What is Diabetic Food?
Diabetes is such a common condition these days that there is a good chance that you will have a family member or a friend who has been diagnosed with diabetes.
Diabetes can take two forms. When it occurs in young people and is insulin dependent it is said to be Type 1 diabetes. It can also be acquired due to unhealthy lifestyle choices which include poor eating habits and a lack of exercise, known as Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form and has increased at an alarming rate due to the high obesity levels in modern society.
For people with diabetes, it is fortunate that there is diabetic food available.
Since so many people are becoming diabetic it is not surprising that the major food companies have started to market diabetic food products. The aim of diabetic food is to ensure that the sugar content has been removed or replaced by an artificial sweetener that does not need insulin to absorb it. Sugar occurs naturally in many products, even products that might not be considered sweet, so many food stuffs have to be processed to make diabetic food.
Common foodstuffs that are diabetic friendly are things like yoghurts which will contain artificial sweeteners. It it important to check the type of sweetener that is being used. Many processed sugar sweeteners are not suitable for diabetics and it is generally agreed that just three sweeteners are acceptable. These are :
Saccharin
Aspartame (sometimes branded as Nutrasweet)
Acesulfane Potassium (also known as acesulfane-K or sweet-one)
A good food type that diabetic people should eat is grains, breads, and other starches as they release sugar slowly and constantly hence it is easier to manage sugar and insulin levels. This is according to the diabetic food pyramid. This pyramid of diabetic food nutrition was released in 2005 by the United States Department of Agriculture.
However people with diabetes do not have to eat boring or unimaginative meals as there are an abundance of diabetic food recipes that can be found in some traditional locations. You can find these recipes on the Internet, in books, magazines, newspapers, and on the television. You can hit your public library and find a wealth of information about diabetic foods.
It is important to remember to stay away from sugars, no matter how tempting they may be. Of course, if you have just a mild case it may be possible to sneak a bit of sugar every now and then, but it is definitely not recommended for people who have moderate and especially severe cases of diabetes. Again, with the use of artificial sweeteners, diabetics with a sweet tooth can still enjoy favorites like ice cream, biscuits and candies but it should be done in moderation as artificial sweeteners still produce calories in the body and lead to weight problems which can exacerbate the original diabetes.
If you are unclear about which foods are diabetic and which foods are not, you should consult a nutritionist. This professional should be able to give you input as to what foods are acceptable and what foods are not.
Furthermore, there are devices that you can wear that will constantly monitor your blood sugar. These are excellent because you can always know when it is okay to eat something tasty!
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