Diabetes Diet

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A well planned diabetes diet is a factor that diabetics should never overlook. Diet is a form of medicine. Food is the most natural medicine in the world. You cannot talk about diabetes without talking about eating habits. Eating is an important factor in any illness. This is especially true for diabetes. Any treatment for diabetes should start with the right combination of foods. Clinician prescribed medications can help strengthen the immune system and help the system fight disease. 

Some diabetic patients have always considered that medication can completely cure their illness. Due to this belief, these patients may be less concerned with the type of food they eat. 
As a diabetic, it is not necessarily good for you to eat only twice or three times a day, because such meals are often heavy and create blood sugar spikes. If you take a heavy meal once a day, the level of sugar will rise because there is not enough insulin in the body to convert the food. One alternative is to “graze” throughout the day. In other words, you eat five or six times a day, but only a little at a time. This can reduce blood sugar spikes. As a diabetic, always consult a clinician before changing eating habits. 
Our food consists of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. To be healthy, we need to maintain a balance of these nutrients in our diet. Carbohydrates include sugar, starch, yam, rice, etc. Protein is found in meat, fish, eggs, milk, beans, etc. Saturated fat is found in butter, coconut oil, palm oil, fish, meat, and eggs. This type of fat is dangerous to the system and can lead to heart disease. 
Fruit also offers one of the richest diabetes diet ingredients. Vitamins and minerals are mainly derived from fruits and vegetables. Remember that these fruits and vegetables are best in their natural state. Raw vegetables are more nutritious than cooked ones. I often hear that diabetics say that they were told not to eat fruits like paw paw, banana and oranges. The sugar in honey is pre-digested and cannot be compared to artificial, refined honey sold in the stores. Consult your clinician or a glycemic index to find out what carbs are okay to eat. Try to limit blood sugar spikes by cutting down on foods high on the glycemic index.

Many times, diabetics will try to consume fruits by mixing them with other foods. Often, ironically, the “other food” may be far worse than the fruit when it comes to blood glucose spikes. A patient may decide to eat a banana, but they may decide that mixing it up in a bowl of cereal is the way they prefer to eat it. The cereal may spike your blood glucose in addition to the sugar from the banana. 

Fruits and vegetables must be taken in a healthy manner, and with approval from your clinician. Even some fruits may seriously spike your blood sugar. Another offender is fruit in a can which may be accompanied by a sweet syrup. Remember, raw fruits are the best way to consume them, and indeed you must contact your clinician before changing your diet, or eating a lot of carbs, even fruits. Blood glucose spikes can be very dangerous so always eat in moderation, and always keep a check on your blood glucose so you can react if your blood sugar spikes. Always consult your clinician and have a dietary plan in place so you know how foods affect your blood sugar. 

 

*The author of this blog is not a medical professional and this article does not contain professional medical advice. This blog is not intended to substitute for medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the contents of this article. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. 

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