DIABETES
FOODS THAT HARM
FOODS THAT HEAL
FOODS TO LIMIT
WHO’S AFFECTED
Diabetes mellitus is a serious metabolic disease that affects the body’s ability to derive energy from blood sugar, or glucose
It results when the body cannot produce or properly use insulin, a hormone needed for glucose metabolism
Because all human body tissues need a steady supply of glucose, diabetes can affect every organ
In particular, it can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and nerve problems
Old School
Those with diabetes have to give up sweets entirelyNew Wisdom
In moderation, an occasional sweet treat is fineAbout 10% of diagnosed diabetes cases are type 1, also called juvenile-onset diabetes because the disease often develops in children
In this autoimmune disease, body does not produce adequate insulin
People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily
They must also strictly control their diet and phywsical activity to maintain near-normal blood glucose levels
More than 90% of those with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
Also called adult-onset diabetes, this form typically occurs in older adults who are usually overweight but is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents
Although these people often have adequate or even high levels of insulin, their bodies cannot use the hormone properly
An appropriate diet can prevent or delay consequences of type 2 diabetes
The effects of hormonal changes and weight gain during pregnancy increase demands on the pancreas and can lead to gestational diabetes with potential complications for both mother and baby
Before people develop diabetes, they are frequently diagnosed with prediabetes, defined by having higher than normal blood sugar levels; insulin resistance, in which the body does not use insulin properly; or metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that include excess belly fat, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar levels and that together increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke
Nutrition Connection
Diet is the cornerstone of diabetes management for all types of diabetes, though there are slightly different considerationsThose with diabetes should consult a registered dietitian, especially if cholesterol, blood pressure, or other health issues are a concern
Here are general guidelines: Eat balanced meals and snacks
To maintain healthy blood glucose levels, meals and snacks should be balanced to provide a mixture of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
Seek high quality carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, the basic currency of glucose, should account for 45 to 60% of daily calories spread evenly through the day
Low glycemic load carbohydrates such as whole grains provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber
Limit sugars and sweeteners, which provide mostly calories
Seek fiber-rich foods
Because the fiber content of carbohydrates slows down the release of glucose, high-fiber starches, such as barley, oats, beans, peas, and lentils, are recommended to help suppress any sharp increases in blood sugar levels after meals
Follow a low-fat diet
High-fat diets contribute to obesity, heart disease, and kidney disease
Saturated fats from animal foods and hydrogenated fats in packaged foods should also be limited
On the other hand, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—such as those found in vegetable oils, nuts, fish, and avocados—are good for the heart, slow the digestion process, and may also reduce insulin resistance
Limit foods that have a high glycemic index (GI), or load (GL)
GI and GL is a measurement of how readily foods are converted to blood glucose
(For more information about GL
) Limit intake of high-glycemic foods, such as potatoes, rice cakes, cornflakes, soft drinks, pretzels, and crackers
Conversely, research has found that eating foods with a low glycemic index or load can improve blood sugar control in those with diabetes
Incorporate more low-glycemic foods, which include peas, beans, lentils, apples, pears, and oranges, barley, bran cereals, whole grain pasta, milk and yogurt
Add supplements wisely
A deficiency of the trace mineral chromium, found in foods such as wheat bran, whole grains, chicken breast, mushrooms, and blackstrap molasses, has been associated with reduced glucose tolerance
Research using chromium supplements has shown that they may provide a beneficial effect on blood glucose control for those with diabetes
If you choose to take a chromium supplement, take no more than 200 mcg per day, or speak to your doctor
Limit alcohol
Alcohol can cause swings in blood sugar levels
If you use insulin or take oral diabetes medication, speak to your doctor about the use of alcohol
If you do drink, consume alcohol with food
Beyond the Diet
In conjunction with dietary changes, a healthier lifestyle can help control diabetes or reverse prediabetes symptomsConsider the following: Exercise every day
Exercise can keep blood sugar levels stable
For many, diet and exercise alone can provide effective treatment
Exercise lowers your risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes
Commit to losing weight
Researchers found that those who lost modest amounts of weight cut their diabetes risk by 58%, even more for people over the age 60
Take care of your teeth
Those with diabetes may be prone to gum disease
Talk to your doctor about medications
Talk to your doctor about immunizations
Diabetes can affect immune system, so flu shots and pneumonia shots, among others, may be recommended
Get regular blood tests
Early treatment can prevent critical damage to organs
Adults over the age of 50 should have their blood sugar levels tested every two years, or more often if they are overweight or have a family history of diabetes
Get a blood test if you are pregnant
Pregnant women should get a blood test between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy
If gestational diabetes is diagnosed, the mother will need to modify her diet and monitor weight gain
Although this type of diabetes usually disappears almost immediately after childbirth, women who have had it are at high risk for type 2 diabetes in later years
Special Feature
GLYCEMIC INDEX AND GLYCEMIC LOAD:
Like gas for a car, food is your fuel
Just as some gas is higher octane, some foods provide better fuel
To gauge how efficiently food works its way through your digestive system to affect your blood sugar, researchers at the University of Toronto developed the glycemic index (GI)
The faster a food is digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, the higher its GI
High-GI foods cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, which is dangerous, especially for people with diabetes
But GI was based on a standard measurement (50 g of carbohydrates) for all foods
In real life, people don’t tend to eat the same amounts of sugar as they do pasta or carrots
So scientists used a little math wizardry to translate the glycemic index into more practical terms
What emerged is the glycemic load (GL)
This tool considers the type of carbohydrate in the food and the amount of carbohydrate in a standard serving
By this new criterion, sugar and starchy foods and some fruits have high GL values whereas most vegetables and fruits have low GL values, meaning they are less likely to make your blood sugar spike
Today, there are more than 750 published GL values of various foods
However, you should take all GL lists as a general guide only
As it turns out, one person’s glycemic response can differ from another’s
It may vary even in the same person from day to day
Also, the state of food can change its GL
For example, small differences in a banana’s ripeness can double its GL
Plus, when foods are eaten together (adding butter or sour cream to a baked potato, for instance, or having the potato with a serving of meat) the GL of the combined foods becomes much different from the GL of the potato by itself
The reason is that fat and protein slow down digestion, making the GL of the whole dish different than the GL of just a single food
USE THE GI AND GL TO SELECT FOODS Studies have found that people who eat diets with a high GL have a higher rate of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer
One study found that men who typically ate foods with a high GL had a 40% higher chance of developing diabetes
In the Nurses’ Health Study, women who ate diets with a high GL had a 37% greater chance of getting type 2 diabetes over the 6- year span of the study
Yet another study found that swapping just one baked potato per week for a serving of brown rice could reduce a person’s odds of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 30%
Many large health organizations, including both the Canadian and American Diabetes Associations, support the use of the GL and GI as a complement to carbohydrate counting for managing diabetes
Both are useful—GI helps you choose better carbs while GL helps with portion sizes
While a low-glycemic diet will include many foods recommended in a healthy diet—fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes—some high-glycemic foods, such as potatoes, contain many essential nutrients and are good sources of energy, too
Importance of well balance diet
