The #1 Diabetic Diet
Diabetes is a diseases that is caused by eleveated levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood stream. Glucose levels can rise when the body is resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps cells metabolize glucose into energy, or when the pancreas fails to make enough insulin to support the body’s needs. In either situation, it is very important for diabetics to maintain control of their blood sugar levels so that that can avoid serious health problems, including the risk of falling into a diabetic coma. Beliefs on what constitutes the proper diet for diabetics vary widely.
For years, the prevailing wisdom was that diabetics should strictly avoid foods high in sugar and other carbohydrates. Sugar was regarded as the worst offender as it is more easily turned into glucose, which means it reaches the bloodstream more quickly than other carbohydrates. Diabetic diets incorporated a variety of artificial sweeteners instead of actual sugar to cope with this problem.
And doctors are now more accepting of the fact that most diabetics will come into contact with sugar and other carbs, no matter how carefully they try to monitor their diets. There are artificial sweeteners that are calorie and carbohydrate free, but that food that contains the sweetener can still be unsafe for a diabetic in other ways.
Bottom line, the best diet for diabetics is identical to the best diet for people who are not diabetics. Diabetics can continue to enjoy all of the foods that they love. The difference is that extra care should be taken to monitor and limit the number of carbohydrates consumed in each day. Carbohydrates include both sugars and starches, so foods like pasta and potatoes need to be limited just as badly as sweet foods with sugars in them.
The ideal diet for a diabetic would include more fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruit and veggies contain natural sugars that can be used by the body but are just enough unlike glucose to stop them from raising the blood glucose level. The fiber that you’ll get from the fruits and vegetables are sufficient to let their body more efficiently eliminate waste, leaving the person feeling more full.
It’s also not true that meals for diabetics need to be made seperately from everyone else’s food. The fact is that the best diabetic diet is the same as the diet the rest of the family should follow. This should be a balanced diet of plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with the right amount of proteins and starches, and only a few fats.
