Diabetes Diet Principles
Diet is the key factor in any program designed for the successful management of many chronic conditions, especially diabetes. Given that diabetes is a metabolic disorder affecting all three food groups (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins), dietary intake is perhaps the most significant factor in its naturopathic treatment. Proper diet will not only play a large role in helping to normalize blood sugar levels, but it will also help provide the proper nutrients to manage the disorder and help prevent long-term complications. People with diabetes work with a faulty regulatory system, and unless they change their diet, a deterioration of tissues will continue, even if their blood sugars remain normal through insulin injections or prescribed medications. Many people with Type II diabetes will, in fact, be able to attain normal blood sugar levels using only the lifestyle and dietary changes recommended in this book.
Diabetes Diet Principles
Diabetics need a dietary program that manages food so as to enhance the body’s ability to deal with diabetes and the degenerative problems associated with it. A diet based on eating low glycemic index or low glycemic load foods, with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables and quality protein and fats, offers this possibility by controlling blood sugar levels while nourishing the body. The glycemic index and glycemic load are related numerical systems that evaluate the speed in which a certain food can increase blood sugar. Not only will this diet help people with diabetes attain the best control of their sugar levels, but it will also provide less opportunity for further degeneration. Patients who follow this diet and exercise aerobically for 1 hour a day will be able to have very tight blood sugar control.
A low glycemic diet is healthy for most people, no matter their condition, whether they are in good health and want to remain that way or whether they are dealing with minor problems and want to clear them up. Some people use the general principles of this dietary program for weight loss.
Food Basics
The nutrients in food are typically divided into two categories, macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients comprise carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, while micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Carbohydrates: Made up of simple and complex sugars, carbohydrates are used for short-term energy requirements, providing the largest percentage of calories in the North American diet, usually between 40% and 55% of total daily calories. Carbohydrates include cereals and grains, fruits and vegetables, and, to a lesser extent, milk and dairy products. Carbohydrates, especially simple sugars, have a direct impact on blood sugar levels.
Fats: Made up of fatty acids and glycerol, fats store energy for long-term use, give structure to our cells, and transport throughout the body important fat-soluble micronutrients, such as vitamin A, D, E, and K.
Protein: Made up of amino acids, proteins are used to build muscles and organs, to make enzymes, and to provide energy in conditions of extreme dieting or starvation.
Micronutrients: Made up of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, micronutrients are important for growth and development, metabolism, digestion and absorption, and protection against disease. Eating a diet of whole, fresh foods will usually provide healthy people with adequate micronutrients, but processed foods have often been stripped of their micronutrient content, requiring these foods to be ‘fortified’ with micronutrients. The diet may need to be supplemented with additional vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to gain and maintain good health.
