Diabetic Diet: Quick Recipe Ideas And Healthful Meal Plans

Diabetic diet: Quick recipe ideas and healthful meal plans

Healthy eating is also one of the most important factors in preventing the development of diabetes.
A healthful diabetic diet includes foods that are rich in nutrients, low in unhealthy fats and calories, and that manage carbohydrates.
It also involves carefully planning meal times and exercising portion control. This helps people with diabetes to manage their symptoms, avoid complications of diabetes, and enjoy a better quality of life.
Contents of this article:
Why diet is important for diabetes
Eating the right foods is one of the primary ways of regulating blood sugar, or glucose, levels.
Glucose is the main source of energy for the body, and it comes from carbohydrate in our foods. When blood glucose levels rise, the hormone insulin is released from the pancreas into the bloodstream. This helps the body use glucose effectively.
People with type 1 diabetes don't make enough insulin and those with type 2 are unable to use insulin properly.
If not carefully monitored and managed, this can allow glucose to build up in the blood. This increases the risk of:
Healthy eating also helps with weight management and reduces the risk of heart disease. Both of these things are linked to diabetes.
Foods to eat and foods to avoid
It's possible to include most foods in a diabetic diet, although some need to be eaten sparingly or in moderation. Some foods can be considered "diabetes superfoods." This is because they are rich in important vitamins and minerals, along with fiber and have a minimal effect on blood sugar levels.
Foods to eat regularly
The American Diabetes Association lists Continue reading

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Type 1 Diabetes in Young Children

The four main symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are easy to remember:
Thirst: Excess drinking, unable to quench thirst.
Toilet: Frequent urination, particularly at night.
Tiredness: Lack of energy, sleeping more than usual.
Weight loss: Rapid weight loss over a short period.
Less common symptoms:
Lack of concentration
Vomiting and abdominal pain
Constipation
Bedwetting
Mood swings
Frequent infections
Itchy skin infections
NOTE: In children under the age of two, symptoms may not be immediately obvious.
Type 1 Diabetes – no longer a rare condition
In 2014, 1 in 6 children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes were admitted to hospital with Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), as a result of late diagnosis. Early diagnosis is critical. DKA is a potentially life threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention.
What is Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition affecting 1 in 500 children with onset over days or weeks. The condition tends to occur in childhood or early adult life and will require daily insulin therapy. It is caused by the body’s own immune system destroying the insulin-making cells (beta-cells) of the pancreas.
Diagnosis in very young children
Children under three to five years of age with Type I diabetes comprise a small proportion of all those with Type 1 Diabetes. When a sick infant or toddler presents to their GP, Type I diabetes is generally not high on the list of possible diagnoses, given the relatively low incidence of the condition in this age group.
If your child is unwell without a definite cause, ask your GP to check for Type 1 diabetes. Continue reading

Birdseed Turned Superfood May Help Curb India’s Diabetes Scourge

Millets are poised for a comeback amid government subsidies
Diabetes may afflict 123.5 million people in India by 2040
Podiatrist Vinaya A.S. has bumped across southern India in a bus-turned mobile clinic for 17 years, going village to village checking feet for the ulcer-causing effects of diabetes. These days, her key to staving off limb amputations comes down to one thing: food.
Millets, to be precise. The ancient grains were a staple in India for thousands of years, but largely spurned since a so-called Green Revolution last century led to cheaper, more abundant supplies of refined rice and wheat flour that can bolster blood-sugar. Now a surge in type-2 diabetes is pushing doctors and government officials to recommend a return to wholegrains, like “ragi” or finger millet, that healthfully sustained previous generations.
“Food is your medicine — you need to eat right,” Vinaya, 48, told a group of villagers in Doddaballapur, on the outskirts of Bangalore, last month. “Bring the fiber-rich ragi back to your plates, along with fruits and vegetables.”
Healthy food choices are becoming critical in India, where diabetes is ripping through the population with deadly consequences. The number of adults living with the disease has risen more than five fold since 1980, though more than half of sufferers aren’t aware they have it. Left uncontrolled, high blood-sugar levels can damage organs and tissues, including the nerves and blood vessels in the feet, making them susceptible to injuries that fail to heal and eventually turn gangrenous. When that happens, amputation Continue reading

How 5 cities are working to wipe out diabetes

[Image: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni]
By 2050, two thirds of the world’s population will be city dwellers, the result of a trend towards rapid urbanisation that presents both new opportunities and challenges.
On the one hand, people are drawn to the social and economic possibilities of an urban life, which also brings them closer to health services. On the other hand, certain aspects of city lifestyles are contributing to new and fast-moving public health challenges on an unprecedented scale. Over the next 25 years, the number of people with diabetes will be upwards of half a billion. Three in four of these people will call a city home.
In 2014, recognising the importance of healthy, liveable cities, Novo Nordisk partnered with University College London (UCL) and Steno Diabetes Centre on the Cities Changing Diabetes programme.
The partnership aims to put urban diabetes at the top of the global healthcare agenda, and firmly in the consciousness of those designing and managing the cities of the future. We are working to provide a credible, international understanding of the problem and in turn provide a blueprint for actions that improve individual and public health.
Research led by UCL has already begun to shed light on the challenge and helps us understand what makes city dwellers vulnerable to diabetes. Findings from partner cities Mexico City, Houston, Shanghai, Tianjin and Copenhagen show, for the first time, the significant role played by social and cultural factors in diabetes risk factors.
The factors identified include time pressure, financial constraints, cultural food t Continue reading

9 Things Diabetics Must Watch Out for in Summer

Nerve damage
The typical type 2 diabetes complications—think high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease—worsen in the heat of summer and mean that your exercise performance may suffer. "The summer season and heat and humidity go hand-in-hand, which can cause complications for people who have diabetes for several reasons," says Maria Subang, MD, a Kaiser Permanente Colorado endocrinologist. For example, 60 to 70 percent of Americans with diabetes have nerve damage that can affect multiple organs in the body, including sweat glands, which help naturally cool our body. "The inability to stay cool can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which is a medical emergency," says Dr. Subang.
Dehydration
First, people with diabetes should take note of these 10 things to remember about blood sugar and and alcohol, since getting enough fluids period is a huge concern. Now add in hot summer days and you could be looking at higher glucose levels, which can mean more trips to the bathroom to pee, causing dehydration. "High blood sugars increase the risk of dehydration, so it is especially important to keep well-hydrated," says Sarah Rettinger, MD, board-certified endocrinologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. Sipping iced tea, sugary sodas, or booze can give you the false impression you're drinking plenty because you're not thirsty, but beverages with caffeine, alcohol, or sugar can be dehydrating and impact blood sugar levels. "Dehydration can further tax the body and lead to even higher blood sugars, creating a vicious cycle." If your pee is Continue reading