Diabetes is a disease that is marked by higher than normal levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood stream. This is caused by many different things : your body’s resistance to insulin, or a pancreas that doesn’t generate the proper amount of insulin for you to function properly. Insulin is a hormone that the body uses to convert glucose into energy. 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 many years, it was thought that people suffering from diabetes should avoid sugar and other carbohydrates at all costs. Diabetics had to be very careful with sugar, due to its easy conversion to glucose, giving it an ability to enter the bloodstream at an alarming rate. Now, many diabetics replace sugar in their diet with the various artificial sweeteners that have been developed.
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. There are artificial sweeteners that are calorie and carbohydrate free, but that food that contains the sweetener can still be unsafe for a diabetic in other ways.
Bottom line, the best diet for diabetics is identical to the best diet for people who are not diabetics. Believe it or not, diabetics CAN continue to enjoy their favorite foods. The difference is that extra care should be taken to monitor and limit the number of carbohydrates consumed in each day. Carbohydrates include both sugars and starches, so foods like pasta and potatoes need to be limited just as badly as sweet foods with sugars in them.
A diabetic’s diet should also work to incorporate an increased number of vegetables and fruits. 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. The fiber that you’ll get from the fruits and vegetables are sufficient to let their body more efficiently eliminate waste, leaving the person feeling more full.
You don’t have to make one meal for the diabetic and another meal for the remaining family members. Basically, a diet for diabetics doesn’t have to be different than anyone else’s in their family, as long as they are careful. All diets should be balanced, rich in fruits and vegetables, and nclude protein and a moderate amount of starches, and very little fat.
Karl writes about subjects like diet for diabetics and best diet for diabetics on his blog.
