Diabetic diet for weight loss

Diabetic diet requires a low carbohydrate alimentation which helps people with diabetes to improve their glucose levels and to reduce their dependency on medication. They must eat regular meals.

The diabetic diet is similar to the normal eating, but the main difference is that you need to pay attention to the quantities, to create a balance between the carbohydrate counting (sugars, which are the simple carbohydrates and starches, which are the complex carbohydrates) and the right amount of insulin, because the doses of insulin must correspond with the correct amount of food intake in order to provide many nutrients for the body, but to reduce in the same time the levels of high blood sugar levels. It is recommended to eat very healthy and to reduce the carbohydrates.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder of the metabolic system. Most part of the food we assimilate is transformed into glucose or sugar, which our bodies use as energy. The organ named pancreas is situated near the stomach and secretes insulin, a hormone which helps glucose get into our body through the cells.

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In the case of diabetes, the body makes less insulin than it should or it cannot use it properly. This means that sugars are build up in the blood, which is not good. Diabetes can cause very bad complications like, for example, kidney failure, heart diseases, and even lower-extremity amputations.

Diabetes is a metabolic condition of having higher blood sugar levels than normal. According to the reasons people develop this metabolic disorder, there are two types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes means that the body does not produce its own insulin and the person must take insulin every day.

Type 2 diabetes requires a long time to control the blood sugar (glucose) levels and healthy weight and keep them in your target range. Persons with type 2 diabetes are usually overweight. It is recommended to eat healthy, regular meals and to be active, for example walk 30 minutes every day.

• There are some main symptoms which can predict diabetes:

– increased hunger

– increased thirst

– increased need to urinate

– tiredness

– weight loss

– ketones (ketotic – smelling breath)

Remember you need to speak with a doctor before starting the diabetic diet, because if you do not apply the correct reduction in insulin, it could result a hypoglycaemia or other complications.

• Recommended foods in the diabetic diet:

– healthy carbohydrates: some fresh fruits, tinned fruit in fruit juice, whole grains, vegetables, legumes (beans, peas, lentils) and low-fat dairy products (for example butter, cheese, milk, ice – cream, yogurt)

– high fiber foods: fruits, fresh vegetables (raw food can be useful in detox, steamed or microwaved), legumes, nuts and seeds (beans, peas, and lentils), whole-wheat flour and wheat bran

– healthy fish: tuna, cod and halibut (they have less fat), mackerel, salmon, bluefish, tuna, sardines and (rich in omega-3 fatty acids), tinned fish in water,

– low fat meat without skin: chicken, turkey, fish

– healthy fats: olives,

– baked grill

– poached foods

– sauté in non – stick pans

– tomato – based sauces

– avocados

• Limited foods in the diabetic diet:

– the processed foods, even the home – made or freshly prepared

– whole – grain cereals: for example breads, brown rice, bulgur

– moderate salt (less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day)

– very restricted limit of alcohol

– foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats: avocados, olives, nuts (pecans, walnuts, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, peanut oils

– 300 mg of cholesterol foods a day: high – fat dairy products and high – fat animal proteins (organ meats, liver, egg yolks, shellfish)

• Foods which are not allowed to eat in the diabetic diet:

– saturated fats: high – fat dairy products and animal proteins (beef, bacon, sausage, hot dogs)

– trans fats: processed foods (snacks, shortening and stick margarines, baked goods)

– fried foods

– high fat meat: red meat

– avoid overcooked vegetables

– complex carbohydrates: white breads, cereals, starchy vegetables, starchy legumes, white rice, pasta

– tinned fish in oil, fried fish with high level of mercury (king mackerel, tilefish, swordfish

– saturated fat)

– tinned fruit in syrup

– sugars