Diabetes part 2…. FOOD

Diabetes part 2…. FOOD Most believe people with diabetes cannot eat much of anything. This is not true, diabetics need the same nutrition as everyone else. Diabetics just have to watch there carbohydrates intake and food portion size. Some studies have proven that people who have been given smaller portions of snack foods in between meals they feel fuller longer and keep steadier blood sugar levels. It is recommended that a diabetic eat 3 meals with 2 snacks or 5 to 6 small meals a day to help keep steadier blood sugar levels. There are three types of carbohydrates, starches, sugars and fibers. Counting carbs is a good way to manage blood glucose levels. Finding the amount of carbs for you can be difficult. A lot of it depends on how active you are and what medicines one is on. A good place to start is 45-60 grams of carbs per meal. Most foods have carbohydrates in them with the exception of lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower which is low in carbs. Diabetics should always have a protein and a healthy fat in each meal. They should also always check the food labels and check serving size, because foods have a certain amount of carbs, vitamins, etc. In a serving so one must make sure they are accounting for how many servings of that food they are eating when it comes to carb counting. Also check the total carbs, this will be the amount of carbs per serving. Starch is a carb as well. Diabetics must watch out for starches. Some foods that are high in starches are potatoes, corn, peas, dried beans, wheat flour (which most of your pasta and bread have in them) just to name a few. Another carb is fiber, which is considered a good carb by most doctors. Fiber is found in most plant foods. On average an adult needs 25-30 grams of fiber a day to keep a healthy digestive system. Most of your fiber will not digest it will just pass through the intestines, thus making a healthier digestive system. Also a diet high in fiber is known to lower cholesterol levels. Good sources of fibrous food is things like beans, fruits, and vegetables, especially the ones with edible skins like apples, corns and beans. Also ones with edible seeds are high in fiber as well like almost all berries and grains. For example whole grain cereals and breads, wheat pasta and nuts. Sugar is another form of a carbohydrate. There are two kinds of sugar. The first one being naturally occurring like in fresh fruits, berries and milk. The second being added sugar kind of like the ones in cookies and things. Diabetics can have sugars but it is preferred to be in fresh foods rather than the processed kind. Some good food alternatives are drink water or diet drinks rather than sugary drinks. Eat fresh fruits and berries rather than in juice form or processed. Use whole grain breads and wheat pasta rather than white bread or regular pasta. Also try brown rice in soups and things rather than white rice. Portion control is a major part of controlling diabetes. A good method is to put a fourth of the plate with starchy foods like starchy veggies and grains. Half the plate with non-starchy veggies and the last fourth of the plate with a protein like meat or beans. Diabetes is a non-curable disease that most people don’t understand or know about. There are many campaigns to raise awareness and much needed money to research a cure. The JDFK is one of the organizations raising awareness and money for research. The JDFK Walk to Cure Type 1 Diabetes will be held May 17, 2015 in Charleston West Virginia at the Capitol Complex. Check in for this event will be at 11 am and the walk will start at 2 pm and the walk will be for 2 miles. For more information on this go to http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk/Branch-WestVirginia4719?pg=entry&fr_id=4768 There will also be a walk for adults as well but it hasn’t had a date set yet for that but for more information on that you can go to http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk/Branch-WestVirginia4719?team_id=174862&pg=team&fr_id=4768 Also if anyone needs more information on all types of diabetes please feel free to check the American Diabetes Association at http://www.diabetes.org/ Researched by: Carrie Nicholas