Diabetes and Diet

I passed by a fast food place the other day where cars were lined up in the drive thru. I suddenly pictured, in my mind, holocaust victims lined up in front of the gas chamber. I know it was an unfair comparison. Death by gas chamber is quicker and probably more humane. Researchers have shown that fast food contributes to weight gain, insulin resistance, and other health problems that can lead to a slow death.

The most noted problem with fast food is that it tends to be high in fats. Although fat can be a high-octane fuel for our bodies, the fats in fast food tend to be the unhealthy kind, Fat is also addictive; the more we eat, the more we want. Therefore, fast food consumers are inclined to consume more fuel than they can possibly use.

Fast food is also a processed food, and many processed foods are over processed at the cost of nutrients. Flavor is also destroyed, so before manufacturers try to feed us this nutrient poor food, they add things like salt, sugar, and fat to improve the taste. Then they add evil stuff like artificial flavouring and colouring, and preservatives, many of which are made from fossil fuels. Bad news for adults, but for children the consequences can be even greater, as their growing bodies and brains do not process and eliminate these chemicals as effectively;

Another concern is the high fructose corn syrup in the nutrient deficient soft drink. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial additive that’s cheaper and easier for manufacturers of sodas to use. HFCS is made by treating corn (usually genetically modified corn) with a variety of enzymes (some of which are also genetically modified) to first extract the sugar glucose and then convert some of it into fructose. The body, however, processes HFCS differently than it does sugar. As well as being called “a major contributor to the global epidemic of obesity”, HFCS is associated with increased risk of Type II diabetes, heart disease, accelerated aging, and a number of other health problems. The typical teenage boy in the United States now gets about 10% of his daily calories from soda.

The biggest danger of fast food may simply be the lack of fibre. A double cheeseburger, medium french fries, and a medium soft drink, from McDonald’s, have a combined total of six grams of fibre. At that rate, to get the daily recommended intake of 25-40g of fiber, you would have to consume well over 4,000 calories daily. Besides regularity, fibre is needed in the diet for the cleansing process of the body. Lack of fibre in our daily diet leads to the poor elimination of toxins, which allows for the possibility of disease to set in. Lack of fibre has been shown to increase the risk of constipation, diabetes, diverticulosis, heart disease, cancer, and a host of other illnesses.

I’m not trying to point my finger at the fast food industry. They only sell us what we demand. We eat fatty foods because we like fatty foods. We eat too many calories because we enjoy being pigs. We go to fast food places because we are too lazy to cook for ourselves. We shouldn’t look for someone else to blame when our own choices cause disaster. We don’t need to attack the fast food industry, we need to attack our own lifestyle.

Charles Browne
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/the-dangers-of-fast-food-87056.html

When a person is first diagnosed with diabetes, diet becomes an important part of their lives. This is why many diabetics visit with a dietician when they get diagnosed with diabetes. Even though medications and insulin are available, diet is still an important thing to pay attention to as a diabetic.

For those with diabetes, diet needs to be carefully worked out and sometimes changed completely from the diet the individual had before they were diagnosed with the disease. The biggest thing to avoid is refined sugar, such as is seen in things like sweets, donuts, chocolate and cookies. Refined sugar triggers the release of insulin and results in the highest blood sugars when eaten and is not recommended for diabetics.

The diabetes diet should contain several small meals during the course of the day. This levels out the blood sugar levels and is the healthiest way for diabetics to keep stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. None of the meals should be very large or should have lots of refined sugar in them.

Protein should be a large part of the diabetes diet. Protein can be in the form of meat, beans or peanut butter. Protein doesn’t trigger blood sugar increases very much and should be part of several of the small meals a diabetic eats every day. If the diabetic chooses meats, low fat cuts of meat should be chosen.

Diabetes diets should also take into account issues around fats and triglycerides. Diabetics have higher than average triglyceride counts so a low fat diet would benefit the diabetic. Fats can be found in things like butter, in processed foods and in some baked goods. Eating a low fat diet may also affect the diabetic’s weight. Weight loss can really improve the health of any diabetic.

Complex carbohydrates are perfectly acceptable in the diabetes diet. Complex carbohydrates involve things like rice, flour, barley and other grains. These types of carbohydrates are processed more slowly than are refined sugars. They place less stress on the pancreas when it comes to releasing insulin.

Fruits and fresh vegetables should be on every good diabetes diet. These tend to be lower in calories, fat free and made from complex carbohydrates. Fruits contain the sugar, fructose, which is easier on the body and doesn’t trigger the release of insulin as much as does glucose and sucrose, or table sugar.

When a diabetic first begins a diabetes diet, they should write down everything they eat and should check their blood sugars before and after meals. This gives the new diabetic the chance to see how different aspects of their diet can affect the blood sugar levels. Writing everything down doesn’t have to be a regular thing but is good in the beginning or whenever the treatment changes.

Diet-controlled, oral medication and insulin-dependent diabetics should all follow the diabetes diet. While the diet isn’t intended to have anyone lose weight, any weight loss on the diabetic diet will improve the ultimate outcome of the diabetic. In some cases, losses of large amounts of weight results in needing lesser amounts of medication or possibly in needing no medication at all.

Michael Webb
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-importance-of-a-healthy-diabetes-diet-104451.html

With nearly 25 million people in the United States having diabetes, it is a serious health concern. One of the requirements of having diabetes is the need to keep track of your blood glucose level. Regardless if you suffer from Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, or Gestational Diabetes, you will have to monitor your blood glucose level on a consistent basis.

Of course, the only way of doing this up until now has been to stick your finger with a needle and put some blood on a blood glucose meter. Well, change is on the horizon. A new way of monitoring blood glucose levels is about to be made available. This new glucose monitor will be able to give you a reading whenever you want it, without having the need for finger sticks.

The glucose monitor will work well for Type 1, or Type 2 Diabetics. It works by placing a very small wire under the skin on the abdomen. It is a painless procedure. The wire provides blood glucose readings from the body’s cell fluid.

A patch is worn over the top of the wire. It not only helps to protect it, but it will send the blood glucose information to a small receiver, about the size of a cellular phone. The patch is fine to keep on for up to a week. After that, you can simply discard it and replace it with a new one.

The benefits to the diabetic are enormous. No more finger sticks and needles. Since the new blood glucose monitor provides information on a constant basis, you’ll always know what your blood glucose level is. You have more control and can make changes immediately.

This new blood glucose monitor is being put together with a new insulin pump. Insulin pumps are nothing new per se’, but how this one will work is a little unique.

The theory behind the technology is to be able to control blood glucose levels for several days at a time. The user can actually program the insulin pump monitor with upcoming meals and/or exercise routines. The pump will take that information and automatically program the exact amount of insulin required based on the information given.

Technology is constantly changing around us. What was once only a dream for diabetics is now becoming a reality. In the not too distant future, needles and finger sticks will be outdated and unnecessary. Advancements in blood glucose monitoring are on the horizon.

Terry Edwards
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/diabetes-glucose-monitoring-a-breakthrough-on-the-horizon-56023.html

i have type I diabetes. my nutritionist says that i should be aiming for at least 8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. i don’t know how to cook but i have a steamer. what are some veges that taste okay by themselves without salt, flavor or seasoning?

examples: carrots, cucumber, brocoli, cauliflower, beans

Carrots,
Broccoli,
Celery,
Potatoes,
Corn,
Spinach,
Kale
Swiss Chard,

I am 6’3, 196lbs, and have trimmed down from 250lbs since January of this year. I have achieved this by eating healthier, cutting out fast food from my diet, eating high fiber enriched foods, and almost eliminating saturated and mono fat. When I do consume fat it is offset by almost triple the amount of protein (IE 3g fat to 9g protein) and food takes longer to digest. The primary reason for my healthier lifestyle was to help gain better conrol of my Type I diabetes. The problem I am stumbling on is my caloric intake is probably around 2000-2500 per day. I eat every 2 hours totaling 6 or more times per day with a strict diet of whole grains fruits and vegetables.

My focus is that I need to stop losing weight and keep it level around 200lbs. I am wondering what recommendations you folks have for dieting and getting my calories up to around 3000 per day without increasing my fat consumption? Recipes, food suggestions, wbsites, or general information are all welcome and appreciated.

well have a combination of balanced diet with proper exercise

hi,
im a 15 year old female whose been having recurrent symptoms for the past 6 months. At the beginning of this year i started eating healthier (not crazily or anything) i was eating three healthy square meals a day with 2 snacks, plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, protein and the odd piece of cake or chocolate etc. Around the same time i came down with a throat infection which went untreated but seemed to pass. I started feeling very weak (especially in my thighs) and just exhausted and grumpy. I slept for hours longer then usual but wouldn’t be refreshed in the morning and was unbelievable tired by about 8 pm which is very out the ordinary. I went from about 53 kilos to 48 and my periods stopped. I went to numerous doctors, including and endocrinologist who suggested chronic fatigue and even hypothyroidism.
My question is under advice i started eating more junk food to put weight on so my periods would return and it seemed at soon as i started eating huge amounts of junk food i felt alot better and my periods came back. It seems like i need junk food to feel good, is this a sign of diabetes or was is just that i needed to gain weight?

any answers greatly appreciated

If would look into hypoglycemia over diabetes. With diabetes you can lose weight rapidly, feel exhausted, frequent thirst and urination. With hypoglycemia you will feel better after eating.

I do NOT recommend eating junk food to feel good. You need healthy eating habits now. Try fruits, juices, whole grains, peanut butter sandwhiches, etc.

I would make sure you have a full metabolic screening done as well keep follow ups with your doctors until you feel better. Being underweight can cause periods to stop and for you to feel muscle cramps and exhaustion. Set up an appointment with a nutritionist.