Being a child whose father has type 2 diabetes mellitus, I feel that more attention should be given to the rising number of diabetes and obese people that are appearing. It is a disease that, if not taken care of properly in terms of food consumption as well as medicinal help. could have serious repercussions on the body. To start it off, I will explain how Type 2 diabetes works. It is usually when your body does not use insulin properly, and is called insulin resistance. The reason why insulin is so important, is because it is a hormone that uses glucose in your body, and converts them to energy. If a body grows more resistant to insulin or lacks the proper amount of insulin, the person will then get hyperglycemia, which is a condition in which the blood glucose level in a person is above normal levels. When this happens, the only thing you can do, other than take in external sources of insulin, is to control your diet. The main reason for hyperglycemia, is because the food that is consumed is high in carbohydrate and is digested and converted into glucose very quickly which spikes the glucose level in the blood. Food like those are known to have high GI (Glycemic Index)
Generally, a person with type 2 diabetes, should try and stay within the low GI food, or moderate GI if it is high in fibre. The most concerned food group when it comes to diabetes, is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are divided into 3 categories, starch, sugar and fiber. The main problem comes with sugar and certain starches such as refined grains, refined flour and potatoes. Consuming food that are high in sugars and refined starches would give a large boost to the blood glucose levels in a person, this is because, they are digested quickly and contains lots of starches that can be converted into glucose easily. Where else, the biggest lifesaver in a diet plan for diabetics, is fiber. What fiber does is that as it does not get digested, it clings to all the other food in the stomach, and causes them to be digested slower than normal, thus giving a slow and steady rise in the blood glucose levels rather than a big spike. This is why certain food items high in carbs such as beans, brown rice, sweet potatoes and other whole wheat or whole grain products are acceptable and even recommended in a diabetic's diet plan, as they contain lots of fiber. Some examples of recommended food intakes for a diabetic are as follows:
However, though most of the food listen above is mostly good for you, it is still important to exercise moderation in eating to control the daily calorie intake. Which is why creating a diet plan daily or for the week will be a very important tool to control and manage the calorie intake of a person.
- Non-starchy vegetables (Provides fiber and all other nutrients with close to no calories)
- Whole grains (Provides high amounts of fiber and nutrients)
- Fruits (fiber and some contain antioxidants)
- Nuts (High in good fats which promotes a healthy heart and cardiovascular system)
- Non-fat dairy products (Provides calcium with lower calories than the full-fat version)
- Beans (High in protein and fiber)
- Lean meats (High in protein with less saturated fat)
- Fish (High in proteins and HDL Cholestrol (High-Density Lipoprotein) which promotes a healthier heart and cardiovascular system)
- Poultry (High protein and contains less saturated fat than red meat)
However, though most of the food listen above is mostly good for you, it is still important to exercise moderation in eating to control the daily calorie intake. Which is why creating a diet plan daily or for the week will be a very important tool to control and manage the calorie intake of a person.
References :
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/Diabetes/eating-diabetes/Pages/eating-diabetes.aspx
http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/type-2-diabetes/meat-on-diabetes-diet.aspx
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/diabetes-meal-plans-and-a-healthy-diet.html
http://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/effects-on-body
http://cakfarhan.science/index.php/2015/07/01/diabetic-meal-planner-7/
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/Diabetes/eating-diabetes/Pages/eating-diabetes.aspx
http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/type-2-diabetes/meat-on-diabetes-diet.aspx
http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/diabetes-meal-plans-and-a-healthy-diet.html
http://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/effects-on-body
http://cakfarhan.science/index.php/2015/07/01/diabetic-meal-planner-7/