Tag: Diet Diabetes

Can A Good Diet Keep Diabetes At Bay

Upon first being diagnosed with diabetes, many patients ask can a good diet keep diabetes at bay. Most doctors will agree that a good diet, low in carbohydrates and sugars can help a person with diabetes avoid many of the complications that often accompany the disease. While a good diet can not necessarily cure the illness, a good diet can keep diabetes at bay.

People who have diabetes have a difficult time processing foods such as sugars and starches. Instead of processing normally through their system, they stay in the system and turn end up increasing the glucose in the bloodstream. When this occurs, it is called glycemia – which is too much sugar in the blood. People with Type I and Type II diabetes both suffer from having too much glucose in the blood. As the glucose does not digest normally, it causes problems with the kidneys, liver, eyesight, heart and blood circulation in general.

Depending upon the stage of their diabetes, a physician will normally prescribe either medication or insulin. Both help the body process the sugars in the blood, to break them down and allow the patient to expel them. However, insulin and medication are no substitute for a healthy diet. Just because a person is taking medication or insulin does not give them carte blanche to consume all of the sugar and carbohydrates they can get their hands on. It is absolutely essential that a person with diabetes not only take medication or insulin as directed, but also adhere to a diabetic diet. This means getting familiar with which foods should be avoided and which foods can be eaten sparingly.

The Glycemic Index was established in 1981 to rate which carbohydrates are the worst for those with diabetes. The carbohydrates that are high on the list, such as white bread, take longer to digest and should be avoided. Carbohydrates that have low scores, such as brown rice, can be eaten in moderation. It is very difficult for anyone to avoid carbohydrates completely, which is why familiarizing oneself with the Glycemic Index is so important in the treatment of diabetes.

In addition to carbohydrates that rate high on the Glycemic Index as well as low, there is also an intermediate group. It may surprise people to know that a chocolate bar is rated in the intermediate group on the Glycemic Index. This does not mean, however, that one should feel free to consume all the chocolate they want. The purpose of the Glycemic Index is to help individuals establish which foods should definitely be avoided and which foods are okay in moderation.

So, can a good diet keep diabetes at bay. The answer is yes. While it cannot cure a patient of diabetes, a good diet low in foods that have high ratings in the Glycemic Index and high in proteins can help an individual with this condition live a longer, healthier life. Until there is a cure for this potentially life threatening condition, it is important for all people who suffer from diabetes to familiarize themselves with the Glycemic Index so they can better understand how to control their disease.

Ada Diabetes Diet

The ADA diabetes diet, called the Carb Consistent Diet, was once referred to as the Standard ADA Diet. It is now called the Carb Consistent Diet because it allows you to keep your carb intake evenly distributed throughout your day so your blood sugar does not spike too high or go too low therefore keeping your diabetes under control.

Although there are many variations of the Carb Consistent Diet, the ADA diabetes diet we will be concentrating on is the 1800 calorie diet.

As a diabetic you know that everything you eat affects your blood sugar. Keeping your carb intake steady throughout your day is important. Whether you eat three meals a day or you eat more often you should try to eat the same number of carbs at each meal.

The 1800 calorie diet allows you 180 grams of carbs in a day so if you eat three times a day then you can have 60 grams of carbs at each meal. If you eat five times a day then you need to do the math and divide 180 by 5 and then figure up your meals at only 36 grams of carbs at each meal.

Smaller meals may be the better way to go also if you need to lose a few pounds. Losing weight on the 1800 calorie diet may not be the easiest thing to do and you might consider switching to the 1500 or 1200 calorie diet to lose the weight you want to lose.

Plan on eating 3-5 servings of fruit everyday. What this means is, you should be eating a piece of fruit with every meal. The ADA will tell you that a serving of fruit is a small orange, pear, kiwi, or apple, or two tablespoons of dehydrated fruit like apricots, prunes, cranberries, or cherries.

You should also be sure to add 3-5 servings of vegetables in your meal plan for the day. Once again, this means a vegetable at every meal. Mix it up have a small salad for lunch and eat your broccoli at dinner. Cut up some celery sticks, carrot sticks, and radishes, or a cucumber. Serving sizes of all of these vegetables are not huge, just about a half a cup, so do not think you will be eating mounds of vegetables every day because you won’t be.

Whole grains will help you feel fuller longer. Make sure to get a good 5-6 servings each day. Stay away from starchy foods like potatoes, white bread, and white rice, they will make your blood sugars spike unnecessarily. Stick with brown rice and things like lentils and beans to get your whole grain and fiber. Make breads one of the things you eat the least of.

With lean protein sources and low fat or non-fat dairy products rounding out your ADA diabetes diet you should be well on your way to really getting a handle on controlling your blood sugars so you can continue to live a happy, healthy life.