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Diabetes is a condition that many don’t understand, including those who have been diagnosed with it. That lack of knowledge can lead to a host of complications. We will go so far as to say diabetes can be fatal. It is important to learn everything you can to take care of yourself when you are diagnosed with diabetes.
1. What is Diabetes?
In simple terms, diabetes is the imbalance of blood sugar in the body that throws the metabolic process into chaos. The body uses sugar, called glucose, for fuel. This fuel is used by the cells for their processes as well as to keep you moving. Burning glucose is the reason you are able to do all that you do during the day without simply dropping from sheer exhaustion. You usually can save that for the end of the day!
Carbohydrates are broken down by the body and glucose is released through the intestinal tract. The liver picks it up and stores it as glycogen until it is needed. The glucose that makes it into the bloodstream stays there waiting to be used.
The pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin that acts as a carrier for glucose.Insulin moves into the bloodstream and bonds with the glucose, carrying it to cells where it is needed. The cells allow the glucose in because it likes insulin and allows it to attach to it and release its precious cargo.
With diabetes, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or the cells have developed sensitivity to it and won’t allow it to bind to the surface. In both cases, blood sugar rises to dangerous levels, causing several reactions, once which diabetes sufferers notice right away – fatigue from the lack of proper fuel.
2. Carbohydrates, Weight, and Diabetes Complications
It seems we have a love-hate relationship with carbohydrates. We love to eat them but we hate the way certain ones can make our body look. We might as well glue those muffins to our waistline.
Obesity is one of the risk factors for diabetes. However, it’s important to note that it’s not just the extra weight itself, but what we ate to get that extra weight. Eating carbohydrates, like breads and muffins, and other sugars causes the blood sugar to rise significantly. Remember, carbohydrates turn into sugar in the body. Keep this high carbohydrate and sugary diet up, and over time your body may not be able to produce enough insulin to counteract all of the sugar you are taking in. That can lead to a diagnosis of diabetes and future complications if you are not careful.
High levels of blood sugar can affect a variety of systems in the body. For example, these high levels of sugar can damage your nerves which is a common complication of diabetes. Damaged nerves can result in losing the feeling in the hands and feet. This nerve damage has been known to cause injury by burning on a stove, or stepping on a sharp object where the person couldn’t even feel the pain until the injury was very severe. The resulting injury may take a long time to heal, another complication caused by a diabetic condition. Sadly, these injuries can lead to very serious conditions such as gangrene, and even amputation.
The complications of diabetes can also affect the kidneys. You may urinate more frequently as the body tries to rid itself of excess sugars through the urine. The kidneys are trying to handle this bombardment of sugar; a task the kidneys were not designed to do.
Your entire body can be thrown out of whack by diabetes, especially when it is uncontrolled. Refuse to be uninformed. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, ask your doctor to help you manage it to avoid dangerous complications.
In the United States, The US Department Of Agriculture has devised a Food Guide Pyramid, which serves as a guide for people to understand how to eat healthy. The Food pyramid guide features a chart filled with vertical stripes that represent the five major food groups, plus oils and fats. The color stand for: Green – vegetables, red – fruits; yellow – oils and fats; Blue – milk and dairy products; Orange – grains; Purple – meat, fish, beans and nuts. Here are other pertinent facts about the food guide.
The Pyramid Cookbook: Pleasures of the Food Guide Pyramid
About the Food Pyramid
In 2005, the US Department of Agriculture revised the food pyramid, as they wanted to show Americans a better way of how to eat healthy. The food pyramid has other messages for all of us. It tells us to eat a wide variety of foods, as well as eat less of some foods and more of others. In the illustrated food pyramid guide, eating a wide variety of food indicates that a balanced diet is achieved when you include all the food groups. This means that you need to have foods of every color, each day. In the illustrated food guide, you’ll see that as the colored start to get thinner as they reach the top, this indicates that there is a difference between food groups, even if they all belong to a certain food group.
Food Serving Samples
The food pyramid guide offers a number of suggestions for achieving a balanced and nutritious diet. Her are some food serving suggestions.
• Grains: Grains are generally measured in ounces. An ounce of whole grains could be equivalent to 1 a slice of bread, half a cup of cooked cereal, half a cup of pasta and 1 cup of cold cereal. 4 to 8 year-old children require at least 4 to 5ounces of whole grains each day, while 9-13 year-olds need at least 5 ounces.
• Vegetables: Dark green and orange veggies are best for consumption. Vegetable servings are generally measured in cups, Children from 4- 8 years old need at least one and a half cups of vegetables each day, while 9 to 13 year olds need 2 ½ cups of veggies each day.
• Fruits: Sweet, juicy fruits should be part of the daily diet. Children from 4- 8 year-old need at least 1 cup of fruit each day, while 9-13 year old adolescents need to consume at least half a cup of fruit each day.
• Milk and Calcium-Rich Food: Calcium is a mineral that helps strengthen bones, and prevent osteoporosis and other bone deficiencies. 4-8 year-old kids need at least 2 cups of milk each day, while 9-13 year olds need to have at least 3 cups of milk daily. Apart from milk, you can also substitute cheese, yogurt, calcium-fortified orange juice and others.
• Milk, Beans, Fish and Nuts: An ounce equivalent of this group would be equal to 1 ounce of fish, poultry and fish, ¼ cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon peanut butter and half an ounce of nuts and seeds.
A diabetic’s life can be tough on his diet. If a person has diabetes, it’s important that he or she is aware of the connection between carbohydrate consumption and diabetes management. Once carbohydrates are synthesized by the digestive system, they become sugars, and have a direct effect on blood glucose levels. A diabetic’s diet must maintain a delicate balance of essential nutrients and minerals. It’s important for diabetics to know what foods to eat, and which ones to avoid.
Choose High-Fiber Vegetables
Eating fiber-rich vegetables is good for diabetics, since fiber does not raise or affect blood sugar levels. The vegetables should be minimally processed, and ideally should be eaten raw. Among the fiber-rich veggies that are great for diabetics include cauliflower, celery, cucumber, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, artichokes, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, greens and spinach.
Suggested Fruit Variants for Diabetics
Fruits that have high fiber and fructose content are good for diabetics, since these do not affect blood sugar levels. Raw fruits are best for diabetics, since most dried and canned fruits contain high sugar levels. The suggested fruits include apricots, apples, blueberries, grape fruit, guava, Kiwi fruit, mango, pears and pomegranates.
Meat and Protein Substitutes
Getting adequate amounts of protein should be part of any diet, especially for diabetics. Protein helps regulate blood sugar levels and provides energy. While meat products are generally the best sources of protein, diabetics must limit their meat consumption, and instead consume more legumes and fish, which provide essential fatty acids and protein. The best meat substitutes for diabetics include veal, lamb, chicken or turkey, oily fish like mackerel and salmon, seafood, eggs, beans, lentils, soybeans, and moderate amounts of milk and dairy products.
Limit Consumption of Unhealthy Fats
Diabetics must also limit their consumption of unhealthy fats like trans fat and saturated fat, as well as reduce their intake of margarine, butter and shortening. Diabetics should instead go for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are found in canola, olive oil and nuts.
Whole Grains
Whole grains also serve as a tasty way for adding good carbohydrates to your diet. Choose whole-grain cereals and breads, bran, barley, buckwheat, millet and steel-cut oatmeal.
Just because you have diabetes doesn’t mean that you can’t have your fill of healthy and delicious food anymore. A healthy eating plan for diabetics should translate into consuming a wide array of foods, in moderate amounts. Diabetics also need to stick to regular meal times, and get a diet which emphasizes on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and other healthy meat substitutes. A diabetes diet should not be restrictive, but instead must offer you foods that are rich in nutrients, and low in fat and calories.
