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Archive for the ‘Diabetic Diet’ Category

Benefits of eating a healthy diet are for everyone but for a diabetic there can be even more reasons to follow a nutritious meal plan. Keeping a stable blood glucose level is the biggest reason for a diabetic to follow a diabetic diet.  It takes commitment and patience
to stick with the diet and plan out all meals each week.  But the more that it is done the easier it will become.

Another benefit of eating a healthy diabetic diet is reducing the amount of insulin that is needed.  By eating good carbohydrate choices and lean meats you will lower the insulin requirements for your body.  The foods you eat all affect on your blood sugars and when you do not choose the best foods for your body it will need more insulin to process them. In addition to extra insulin requirements, you will suffer from high blood sugars also known as hyperglycemia.  This condition can have serious long-term effects on your body and its organs.

By continuing with a healthy diet and combining it with regular exercise you can lose excess body weight.  This too is good for your insulin requirements and blood glucose levels.  By incorporating exercising into your daily routine you can give your body’s metabolism a boost and help it process the foods you are eating.  When the foods you take in are healthy choices your body is going to function better.

If you do not follow a healthy diet you can suffer from:
*Low blood sugar from not eating enough – hyperglycemia
*High blood sugar from eating too much or eating the wrong foods – hypoglycemia
*Gainweight and in turn increase your daily insulin requirement
*Lack the energy needed to exercise on a regular basis

Eating well can help control your diabetes and prolong your life expectancy.

The food industry has come up with a solution for people on diets or with diabetes that have a sweet tooth.  They are known as artificial sweeteners and they are used in everything from chewing gum, coffee sweeteners, and even baking.  There is some controversy over the use of them as some of them are totally synthetic and others are derived from the actual sugar plant.  But to a diabetic who doesn’t want to give up on their favorite pop or chewing gum they can be a life-saver.

The four different kinds of artificial sweeteners are:  saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium.  Each of these types can be found under various product names and brands.  Not all are made the same way and they have different uses.  Some you can buy in liquid or powdered form for baking needs and others like aspartame is only found in foods that you purchase pre-made.

The use of these artificial sweeteners will not raise blood sugar and are safe for a diabetic to use.  Care and attention is still needed because the food items you put sugar in or on most likely will have an affect on your blood sugar.  Still follow your diabetic diet but use some artificial sweeteners to make it a little sweeter.

Some diabetics may want to use honey as a substitute for sugar.  You certainly can make this substitution, however, honey is very similar to sugar in carbohydrate content and the effects it will have on your blood glucose level.  It is best to enjoy honey in small moderations if at all.

Aspartame has been linked in some medical studies with Alzheimer’s disease.  Speak to your doctor about the benefits and risks of using any of the artificial sweeteners if you have any concerns about the potential health risks.