type2 diabetes diet

Monday, September 15, 2008

• Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produceenough insulin to break down glucose in the blood. That is whypeople with type 2 diabetes take insulin shots, to help raisetheir insulin level and break down the glucose. But there areways to structure your type 2 diabetes diet that can help youmanage your diabetes better and even potentially reduce theeffects of the diabetes.


• The first way you can help yourself isto simply lose weight and get more exercise. Type 2 diabetesthrives in larger inactive people. So reducing your mass andincreasing your blood flow and help reduce the effects of thetype 2 diabetes. But here are some things you can do in a type 2diabetes diet that can also help reduce the effects of yourdiabetes. Simple carbohydrates are really bad to have in a type 2diabetes diet. Refined sugars and sweets are dangerous and cancause a dangerous rise in the glucose level in your blood. Whatyou want to do is increase your intake of complex carbohydratesand fibers to help reduce the need for your system to produceinsulin as quick as it would need to with simple carbohydrates.


• Complex carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables are idealfor a type 2 diabetes diet because they are broken down slowlyby your system and even a person with diabetes will have aneasier time digesting complex carbohydrates because the insulindemand on the system is lower. So eat your fruits and vegetablesand make sure you also get fiber into your type 2 diabetes diet.In a type 2 diabetes diet you want anywhere from 10% to 20% ofyour daily intake of calories to have protein in it. Protein isan essential part of any diet but people on a type 2 diabetesdiet especially want to make sure that they are getting theirshare of protein. Avoid doing much more that 20% as that canpotentially lead to problems.


• Obesity is common in patients withtype 2 diabetes and this condition appears to be related toinsulin resistance. The primary dietary goal for overweight type2 patients is weight loss and maintenance. Studies indicate thatwhen people with type 2 diabetes maintain intensive exercise anddiet modification programs, many can minimize or even avoidmedications. Weight loss medications or bariatric surgery may beappropriate for some patients. Try and keep your fat intake to less than 30% of your dailycalorie count and try to eat as little saturated fats aspossible. It is ideal to try and keep your saturated fat intakeeach day to a level below 10% of your calorie intake.


• Various studies have found that women who had regularlyconsumed the greatest amounts of saturated fats had the leastamount of additional atherosclerotic plaque buildup in theirarteries. Also, women who ate more saturated fat had a healthierbalance of HDL and LDL cholesterol, and more desirable bloodserum concentrations of triglycerides and free fatty acids. You want to try and make your diet as lean as possible andavoid adding any more fats or carbohydrates to your diet. It isadvisable that you consume at least 20 grams of fiber every daywhich will be beneficial to patients suffer from diabetes.