Diabetic diet – sources, health benefits at NaturalPedia.com

12/15/2017 / By Zoey Sky

The diabetic diet is frequently recommended for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus. This diet is high in dietary fiber, such as soluble fiber, but low in fat (like saturated fat) and sugar. Diabetic patients may be encouraged to reduce their intake of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index.

However, in cases of hypoglycemia, diabetics are advised to consume food or drink that can raise blood glucose quickly, followed by a long-acting carbohydrate (like rye bread) to prevent the risk of further hypoglycemia. When it comes to healthy eating, diabetics must also take into account when they eat along with what kind of food they eat.

If you have diabetes, consult a registered dietitian who can help make an eating plan just for you. This personalized eating plan must be created with a patient’s weight, medicines, lifestyle and other health problems in mind.

Healthy diabetic eating includes:

Minimizing sugar intake.
Eating smaller portions and spreading them out over the day.
Carefully managing when and how many carbohydrates you consume.
Eating different whole-grain foods, fruits, and vegetables daily.
Minimizing fat intake.
Limiting your alcohol intake.
Using less salt.

Benefits of a diabetic diet

If you have diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin. This can cause high blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. By following a healthy diet, you can keep your blood sugar in your target range. This is a critical part of managing your diabetes because controlling your blood sugar can prevent the complications of diabetes.

A diabetic diet offers many advantages:

It can control the progress of diabetes.
A strict diabetic diet brings the blood glucose levels to normal levels, which can prevent future problems. Regulating your blood glucose levels prevents it from dropping too low (hyperglycemia) and going too high (hypoglycemia).
The diet helps the body absorb glucose by making cells respond to it.
It protects the heart by lowering your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
It helps control your blood pressure.
It increases your metabolism rate, allowing the body to manage and utilize food effectively.
The diet is relatively free of fats and it helps you maintain a reasonable weight. Other people can even go on a diabetic diet to effectively lose weight.
A diabetic diet reduces the risk of heart and kidney diseases.
It promotes overall health.

Food items typically found in a diabetic diet

Research has proven that a diabetic diet can help patients manage blood sugar levels and reverse early-stage high blood sugar problems. A diabetic diet often includes the following food items: