6 foods to avoid to manage diabetes
6 foods to avoid to manage diabetes

Food plays an important role in managing diabetes. According to several studies, the most severe and chronic diabetes cases and complications triggered by the condition are caused by the excessive consumption of unhealthy foods. These can increase insulin resistance and heighten blood sugar levels in the body. It is, therefore, important to learn about the foods that can worsen the condition. Here are some of the foods that those with diabetes should avoid.

Flavored coffee drinks
Flavored coffee drinks, unlike regular coffee, are loaded with sugar, carbohydrates, and calories, all of which may lead to an increase in weight and spikes in blood sugar levels. Such complications will eventually lead to a severe form of diabetes and other health conditions, like high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Margarine
Margarine is used as a healthy alternative to butter because it is low in saturated fats. However, the food contains high levels of trans fats. These fats may trigger inflammation, increase insulin resistance, and reduce the healthy cholesterol levels in the body.

White bread
White bread is a processed food that is rich in carbohydrates. Studies indicate that foods high in carbohydrates may raise blood sugar levels in those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. They may also affect brain function, especially in those with type 2 diabetes and mental health issues.

Sugary drinks
Drinks like sodas, sweetened ice tea, and lemonade are extremely high in carbohydrates. These drinks also contain excessive fructose levels. These can influence the body to resist insulin and worsen diabetes.

Fruit-flavored yogurt
While plain yogurt is suitable for those with diabetes, fruit-flavored yogurt has the opposite effect. Such yogurt is derived from nonfat or low-fat milk with high concentrations of sugar and carbohydrates. So as delicious as fruit-flavored yogurt may taste, one must steer clear of the food to avoid unnecessary spikes in blood sugar and insulin.

Dried fruits
Dried fruits, including raisins, prunes, dates, offer several health benefits. Unfortunately, these fruits must be sliced out of meals if one has diabetes. That’s because when the fruit is dried, it loses its water content. The loss of water makes its sugar and nutrient content more concentrated. Therefore, if a person with diabetes eats such dried fruits, they may notice spikes in their blood sugar levels.

  • Top 4 companies that give personal loans online

    Personal loans are great for people who do not have savings and need emergency funding. There are various providers of online personal loans and following is a list of trusted lenders who offer great rates:

    Discover
    One of the fastest sources of personal loans online, Discover offers a great deal because it does not have any origin fee. You may plan monthly fixed payments for up to 84 months and the annual percentage rates (APR) vary between 6.99% to 24.99%. Another great feature about opting for this lender is that you may pay your previous creditors, if any, directly.

    Lending Club
    Being one of the most popular peer-to-peer lending platforms, Lending Club has a lot of satisfied customers who have opted for personal loans online. With an attractive APR of 6.16% to 35.89%, you may definitely consider this option for any financial shortcoming in your life. Be it a house furnishing, marriage expenses, travel escapades, or even an expensive purchase, you may log on to their portal and get your application approved within two to three days.

    SoFi
    With a varying APR of 6.58% to 14.87%, SoFi has come up as one of the most popular options for online personal loans. They offer amounts between $5,000 to $10,000 for a term of three to seven years, making it easy for the borrower to plan the payments. Moreover, you may get the loan approval within the same day and the application process is very fast. They are a trusted name in the lending market and definitely offer great rates for personal loans.

    FreedomPlus
    When looking for a quick option for personal loans online, FreedomPlus fits all the bills. The application process takes only a few minutes and you get the decision of the creditor on the same day in most cases. The rest of the formalities like documents upload take around 48 hours, ensuring that you get your funding as soon as possible. FreedomPlus understands that when you apply for a personal loan, you might be running short on time. Considering this, they have created a super-fast process for procuring personal loans online. Secondly, they have options for two-year terms and three-year terms too wherein you may repay the loan amount as per your convenience for a minimal origination fee of 1.38% to 5% of the loan amount.

     

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  • Things to know before opting for dental veneers

    Teeth veneers are covers attached in front of your natural teeth to give them an enhanced appearance. They are wafer-thin shells permanently fixed to the teeth that are made of porcelain or resin-based composite. They are often used to hide chipped, broken, or discolored teeth or fill the gap between them.

    Here are some factors you need to know before opting for this procedure:

    • Cost
      Porcelain teeth veneers are more expensive than composite ones since they last anywhere between 15 and 20 years. This type of teeth veneer is less likely to stain. According to American Dental Association, they cost anywhere between $925 and $2500 per tooth. Composite veneers cost between $250 and $1500. They have a lifespan of five to seven years but can easily stain or break if proper care is not taken. The prices of teeth veneers may vary due to certain factors like geographical location, fees of the dental surgeon, the material used, and the number of teeth being treated. Most insurance companies do not cover the cost of teeth veneers since they fall under cosmetic surgery.

    • Procedure
      Teeth veneers take about two to six weeks to place. First, your dentist will diagnose and examine any oral health concerns you may have. You will get to choose your teeth color from a special shade chart. Next, your dentist will administer an anesthetic to minimize any pain, and the natural tooth will be minimally reshaped using a rotational device called a bur. For composite resin veneers, your dental surgeon will apply the shaded composite material on the tooth and harden it with a high-intensity light. In porcelain veneers, an impression of your teeth will be taken to build a mold. A temporary custom-fit will be made and tested on your teeth for any adjustments. After this, a final one will be permanently fixed to the teeth.

    • Result
      Individuals who do not have success with other dental procedures like retainers, braces, or teeth whitening typically opt for veneers to fix odd, crooked, or pointed teeth. They also help cover stains and decay. Teeth veneers are helpful for individuals who wish for long-term solutions. It can be a heavy investment but worthwhile for those who want to make their smile appear better. Their aftercare is important since broken veneers cannot be repaired.
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  • Things to Know about Nintendo 2DS Versus Nintendo 3DS

    The Nintendo 2DS is a handheld game manufactured by Nintendo, which released in October 2013. Nintendo 2DS is entry-level games of the Nintendo 3DS. This has an almost same hardware, functions, and compatibilities like Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. You can play all games of Nintendo 3DS on Nintendo 2DS. However, Nintendo 2DS cannot play stereoscopic 3D games; this is the only feature that differentiates both games.

    One of the biggest advantages with Nintendo 2DS is its pricing. It is available at an affordable price, which makes this game quite popular among gamers. It costs around $129.99, which makes it very convenient to buy. The Nintendo 2DS has a long battery life of 3.5 to 6.5 hours. It has a tablet-shaped design. Moreover, it is lightweight and comfortable to handle.

    Nintendo 2Ds includes the following components and accessories.

    • Stylus
    • Battery
    • Six AR cards
    • 4GB micro SDHC card
    • AC adapter

    The various significant features of the Nintendo 2DS include the following.

    • Unique design: Nintendo 2Ds has a compact and comfortable design, which is very easy to carry everywhere.
    • Headphone jack: The headphone jacks let you enjoy the games in stereo.
    • Wireless connectivity: This lets you play games multiplayer mode via a wireless connection.
    • 2D gaming: The 2DS system supports all DS games and games that are compatible with Nintendo 2Ds and Nintendo 3Ds games.
    • XL screen: Nintendo 2DS has 82% bigger screen than 3DS.
    • Ergonomic, folding design: It is easy to store due to its foldable design.
    • Circle pad: Nintendo 2DS has a circle pad, which allows 360-degree control.
    • C stick: This control stick is perfect for slight movements.
    • ZL/ZR and L/R button: Nintendo 2DS has two sets of buttons for control actions.
    • Touchscreen: It has a sensitive touchscreen that can be controlled with a stylus.
    • NFC reader: Nintendo 2DS has near field communication feature.

    Nintendo 2Ds has a lot of built-in software which makes the game more interesting and joyful. Software available with this game include the following.

    • Mii maker: This is to create various characters based on you, your family, and friends.
    • Mii Plaza: This is to play with the character created by different gamers.
    • Theme shop: This is to select different themes for the home screen or menu.
    • Nintendo eShop: This is to download games and entertainment.
    • Internet browser: This is for browsing the Internet for new updates for every game.
    • Included games: This is to play games like Face Raider and AR games.
    • Nintendo 3Ds sound: This is to listen to music as well as to record and play sounds.
    • Activity log: This is for tracking each game’s physical and play activity.
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  • Popular snow blowers you should consider

    When Christmas is around, snow blowers are essential. If you are considering which blower to own to labor your way through the driveway, this article will give you the information required. There are various types of snow blowers available in the market. To make it easy for you, some of the best snow blowers are narrowed down based on the customer reviews available.
    The basic function of a snow blower is to scoop up snow and work by shooting it out of a chute. The snow blowers available in the market vary in terms of features and performance. The following snow blowers were rated as the best snow blowers in each category by several snow blower reviews by customers.

    The three-stage gas snow blowers work by using the three phases of snow processing which is the use of auger, impeller, and accelerator. This process helps the machine to remove the snow quickly despite the biggest storms. The machine can be up to 30 inches wide. The good part is that these machines can feel like a car while turning. The Cub Cadet 3X 30″ PRO H available for approximately $2,400 was rated among the top 10 snow blowers.

    The two-stage snow blower machines are ideally used for the removal of wet, heavy snow. The snow blowing machine is 30 inches wide accompanied with 357 cubic centimeter engines for quick speed to remove snow. It throws the snow at a distance and creates a plowed pile. After making snow blower comparison, the Troy Built Arctic Storm 30, available at a price of $1,500 approximately was considered as one of the top-rated snow blowers.

    The compact two-stage snow blowers are 6 to 8 inches narrower than the traditional two-stage snow blowers. These compact snow blowers have the same use and can work similarly while being easier to store. They are ideally used for clearing up 12 inches of snow while being a lot easier to store. One of the best snow blowers in this category is the Cub Cadet 2X 24″ HP, which is available at a price of $950 approximately.

    The single-stage snow blower is ideal to clean up light to medium storms. After comparing snow blowers under this category, the Toro Power clear 721 QZR 38743 is considered as one of the best snow blowers. It is available at a price of $680 approximately.

    There are new compact cordless now blowers in the market that are to be tried and tested, but as they run by recharging batteries, they are good for 6-inch snow.

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  • Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S7

    Samsung’s flagship series of smartphones, the Galaxy series has always excited Android users. Albeit a little on the higher range side, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is worth every dollar you spend on it. Its upgraded version, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a perfect example of a premium-quality phone. Following are some important things to know about the Samsung Galaxy S7 along with the best places to get this phone from.

    Hardware
    The Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with a completely new CPU, which means that the company has really worked on the inner specifications as much as on the detailed finish of the phone. It also has an efficient Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) powered by 4GB RAM.

    It comes in two variants—32GB and 64GB and also has a memory that is expandable up to 256GB. It is compatible with GSM/LTE and High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) facility, making it worth the buy. Moreover, it is supported by an octa-core processor, the Exynos 8890 Octa chipset, and even has a provision for an upgrade to Android Oreo (Android 8.0).

    Design
    Samsung has surpassed everybody’s expectations with its appealing design of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Apart from being dust- and water-resistant, the carefully crafted phone Galaxy S7 has a screen of 5.1 inches and is 71 square centimeters in size. It weighs a mere 152 grams, living up to the sleekness of the phone.

    The company has gone out of its way to put the whole 3D glass feature molding into place. It also offers the phone in Black, Silver, White, Pink Gold, and Gold.

    Camera
    The camera of the phone is 12 megapixels (MP) and comes with a dual pixel sensor. The Auto HDR, panorama, and the LED Flash are additional supporting features of the amazing camera that will ensure all your favorite memories are captured on your phone forever.

    Additional features
    If the above-mentioned reasons aren’t enough to convince you, then there are some more additional features that are sure to compel you to buy the Samsung Galaxy S7. Firstly, the number of sensors such as fingerprint, proximity, gyro, heart rate, and accelerometer would keep your security and health, both in check. The phone also supports augmented GPD (A-GPS) and has a provision for fast battery charging. Acing high on customer reviews, this phone is definitely worth a buy.

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  • 3 effective tips for acquiring ancestry records

    Ancestry records are no less than time traveler tools to get to know about your family history. The journey toward having a deeper understanding of your ancestry, such as who they were and where they came from, begins during family conversations and while going through old documents. Arriving successfully at the ancestry records is rewarding and renders the opportunity of knowing your ancestors in the most meaningful and intimate way. It is no less than your own “journey home”.

    If you wish to find your roots and get to those ancestry records, here are 5 tips to follow when getting started.

    Communicate with your elders
    The elders of the family are truly the ancestors’ record trunk. They have an immense bank of information and can save you a lot of time during your quest. While you may have heard family facts in the past, it would serve well to specially take some time out to interview them and note down the new details. You can also take aid of old photos or documents and ask them to identify any familiar factors. Talking with your elders will present you with the best foundational knowledge.

    Organize well
    Organizing your search and the results well are the key to effectively gathering all the facts. An online database can prove valuable in the search for ancestry records. These databases allow for better organization of facts and systematic compilation of the same. Moreover, they also prove to be an easier way to get information about your family tree.

    Home hunt
    There is no denying the fact that the valuable clues of your ancestry records quest are often present in the family home. There may be rooms or trunks within the home that might have in store some great photos, documents, and even correspondence that can get you far. You can also take help from professional genealogists as they are seasoned in performing a home hunt for family history. They also conduct research, study patterns, and collect data ensuring the most appropriate results.

    The trip to acquiring ancestry records is bound to be full of surprises and unexpected turns. It can be a never-ending game and the key is to keep going. It is just going to be your very own quest for personal history.

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  • Seven simple preventive maintenance steps for home gym equipment

    Preventive maintenance helps in saving equipment from running into unexpected faults, whether it’s home gym equipment or something else. Moreover, it helps the equipment to stay in operation for a longer time. This form of maintenance is done when the equipment is still in operation and hasn’t been put on hold. Preventive maintenance is more complex than run-to-failure maintenance but less complex than predictive maintenance. Here is how to carry out preventive maintenance on your home gym equipment in seven easy steps:

    Inspect equipment
    The first step in preventive maintenance of your home gym equipment is an inspection. You need to prepare a list of all the missing hardware. You will also need to inspect closely for checking whether there is some hardware that has started to loosen. After you’ve prepared a checklist of all the missing or loosened hardware, get them fixed before using the gym equipment.

    Look for signs
    Once you’ve taken care of all the missing or loosened hardware, it’s time to examine home gym equipment for cracked or damaged welds and excessive wear. Keep a clean cloth to ward off the dust from the equipment and clearly see whether there are any signs of excessive wear or cracking welds. Remove the gym equipment, which requires welding and get them fixed before using.

    Check the cable pulley system(s)
    Check the home gym equipment with cable pulley system for anomalies. These include, but are not restricted to, damaged structures, failing ends, fraying cables, and kinks. Cable pulley system(s) with damaged parts needs to be put out of service until fixes are made.

    Lubrication
    Lubrication helps in keeping mechanical parts safe against unnecessary damage. Carefully lubricate all pulley assemblies and the various pivot points of the gym equipment. If you feel uncomfortable about DIY lubrication, you can call in specialized lubrication service for the job.

    Examine weight stacks
    Most of the home gym equipment makes use of weight stacks. Though these feature a sturdy build, you need to examine these heavy loads for undesired damage or discrepancies. Upon finding a problem with weight stacks, take them out of service and get them fixed before making use of the equipment employing them. Also, make sure that there is no restriction experienced by the weight stacks while in motion. The plates should seat properly without any problems.

    Safety first
    Make sure all the safety keys and stops are working properly. Use each of them once to ensure there is no problem encountered in their working operation.

    Test all gym positions
    Different gym equipment requires different positions to be taken for operating the equipment. The last step in preventive maintenance is to make sure all the gym seating positions are comfortable and everything is working in the very order they are expected to be. Any uncomfortable gym equipment needs to be put out of service and inspected by a technician for discovering and resolving the issues.
    Preventive maintenance saves you from the hassle of unexpected breakdowns, but more importantly, it prevents severe mishaps and injuries. Schedule a regular preventive maintenance run of your home gym equipment to enjoy it for a longer time without running into any major issues.

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  • A detailed guide to finding the best CD rates

    In simple terms, “CD rate” is defined as the interest percent yield on a certificate of deposit. Essentially a Certificate of Deposit is a savings deposit for a fixed period of which interest is earned by the bearer. A Certificate of Deposit (CD) is offered by any bank where you have opened a savings account. The fixed period can be a short or long term, and you will face a penalty if you withdraw your money before the term expires. The CD rate offered by a bank decides what you will yield from your CD investment. Follow this easy step-by-step guide to get the best CD rates.

    Step 1: Use comparison websites such as Bankrate or Nerd Wallet to get the best CD rates. Online banks tend to offer competitive CD rates as they have lesser overhead costs as compared to traditional financial institutions.

    Step 2: Invest for longer terms as long-term CDs tend to have higher interest rates. However, this also means that you cannot withdraw your money for long periods of time.

    Step 3. Consider CD laddering. By opening multiple long term CDs with at least one CD maturing every year, you will successfully receive higher yields and reduce the chances of paying withdrawal penalties.

    Step 4: Keep an eye out for special deals. Banks to cut through competition may offer special CD rates. Don’t hesitate to ask the staff at your bank if they are running any offers.

    Step 5: Look at other CD variations such as liquid and bump-up CDs. These may be riskier than traditional CDs, but they are ideal for time periods of rising rates. In the case of liquid CD, you will not have to pay the penalty if you withdraw your money before the term expires. However, you will have to cover up this cost with lower interest rates. In the case of a bump-up CD, you can switch to another CD with the same term but a better interest rate when your bank offers it. You can, however, make the switch only once.

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