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DIABETIC DIET
Diabetes Mellitus, commonly known, as Diabetes is one of the commonest
food-related diseases. It can be due to inherited abnormalities, poor
feeding habits, other disease conditions or a combination of factors.
The basic problem of diabetes is the inability of the body to cope with
the metabolism of carbohydrates. This leads to a state of chronic high
blood sugar level and secondary involvement of the body at large.
Diabetes is possible without the consumption of table sugar,
considering the end product of carbohydrate (or starchy food) digestion
is glucose.
In the past, diabetes patients were instructed to minimize intake of
all carbohydrates and maximize consumption of proteins. However this
practice has been modified along with the latest research on diabetes
and diabetes care.
Current dietary management of diabetes is guided by 4 basic principles:
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Low intake of sugar: Refined sugar,
readymade for consumption. Directly after consumption, it is absorbed
straight into the blood stream, with an immediate rise in the blood
sugar level. This sharp rise is responsible for most damages caused to
the body. Diabetes should avoid refined sugar as much as possible.
-
Moderate consumption of complex
carbohydrates (starch): Unlike sugar, starch goes through the process
of digestion before it is absorbed into the blood. This time allowance
enables the body to accommodate the in-coming blood sugar.
-
Consumption of food low in fats: Diabetes
has a way of storing the excess glucose in the form of
tissue fats because the available insulin is insufficient to utilize
the sugar in the blood. Diabetes is therefore more prone to arterial
damage due to cholesterol deposit in the arteries. Additional intake of
dietary fat would further aggravate this damage and their deadly
effects.
-
Consumption of food rich in fiber:
Dietary fiber intake is crucial in the control of blood sugar because
it slows down the rate at which the stomach discharges its content to
the next segment where the food is digested and absorbed. This results
in a slow rise in the blood sugar. Fiber also helps the diabetic reduce
the cholesterol level and reduce the risk of damage to the arteries.
In addition to these principles, the
diabetic should at all times maintain a steady blood sugar level by
taking small but frequent meals (piece meals) instead of one heavy-duty
meal.
A word of caution, that the so-called recommended foods, when taken in
excess, would still result in high blood sugar. There is no natural
food item that contains only one nutrient. It is wrong therefore to
think that ‘beans are protein while rice is carbohydrate’. It is true
that beans are rich in vegetable protein but they also contain
carbohydrates and other nutrients.
The key word is moderation. Starvation does not solve the problem of
diabetes either because the cells would be starved and cause the body
to break down the sugar in store, resulting in some unhealthy
by-products.
Consumption of the following food items are highly recommended for
diabetes patients:
-
Legumes such as beans, soy products, peas
-
Vegetables especially onions, lettuce,
carrots, tomato, cabbage, broccoli
-
Whole grains such as wheat and millet
-
Fruits (not fruit juice) but be careful
with sweet fruits.
-
Nuts such as walnuts, cashew nuts, perm
kennel
-
Potatoes and cocoyams are examples of
complex carbohydrates.
-
Mushrooms have anti-diabetic actions.
-
Apple cider vinegar.
Consumption of the following food items
should be minimized or avoided by diabetes patients:
-
Sugars – white or brown table sugar and
glucose: Brown sugar is not as refined as the white sugar but it is
still sugar. Some people believe that the treatment for body weakness
is glucose. This is wrong belief because the weakness might be due to
excess unutilized blood glucose.
-
Refined baked food such as meat pies,
sausage rolls, bread (wheat bread should be taken moderately), cake,
biscuits, doughnuts.
-
Honey. The sugar in honey is fructose but
a high intake of it would still lead to high blood sugar because it is
broken down to glucose. Remember that honey is already refined
and does not have any fibers.
-
Saturated fat
-
Chocolate
-
Meat and milk should be moderated as much
as possible
-
Alcoholic drinks
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