The #1 Diabetic Diet
Posted on 09. Dec, 2009 by Karl Graus in Diet & Nutrition
When you have diabetes, you have more glucose in your blood stream than the normal human bring. Glucose levels can rise when the body is resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps cells metabolize glucose into energy, or when the pancreas fails to make enough insulin to support the body’s needs. In either case, it is important to maintain positive control over the level of blood sugar to prevent some major health problems, including the possibility of entering a diabetic coma. The proper diet for diabetics has been a subject of some contention in the past.
For years, the prevailing wisdom was that diabetics should strictly avoid foods high in sugar and other carbohydrates. Sugar was considered to be the worst offender because it is more easily broken down into glucose, therefore it gets into the bloodstream faster than other carbohydrates. Many artificial sweeteners have been created as sugar substitutes for diabetics’ dietary needs.
And doctors are now more accepting of the fact that most diabetics will come into contact with sugar and other carbs, no matter how carefully they try to monitor their diets. While some artificial sweeteners do not contain calories or carbs, they’re still not completely safe in a diet for diabetics for other reasons.
Bottom line, the best diet for diabetics is identical to the best diet for people who are not diabetics. It’s entirely possible for diabetics to eat anything they like within reason. The main things that diabetics need to focus on is monitoring the amount of carbs that they eat every day. Carbohydrates consist of both sugars and starches, so foods like pasta and potatoes need to be limited just as much as sweet, sugary foods.
The ideal diet for a diabetic would include more fresh fruits and vegetables. These foods include natural sugars that the body can use but are different from glucose in enough ways to keep them from increasing the blood glucose level. Also, they have more fiber, which is not only instrumental in helping the body get rid of waste, it also makes you feel full, which leads to lower calorie consumption.
It’s also not true that meals for diabetics need to be made seperately from everyone else’s food. The fact is that the best diet for diabetics is the same as the best diet for the rest of the family. All diets should be balanced, rich in fruits and vegetables, and nclude protein and a moderate amount of starches, and very little fat.
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