1. Do people with diabetes have to follow a
special diet or eat special diabetic foods?
People with diabetes do not have to follow a
‘special’ diet. People with diabetes need to make
the same healthy eating choices as everyone
else.
We all need to eat healthy unprocessed foods,
such as fresh fruit and vegetables; whole grains;
lean meats and poultry; low fat milk and dairy
products; seeds, nuts, legumes and plant oils.
Everyone needs to avoid or limit eating processed
foods such as fatty red meats, processed meats,
all foods made from white flour and foods with a
high sugar content.
2. As a diabetic, isn’t my food is going to be
more expensive?
It is not necessary to buy expensive foods
marketed to diabetics. Healthy eating can be
economical, and is often cheaper than buying
unhealthy treats. Buying seasonal fresh fruit and
vegetables is cheaper than buying processed fruit
juices and soft drinks.
If you replace sweets, chocolates, crisps,
puddings and cakes with fruits and salads as
your snacks and desserts, you’ll find you will
save money. Legumes, such as lentils and beans,
are cheaper alternative to red meat and high fat
hard cheeses.
3. Is it true that people with diabetes cannot
eat carbohydrates?
No, this is not true. There are healthy types of
carbohydrates that you do want to include in
your eating plan.
The type and the amount of carbohydrate foods
you eat at a meal will affect your blood glucose
levels afterwards.
Therefore, for optimal blood glucose control it is
important to control the quantity, and be aware of
the type of carbohydrates you are going to eat.
4. Should people with diabetes limit their fruit
intake?
Yes, too much fruit can contribute to an increase
in blood glucose levels. However, portion control
is important. It is recommended that you consult
your dietitian to calculate the amount of fruit that
you should include in your daily diet.
5. Should people with diabetes be on a high-
fat diet?
There are currently several high-fat diets that are
being promoted as ‘latest’ weight-loss regimes.
It’s important to consider the research, and there
is no scientific evidence to date that proves that a
high-fat diet can contribute to either weight loss
or improved blood glucose control.
In fact, research has shown people find it very
hard to adhere to diets that promote extreme
macro-nutrient manipulation, such as low-carb/
high-fat.
The key to an effective weight loss regimen is to
follow an eating plan you can stick to over the
long-term.
6. Is it true that there are no proven health
dangers of consuming too much saturated fat?
It is well-established that a high intake of
saturated fats can contribute to increased LDL
cholesterol levels in some individuals.
The reason it has not been proven that increased
LDL cholesterol levels contribute directly to
cardiac events is because there are numerous
compounding factors trigger a heart attack.
On the other hand, atherosclerosis is an
inflammatory condition and a high intake of
saturated fats in a nutrient poor diet can
aggravate inflammation.
It has been proven that a high saturated fat intake
in a nutrient poor diet can also contribute to
decreased sensitivity of the body cells to the
action of insulin.
7. If one of my parents has diabetes, am I
going to develop diabetes no matter what I
do?
If you have a genetic predisposition to diabetes,
you have all the reason you need to embrace a
healthy lifestyle. While genetics may contribute
30 to 40% to the development of any condition,
including diabetes, environmental and lifestyle
factors may have a 60 to 70% impact.
If you maintain a healthy body weight, stick to a
healthy eating plan, manage your stress and get
regular physical exercise, you have a very good
chance of not developing diabetes.
8. Should I avoid exercise if I have diabetes?
On the contrary, diabetes is a compelling reason
to exercise regularly.
The reason for this is that physical activity plays a
very important role in lowering blood glucose
levels.
Exercise also predisposes your body cells to
being more sensitive to insulin, and of course, it
helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body
weight.
If you use insulin it is important to check your
blood glucose levels before and after physical
activity.
If you get results below 6 mmol/l it is
recommended that you lower your insulin
dose or eat a healthy snack to prevent a
hypoglycaemic attack during or after exercise.
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@Op what are the causes of diabetes apart from taken too much of sugar and is it true that diabetes is hereditary?

Most doctor won't tell u dis:

Once u ar treating diabetes n u notice swelling on ur feet or blood in ur urine, pls discontinue d diabetes drugs n go for kidney check.

We be treating for diabetes n wen he started seeing blood in urine, doctors told us its prostrate n we continued treating, only to discover later dat diabetic drugs damages the kidney.

We tank God he is still alive. We don run leave oyibo medicine na fruits n herbal we take de run d mata now.

hotlinebling:
@Op what are the causes of diabetes apart from taken too much of sugar and is it true that diabetes is hereditary?

nahhh its not hereditary

Very interesting here really. Thanks a lot! What do you think about some diabetic socks like those from http://www.brightlifedirect.com/BRAND-Jobst.asp website? My friend uses some of them, and he says that they help him a lot. I want to know more about such a thing

hotlinebling:
@Op what are the causes of diabetes apart from taken too much of sugar and is it true that diabetes is hereditary?

Taking of too much sugar doesn't cause diabetes. Diabetes is a disorder where either the pancreas is not producing enough insulin for the body, the cells are not properly utilizing the insulin produced by the pancreas.

BTW Diabetes is hereditary, however even if you're predisposed due to hereditary factors, you can still evade the condition in life if you love a healthy lifestyle. Dietary control, exercising, etc

cc lalastiala