Terms frequently used in blog posts and articles:

8 Laws of Health – Basic principle of Seventh-day Adventists: “Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies”

A1C – The A1c test (also known as HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin or glycosylated hemoglobin) is a blood test that correlates with a person’s average blood glucose level over a span of a few months. It is used as a screening and diagnostic test for prediabetes and diabetes.

ADA-compliant – Meets recommendations of the American Diabetes Association

Adventist non-vegetarian – Eats only clean meat, poultry, and fish, as defined in Leviticus and Deuteronomy

Adventist pescatarian – Eats clean fish (based on Leviticus and Deuteronomy) but no meat or poultry. Non-Adventist pescatarians might also eat “unclean” fish or seafood.

Atkins Diet – Contrary to popular misinformation (even from medical websites!), the Atkins diet is NOT “all about meat” or “high-protein.” It is low-carb, moderate-protein, and high healthy fats. Primarily for the purpose of weight loss though it can be helpful for diabetics and accommodates all dietary protocols, including vegetarian, vegan, and Adventist non-vegetarian.

Clean and unclean meat – Based on guidelines in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

Dawn Phenomenon – A term used to describe an abnormal early-morning increase in blood sugar (glucose), usually between 2 and 8 a.m., in people with diabetes.

Dietary vegan – Does not eat eggs or dairy products but may use honey or wear silk, leather, or fur

Eat to your meter

Ellen G. White – 19th-century Seventh-day Adventist author who wrote extensively about health

Flexitarian – Eats mostly vegetarian with occasional meat, poultry, or fish

Glucometer – Blood glucose meter

Gluconeogenesis – The formation of glucose, especially by the liver, from noncarbohydrate sources, such as amino acids and the glycerol portion of fats. Said to be responsible for abnormal Dawn Phenomenon.

Gluten-free – A  diet that strictly excludes gluten, a mixture of proteins found in wheat and related grains, including barley, rye, oat, and all their species and hybrids (such as spelt, kamut, and triticale).

Glycemic index – A relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels.

HCLFV – High-carb low-fat vegan. Also uses the term “plant-based”

Healthy fats – Avocado, coconut oil, olives/olive oil, nuts, seeds, butter

High-fat – Defined by the Medical Dictionary as a diet that contains over 30 percent of the calories as fat.

Intermittent fasting (IF) – An umbrella term for various diets that cycle between a period of fasting and non-fasting. If you do not eat or drink anything (other than water) between supper and breakfast, for a period of 12-18 hours, that counts as intermittent fasting.

Ketogenic – The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. It is also used successfully in weight loss and in controlling blood sugar and insulin levels in diabetics.

Ketosis – A metabolic state in which some of the body’s energy supply comes from ketone bodies in the blood. It is a normal metabolic process, something your body does to keep working. When it doesn’t have enough carbohydrates from food for your cells to burn for energy, it burns fat instead. This results in a build-up of acids called ketones within the body.

Lactose-intolerant – The inability to digest lactose, a component of milk and some other dairy products.

LCHF – Low-carb high-fat

Low-carb – There is no clear definition of exactly what constitutes a “low-carb diet.” It can be anything from under 100 grams of carbohydrates in a day to as low as 20-30 grams.

Low-fat – A food or style of cooking that contains or uses very little butter, oil, or other fat, usually three (3) grams of fat or less per serving

NEWSTART – Acronym for Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust

Nightshades – A specific group of plants belonging to the Solanaceae family which includes over 2,000 species. One of the major problems attributed to nightshades is arthritis. Some of the more common nightshades are potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers.

Plant-based – Buzzword for dietary vegan, typically high-carb low-fat

Reversing diabetes – A term that usually refers to a significant long-term improvement in insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes.

Statins – Any of a class of lipid-lowering drugs that reduce serum cholesterol levels by inhibiting a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of cholesterol.

Strict vegetarian – Term from the ’50s which meant the same as dietary vegan

Sugar-free – Means no sugar added. Does not mean carb-free!

Trans fat – An unhealthy substance, also known as trans fatty acid, made through the chemical process of hydrogenation of oils. Typically, margarine, vegetable shortening, and vegetable/seed oils.

Vegan – Strictly speaking, does not eat or use anything that came from an animal, including honey, silk, leather, or fur

Vegetarian – Refers to lacto-ovo vegetarian, eats eggs and dairy products but no flesh foods