f you have diabetes, you are one of the 171 million peoples in the world who have that. This is not a disease but a condition in which body doesn’t produce enough insulin to restore balance of sugar in blood. This condition can leads you to many serious problem and dieses if it is not controlled. Diabetic patientsneed to change way of living and have to take care more about health.
Uncontrolled diet can leads diabetic patients to blindness, nerves damage, heart attack, kidney problem, blood pressure and infections. To understand diabetic diet you must know that almost every food can produce glucose in body. Sweet and sugar products can do this instantly. Carbohydrate, protein and fat can also digested in to glucose in descending order of amount and time.
Diabetic menu should produce minimum glucose in blood and provide maximum nutrition. Food must be consumed in small amount and frequent time. This will allow body to adjust with the glucose. Walking, running, swimming and other light exercise can help to control diabetes and weight. Over weight person will have more suffering from diabetes and will feel difficulties even in walking.
American diabetic association suggested food pyramid for the patients.
Bread, cereals, pasta, rice, potato, corn and other grains and starches foods should be consumed 6 to 11 servings a day.
All vegetables should be consumed at least 3 to 5 servings per day. Fruits need 2 to 4 and milk 2 to 3 servings per day. All meat, fats, sugar and alcohol products should be avoided if possible.
Glycemic index
It is measurement of change of blood sugar after eating particular food.
There are three glycemic index levels.
Low(less than 55): This includes almost all fruits and vegetables, bread , pasta, milk, cheese, nuts and some pulse and legumes.
Medium(56 to 69): wheat, rice and sugar
High(More than 70): corn flakes, rice krispies, potatoes, watermelon and glucose.
Here are some foods and their glycemic index.
| Fruits | GI | Vegetable | GI | Other | GI |
| Bananas | 56 | Potato | 90 | Beans | 30 |
| Apples | 40 | Pumpkin | 75 | Lentils | 30 |
| Grapes | 46 | Sweet potato | 61 | Soy beans | 18 |
| Cherries | 22 | Beets | 64 | Bread | 70 |
| Mango | 55 | Carrot | 35 | Cornflakes | 80 |
| Oranges | 44 | Peas | 52 | Oatmeal | 58 |
| Pineapple | 64 | Popcorn | 55 | ||
| Watermelon | 72 | Rice | 70 | ||
| Raisins | 64 | Ice cream | 36 | ||
| Peach | 43 | Nuts | 15 | ||
| Honey | 75 | ||||
| Milk | 32 |
For recipe and food guide check http://tracker.diabetes.org/myfoodadvisor.html
Image source: http://www.diabetes.org
