Saturday, October 27, 2012

Factors of the Diabetic Diet

By James Steele


The truth about the diabetic diet is that it does not exist as a particular diet that only includes certain foods. Yes, people talk about it and use those two words, but the interesting thing is that this so called diet is perfect for anyone.

Often, diabetics are told to eat foods that have a lower glycemic rating. A low GI rated food will not produce a huge spike on blood sugar levels. You want to avoid unstable blood sugar levels.

Excessively consuming foods rated high on the glycemic index is linked to obesity. It's dangerous to be obese and diabetic. It can be difficult to manage the serious risks that can be caused by excess weight. You may have more concerns to contend with if you are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. High fiber diets have been shown in recent research to be beneficial for Type 2 diabetics. Your cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels will benefit by using this approach. Keeping whole-grain breads and fruits in your diet is still recommended in the proper amounts. The reason is that they provide vitamins, minerals, and other healthy nutrients for your body. Be sure to ask your dietician, or physician, about this approach with the high fiber diet. The key is to not ingest an excessive amount of carbohydrates every day.

Naturally, it is very important to limit your consumption of highly processed foods as they are often high in calories and contain sugars and unhealthy saturated fats. It's especially important for diabetics to avoid gaining excess weight. White, refined sugar is highly processed and essentially contains empty calories. Empty calories are almost immediately converted into fat and have no nutritional value. Burning them is the only way to prevent this from happening. So be sure to get in the habit of reading labels on everything you buy.

Diabetics are at increased risk for developing heart disease. This is why it's imperative to take care of your cardiovascular health in addition to managing blood sugar. Medical conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol need to be avoided. If you haven't already, you need to have blood work done to check your cholesterol levels. Avoid eating foods high in saturated fats.

There are special considerations with diabetes and artificial sweeteners. You can use these substitutes without adding more carbohydrates to your diet. Using artificial sweeteners is in no way a guarantee that additional carbohydrates will be included in your meals. Before you consume anything, always default to reading the food labels before you eat anything. Checking the glycemic index of artificial sweeteners is also a good idea. A good tip is to pay attention to the gram amounts of carbohydrates per serving you prepare. You can get more specific nutritional and lifestyle advice from your doctor, who will take into consideration your specific case. As long as you watch your diet and follow your doctor's advice, diabetes can be managed and its symptoms minimized. You have to be vigilant about your diet, as eating the wrong foods can have serious consequences. There are a lot of things to consider and pay attention to with the diabetic diet. You don't necessarily have to follow a single diet to the letter. What counts most of all is maintaining a healthy blood sugar level at all times.




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