If you are one of the approximately 14 million Americans with diabetes, the new American Diabetes Association recommendations should make it easier to follow your meal plan. The key is good nutrition from healthy food choices, which is beneficial for the whole family.The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that India could count for 79 million of the world's 360 million diabetics by 2030.
What one eats decides their quality of life especially when one is a diabetic.The American Diabetes Association no longer recommends the same meal plan for all diabetics, strict guidelines on distributing calories, and losing unrealistic amounts of weight. Instead, it now promotes a well balanced diet, flexibility in meal planning, and reasonable, achievable weight goals to control blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels.
If you are a diabetic, a registered dietician can help you tailor a meal plan based on your medication needs, your health risks, the foods you like, and your lifestyle. For example, if you are overweight, part of your plan might include cutting back a little on the calories you eat so you can maintain a reasonable weight. Even a 10 to 20 pound weight loss in an overweight person can improve diabetes control.
The modern attitude about a diabetic's diet is that there is a carbohydrate "budget" and it should be spent at regular intervals throughout the day -- not in one lump sum. An occasional donut, for example, is likely acceptable as long as it is offset by specific reductions elsewhere in the meal.
The operative word here is "occasional" -- it's best not to make a habit of such indulgences, because they tend to displace healthier choices. For example, one 8-ounce cup of milk has the same amount of carbohydrate as 4 ounces of sugar-sweetened soda pop. But milk offers many more nutrients (such as calcium and vitamin D for strong bones) than the pop. Routinely substituting nutrient-poor sweets for nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products makes for an unhealthy diet. Likewise, routinely eating sweets in addition to these foods results in many unwanted calories and excess body weight.
Sugar-derived compounds and carbohydrates are an issue for people.During digestion, a healthy person's body converts carbohydrates from food into various sugar molecules. These sugars are further converted into mainly glucose, the primary fuel of the body. With the aid of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas), the glucose enters cells to provide the body with energy. But in type 2 diabetes, either the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or the muscles and other tissue have become resistant to insulin, or both. As a result, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream, causing various adverse events.
The new nutritional recommendations discuss how moderate amounts of sugar can be eaten safely. Sugar and starch are carbohydrates that raise your blood glucose level when you eat them. Sugar found in baked goods and candy is called simple sugar and is digested and absorbed quickly. Vegetables and grains contain starches called complex carbohydrates. The starch is mixed with fiber that slows down the speed at which your body uses this carbohydrate. For many years, diabetes specialists have believed that because sugar is digested and absorbed faster than starch, it raises the level of blood glucose faster. However, researchers have found that the total amount of carbohydrates that you eat, not the source, affects blood glucose levels. Of course, this does not mean that a person with diabetes can indulge in cakes and cookies every day.
Remember, foods high in sugar, such as cookies, are often high in fat and calories and do not satisfy your appetite quickly like more nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates, such as a baked potato or pasta. By eating enough sugary foods to satisfy your appetite, you might eat too much carbohydrate, raising your blood glucose level too high. For this reason, you should eat sugary foods in moderation. Most of the carbohydrates in your diet should come from complex carbohydrates. But a small amount of sugar can be part of a balanced diet. By following the guidelines, you and your family eat a balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and high in fiber.
Diabetes happens when the insulin levels sink so low, that one can no longer break down the sugars in our food into useful energy. Left unused, these sugars accumulate, making one fat and often causing heart disease. The trick therefore is to eat lean foods that are easily digestible.
Try going veggie. Raw, green vegetables, cucumbers, green beans, brussels sprouts, garlic, oatmeal, spirulina, soybeans and tofu help regulate blood sugar, just like insulin. Avoid sugary, processed foods and eat more fibre. Pick whole fruits over fruit juice and whole wheat bread over white bread.
If you must eat non-vegetarian fare, choose fish over meat. It's good for your cholesterol. Try cooking food in monounsaturated oils like olive oil. Olive oil is high in calories, so use it sparingly. The fatter you are, the more insulin you need. So exercise regularly, but never let your blood sugar sink too low while exercising. Give up alcohol and cigarettes, minimise stress and eat three regular meals a day. Snack on an apple in the afternoon, to keep blood sugar stable.
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