Choosing and Eating the Right Diet for Diabetics

by Barb Hicks - Clivir Team

The diabetic diet is so healthy that anyone can and should partake of its goodness. Not only does the diabetic diet help to control glucose levels, it aids in weight loss as well. Obesity is one of the risk factors for diabetes, in addition to a sedentary lifestyle. Following a healthy diabetic diet can decrease your risks for developing the disease.

How we eat is one of the major reasons that diabetes and heart disease are so prevalent in the US. So, it makes sense that if we all ate healthier foods and increased our physical activity, the prevalence of diabetes could decrease.

What is a diabetic diet?

The diabetic diet is one that is rich in fresh fruits, green and colorful vegetables, whole grain breads cereals and pasta, and lean meats such as fish and poultry. Most all foods consist of carbohydrates which is the main source of energy for the body. Carbohydrates also raise glucose levels, and those with diabetes must take care in the amounts of carbohydrates they eat and when. Meals should be eaten at the same time of day, in conjunction with coordinating insulin injections.

Fresh Fruits: All fruits are free of cholesterol. They are low in fat and sodium, and calories and provide fiber, vitamins and nutrients, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants.

Fresh Or Raw Green Vegetables: Vegetables contain fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Fiber content is high and added with other foods that are high in fiber helps to ward off or prevent chronic and other serious illnesses.

Whole Grains: Are excellent sources of fiber and other natural nutrients that help keep the digestive system functioning regularly.

Dairy Products: Drinking 2-3 servings per day of low fat or skim milk lowers fat intake and provides calcium, potassium, and vitamins.

Lean Meats: Lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, and fish. Some diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, suggest limiting your intake of red meats to once per month. Red meat is harder to digest and remains in the digestive system for far too long.

To get healthy and remain that way starts with a diet that is low in fat and cholesterol, and high in fiber. Seafood is great, but are known to be high in cholesterol, such as lobster and shrimp. Liver is also has a high cholesterol content and should not be eaten by those who have elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

You can lower your risks for diabetes by eating a healthy diet, controlling cholesterol and triglyceride levels, monitoring your blood pressure, and daily checks on your blood glucose levels. Keeping all levels in balance prevents major complications such as heart disease, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and heart failure.

About the Author
Barb Hicks is a licensed registered nurse who loves to write and share. She has an online classroom at Clivir.com where she shares her knowledge about Diabetes Cure and Diabetes Warning Signs.

Follow a Low Carbohydrate Diet For Diabetes

by Ann Nelson

A doctor has diagnosed you as a diabetic. You are very well aware about precautions to be taken, but you want to live happy, healthy and prosperous life. You want to enjoy your remaining life, as you enjoyed the earlier part of it. Is it possible to enjoy the life with diabetes? Who will help you to achieve this goal? How to follow restrictions on foods that you like to eat? Well, the answer of all these questions is a resounding yes you can have a normal and happy life. Thanks to low carbohydrate diets. Here is how you follow a low carbohydrate diet to live happy diabetic life.

Diabetes is related to the sugar level in your blood. Increase in this level is one of the causes of diabetes. If you consume foods containing high carbohydrates your blood sugar level rises. Therefore it is your responsibility to maintain sugar levels at normal levels. With the help of medication, exercise and a proper diet you can control your blood sugar level. This process is known as management of blood sugar. The disease is classified into three types-type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

The pancreas in our body produces insulin, which helps to produce glucose. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is not able to produce sufficient amount of insulin or no insulin at all. Therefore, it's necessary to take insulin for a type 1 diabetic person. Type 2 diabetes is generally related to obesity. In type 2 diabetes, our body does not produce sufficient amount of insulin or the body cells refuse insulin. And gestational diabetes is generally found in women during their pregnancies. The reasons can be hormones released during pregnancy or inadequate amount of insulin produced by the body.

In all three types of diabetes it is the ratio of insulin and glucose that causes several symptoms and complications. So it's necessary to maintain that ratio. Diabetes medication includes insulin. So, what about glucose or blood sugar? Well, it's possible to control the blood sugar level by controlling the carbohydrate intake. The source of glucose in our body is carbohydrates. Our body converts carbohydrates into glucose. Obviously, you can control glucose by controlling the intake of carbohydrates. A low carbohydrate diet for diabetes is based on this very concept.

A low carbohydrate diet for diabetes allows eating foods containing lower amount of carbohydrates. It helps to reduce blood sugar. The limit of carbohydrate intake is around 20 grams in a day. This calls for carbohydrate counting. You can consume low carbohydrates basically from green vegetable and salads. Low carbohydrate diet does not restrict foods that you like to eat including meat, fish, eggs and seafood. You can enjoy these foods and keep your diet as tasty as it was earlier. You need not to give up these foods, but you should not forget the permitted amount of intake. While controlling the blood sugar level, it also provides sufficient amount of proteins and fats. It also provides calories. If you have type 2 diabetes low carb diet will also help you lose weight.

These days there are many companies which manufacture food products following the low carbohydrate diet concept. There are varieties of foods from beverages to tasty meals for you to choose from.

Diabetes is not the end of the world, so go ahead and enjoy your life.

An Excellent Healthy Drink for Diabetics!

Did you know that flavored carbonated water has no calories, sugar, body, sweetener, color or preservatives?

The taste is fantastic, extremely refreshing and gives diabetics a great drink without any carbohydrates. A large and affordable assortment of flavored carbonated water concentrate is available for free delivery world wide from Allfreightfree.com.

About the Author
Reading all I can about diabetes and health. Found an excellent site at adviceondiabetes.com

with a free ebook with more than 500 diabetes recipes

Garlic

Garlic is claimed by some to have many significant medicinal benefits, but there has been no demonstration of the effects of garlic that meets commonly accepted scientific standards.

The cloves are used by aficionados for infections, especially chest problems, digestive disorders, and fungal infections such as thrush. They are claimed to be an effective long-term remedy for cardiovascular problems reducing excessive blood cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis, the risk of thrombosis, and hypertension but these claims are disputed as there has been no clinical trial that has demonstrated any such benefits. Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood sugar levels, and so can be helpful in late-onset diabetes, though people taking insulin should not consume medicinal amounts of garlic without consulting a physician. Best used fresh.

Related to garlic;
Garlic Supplements
Garlic Anti Cancer Treatment Recipes

For Further Information go to Nutritional Supplements Directory...

Exercise

Physical exercise is activity performed in order to develop or maintain physical fitness and overall health. Frequent and regular exercise is an important component in the prevention of some of the diseases of affluence such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Exercises are generally grouped into three types depending on the overall effect they have on the human body:

Flexibility exercises such as stretching improve the range of motion of muscles and joints.

Aerobic exercises such as walking and running focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance.

Anaerobic exercises such as weightlifting increase short-term muscle strength.

Exercise can be an important part of physical therapy, weight loss or sports performance. Proper nutrition is as important to health as exercise. When exercising it becomes even more important to have good diet to ensure the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients, this is to aid the body with the recovery process following strenous exercise.

"Exercise bulimia" is a disorder in which too many calories purged from the body through exercising.

For Further Information go to Nutritional Supplements Directory