Saturday, July 4, 2009

Doc Says I'm Diabetic - Now I Can't Enjoy Eating?

By Lauran Stevenin

Burn fat with exercise. Being overweight causes a cycling negative effect on the body. Your body becomes more fatigued with excess weight and that causes you not to feel like doing things that will help maintain a lower weight. Eat a moderate meal without any exercise at all will result in increased weight. Don't envision yourself having to spend 3 hours at the gym to become healthier. It isn't that surge of exercise you need. Gradual increase in exercise (even if it only means a walk around the block) is critical to breaking that negative cycle.

Eating well balanced meals does two things for you. You can become healthier and lose some weight in the process. Well, that is if you eat fewer calories than you expend with the exercise. For example a large person can eat 2000 calories and exercise enough to use 2400 calories and the end result is inevitable . . . weight loss.

Cooked vs raw vegetables - which is better? Microwaving versus baking or boiling is not a good alternative because the cooking process, itself, is actually killing those enzymes. Include raw fruits and vegetables in your diet to provide many of the enzymes your body needs. Vegetables are good for you because they contain fewer calories yet a lot of fiber. Eating lettuce or carrots help you feel full so you have a tendency to feel like youve eaten a lot without having taken a lot of calories into your body.

While you're becoming more physically fit, you might consider adding juice to your diet. You've got options . . . store bought or fresh squeezed. Store bought is convenient, of course, but the packaging process kills not only bad bacteria, but a lot of the good things you get from juices. Using a blender at home to prepare your own (without added sugar) is much better for you. Sometimes you have to develop a taste for fresh squeezed juices because they have less sugar in them, but this is a benefit to your diabetic concerns. Try red grapes and guava. Both are good at controlling blood sugar.

High carbohydrates, fat and sugar content are the bad parts of this society's eating habit. So many fast food restaurants have popped up that make meals quick (i.e. frying) and sweet (soda, shakes and even little sweet pies) it is difficult to find ways to eat away from home and maintain a healthy diet for the diabetic. No one said you couldnt have ANY of those things, but you MUST balance the things you eat.

A lot of vegetables are rich in fiber that helps clean fats and blood glucose from your body. This helps you lower blood sugar levels. A lot of people eat salads (frequently) to maintain their diabetic diets. The real confusing part of this plan is that salad dressings many times contain mayonnaise and sugars to improve flavor. While the flavor is improved, the sugar level of the salad skyrockets to concerning levels. The main thing to consider here is either low calorie salad dresings or moderation. Moderation can be used as a control factor.

The pancreas produces enzymes to digest food in addition to insulin to regulate the sugar level of the blood. Over a period of time, the pancreas starts to lose its ability to produce both in most people. This simply means a good diet becomes more important as people get older. Many doctors end up suggesting patients add a dose of acidophilus to their diet to ease the stress placed on the pancreas by adding bacteria into the system that assists with the digestive function.

Four fat-fighting compounds are calcium, fiber, omega-3s and vitamin D. These things will help you in your search for good nutrition. Calcium is generally found in milk and cheeses, but remember to use fat-free or a soy milk product. Fiber is found in whole grain products, fruits and vegetables. Think bran, grapefruits and salads. Omega-3s are a product of walnuts, flax seed and fish. Finally, vitamin D can be found in dairy products, fish (tuna, salmon and sardines) and eggs.

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