If you have diabetes, you might think that are certain foods that you can’t eat or that you can’t enjoy social occasions in the same way as someone who doesn’t have diabetes. This is not necessarily the case; in quick cooking for diabetes you will learn how to make changes to your choice of food, you’re eating habits and cooking, to help you manage your diabetes more effectively and live life to the full.
This is the way of ranking foods containing carbohydrate according to their effect on blood glucose levels. If you have diabetes, combining foods with low glycogenic index with main meals can help to control blood glucose levels.
Eating for good health is about matching your intake of food to your body’s needs and keeping your weight at a healthy level. It is also about understanding how to balance food choices, so that you can enjoy eating without feeling guilty, Even high-fat, high-sugar foods can be incorporated into your diet plan, if you know how.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a common condition in which the glucose (sugar) level in the blood is too high. Normally, the level of glucose in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas. Insulin enables the glucose to enter various cells in the body, where it is used to fuel the body’s energy requirements. In the case of someone with diabetes, the body doesn’t produce any or enough insulin to regulate the glucose or the insulin that it does produce does not do the job properly, as a result, the glucose is unable to get into the bloodstream at high levels. Glucose comes from the digestion of starchy foods such as bread and pasta, from sugar and other sweet foods and it is also made in the liver.
Diabetes is a genetic condition, which means that it tends to run in families. In addition, scientists are uncertain as to whether any environ mental factors may also play a part in the development of diabetes.
It is currently estimated that 150 million of the world’s population have diabetes. This is expected to rise 300 million by the year 2025.
Diabetes is more common among certain ethnic groups, particularly Asia and African-Caribbean populations. Currently about 3% of the people in UK are known to have a diabetes (about 1.4 million people) and for every person diagnosed with diabetes, there is probably another person who does not know they have the condition. In the US nearly 16 million people (almost 6% of the population) have diabetes, of who 5 million are unaware that they have it, although diabetes can occur at any age, it is rare in young children and becomes more common as people get older.
Managing your diabetes
Managing your diabetes is simply about everyday control – keeping your blood glucose levels as close to normal as you can, while still maintaining a normal life style. Blood glucose levels are measured in millions per liter of blood and your doctor of diabetes nurse will be able to advice you on the levels that are best for you.
Essentially, blood glucose levels can be controlled by sticking to sensible eating habits and choosing the best foods for your body’s system, together with following a healthy life style that involves exercise and not smoking. These factors, in conjunction with diabetes medication if necessary, Will help to protect against the long-term complications of diabetes. These can include damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and major arteries.
There are two main type of diabetes;
Type 1, insulin dependent, diabetes develops when the body stops producing insulin because develops the cells in the pancreas that make it have been destroyed. It usually appears before the age of 40 and is treated by insulin injections and diet.
Type 2, diabetes or non insulin dependent diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes, it develops when the body can still produce insulin but not enough for its need or when the insulin that it does produce does not work properly. It usually appears in people over the age of 40 and may be treated by the diet along or by diet in conjunction with tablets or insulin injections. People who are overweight are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and at least 80 % of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have a weight problem.
Managing your weight
What you eat directly affects your weight and your blood glucose levels. It can also influence of fat on your blood. If you are overweight, losing weight will help you control your diabetes. Talk to your doctor if you are not sure how much you need to lose or how to lose it. You should also discuss any dietary changes as you may need to adjust your medication at the same time. If you are overweight, even losing just 2.5 kg (5 lb) and keeping it off will be beneficial to your health losing health.
· Helps to control blood glucose levels by reducing the body’s resistance to insulin
· Helps lower blood fats like cholesterol
· Lower blood pressure
Cutting down and being more active
It is important to monitor you diabetes carefully when making changes to your diet. Cutting down on snacks or simply choosing low-fat foods like fruit instead of biscuits may be all that is required to lose weight or you may need to go a step further and cut down on the amount of food you normally eat at a meal, in particular cutting down on fatty foods in your diet. Eating more fruit and vegetables at meal time can help reduce your calorie intake, while still providing the volume of food you are used to eating.
Becoming more active will also help you to lose weight as well as improve your sensitivity to insulin and your general health and fitness. Remember that making gradual life style changes that you can maintain in the long term will be more successful than trying to implement sudden and radical new changes. A combination of increased exercise and fewer calories is the best way to lose weight.
Hypoglycemia
If you have diabetes it is important to keep your blood glucose levels fairly stable in order to minimize the risk of developing any of the long-term complications of diabetes. ‘Hypo’ (short for hypoglycemia) is a term used to describe a low blood glucose level. A hypo can be unpleasant and is more likely to happen when you are treated with insulin but can also happen if you take certain diabetes tablets.
What causes a hypo?
However well controlled you diabetes is, you may still experience a hypo because of a late or missed meal or too little carbohydrate at a meal. Other reason for having hypoglycemia may include having too much insulin or medication or drinking excess alcohol or having alcohol without food. Alcohol inhibits glucose production by the liver and this way can lower blood glucose levels. Changing medication or undertaking unusually strenuous activity without having additional carbohydrate may also trigger a hypo, because exercise also lower blood glucose levels.
Treating hypo
It you identify the symptoms of a hypo take some form of sugar immediately in order to make sure your blood glucose levels rises and returns to normal. Sugar soft drink or 4 or 5 glucose sweets should be provide enough to treat the symptoms, but it is important to make sure that your blood glucose levels get back to normal before you do anything else. You should also have a meal or snack containing some sort of carbohydrate food, such as bread, pasta or cereal immediately after you have treated your hypo, to ensure that your glucose levels is safe.
Hypo symptoms; the most common symptoms of hypoglycemia are
· Sweating
· Trembling
· Feeling hungry
· Anxiety and irritability
· Fast pulse and palpitations
· Blurred vision
· Tingling lips
· Going pale
As more and more information is collected from research into diabetes, the dietary guidelines for people with diabetes have tended to change in emphasis. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you should aim to control your blood glucose levels and help you manage your condition more easily. However, you should consider the guidelines as goals that you move towards rather than rigid targets. Start by assessing your current eating habits and consider any changes that you need to make to your usual diet, your food choices or meal planning in the context of a frame work, rather than as a set of rules that can nerve be broken. Establishing long-term healthy eating habits can also help you reach personal targets such as your ideal weight and cholesterol and blood pressure levels. The goals you set for yourself do not have to seem impossible. They can be as simple and straightforward as eating a piece of fruit instead of biscuit as a snack, adding salad or vegetables to your main meal or using pasta or pulses a couple of times a week. The main areas to consider are reducing fat and salt intake, eating more starchy carbohydrate foods, as well as fruits, vegetables and pulses and enjoying a good variety of foods and recipes.
In the past, a restricted carbohydrate diet and in particular, a restricted sugar intake was considered the best way of control diabetes. As a result, many people still believe that if you have diabetes you have to stick to a rigid diet and cut out of foods such as a cakes and puddings. This is not the case at all and whatever your individual dietary needs, the meals you make for yourself can be quite delicious and just as suitable for your family and friends as well. In the same way, you don’t have to miss out on special occasions-it is simply more important to get it right most of the time.Anyone diagnosed with diabetes should see a state registered dietitian through their doctor or hospital. A dietitian will provide specific dietary advice and help you work out individual targets based on your particular needs and life style, enabling you to feel more in control of your diabetes
Healthy eating guidelines for people with diabetes
Weight management
This is an essential aspect of diabetes care, being overweight makes it more difficult for you to control your blood glucose levels, your blood cholesterol levels and your blood pressure. It is important to try to get the weight that is right for you and retain it. If you need to lose weight, aim for a gradual weight loss that can maintain in the long term.
Have regular meals
Eat regularly throughout the day and base your meals on starchy carbohydrate foods such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals. If your weight is at a healthy level, this will also help to keep you blood glucose level stable and within reasonable range. Go a step further and choose or incorporate carbohydrate foods with a low glycogenic. These include pasta, rye bread, wholegrain cereals, fruit and pulses.
Cut down on saturated fat
Eat fewer foods that are rich in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, butter, cheese and full-fat dairy foods (full-cream milk). Instead of butter choose reduced-or low-fat speared high in unsaturated fat (olive oil, grape seed oil and sunflower oil), option for light crème fraîche instead of double cream and use skimmed or semi skimmed milk.
Cut down salt
Eat more fruit, vegetables and pulsesYou should be aim to eat five portions of fruit, vegetables and pulses every day. This will help to lower the glycogenic index of your diet, as well as balance your meals and provide you with a source of antioxidant vitamins and minerals. It will also help you to shift the balance of what you eat, if you are trying to lose weight. Eat the same volume of food each day as you do now, but greater proportion of fruit and vegetables and you will end up eating a much healthier diet.
Limit your intake of sugar foods
Keep to safe drinking limits
This means a maximum of two units per day for women and three units per day for men. (one units is equivalent of one glass of wine, one measure of a sprits and half a pint of beer, cider or larger) never drink on empty stomach as alcohol can bring on a hypo if you are in insulin injections or certain tablets.
Eating out
Having diabetes does not mean that you can’t enjoy meals out with friends and family. It does however mean that you need to a take a more care with meal planning and monitoring your diabetes. You may need to seek advice from your doctor or diabetes nurse if you going to be eating at an unusual time of day and you medication need adjustment. Is your diabetes is treated with diet along or a combination of diet and tablets, the timing will not be so crucial. If you have insulin injection, however you need to ensure that your meal will not be delayed.
Simple self-help measures
Simple measures such as having a small snack like banana before you go out or delaying your injection until you arrive at the restaurant or party, may be all that is needed. You can always ask for some bread to nibble if you are a little behind your normal schedule. Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach because alcohol lowers your blood glucose level and you therefore risk hypo as a general rule, drink alcohol with food rather than before a meal or before food is served.
Eating out regularly
If you eat out regularly, then you need to choose your food more carefully, try stick to one or two courses rather than a full menu all the time and avoid high-fat foods such as pies, creamy sauces and soups, fried foods and chips. Make sure you have plenty of vegetables, salad and carbohydrate-based dishes. Pasta or rice with pulses, tomato and vegetable-based sauces are very good choices. Avoid eating heavy puddings laden with cream on a regular basis.
Rice, pasta and other grains
You can create complete meals in no time at all by using different combinations of vegetables, meat and fish with starchy carbohydrate foods such as rice, pasta and grains.
Beans, seeds and pulses
Peas, beans and lentils all have a low glycemic index of less than50. They are high in protein and fiber and low in fat and can be used to lower the glycaemic index of everyone’s diet.
Extra fruit and vegetablesBy replacing proportion of your meal with fruit and vegetables, you can automatically reduce the calories, increase the fiber content and lower the glycaemic index. You also increase your vitamin and minerals intake reduce your salt intake.
Bread and basisBread is a staple that can be used to accompany main meals or from the basis for light meals at all times of the day, there are many different kinds of breads, including those made from different cereal grains, such as wheat, rye and oats.
