Diabetic Cooking: The Importance of Controlling Carbohydrates

If you have diabetes then you know how important it is to control your meals and maintain a strict diet so that you keep your carbohydrate consumption to a minimum each day in order to keep your blood sugar steady. This article will take a look at the types of diabetes and how diet is used to control each type.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes usually manifests itself in childhood or as a young adult. This type of diabetes causes the diabetic to become insulin dependent which means they need to inject insulin everyday because their pancreas does not manufacture enough of it to keep blood sugar levels down. This is the less common type of diabetes and affects only 10% of diabetes sufferers. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include nausea, vomiting, weight loss, exhaustion, excessive thirst, frequent urination and constant hunger.

Type 2 Diabetes

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces enough insulin but the cells of the body resist it therefore it cannot be utilized by the body. Hence, this type of diabetes is also referred to as insulin resistant diabetes. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes include tingling and numbness of the feet, skin infections with slow to heal wounds or sores, and blurred vision.

For those with type 1 diabetes, it is important to eat at regular meal times, adhere to a strict diabetic diet and get plenty of exercise to keep weight under control. For these diabetics, the amount of carbohydrates that is consumed each day is determined by the amount of insulin that the doctor prescribes.

For those with type 2 diabetes, following a diabetic diet as well as exercise play an important role in controlling blood sugar levels. Diabetics that are at their ideal weight can consume half of their calories from natural carbohydrates. Diabetics that are overweight should limit carbohydrates to 40%.

The glycemic index is a useful tool for diabetics. It can be used when menu planning because it is basically a list of foods ranked according to their carbohydrate levels and how quickly they affect blood glucose levels.

Diabetics need to consume a low carb diet. The best cereals, bread, pasta, and rice that should be used is whole grain. In addition, nuts and seeds, fresh vegetables and fruits, and dried beans are also good for diabetics to add to their diets. On the other hand, white rice, white potatoes, low fiber cereal, candy, and beverages with sugar must be avoided.

If you have any questions or concerns about your diabetic diet, be sure to consult with your doctor or dietician. You should also check with your doctor to make sure you are eating the correct amount of carbohydrates for the type of diabetes that you have.

'Fat Chef' Says Food Network Show Cured His Diabetes

Food Network's new show 'Fat Chef' comes on the heels of one of its biggest stars, Southern cooking goddess Paula Deen, coming clean about suffering from Type II diabetes and endorsing Victoza -- a diabetic drug that Deen revealed she takes.

Community Calendar for Jan. 14, 2012

DINNERS

Is Paula Deen a monster in a morality play?

Frank Bruni, op-ed columnist for the New York Times and its dining critic for five years, filed his opinion about the Paula Deen business several weeks back. (Sorry, this post got lost in my to-do list.) Like most, Bruni commends Paula for making her disease known but also cringes because she timed the announcement to promote her son's new cooking show.… [ Read more ] [ Subscribe to the comments ...

Religion Calendar for the Erie area

This week's events

Boot Camp Marketing Tips To Dominate The Competition In 2012

Sam Bakhtiar, owner of the Fit Concepts Chino Hills Boot Camp and 20-year industry veteran, shares his tips on how to dominate the fitness boot camp competition in 2012. Sam earns over $2.4 Million a year with his thriving business that has showed no signs of slowing, despite the recession. He offers ongoing personal trainer education at http://www.super-trainer.com.Chino Hills, CA (PRWEB ...