISM VERSUS VEGETARIANISM</h2>
<p>There are two main exclusion regimes that favor a plant-based diet:</p>
<ul class="has-list-bullet-color">
<li><strong>Veganism,</strong>&nbsp;which excludes all animal products. Veganism is not just about food, it&rsquo;s about lifestyle. In addition to following a vegan diet, vegans refuse to use products that induce animal exploitation such as silk, honey or leather.&nbsp;</li>
<li><strong>The vegetarian diet</strong>, which excludes meat and fish but allows the consumption of animal products such as cheese or eggs.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p>But it is important to watch out for possible deficiencies.</p>
<h2 id="h-the-dietician-s-word">THE DIETICIAN&rsquo;S WORD</h2>
<p>Some nutrients are mainly provided by food of animal origin; vegans may therefore have to monitor their nutritional status and pay attention to certain deficiencies:<a class="ek-link"><sup>1</sup></a></p>
<ul class="has-list-bullet-color">
<li><strong>Vitamin B12:</strong>&nbsp;Essential to our cardiovascular health, it is mainly present in products of animal origin. A supplement may thus be considered for those who want one. Many food supplements are available in pharmacies, on the Internet, in organic shops, etc.</li>
<li><strong>Iodine:</strong>&nbsp;This is mainly provided by dairy and marine products. To maintain appropriate intakes, people on a vegan diet may find iodine in&nbsp;<strong>seaweed</strong>, for example. It can be eaten as a salad or as a side dish, like Salicornia.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li><strong>Omega 3:</strong>&nbsp;mainly found in fatty fish, but not only! Some plant products can also provide the amount of omega 3 needed by the body. Some&nbsp;<strong>algae, avocado, rapeseed oil or flax</strong>&nbsp;can be a good source. A little tip about flax seeds: they are difficult to digest, so remember to cut or crush them in order to weaken the seed before consumption.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p>Contrary to popular belief,&nbsp;<strong>calcium intake is not a problem for vegans</strong>. This mineral is commonly found in products of plant origin. However, beware of vegetable drinks consumed as a milk substitute, as they are sometimes rich in sugars. The same brand may have two different products, one with and the other without added sugars.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask for help from a dietetic professional! Contrary to what you might think, the vegan diet is very diversified: there are many balanced recipes available to you.</p>

The Vegan Trend

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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hypertension dramatically increases the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, yet 1 in 2 people do not know they have it!</p>
<p><strong>When was the last time you or your parents had your blood pressure checked?</strong></p>
<p><br /><br />Learn more about what is hypertension, its consequences and how to easily diagnose it and manage it. It can help you to live longer!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a style="padding: 14px 40px; background: #B91B12; color: white; width: fit-content; font-size: 0.75rem; font-weight: bold;" title="What is hypertension" href="https://app-mhp-docker-dev-backend.azurewebsites.net/hypertension">Learn more about Hypertension</a></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Learn more about what is hypertension, its consequences and how to easily diagnose it and manage it.

Awareness campaign #BecauseIsayso #CheckYourPressure

<p>Studies from different parts of the world have established that lifestyle modification with physical activity and/or healthy diet can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation recommends physical activity at least between 3 to 5 days a week, for a minimum of 30 to 45 minutes.</p>
<p>Taking a life course perspective is essential for preventing type 2 diabetes and its complications. Early in life, when eating and physical activity habits are established and when the long-term regulation of energy balance may be programmed, there is an especially critical window to prevent becoming overweight and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Healthy lifestyles can improve health outcomes at later stages of life as well.</p>

How to prevent type 2 diabetes?

<p>Top tips to get active:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<h2>Enjoy it!</h2>
If you enjoy it, you are more likely to keep it up. Better still, try an activity you can enjoy with family or friends. Don&rsquo;t be afraid of trying new things. Was there a sport you did years ago that you&rsquo;d like to start again?</li>
<li>
<h2>Start slow</h2>
Doing just a little bit more than you did before will still make a difference. So build up gradually and give your body time to adapt as your muscles strengthen. If you have any medical conditions, do speak to your health care team before starting any new activity.</li>
<li>
<h2>Make small changes</h2>
Walking is a free and simple way to improve your fitness. Beat the traffic and leave the car at home for small trips or get off the bus or train one or two stops earlier and walk the rest of the way. Why not use your lunch break to go for a walk or take the stairs instead of the escalator? 10 minutes of brisk walking every day can make a big difference to your health. Get some tips from the NHS and find out about the Active 10.</li>
<li>
<h2>Set goals for yourself</h2>
You&rsquo;re more likely to stick to your more active life if you set goals. Set realistic short-term and long-term targets, keep an exercise diary and tick off your achievements &ndash; you&rsquo;ll be amazed at the improvement and progress you&rsquo;ll see. When you reach a goal, treat yourself for your hard work.</li>
<li>
<h2>Variety is the spice of life</h2>
Once you are fitter and exercising regularly, shake it up a bit and vary your routine. Try swapping cycling on an exercise bike for cycling outdoors or try a new class at the gym. If you are starting a new activity check with your health care team to see how this will affect your diabetes.</li>
<li>
<h2>Make it social</h2>
Instead of meeting friends for a coffee or in the pub, why not suggest doing something active? You could start a walking club, go gardening, play tennis, golf&hellip;. or hit the dancefloor.</li>
<li>
<h2>Don&rsquo;t give up</h2>
Although your body benefits as soon as you become more active, you may not see all the benefits straight away as it can time for your body to adapt to the activity. So stick with it and you&rsquo;ll soon see the positive results.</li>
</ol>

What are 7 tips to stay active?

<p>There&rsquo;s nothing you can&rsquo;t eat if you have type 2 diabetes, but you&rsquo;ll have to limit certain foods.</p>
<h2 id="h-1-choose-healthier-carbohydrates">1. Choose healthier carbohydrates</h2>
<p>All carbohydrates affect blood glucose levels, so it&rsquo;s important to know which foods contain carbohydrates. Choose the healthier foods that contain carbohydrates and be aware of your portion sizes.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here are some healthy sources of carbohydrates:&nbsp;</p>
<ul class="has-list-bullet-color" style="--ek-bullet-color: #00bce0;">
<li>whole grains like brown rice, buckwheat, and whole oats</li>
<li>fruit&nbsp;</li>
<li>vegetables</li>
<li>pulses, such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils</li>
<li>dairy, such as unsweetened yoghurt and milk.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p>At the same time, it&rsquo;s also important to cut down on foods low in fiber, such as white bread, white rice, and highly processed cereals. You can check food labels when you&rsquo;re looking for foods high in fiber if you&rsquo;re unsure.</p>
<h2 id="h-2-eat-less-salt">2. Eat less salt</h2>
<p>Eating lots of salt can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which in turn increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. When you have diabetes, you&rsquo;re already more at risk of all of these conditions.<br />Try to limit yourself to a maximum of 6 g (one teaspoon) of salt a day. Lots of prepackaged foods already contain salt, so remember to check food labels and choose those with less salt. Cooking from scratch will help you keep an eye on how much salt you&rsquo;re eating. You can also get creative and swap out salt for different types of herbs and spices to add that extra flavor.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 id="h-3-eat-less-red-and-processed-meat">3. Eat less red and processed meat</h2>
<p>If you&rsquo;re cutting down on carbohydrates, you might start having bigger portions of meat to fill you up; however, it is not a good idea to do this with red and processed meat, such as ham, bacon, sausages, beef and lamb. These all have links with heart problems and cancer.&nbsp;<br />Try swapping red and processed meat for these:&nbsp;</p>
<ul class="has-list-bullet-color" style="--ek-bullet-color: #00bce0;">
<li>pulses, such as beans and lentils</li>
<li>eggs&nbsp;</li>
<li>fish&nbsp;</li>
<li>poultry, such as chicken and turkey&nbsp;</li>
<li>unsalted nuts</li>
</ul>
<p>Beans, peas, and lentils are also very high in fiber and don&rsquo;t affect your blood glucose levels too much &ndash; making them a great swap for processed and red meat and keeping you feeling full. Most of us know that fish is good for us, but oily fish like salmon and mackerel are even better. These are rich in something called omega-3 oil, which helps protect your heart. Try to eat two portions of oily fish a week.</p>
<h2 id="h-4-eat-more-fruits-and-vegetables">4. Eat more fruits and vegetables</h2>
<p>We know eating fruits and vegetables is good for you. It&rsquo;s always a good thing to eat more at meal times and have them as snacks if you&rsquo;re hungry. This can help you get the vitamins, minerals, and fiber your body needs every day to help keep you healthy.&nbsp;<br />You might be wondering about fruit and if you should avoid it because it&rsquo;s sugary? The answer is no. Whole fruit is good for everyone and if you have diabetes, it&rsquo;s no different. Fruits do contain sugar, but it&rsquo;s natural sugar. This is different to the added sugar (also known as free sugars) that are in things like chocolate, biscuits, and cakes.&nbsp;<br />Products like fruit juices also count as added sugar, so go for whole fruit instead. This can be fresh, frozen, dried, or canned (in juice, not in syrup). It&rsquo;s best to eat it throughout the day instead of one bigger portion in one go.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 id="h-5-choose-healthier-fats">5. Choose healthier fats</h2>
<p>We all need fat in our diet because it gives us energy, but different types of fat affect our health in different ways.<br />Healthier fats are in foods like unsalted nuts, seeds, avocados, oily fish, olive oil, rapeseed oil, and sunflower oil. Some saturated fats can increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood, increasing your risk of heart problems. These are mainly found in animal products and prepared food like:</p>
<ul class="has-list-bullet-color" style="--ek-bullet-color: #00bce0;">
<li>red and processed meat</li>
<li>ghee</li>
<li>butter</li>
<li>lard</li>
<li>biscuits, cakes, pies, and pastries.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p>It&rsquo;s still a good idea to cut down on using oils in general, so try to grill, steam, or bake foods instead.&nbsp;</p>
<h2 id="h-6-cut-down-on-added-sugar">6. Cut down on added sugar&nbsp;</h2>
<p>We know cutting out sugar can be really hard at the beginning, so small practical swaps are a good starting point when you&rsquo;re trying to cut down on excess sugar. Swapping sugary drinks, energy drinks, and fruit juices with water, plain milk, or tea and coffee without sugar can be a good start.</p>
<p>You can always try low or zero-calorie sweeteners (also known as artificial sweeteners) to help you cut back. Cutting out these added sugars can help you control your blood glucose levels and help keep your weight down. If your diabetes treatment means you get hypoglycemia and you use sugary drinks to treat this, then they are still important for your diabetes management and you shouldn&rsquo;t cut them out. However, if you are having regular hypoglycemia, it is really important to discuss this with your diabetes team.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<h2 id="h-7-be-smart-with-snacks">7. Be smart with snacks&nbsp;</h2>
<p>If you want a snack, choose yoghurts, unsalted nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables instead of crisps, chips, biscuits, and chocolates, but watch your portions still &ndash; it&rsquo;ll help you keep an eye on your weight.</p>
<h2 id="h-8-drink-alcohol-sensibly">8. Drink alcohol sensibly&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Alcohol is high in calories, so if you do drink and you&rsquo;re trying to lose weight, think about cutting back. Try to keep to a maximum of 14 units a week, but spread it out to avoid binge drinking and go several days a week without alcohol.<br />If you take insulin or other diabetes medications, it is also not a good idea to drink on an empty stomach because alcohol can make hypoglycemia more likely to happen.</p>
<h2 id="h-9-don-t-bother-with-so-called-diabetic-food">9. Don&rsquo;t bother with so-called diabetic food</h2>
<p>To say food is a diabetic food is now against the law because there is no evidence that these foods offer you a special benefit over eating healthy. They can also often contain just as much fat and calories as similar products and can still affect your blood glucose level. These foods can also sometimes have a laxative effect.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<h2 id="h-10-get-your-minerals-and-vitamins-from-foods">10. Get your minerals and vitamins from foods</h2>
<p>There&rsquo;s no evidence that mineral and vitamin supplements help you manage your diabetes. So, unless you&rsquo;ve been told to take something by your health care team, like folic acid for pregnancy, you don&rsquo;t need to take supplements.</p>

There’s nothing you can’t eat if you have type 2 diabetes, but you’ll have to limit certain foods.

10 tips about nutrition and diet

<p>Several factors, both organic and psychological, can affect your sex life. However, most people with diabetes have a satisfying sex life that is in line with their desires. We will summarize here why diabetes can have an impact and how to prevent and correct these problems.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Diabetes, after many years, can cause damage to the small nerves and/or small arteries whose function is, for men, essential for erection. In addition, diabetes is sometimes associated with other diseases, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which can lead to circulatory problems that can make having or maintaining an erection difficult or impossible. Some treatments, such as diuretics or &beta;-blockers, used in the treatment of high blood pressure can also affect the quality of the erection. For women, vaginal dryness and yeast infections, which are more common in people with diabetes, are the main factors that make sex uncomfortable or painful; not to mention the problems of urinary infections.</p>
<p>For everyone, it is also the psychological impact of the disease that can reduce libido and desire. The fear of hypoglycemia induced by the physical effort of sex may also be an obstacle to sex, for both the person with diabetes and their partner.</p>
<p>Faced with these potential problems, it is advisable to take the sexual well-being into account by adopting healthy behaviors:</p>
<ul class="has-list-bullet-color">
<li>Have diabetes as controlled as possible over time.</li>
<li>Stop smoking, which is the most aggravating factor in erectile dysfunction.</li>
<li>Avoid gaining weight, and ideally try to lose weight if overweight.</li>
<li>Be physically active for at least 20 minutes a day.</li>
<li>Detect and treat fungal infections.</li>
<li>Have a regular gynecological examination.</li>
</ul>
<p>The complications described are not fatal. If they do occur, you should speak to your doctor. He or she will check whether your treatments may be responsible for the disorder and, if necessary, modify them or suggest medicines that may improve erection, vaginal dryness, or treat potential fungal infections.</p>

What is Diabetes?

Find out more about diabetes here. This section has been designed to help you better understand your diabetes and its daily management.

Tips for living well with diabetes

The Vegan Trend

Awareness campaign #BecauseIsayso #CheckYourPressure

How to prevent type 2 diabetes?

What are 7 tips to stay active?

10 tips about nutrition and diet

Can diabetes affect my sex life?