The Secrets of Diabetes Diets

by moveforward on June 21, 2009

As you very well know, one of the most pleasurable activities known to man is eating. Gastronomic pleasure is the only pleasure that truly nourishes and gives life to an individual. Sadly, this pleasure needs to be curtailed when it comes to diabetes sufferers. This article provides the basis why diabetes diets need to be special and the secrets in keeping the diet of diabetes within bounds of health rather than the cause of exacerbating the condition.

The Science of the Diabetic

The main problem of diabetes sufferers is the inability to produce enough amounts of the hormone insulin for the body to utilize. Insulin helps in two ways. Its first function is to maintain the amount of glucose in the blood. If there is too much insulin, the body, through insulin safely metabolizes it into waste. The hormone’s second function is the use of the glucose in the bloodstream into fuel for use by cells. This hormone is produced by the beta cells of the pancreas. Thus, the absence or low quantity of the hormone insulin in the body creates a myriad of problems for the condition known as diabetes. The cells are unable to process glucose as a fuel thus making them unable to function properly and eventually die. Cellular degeneration makes for one of the most dangerous conditions in the body. Secondly, if the amount of glucose in the blood is left unregulated, then the blood becomes thicker making for problems in the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and the clogging of blood vessels for the individual diabetic.

There are two kinds of diabetics. The first one is called Type I diabetes or more popularly known as juvenile diabetes. In this kind, the body’s pancreas has no beta cells to produce insulin. Thus, there is no insulin produced and instead the body kills the beta cells in the pancreas. The second one is called Type II diabetes or onset diabetes. In this kind, the body is unable to produce enough amounts of insulin to help in the regulation of the amount of glucose in the blood or blood sugar. Both create the medical problems that have long been associated with diabetes.

How Diabetics Survive

Currently, there is no known cure for diabetes. All that can be done now is the identification of diabetes sufferers and provide external means to control the amount of blood sugar. The blood sugar level is directly related to the diet of the individual. As one eats, the body breaks down the chemical content of the food through the process of digestion in the body’s gastrointestinal system. As the food is broken down, the nutrients are taken from the food and absorbed by the intestines. It is from this area that the sugar content of the food is taken from the food and absorbed into the blood stream. Normal people, through the healthy pancreas, can moderate the amount of glucose in the blood by the production of insulin. This is the step that is lacking in diabetes sufferers and it is at this point that many of the diabetics’ problems arise.

Once diagnosed, the intervention often done is through monitoring of the blood sugar, ingestion of insulin and through dietary changes.

The Diet of the Diabetic

The diet of the diabetic is very basic. The sugar and carbohydrate levels of the food needs to be controlled so that the body does not go into hyperglycemia, or sugar overload. Here are some of the ways that diabetics can control their condition through their diet.

· Choose what you eat. Being conscious and vigilant about what you eat helps in being healthy despite diabetes. Avoiding sugary sweets, high carbohydrate food and starchy ingredients would surely be a big help in keeping your glucose level in check. By seeking out the advice of a dietitian or nutritionist, you can determine what can be considered as safe food for your condition.

· Watch what you drink. Many drinks available in the market contain sugar or sugar substitutes that can present many problems for your condition. Alcoholic beverages are definite no-nos for your diabetes. The safest drink is still water so keeping hydrated at all times would help your body metabolize the glucose levels in the body.

· Regulate snacking. This is one of the major culprits in sudden sugar and carbohydrate levels in the body. By finding low sugar and low sodium snacks high in fiber, you can still assuage your snacking urges yet keep healthy as a diabetic.

Keeping a Healthy Diet

So with all the advertisements and the food places that offer rich gastronomic pleasures, how can a diabetic keep a healthy diet? The first step in this uphill climb is the acceptance that the condition exists and one needs to undertake steps to keep healthy. After this acceptance is the realization of the need to find food that is acceptable to the diabetic condition. The basics would be avoiding food high in sugar and/or carbohydrates as these are the main sources of excess glucose in the body. What is needed is not the absolute disavowal of these kinds of food, but the moderate ingestion of these kinds of food. Pasta, pizza, cakes, pies are some of the foods that need to be eliminated from a diabetic’s diet. Also, some types of food preparation need to be avoided, such as caramelization and other food techniques that infuse high sugar content into the food. This is one of the most important steps that one needs to undertake to make one’s diet safe for diabetes.

So, what is the secret of diabetes diets? The science in the diabetes diet has been formulated, dissected and discussed by many professionals and experts. There is so much information available as to the proper diet programs for diabetes. The biggest secret is the acceptance of the condition as part of one’s life and acknowledging the need for its management and care. By accepting the condition, the hard life of diabetes diets is much easier to bear and one would be more vigilant in making the right decisions for one’s health.