Eat Healthy to Control Diabetes

Diabetes has become a modern day epidemic due to our current lifestyle and eating habits.

Frequent and increased consumption of fatty foods coupled with a decrease in physical activity

as well as our increasingly sedentary lifestyles has led to a dramatic increase in Diabetic

patients.

Diabetes is considered as a chronic that is caused due to a lack of insulin in the body. There are

three major reasons for the lack of insulin in a person’s body and based on that Diabetes is

classified as Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and Congenital Diabetes. In Type 1 Diabetes, the

body fails to produce insulin due to loss of insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas which

leads to an insulin deficiency. Type 2 Diabetes is a condition in which cells fail to use insulin

properly. Type 2 is the most common form of Diabetes. The

third type of Diabetes is Congenital Diabetes, which is due to

genetic defects.

For diabetic patients it is essential to check the glycemic index

(GI) as it provides a measure of how quickly blood sugar levels

rise after eating a particular type of food. It is essential for

diabetic patients to improve their eating habits ensuring that

their blood sugar level does not peak or dip. It is

recommended that patients take plenty diabetic food which

has proteins, nutrients and vegetables in their diet to ensure a

stable GI.

A healthy diet plays a very important role in keeping diabetes under check and that is the

reason why doctors recommend immediate changes in diet and lifestyle to those diagnosed

with Diabetes. Generally diabetic patients are recommended

milk, vegetables, grains, meat and eggs. It is advised that

diabetics carefully monitor their carbohydrate intake to

maintain a stable GI. As part of this strategy, Diabetics must

ensure that they eat small meals at regular intervals rather

than one or two big meals. It is also advisable to replace food

with high fats and carbohydrates with diabetic food products

such as diabetic sweeteners, sugar free drinks, sugar free food

etc which are widely available these days.

Along with this there are several diabetic supplements that

help in regulating the actions of insulin in maintaining blood

sugar levels. Some of the popular supplements for the

treatment of diabetes are Ginseng, garlic, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium. These dietary

diabetic supplements are available in various forms, including tablets, capsules, softgels, liquids,

powders, and bars.

Doctors recommend diabetics to follow the Glycemic Index Diet or G.I. Diet as it helps keep the

Glycemic Index in check by avoiding foods such as white bread or potatoes, cooked in certain

ways and adding more whole grains and multi grain products to your diet. Another diet plan

that is recommended for diabetics is the Low Carb Diet. In this diet patients gradually decrease

carbohydrates from their diet. As carbohydrates are the major influence on blood sugar levels,

less carbohydrates helps maintain a low and stable GI and ultimately, helps in the better

management of diabetes.

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease and it is important to not only change our diet but our entire

lifestyle to manage it. Doctors recommend that along with changing our food habits, we should

also increase the amount of exercise we take to better manage diabetes.