(182 votes, average: 4.41 out of 5)
Loading ...With over 20 million American adults and children suffering from diabetes, it’s becoming more apparent each year just how little we know about proper diet. The following tips for healthy eating apply not only to those who currently have diabetes but also to those at risk for developing it.
More Complex Carbohydrates
There are two basic kinds of carbohydrates in diet: simple and complex. While we as humans generally like things to be simple, simple carbohydrates are one path of least resistance that we should avoid. Those with type 2 diabetes have to be extremely careful to avoid big jumps in blood glucose levels. Simple carbohydrates are easily broken down and absorbed, causing blood glucose levels to shoot up.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, take longer for the digestive system to break down, allowing the glucose contained in them to be processed and absorbed into the blood stream more gradually. You can incorporate more complex carbohydrates into your diet by eating more fruits and vegetables, beans, brown rice, and multi-grain breads.
Alcohol = Sugar: Avoid It
Your digestive system processes alcohol even faster than it processes simple carbohydrates. That’s because most alcohol is basically concentrated, liquid simple carbohydrates. If you do feel the need to partake in alcoholic events (it’s really hard to say no to a drink on New Years), try diluting it with club soda, seltzer, or water. Virgin Bloody Mary’s are another good choice for diabetics.
Watch for Carbs in Artificially Sweetened Foods
A life without sweet foods is a life not worth living, in my opinion at least. And even though there are many artificial sweeteners available that can make foods sweeter without the calories and carbohydrates, beware: just because a food is ‘sugar-free’ doesn’t make it carb-free. The simple carbohydrates in sugar-free foods can raise blood sugar almost as quickly as sugar itself.
Fiber, Fiber, Fiber!
The fiber found in fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole-grains breads or cereals is absolutely essential to a healthy diet. Fiber, much like the complex carb, is harder for the body to digest and therefore takes longer. Not only is glucose processed slower this way but it’s also absorbed more slowly due to the bulk of fiber.
Eat Smaller and More Frequent Meals throughout the Day
Eating normal-sized or larger meals 3 times a day can cause blood glucose levels to jump to dangerously high levels. Eating 4 or 5 smaller meals (or 3 small meals and 2 snacks) throughout the day allows your body to keep glucose levels normal and steady.
Look Out for Saturated Fats
While everyone should be sparingly consuming the saturated fats found in foods like butter and dairy products like milk and cheese, diabetics need to be especially careful to avoid them because of their increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The excess glucose floating around the diabetic bloodstream damages the lining of blood vessels throughout the body. Saturated fats stick to these damaged areas, causing vessel blockages and potentially fat emboli.
Drastically changing your diet is definitely difficult and hard to stick with. Instead of employing the cold-turkey method, try gradually adding healthy foods to, while subtracting unhealthy foods from, your diet over the course of several months.
Sources:
http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/alcohol.jsp
http://www.howtothinkthin.com/instincts2.htm
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Dietary-Tips-for-Diabetics.htm
http://www.webmd.com/solutions/eating-well-with-diabetes/diet
Written by April Wilson for MicroNutra Health™