Carbs and Your Diabetes

If you are one of the many folks who are managing diabetes, you know that the worst food choices are the ones that are going to spike your blood sugar. Foods for diabetics that are high in carbohydrates don’t necessarily have to be avoided. However, you do have to make sure they are the “right” carbs. Complex carbohydrates are going to offer your body the essential vitamins and minerals it needs, along with the necessary fiber to keep it going.

White flour is one of the worst choices. There are many breads and muffins available today that are made with whole grain flours, that it is much easier to make better choices. White rice is also among the worst foods. Choose brown rice instead. If you are a cereal-eater in the morning, stay away from ones made with little whole grain. Typically, these are also the worst offenders with lots of sugar. Peruse the cereal aisle and you are bound to see more wholesome cereals boasting about the amount of whole grain their product contains. And there aren’t too many people around who don’t understand how bad French fries are for you. If you are living with diabetes, there are a couple options if you are ordering out. Order the baked potato or ask if they can make steak fries that are baked and not fried.

Whole grain goodness is easier than ever to find thanks to a greater understanding of our nutritional health. Take a moment to choose wisely when at the grocery store, and you will easily be able to substitute the worst choices in grains for the best!

Medical Nutrition Therapy

Once diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes, creating a healthy eating plan with a nutritionist is very important. Managing diabetes through diet, exercise and careful monitoring of your blood glucose levels, will allow you to live a long and healthy life.  Your nutritionist will be able to teach you what a diet for diabetics is and what it is not. Your new eating plan can be incorporated into your family’s eating plan and everyone will be eating healthier!

MNT or medical nutrition therapy is simply eating more nutritious foods, less processed foods all in more manageable amounts at appropriate times. This diet for diabetics is low in fat and calories and emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which everyone should be eating.

Making these healthy choices will help keep your blood sugar levels in check and keep you from suffering more serious chronic developments such as kidney and heart damage.

Healthy carbohydrates, fiber rich foods and fish, which is great for your heart, are all foods that should be incorporated into your diet. Understanding good fats versus saturated fats and trans fats along with how to limit cholesterol is part of the knowledge that you and your family will gain.

All this creates a plan that should be manageable and make you much more healthy. It will be saving your life and potentially the lives of your family. With that in mind, you are sure to make it a success.

What is Diet Controlled Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes, or non-insulin dependent diabetes, is mainly a disease of older people, usually occurring in middle age and upwards. No one knows why some people get this disease and others don’t, but it is known that overweight or obese people are at much higher risk levels. With the increase in childhood obesity, the number of younger people developing this disease has increased dramatically. Thankfully, Type 2 diabetes can be controlled through diet alone for many years before insulin injections will be needed, if caught early enough.

Symptoms of diet controlled diabetes include extreme thirst and frequent urination, dry, itchy skin and several others, though many people will have no symptoms at all. It is caused by the body’s inability to use the insulin produced by the pancreas or the pancreas not having enough insulin producing cells to meet the body’s demand.

Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed through a simple blood test. This test will measure blood sugar levels after you have fasted for at least 8 hours and is usually done first thing in the morning. Your doctor will assess your symptoms and the results of the blood test to determine if you have diabetes and what type it is.

Type 2 diabetes can be controlled through diet and exercise. Your doctor may advise you to see a dietician to help create a diet that works for you, but these diets will all follow a few simple rules. Low fat foods are imperative; forgo the regular sour cream for the fat free variety, get rid of the white bread and choose whole grain bread. Low fat foods will help your body keep consistent levels of blood sugar. Choosing the right carbs is another thing a dietician will advise you about. Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not evil; they’re necessary for everyone. You need to choose the right carbs, though. Refined, processed sugars are the carbs to avoid; avoid the candy and cookies and choose fresh fruit instead. We should all eat this way, honestly, but diabetics have a more immediate reason for doing so. Eat fresh veggies with little or no sauce; carbs found in “real” food are better for you than what’s found in products containing ingredients you can’t pronounce. How good for you is high fructose corn syrup anyway? You don’t find that in an apple, do you? Or an orange, strawberries or blue berries. Avoiding ingredients like that will provide your body with natural simple and complex sugars that it can more easily adjust to.

Type 2 diabetes can and, in some cases, will, turn into insulin controlled diabetes. A healthy diet containing low fat foods, few or no processed sugars and a moderate exercise program will go a long way towards staving off that needle. No one wants to be forced to inject themselves multiple times per day; take care of yourself and that day can be pretty far off. Doctors recommend retesting every couple of years to determine if your diabetes is changing.