Diabetic Diet

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the world, but unfortunately that doesn't make it less dangerous. If a person is diagnosed with diabetes, he or she will have to undergo a complete change of lifestyle - from eating habits and daily routines to exercises plans. One of the most an important aspect of a diabetic patient's life that comes into scrutiny on being diagnosed with the disease is his or her diet. Patients have to stop their present diet and completely reshape it, or they need to make changes in it so that it will transform into a diabetic diet.

The Need for a Diabetic Diet:

Diabetes is caused by the loss of balance between the blood sugar and insulin levels in the body. This imbalance can cause a lot of serious problems. People diagnosed with diabetes have a higher risk of suffering from damage to the kidneys, eyes, blood vessels and nerves than the average person. The reason for diabetes patients to be in so much danger is because the uncontrolled glucose in their bloodstream attach with the proteins in blood vessels. This alters the shape and functioning of the blood vessels, making them thicker and more rigid, and consequently restricting the flow of blood through the body. If this occurs in the blood vessels leading to the eyes, it can lead to long term eye damage. A patient's kidney can also fail if the blood vessels around it fail and break due to diabetes. Moreover, the restricted flow of blood can cause high blood pressure, and consequently heart attacks and other heart problems. The reduced flow of blood across the body also results in cuts and wounds in a patient taking an unusually long time to heal. If the wound is large and the patient is bleeding, his or her life would be in serious danger.

Diabetic diet - The Restrictions:

A diabetic diet plan varies with each individual. It depends on his or her age, physical condition, gender, height, weight and a lot of other factors. However, each diabetic diet plan puts restrictions on certain food items. These restricted food items are given below:

• Fatty products need to be restricted to a large extent. Fried foodstuffs are considered to be an absolute restriction in almost every diabetic diet.
  
  
• With the loss or reduction of insulin production, sugar intake needs to be reduced by a large margin to keep blood glucose levels low. Common table sugar is removed from the diet because it is the one of biggest contributors to blood sugar level. Instead, diabetic diet plans shift the patient’s sweet sources to natural ones, such as honey.
  
  
• Salt is one of the biggest restrictions in a diabetic diet. A diabetic diet plan instead derives the nutrition of salt from natural, inorganic vegetables.
  
  
• When a person has diabetes, a food item's glycemic index takes on a lot of importance in his or her diabetic diet plan. Food with a high glycemic index increases the level of blood sugar, and is therefore restricted in a diabetic diet plan. Examples of these food items are rice, carrots, bananas and potatoes.
  
  
• Red meat is a strict no-no in a diabetic diet plan. In fact, many a diabetic diet plan reduces the amount of non vegetarian food drastically. Eggs and chicken should be reduced as much as possible, while lean fish is acceptable in a diabetic diet occasionally.
  
  

Diabetic Diet - Basic Elements:

A diabetic diet plan is a highly individualized part of a patient's attempt in keeping the disease in control. As a general rule, however, a diabetic diet should provide the patient with around 1,500 to 1,800 calories every day. A majority of these calories must be derived from carbohydrates, while fat and protein provide smaller contributions to the total calories in a diabetic diet. Carbohydrates are of two types- simple and complex, and a diabetic diet plan usually has more of the latter type of carbohydrates than the former one. Some of the basic elements inculcated in a good diabetic diet plan are given below:

• A diabetic diet plan provides for a lot of variation in its menu everyday.
  
  
• Fruits and vegetables are a staple part of a diabetic diet, prepared with the least amount of oil.
  
  
• Regular weight checks and blood sugar checks are a vital part of monitoring the efficiency of a diabetic diet plan, along with regular insulin dosages as prescribed by the doctor.
  
  

A diabetic diet plan should be formulated once the patient has consulted with the doctor. In many cases, it is always better to consult a dietician to prepare the right diabetic diet for the patient, and for the patient to start following the diabetic diet plan as soon as possible in order to control his or her condition.