Diabetes And Your Diet -What You Should Know
>> Tuesday, July 12, 2011
If you have diabetes, you must be aware of the glycemic index of everything you eat. When you have this information, you have a quick way to determine whether you should consume a particular food or not. This is a way foods are ranked based on the effect they have on your blood sugar level, something diabetics must always keep in mind. Foods will differ on this scale depending on the type of carbohydrates they contain. If your doctor has recommended a diet for you, he or she has probably told you about the glycemic index already; if not, you should ask them. It's a good idea to have a table which lists the glycemic index rankings for foods handy, so that you always know what you're eating.
It was once believed that, as a diabetic, sugar was something you must avoid at all times. It's certainly have to watch your intake of sugar, but today doctors often tell their diabetic patients that it's okay to eat it in limited quantities. The fact is, sugar doesn't really have an effect on the blood sugar that's any different from ordinary starches that most people eat every day. Starches or carbs, then, will make your blood sugar level go up, just as sugar does. That's why you have to limit the amount of sugar (or carbohydrates) that you eat, but that doesn't mean you have to avoid it completely. Depending on your current state of health, your doctor may advise you to restrict sugar to a greater or lesser extent.
One diet that's often recommended for diabetics and anyone with high cholesterol is the TLC diet. By following this diet, you can bring your cholesterol under control, which is especially important for diabetics. While you're watching your diet, of course, you should also be making other changes that will support this. By exercising consistently, you can help to reduce your weight as well as your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. You don't want to decrease all types of cholesterol, only the "bad" kind, or LDL. There's also a good kind of cholesterol, HDL, which you want to increase.
Diabetes can take a few different forms, and your doctor will advise you regarding the best approach to take. Having diabetes is a challenge, but it can be controlled with a combination of medicine and diet. It's crucial to monitor your diet at all times, as this can be a major factor in how well you manage your illness. Whether you cook for yourself or eat out, you need to be conscious of everything you're eating. The specific diet you follow isn't really the issue, though some may work better for you than others. What counts most of all is maintaining a healthy blood sugar level at all times.
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