Sunday, April 10, 2011

Diet for Diabetes


Diabetes Type And Diet Guide

Diabetes is a disease where our body do not produce enough or make well use of a hormone called insulin. Insulin is a hormone that responsible for glucose to get into our cells and provide us with energy. Without enough insulin, glucose will stay in our blood and cause our blood glucose levels toraise. Over time, high glucose level will lead to serious damages in heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. There are generally three types of diabetes. It is important to understand that not all diabetes can be manage through diabetic diet alone.
Diabetes Type 1  : This form of diabetes is generally found in child and young adults with heart disease. It is also known as "juvenile" diabetes or "insulin dependent" diabetes. In type 1 diabetes the body does not produce insulin. Diabetes Type 1 must be treated by regular injection of insulin, it cannot be control with a diabetic diet or exercise alone.
Diabetes Type 2 :  This is the most common type of diabetes. It is also know as non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or make well use of the insulin. Approximately 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are obese or overweight, in most cases it can be managed by engaging in a diabetic diet weight loss plantogether with proper amount of exercise.
Gestational Diabetes: Gestational diabetes is a form diabetes that develop in some women during the late stages of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually disappear after pregnancy. Treatment for gestational diabetes includes special diabetic diet meal and scheduled physical activity. In some cases it may also include daily blood glucose testing and insulin injections.

How Diabetic Diet Works

Diet for diabetic is not just a diet that is free from “sugars”. A diabetic meal is a balanced healthy diet with appropriate mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that provide essential nutrients as well as to create an even release of glucose into the blood of a diabetes patient. The goals are to keep blood glucose as near as possible to that of a normal person.
Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose. By learning what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat we can keep our blood glucose levels within a target range. For a normal people, blood glucose levels are kept within 70 to 120mg/DL. The level will goes up after eating and return to normal after 1 or 2 hours. Following is a reference table for targeted blood glucose levels for people with diabetes.


Target Blood Glucose Levels For Diabetes Patients
Before Meal
90 to 130 mg/dL
1-2 Hours After Meal
less than 180 mg/dL

Diabetic Diet Plan And Food

Diabetic diet plan is simply a healthy balanced meal plan followed by diabetes patient. A good diet plan will not only help you improve your blood glucose levels but also help keep your weight on track. Diabetic diet plan differ from person to person due to our nutritional needs, daily activity and type of diabetes a patient suffers. Following are some important points suggested by the American Diabetic Association when planning your meal.
  • Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.
  • Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products.
  • Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your diabetic diet meal.
  • Include fish in your meals 2-3 times a week.
  • Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and sirloin.
  • Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
  • Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular sugar-sweetened drinks.
  • Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats.
  • Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.
  • Cut back on high calorie foods like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream in your diabetic meal.

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