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Healthy eating habits and good control over blood
sugar through diet, exercise and medicine are the fundamental aspects for diabetes control. One of the
major factors for effectively controlling blood sugar in type-2 diabetes is proper diet.
There is no single diet which can meet the requirements
of all diabetic persons. It is therefore necessary for every person suffering from diabetes to see the
dietician and assess his or her individual requirements of proper diet. Here only the most general approach
for diet in diabetes is taken.
- A heart-healthy diet which is
- low in total calories
- low in total fat
- low in saturated and trans-fats
- low in simple sugars, sweets etc.
- moderately high in complex and whole grain carbohydrates
- moderately high in protein (but low in animal fat)
- high in fiber
- high in vegetables
- moderately low in fruits like ripe mango, custard apple, chikoo etc.
is generally suitable for most people with diabetes
for good glycemic control (glycemic = related to blood glucose). Variations according to individual
glycemic level in consultation with your dietician may be made.
Carbohydrates
Among the macrontrients (protein, carbs and fat),
the impact of carbohydrates on rise in blood sugar is the maximum.
Carbohydrates are of two types:
Sugar, glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose etc. are examples of simple carbohydrates.
For general health purposes and for blood glucose control, it is better to avoid them, because they get
quickly digested and cause weight gain (read fat gain!) in healthy people, rise in blood sugar in diabetes and
rise in LDL cholesterol levels. Diabetics should strictly avoid
all simple sugars and food items containing simple sugars.
Complex carbohydrates are mostly starch and starch-like
substances. They are made up of multiple molecules of simple sugars like glucose. The take longer to
be absorbed in the blood and generally are better for health than their simple counterparts. Complex
carbohydrates are abundantly available in grains, vegetables, fruits, bread, oats, pasta, rice, potatoes
etc.
Diabetic persons should consume complex carbohydrates
in moderation. 60 to 70 % calories should come from complex carbohydrates.
Protein is a general name of chemical compounds formed by combining the basic
building blocks called amino acids in a highly varied and complex chemical manner. The role of
protein is very important in the body, which cannot be played by any other nutrient. Likewise a protein’s
amino acid content is even more important than the total amount of protein.
There are grades of protein based on the amino acid content and their proportion
with respect to one another. Proteins derived from animal sources are regarded as better proteins than
their plant based counterparts. But for diabetics and heart patients, animal proteins may pose a greater
risk due to the fact that animal foods are rich in saturated fat and cholesterol also. For this reason,
a better alternative to animal protein is protein from soy (soya)
Calories from protein for a diabetic person should be 10 to 12 % of the total
calories. (taking into account the risk of diabetic nephropathy)
Although fats do not raise blood sugar quickly, its intake should be minimized
because it enhances insulin resistance and obesity which in long term will worsen your control over
blood sugar. It will also accelerate atherosclerosis (plaque deposits on the inner walls of the arteries
of the heart).
When all carbon atoms are saturated by single bonding with hydrogen atoms,
as well as with other carbon atoms, the fatty acid is called saturated. For disease control, and health
maintenance, one should avoid saturated fats because they promote atherosclerosis (formation of plaque
on the inner walls of the arteries). When arteries of the heart (coronary arteries) get clogged, the
blood supply to the heart will be affected leading to heart attack. Read more about heart
disease…
Saturated fats should not exceed 10% of your total daily calorie intake. Animal
fats are the major sources of saturated fats. Vegetarianism is therefore health-promoting.
In a fatty acid chain, if there is a carbon-carbon
double bond due to absence of two hydrogen atoms, it is called mono-unsaturated fatty acid (MUFA).
For disease control, and health maintenance, one should consume MUFAs in place of saturated fats. MUFAs
are heart friendly.
If there are more than one a carbon-carbon double
bond, it is called poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). PUFAs are also heart friendly to some extent
provided they are consumed in proper proportion with the so-called omega-3 fatty acids.
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