Being diagnosed with diabetes is always a very hard thing to people and the thing which starts worrying them is what type of food they should be eating. A lot of wrong information about the type of food that diabetic people can or cannot eat is normally passed by people. For this reason, it is very important for you to be completely aware of the actual diabetic diet guidelines before you can make up your mind about the best diet for you. In this article we will look at the foods that you can eat and those that you shouldn’t in terms of the glycemic index. Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, there are foods that you will have to completely get rid of, but there is also a great variety of food that you can continue eating.
A chart known as glycemic index is available for those with diabetes and other people to help them get to know the two main types of carbohydrates. People with type 2 diabetes are recommended to concentrate mainly on smart carbohydrates that are normally located on the lower end of the low end of the Glycemic index chart. Such types of carbohydrates can be found in fruits, vegetables as well as whole grains. What makes these carbohydrates good for those with diabetes is that unlike other carbohydrates, these ones release glucose into your system in very small amounts over a long period of time. They are contained in white breads and flour. The other carbohydrates release large amounts of glucose all at once and this can greatly affect the glucose level in your blood.
Another thing that is equally important for your body as carbohydrates is fibre. This is because the amount of carbohydrates that have been broken down in your body is small and hence accumulating the amount of fibre your body requires can be difficult. In order to maintain your blood sugar at a lower and more consistent level, you are supposed to take about 50grams of fibre within your diet on a daily basis. Presence of fibres in your system creates a thick gel wall that enables your system to filter the amount of glucose in your system hence preventing it from being too high.
Another very important food for those with diabetes is proteins. Consuming the right amount of proteins can help those with diabetes by slowing the digestion process and hence maintaining the sugar level in the blood at a constant level. The right type of proteins for those with diabetes are those found in lean meats such as fish, chicken, eggs, tofu and butter.
When it comes to dairy products, one should find out the amount of fat and sugar that these products contain before taking them. Dairy products are important for a meal to be balanced diet, and you should always consider skim milk products and low fat yogurts.
One of the foods that you should avoid is traditional breads because they are 80% starch and for this reason they release a lot of glucose into your system all at once. They are hence not good for your blood sugar levels and they should not be made part of your diet.
Family worry when they cook a meal for a diabetic and ask themselves what can a diabetic eat, with education and knowing your diabetes abcs it will be a snap!. This article, What Can a Diabetic Eat? has free reprint rights.
