The
Diabetic Diet, primarily
, aims at a nutritionally balanced consumption of carbohydrates, fats and proteins for the patients usually suffering from the Type II Diabetes.
Diabetes is a complex group of metabolic symptoms in which insulin deficiency or a decreased response of the cells to insulin results in the accumulation of glucose, fatty acids, ketone bodies and amino acids in the blood. The most common diagnosis for
Diabetes is the incidence of high blood sugar (blood glucose). Uncontrolled diabetes, no doubt, disrupts a normal and healthy life. The effects can be fatal too. Prolonged negligence and fruitless treatments may lead to continuous dehydration, increased appetite, severe weight loss, kidney failures, blindness, cardio-vascular problems, etc and death of the patient.
Diabetes is of two types: Type 1 or the Insulin-dependant
Diabetes Mellitus and Type II or the Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes mellitus. Reports observe that about 90% of adult diabetic patients suffer from the Type II Diabetes. Such patients are normally obese and have certain pathological complications which can be controlled by dietary management (diet and exercise) and through medications. In about 30 percent of such cases, patients eventually require insulin injections or oral hypoglycemic drugs.
Another important factor of the
Diabetic Diet is the dietary control of essential nutrients. You need to adjust the levels of consumption from time to time in managing the metabolic needs of individual patients. An approved diet plan suggests that the
Diabetic diet should have 50% of calories from starchy carbohydrates, 30% of calories from protein & 20% from fat.
Foods to be Consumed
- Complex starches like grains, cereals with low glycemic index
- High Fibre Foods
- Fish and lean meat
- Green, leafy vegetables, raw salads with tomatoes, cucumber
- Skimmed milk, low-fat buttermilk
- Fresh citrus fruits (excluding mangoes, grapes and bananas)
- Tea and coffee and other beverages without sugar
Foods to be Avoided
Glucose, vegetables like potatoes, yam, sweet potatoes, refined sugar, honey, sweets spicy and greasy preparations, fried food, alcoholic beverages, pre-packed food and dry fruits.
A high protein - low fat diet in combination with restricted levels of carbohydrates is considered as an “ideal” Diabetic
Diet. It supplies adequate calories and the essential amino acids required for tissue repairs and also regulate the level of
blood sugar. The diet further relies more on green vegetables and fruits and less on simple sugar. A regular check on fat consumption keeps diabetes under control.
To sum up, let us concentrate on some empirical results to find out how much and to what extent a low carb- low fat
Diabetic Diet helps in controlling diabetes and obesity. Many researches assert that a low carbohydrate, calorie-restricted diet produces maximum short-term benefits to the Type II diabetic patients. This
type of diet combined with high protein supplements has resulted in gradual weight-loss by a spontaneous reduction in calorie intakes. Further, the patients experienced improved glucose levels, higher insulin sensitivity and less cholesterol. The long-term effects of this diet, however, remain uncertain and require further clinical interventions.
