The Diabetic Diet

Diabetes is a modern day scourge and is a nuisance to those who are suffering from it. Most people understand diabetes as a disease that involves too much sugar in the blood and typically try to reduce sugar intake unnecessarily, but diabetes is much more complicated than that unfortunately. Understanding the illness is crucial before embarking on a diabetic diet that addresses the diabetic elements that plagues sufferers. Primarily diabetes is an ailment that describes a group of metabolic diseases. A person is deemed diabetic when he or she has high blood glucose due to inadequate insulin production or due to the body’s cells being unable to respond to insulin in a proper manner in some cases diabetics have both elements.

The three main forms of diabetes are:

Type 1:                 The body ceases insulin production and sufferers become insulin-dependent

Type 2:                 The body does not produce adequate insulin or the body cells do not respond to insulin (Insulin resistant)

Type 3:                 Affects pregnant woman (during pregnancy)

The diabetic diet is generally more suitable for type 1 and type 2 diabetic disorders. Pregnant women and those with chronic diabetes are advised to consult a certified medical professional before attempting this diet.

How does the diabetic diet work?

Practically everything an individual consumes disintegrates into sugar in due time. Foods that are sugary like candies, ice-cream, cakes or even fruit get into the bloodstream instantly, while starches take a much longer period to break down (one to two hours) followed by proteins that take up to 5 hours to breakdown and finally after seven or eight hours fats are finally broken down. Understanding this, a diabetic would be able to control blood sugar mainly through diet and exercise with little dependence on prescribed medication. The main objective or design of this diet is to balance food intake and insulin through proper diet and exercise. Keeping good weight for diabetics is ‘no walk in the park’ and to pinpoint how much weight one could shed within a given time frame is also difficult but not entirely impossible if a ‘ballpark figure’ is acceptable. Following the elements of this diet will not increase your weight under any circumstances but may be able to help you reduce your current weight by 5 to 10 pounds.

For those of you who do not suffer from diabetes, but want to get on this bandwagon you may expect to lose 10 pounds or more within the 3 months just by adding a cup of low-fat yoghurt 2 oranges to the fare daily!

Stock up on lean beef, chicken, fish, whole grain bread, pasta, tortillas, fruits, cheese, vegetables and soft margarine

The Game Plan

Breakfast

10 – 15 minute exercise – a glass of water

Oatmeal with low fat milk with a table spoon of honey – with a glass of water with a slice of lemon

If a snack attack presents itself prior to lunch – kill it

1. With a kiwi fruit

Or

1. With egg white + 2 teaspoon of olive oil, ½ cup of spinach + ¼ cup of low fat cheese and bread crumbs (half slice)

Preparation Time: You have diabetes! Does it matter?

Lunch

Basmati Rice cooked with 2oz of lean beef (add a tablespoon of pine nuts after cooking), 1 chopped tomato and a few slices of cucumber with a few olives. Eat an orange soon after.

If a snack attack presents itself prior to dinner– walk it off or work it off with a 20 minute light exercise workout that increases your heart rate after which you may help yourself to a few ‘wholegrain crackers’

Preparation Time: You have got to be kidding me!

 

Dinner

It is a good idea to go brisk walking (10 or 15 minutes) to get the metabolism up prior to dinner which would consist of

Salmon, chicken strips or Lean beef (3 – 6 oz) grilled and served with mashed potatoes (6 oz) and a small bowl of salad with olive oil after which have a glass of fruit juice or red or white wine to ease the long day and relieve stress.

Snack attack is supper!

Low Fat Natural Yoghurt with crisp dark rye bread.

AT ALL COSTS

Stay away from fatty ‘gunk like’ red meat, meat from organs, fried food that are drenched in cooking oil, MacDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, Burger King, food containing high cholesterol and foods that are rich in saturated fat!

Nutritional facts and Health Concerns

The diabetic diet is targeted to give balance to the lack of insulin production or the insulin intolerance by the cells. As such those who have been diagnosed with diabetes (regardless of which type), it is recommended that they counter check with a certified medical professional before attempting any kind of prescribed or recommended diet. Diabetes is not to be taken lightly.

 

See more Diets That Work For Women.