We make food choices daily what to eat for breakfast, skip lunch or eat some salad, go out for dinner or eat leftovers at home, the choices that we make affect our blood glucose level, which ultimately affects the healthy living. To understand how diabetes and diet are related, we must first know what diet and diabetes are.
Diet
No matter what you eat, it is converted into a carbohydrate called Glucose for energy production. If you are eating protein or fats, they have to go through a process to be converted into Glucose; on the other hand, carbohydrates directly contribute to blood sugar levels. So, eating a diet high in carbs or carbohydrates means your blood sugar level will increase. Foods rich in carbohydrates include bread, rice, soda, tortillas, candies, and other sweets. Carbohydrates are essential for proper body functioning, but we know that excess of everything is terrible. So, if you eat too many carbohydrates, your blood sugar level can become too high, and if this continues for a long time, it will predispose you to diabetes.
What happens when we eat carbohydrates?
When you eat carbohydrates, and your blood sugar level rises, your body produces a hormone called insulin that moves excess Glucose from the blood into cells, which is converted into another form called glycogen. This glycogen will act as an energy reservoir and convert into Glucose again when your body needs it.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is characterized by the inability of the body to make or use insulin properly. When insulin works inefficiently or is not produced by the body cells, your blood sugar level rises because there is nothing to convert or move excess sugar from the blood into cells. A person having such a condition is called a person with diabetes. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the inability of the body to produce insulin. In contrast, type 2 diabetes is characterized by insufficient insulin production or the body’s failure to use the produced insulin.
Symptoms
Like with every disease, the symptoms of diabetes vary from person to person, but some symptoms are commonly observed in most diabetic patients.
Frequent urination, extreme fatigue, weight loss, dry skin, slow wound healing, feeling extraordinarily thirsty or hungry, affected vision and kidney function.
People with type 2 diabetes also suffer from insulin resistance which is indicated by dark necks, armpits, hypertension, high cholesterol, infections, and irregular mensuration in girls or young adults.
If your blood sugar level becomes too high, you may suffer from shortness of breath, blurred vision, vomiting, dehydration, and death.
Diabetes and diet
Whether you suffer from Type 1 or type 2 diabetes, making the right food choice is very important. A healthy diet will control your blood sugar without taking too many external medicines, and low blood sugar means a low risk of severe health conditions and kidney damage. Some diet tips can help you lead a healthy life, even with diabetes.
Less salt
When you eat salty foods, then your blood pressure becomes elevated, and if you also have diabetes, then you are already at risk of high blood pressure. It will only add fuel to the fire. Try to Limit your salt consumption. Do not eat salty foods. Preparing your food at home will help you track how much salt you will eat in a day. It would be best to cook simple meals at home without adding too much salt; you can add other condiments to compensate for less salt.
Fruits and vegetables
Who doesn’t know the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables daily? Eating fruits and vegetables becomes even more necessary if you suffer from a disease. You may wonder if fruits are good for you because they contain sugar. The answer is yes, they have sugar, but it’s natural sugar, so they do not contribute to diabetes. If you like to drink fruit juice, drink fresh juice instead of canned one because those canned juices contain added sugar that is not suitable for you.
Healthy fats
Fats are an essential part of our diet; we cannot skip fats and lead healthy lives. But not all types of fats are suitable, and choose more beneficial than unhealthy ones. Healthy fats include seeds, nuts, fish, olive oil, sunflower oil, etc. If you are not controlling your fat consumption, then your diabetes and cholesterol will only make you sick and put you at high risk of severe health complications.
Minerals and vitamins
It is also a misconception that you can only get minerals and vitamins from supplements. If you include fruits and vegetables regularly in your diet, then your body should be able to get sufficient vitamins and minerals. The same goes for a person with diabetes. Do not take mineral and Vitamin supplements alone without consulting a doctor or physician. This is because some nutrients in the supplementary form may worsen your diabetes and other complications like kidney disease.
Bonus tip
physical activity can also help you keep your diabetes under control and eat healthily. This is because keeping your muscles in motion will help your body use insulin more effectively you do not need very high physical activity like cardio or aerobics. You can walk for 20 to 30 minutes daily, which is enough to keep you healthy.
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