Food and Blood Glucose
Eating causes the glucose in your blood to go up. How much it increases depends on what you eat (such as how many carbohydrates your food contains) and how much you consume.
Depending on the type of carbohydrate you eat, it can take shorter or longer to digest. The time it takes for food to pass through your stomach - "gastric emptying" in medical terms - affects the amount of glucose in your blood at any one time.
The amount of food you eat also plays a large part in your blood glucose levels. Too much food, or too many carbohydrates, can cause high blood glucose. Too little food or carbohydrates can cause low blood sugar.
Also, how much and what you eat affects your body's need for insulin. Insulin's ability to lower blood sugar plays such a key role that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says eating marks the cornerstone of diabetes treatment.
How Much and What Foods are Right?
Many diabetics follow an eating plan, but no single plan is right for everyone. Your personal plan will depend on your lifestyle and individual preferences.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics follow these general guidelines:
- Eat carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and low-fat milk.
- Eat fiber-rich foods.
- Keep saturated fats to less than 7% of total caloric intake.
- Eat at least two servings of non-fried fish per week.
- Limit trans fats.
- Restrict cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg/day.
Don't get discouraged just because you need to think carefully about your food choices. For example, living with diabetes doesn't mean you can never eat foods with sugar however, you do need to make some changes to live as healthy as possible.
You’re in Charge
You're the person responsible for your food choices. However, a dietician can teach you what you need to know and help with meal planning. By learning all you can, and eating the right foods in the right amounts, you'll feel better and be better able to control your diabetes.
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Thursday
November 20, 2008
Tip of the Day
Regular exercise increases the number of insulin receptor sites on cells, making the body more sensitive to insulin.
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