Like most chronic diseases, diabetes is one that requires the afflicted individual to follow a particular diet in order to keep the disease and its symptoms under control.
A person is considered a diabetic when his/her body is not capable of breaking up the sugar in the blood for further processing in the various systems in our bodies with the help of insulin that helps to maintain the sugar levels in our blood at an acceptable level. When a person’s body does not produce any or enough insulin, he/she has to be given regular insulin shots. Insulin may also be administered in the form of pills.
Cause Of Diabetes
When too much sugar exists in our bloodstream, we are subject to the dreaded diabetes illness. This can come about from too much fizzy and sweet drinks as well as donuts and desserts. A high fat diet added on does not help which proves to be a sure recipe for type 2 diabetes to come on; it is also known as diabetes mellitus.
Type 2 diabetes condition is generally caused by a high sugar diet that creates havoc and imbalance in your body system. The abnormally high sugar levels in your bloodstream causes an imbalance of insulin which lowers its required activity in burning off the sugar. Your other body organs are adversely impacted over time.
If diabetes is not kept under control, it can lead to several complications such as poor eyesight and amputation, often of the legs, caused by lack of blood supply to the legs that leads to the complete destruction of the nerves.
Improving Your Lifestyle
Your kind of lifestyle and the foods you eat play a big role as to whether or not your chances of getting diabetes will go up or down. There are many support groups and other organizations that help to make people more aware about this condition, including what they can do to prevent it, and for those who have already been diagnosed, what they can do to live more comfortably. One such organization is the American Diabetes Society.
Individuals who are more likely to get diabetes are mainly those who are extremely overweight or obese, older people, especially those over forty, and those who have high blood pressure. There are many people who are pre-diabetic but may not be aware of their risk without a check up.
Changing Your Diet
When choosing a diet to follow, there are various important factors you should look into to enable you to choose the correct foods. It is important for you to refrain from taking fatty, sweetened, and junk foods such as cakes or chips. Instead opt for healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.
If you have to eat meats, go for white meat such as chicken. If you eat chicken, remove the skin because it contains a lot of fat. Your diet should also include fish and legumes, such as beans and peanuts. For foods that contain carbohydrates such as bread and rice, the best choice is whole-grain foods that have not been processed.
