The Diabetic Diet

Everyday over 2,000 Americans are diagnosed with a disease that may eventually deprive them of their sight, kidney functions and even their lives. This dreaded disease is diabetes; a chronic, incurable disease in which your body cannot produce or correctly use insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert glucose (sugar), starches and other food into usable energy.

When you eat large amounts of carbohydrates, it can cause your blood levels to increase. This in turn, causes an elevated blood sugar which cannot be cleared efficiently and promptly and increases the amounts of blood sugar even more. This may cause an insensitivity to insulin. Increased sugar levels in your blood can chemically change the blood proteins, so that they cannot carry out their normal functions.

Without proper utilization of glucose, your cells literally starve to death. Further, excess glucose accumulates in your bloodstream, which over time can cause damage throughout your body. According to Mark Wright, M.D., a leading bariatric physician in Atlanta, GA, excess glucose in your bloodstream is toxic. When blood sugar levels are too high, rapid aging, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, and death can result. Therefore, it is necessary to keep your blood sugar levels within the normal, healthy range.

A Widespread Epidemic

Diabetes affects over 140 million people worldwide, and there are over 16 million diabetics in American. It is our fourth leading cause of death, killing about 200,000 Americans each year. If you are a diabetic, this increases your risk of heart disease by 200%, gangrene and limb amputation by 500%, kidney failure by 1,700%, blindness by 2,500%, and decreases your life expectancy by 33%! Sadly, 50% of those affected may be totally unaware that they have this deadly disease.

The cause of diabetes is a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise, appear to play key roles. Increased reliance upon rich and processed foods and viral infections may also be co-factors. If you are overweight at age 24, chances are good that you will develop diabetes, and since about 50% of adults are overweight and that percentage continues to rise each year, diabetes, unfortunately, will continue to remain a grave health concern.

Eating a Healthy Diet - Bodybuilding Supplements

A healthy diabetic diet consists of eating more starches such as bread, cereal, and starchy vegetables. Your goal should be about six servings a day. For example, have cold cereal with nonfat milk or a bagel with a teaspoon of jam for breakfast. Another starch-adding strategy is to add cooked black beans, corn or garbanzo beans to salads or casseroles.

Eat five fruits and vegetables every day. Have a piece of fruit or two as a snack, or add vegetables to chili, stir-fried dishes or stews. You can add raw vegetables to your lunch or have them for a snack.

Eat sugars and sweets in moderation. Diabetic diets should only include your favorite sweets once or twice a week at most. Split a dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth while reducing the sugar, fat and calories.

Soluble fibers are found mainly in fruits, vegetables and some seeds, and are especially good for people who are diabetic, because they help to slow down or reduce the absorption of glucose from the intestines. Legumes, such as cooked kidney beans, are among the highest soluble fiber foods. Other fiber containing foods, such as carrots, also have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. Insoluble fibers, found in bran, whole grains and nuts, act as intestinal scrubbers by cleaning out the lower gastrointestinal tract.

To control carbs, try a technique called carbohydrate counting. Carbohydrate counting means counting the total number of grams of carbs you should eat at one meal or planed snack time based on your medications and exercise habits. Then you can choose how to meet these needs.

Maintaining and Developing a Healthier Weight and Lifestyle

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is important for everyone, especially those afflicted with diabetes. This is especially true for those being treated with type 11 diabetes, because extra weight makes it difficult for people with this type of diabetes to make and use their own insulin. If you are a diabetic, and overweight, losing just10 or 20 pounds may improve your blood sugar control so much that you can stop taking or reduce your medication.

As we all know, smoking is bad for your health, but it is especially problematic if you have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetics experience blood flow problems in the legs and feet, which can sometimes lead to serious problems, including amputation. Smoking can decrease blood flow even more. Smoking can also worsen sexual impotence in men, cause high levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad type of cholesterol), and can raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. If you are diabetic and you smoke, you need to quit.

Although alcohol in small amounts may fit into your meal plan, if your blood sugar is under control, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach may cause low blood sugar. Alcohol may contribute to complications in a diabetic’s diet, so before engaging in a drink, ask your doctor how much is too much, and heed his/her advice.

Because people with diabetes are at a higher risk for heart attack, as well as many other diseases, it is recommended that they limit fat below 30 percent of total daily calories by eating less overall fat and less saturated fat. They also need to watch cholesterol, choose smaller portions of lean meats, poultry and fish, and low or non-fat dairy products. Because high-fat diets, such at the Atkins diets are high in fat, they are not usually recommended for people with diabetes.

It may take a while to adjust to the changes in your diet and lifestyle after a diagnosis of diabetes. However, these changes are vital in order to live a well productive life, with an otherwise extremely serious disease. Therefore, with practice and help, you can have a satisfying diet and keep your blood sugar under control, at the same time.