Diabetes and Nutritional Management
Connor Kelley, Daniel Sullivan, Sophie Howard, Matt Scherette, Angel Perez.
Diabetes and Diet
Small Changes Equal Big Results
A diabetes diet is simply a healthy eating plan that is high in nutrients, low in fat, and moderate in calories. It is a healthy diet for anyone! The only difference is that you need to pay more attention to some of your food choices—most notably the carbohydrates you eat. Nutritional needs are virtually the same everyone else: no special foods or complicated diets are necessary.
- You can make a big difference with healthy lifestyle changes. The most important thing you can do for your health is to lose weight. Experts say that losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight can help you lower your blood sugar considerably, as well as lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Along with these guidelines, exercise is a key component in preventing, controlling, or reversing diabetes. With research and conscious decision making, people can really take control of their life with diabetes.
Diabetes Overview
- Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which a person has high blood sugar or a person’s body does not produce enough insulin.
- Insulin is a hormone secreted from the pancreas in response to elevated blood glucose and amino acid concentrations.
- According to American Diabetes Association:
- 25.8 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.
- 18.8 million people have been diagnosed.
- 7 million have been undiagnosed.
- 79 million are said to have prediabetes.
- Being diagnosed with diabetes does not mean a person’s life is over, however it means that he or she must make positive, healthier changes in the way he or she lives.
Diabetes and Diet Tips
- Choose high-fiber, slow-release carbs.
- Be smart about sweets.
- Choose fats wisely.
- Eat regularly and keep a food diary.
Diabetes Animation
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Types of Diabetes
- People with type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms at first. They may not have symptoms for many years.
- Early symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include:
- Bladder, kidney, skin, or other infections that are more frequent or heal slowly
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
- The first symptom may also be:
- Blurred vision
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pain or numbness in the feet or hands
- Type 1 Diabetes:
- Previously known as juvenile diabetes.
- The pancreas does not produce insulin.
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Most common form of diabetes.
- This is when the body does not use insulin properly, also known as insulin resistance.
Choose High-Fiber, Slow-Release Carbs
Choose Fats Wisely
- Fats can be either helpful or harmful in your diet. People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, so it is even more important to be smart about fats. Some fats are unhealthy and others have enormous health benefits.
Eat Regularly and Keep a Food Diary
- In general, it’s best to limit highly refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, and rice, as well as soda, candy, and snack foods. Focus on slow-release carbs. Slow-release carbs help keep blood sugar levels even because they are digested more slowly, preventing your body from producing too much insulin.
- When it comes to successful weight loss, research shows that the two most helpful strategies involve following a regular eating schedule and recording what you eat.
- Eat at regularly set times
- Ways to reduce unhealthy fats and add healthy fats:
- Cook with olive oil instead of butter or vegetable oil.
- Instead of chips or crackers, try snacking on nuts or seeds. Add them to your morning cereal or have a little handful for a filling snack. Nut butters are also very satisfying and full of healthy fats.
- Instead of frying, choose to grill, broil, bake, or stir-fry.
- Serve fish 2 or 3 times a week instead of red meat.
- Add avocado to your sandwiches instead of cheese. This will keep the creamy texture, but improve the health factor.
- When baking, use canola oil instead of shortening or butter.
- Rather than using heavy cream, make your soups creamy by adding low-fat milk thickened with flour, pureed potatoes, or reduced-fat sour cream.
- Your body is better able to regulate blood sugar levels—and your weight—when you maintain a regular meal schedule. Aim for moderate and consistent portion sizes for each meal or snack.
- Don’t skip breakfast.
- Eat regular small meals—up to 6 per day.
- Keep calorie intake the same.
- Eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables, beans, and fruits.
- Eat grains in the least-processed state possible.
- Limit white potatoes and refined grain products.
- Limit concentrated sweets.
- Eat a healthful type of protein at most meals.
- Choose foods with healthful fats.
- Have three meals and one or two snacks each day.
- Eat slowly and stop when full.
Be Smart About Sweets
- Eating for diabetes doesn’t mean eliminating sugar. If you have diabetes, you can still enjoy a small serving of your favorite dessert now and then. The key is moderation.
- How to include sweets in a diabetes-friendly diet:
- Hold the bread (or rice or pasta) if you want dessert.
- Add some healthy fat to your dessert.
- Eat sweets with a meal, rather than as a stand-alone snack.
- When you eat dessert, truly savor each bite.
- Tricks for cutting down on sugar
- Reduce how much soft drinks, soda and juice you drink.
- Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes.
- Find healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Start with half of the dessert you normally eat.
Myths and Facts
- MYTH: You must avoid sugar at all costs.
- Fact: The good news is that you can enjoy your favorite treats as long as you plan properly. Dessert doesn’t have to be off limits, as long as it’s a part of a healthy meal plan or combined with exercise.
- MYTH: A high-protein diet is best.
- Fact: Studies have shown that eating too much protein, especially animal protein, may actually cause insulin resistance, a key factor in diabetes. A healthy diet includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Our bodies need all three to function properly. The key is a balanced diet.
- MYTH: You have to cut way down on carbs.
- Fact: Again, the key is to eat a balanced diet. The serving size and the type of carbohydrates you eat are especially important. Focus on whole grain carbs since they are a good source of fiber and they are digested slowly, keeping blood sugar levels more even.
- MYTH: You’ll no longer be able to eat normally. You need special diabetic meals.
- Fact: The principles of healthy eating are the same—whether or not you’re trying to prevent or control diabetes. Expensive diabetic foods generally offer no special benefit. You can easily eat with your family and friends if you eat in moderation.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
- Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier.
- Symptoms may include:
- Increased thirst and urination
- Constant hunger
- Weight loss
- Blurred vision
- Extreme fatigue
- If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person with type 1 diabetes can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis.
Type 1 Diabetes
- This disease attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas.
- These cells produce insulin found in the body.
- Without insulin the body is unable to produce ATP.
- Without insulin, the body will not be able to maintain blood glucose level within a safe range.
- A person with type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to survive.
- Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States.
- It develops most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age.
Type 2 Diabetes
- The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes.
- About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2.
- This form of diabetes is most often associated with:
- Older age
- Obesity
- Family history of diabetes
- Physical inactivity
- About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.