Thursday, January 29, 2009

Diet:

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no diabetes diet per se -- and that's good news! The foods recommended for a diabetes diet to control blood glucose (or sugar) are good for those with diabetes -- and everyone else. This means that you and your family can eat the same healthy foods at mealtime. However, for people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition carbohydrates, fats, and proteins -- carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels.
Most people with diabetes also have to monitor total fat consumption and protein intake, too. To keep your blood sugar levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, and take the medicines your health care provider prescribes. A dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education to help you develop a personalized meal plan that fits your lifestyle and activity level, and meets your medical needs.To maintain adequate nutrition,To achieve and maintain desirable body weight, To maintain normal blood sugar levels,To prevent, delay or minimize the onset of chronic degenerative complications
Diet plays an important role in the treatment of diabetes. The diet may be used alone or in combination with insulin injections or oral hypoglycemic drugs. The diet plan of an individual is based on height, weight, age, sex, physical activity and nature of diabetes. One should consider the following points while planning a diabetic diet:
Type of carbohydrate and amount of fibre: More of carbohydrate must be given as complex starches rather than simple sugars as they breakdown more slowly to release glucose in blood. The presence of fibre in complex carbohydrate like grains, vegetables and other starches slows the glucose absorption. One should emphasize more on the high fibre foods instead of high fibre supplements available in the market.

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