Keeping to a healthily balanced diet is important for everybody, and it is even more important for people suffering from any form of diabetes (and pre-diabetes). Foods to eat with type 2 diabetes are basically the same foods as you would serve to anyone following a low fat weight control regime. In short, nothing is forbidden but the amount consumed of certain things needs to be minimised.
Most people associate diabetes with a boring and restricted diet. If you have a friend or relative diagnosed with diabetes, the first time you prepare a meal for them can be a bit worrying, but it needn’t be. Don’t forget that the diabetic person will have been taught how to take care of themselves when it comes to matters of diet. As long as you don’t serve food that is too fatty, loaded with sugar or high in carbohydrates, the person with type 2 diabetes will be able to enjoy the meal in safety.
The importance of what is eaten by people with type 2 diabetes should not be underestimated; weight control is one of the first things to learn about how to manage diabetes and keeping blood sugar levels balanced is vital. Certain foods are recommended as being particularly beneficial for diabetics: for example, soya beans, chicken and curd, so opt for cooking chicken rather than beef. Starchy or sugary foods raise blood sugar, so they should be avoided; include plenty of non-starchy vegetables in the meal instead of highly processed foods such as white bread or rice.
The recommended diet of a diabetic is designed to maintain a steady level of blood glucose (sugar). If the person suffering from type 2 diabetes does not stick to an appropriate diet, their blood sugar levels can fluctuate and the health of the diabetic person will be in jeopardy if the level goes too high or too low. The diabetic person could fall into a coma, and you can die as a result of diabetic coma.
Diabetes occurs when the a person’s pancreas fails to produce a hormone called insulin, or fails to produce sufficient quantities of insulin for normal functioning, or the person’s body fail to use insulin properly. The result of any of these factors is that sugar is not absorbed into the body’s cells and instead builds up in the bloodstream.
It is well-known that too much sugar can be very dangerous for a diabetic (particularly if they don’t exercise), so it is obviously safer to avoid cakes and pastries, but it should also be borne in mind that some fruits have a higher sugar content than is desirable.
As with any low fat diet, certain foods are best avoided altogether, while other foods can be eaten in small portions; the amount of fat consumed is important, and the number of calories must be considered at the same time.
When you are first learning about the type of foods to eat with type 2 diabetes, it can seem like a minefield; it is obviously worrying to think about how seriously food can affect a person with type 2 diabetes. The safest way of dealing with catering for diabetic friends or relatives is to invest in a proper diabetic cookbook; this will remove any element of guesswork for you and make mealtimes pleasurable.