Diabetes diet information
Diet plays a key role in controlling blood sugar - and nothing is more important in managing diabetes than controlling blood sugar. The best way to control your blood sugar is to arm yourself with the most up-to-date diabetes diet information available.
There are three reasons why diet is especially important in diabetes:
- If you are currently at a healthy body weight and have a family history of diabetes, you may prevent the onset of Type II diabetes by avoiding obesity and staying fit with a good diet and exercise program.
- If you are overweight or obese, losing weight will help you lower your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
- If you already have diabetes and are overweight, losing just 10-15 pounds can make a huge difference in controlling blood sugar, and in decreasing your risk of the long term complications of diabetes.
With those things in mind, here is the latest diabetes diet information for those looking to most effectively manage their diabetes.
Understanding carbohydrates
The most crucial piece of diabetes diet information is to understand how carbohydrates impact your blood sugar. Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source. During digestion, sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates) break down into blood sugar. About half of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. It's important to focus on the healthiest carbohydrates, which include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and dairy products.
To help control your blood sugar level, try to eat the same amount of carbohydrates every day, spaced throughout the day. If you eat more or less carbohydrates than usual at a given meal or from day to day, your blood sugar level may fluctuate.
Eat your fiber!
The most current diabetes diet information stresses the importance of eating at least 25 to 50 grams of fiber every day. Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Your diet should include both insoluble fiber - which moves material through your digestive system and soluble fiber - which helps lower both your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Limit the bad fats & protect your heart!
All diabetes diet information suggests strictly limiting transfats and saturated fats if you are diabetic. Those with diabetes are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke, because diabetes is known to accelerate the development of clogged and hardened arteries. Transfats and saturated fats also accelerate the development of plaque in the arteries, according to recent diabetes diet information.
Increase your omega 3 fatty acids
The most recent diabetes diet information stresses the importance of including omega 3 fatty acids in your daily diet. Omega 3 fatty acids - such as those found in fresh fish, fish oil and flax oil - promote heart health by lowering blood fats called triglycerides. Increasing your omega 3 intake is extra protection against heart disease and stroke, according to current diabetes diet information.
Diabetes is a complicated disease of energy metabolism. The diagnosis for diabetes is usually high blood sugar (blood glucose). For those with diabetes, it is very important that you control your blood sugar by maintaining a healthy body weight, eating well, exercising regularly, and working closely with your health professionals to help you manage diabetes. Equipping yourself with the latest diabetes diet information will help you attain all of these goals.
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