|
Diabestes is disease that affects the
way the body uses food. It raises
sugar levels in the blood.
During normal digestion, foods are
converted into a form of sugar called
glucose. The blood transports glucose
to cells of the body with the help of
insulin, a hormone manufactured by the
pancreas.
The pancreas is a small organ near
the stomach. Glucose is then changed
into usable
energy for use by the cells.
The process of
turning foods to energy is very
important because the body always
needs energy for any action, from
thinking to running.
|
|
In diabetics, food is changed into
glucose readily. But there is a
problem with insulin. It may either be
absent or insufficient. Cells cannot
use the glucose in the bloodstream to
make energy. The glucose accumulates
in the blood leading to high sugar
levels, a characteristic of untreated
diabetes.
The signs and symptoms of diabetes
are frequent urination, excessive
thirst, extreme hunger, sudden weight
loss, weakness and fatigue, recurring
or hard to heal skin or gum infection,
drowsiness, tingling or numbness in
hands or feet, itching of skin and
genitals, sudden vision changes, and
blurred vision.
A diabetic may deliver a baby that
weighs more than 4 kilograms. For
diabetics, food planning is very
important. Knowing what foods to avoid will help control the
levels of blood sugar.
The glycemic index of foods is a
useful guide on what foods to eat.
GI is a classification of foods
based on blood glucose response
relative to a starchy food or glucose
standard. GI is influenced by factors
such as starch structure, sugar,
dietary fiber, presence of fat,
protein and degree of food processing
Foods can be classified according to
GI. The foods enumerated here use
glucose as standard, where glucose has
a value of 100. Foods with high GI are
corn flakes, rice caked, watermelons,
white rice, baked potatoes and whole
wheat breads.
Foods with moderate GI are ice cream,
mango, oatmeal, and pineapple, while
those with low GI are apple,
fettuccine and other pasta, oats,
lentil barley, soybean and other beans
and yogurt.
Low GI foods can decrease demand for
insulin and improve insulin
sensitivity, foods are digested and
absorbed slowly: resulting in a
gradual rise in blood glucose ~ and
improved glycemic and weight control.
These foods, when taken at supper, can
maintain blood glucose levels through
the night.
It should noted that GI should not be
the only criterion used in planning
the types of foods for diabetics.
Other important dietary considerations
are the total amount of carbohydrate,
amount and type of fat and fiber and
salt content of food.
Understanding GI to ward off health
inconveniences
Recent studies on large numbers of
people with diabetes show that those
who keep their blood sugar under tight
control best avoid the complications
of diabetes like heart disease,
blindness, kidney failure and lower
extremity amputations
Experts agree that what works well
for people with diabetes—and
everyone—are regular exercise,
little saturated and trans-fatty
acids, and high-fiber diet.
Carbohydrates break quickly during
digestion and can raise blood sugar to
dangerous levels.
When diabetics make use of GI to
prepare healthy meals, it keeps their
blood sugar levels and weight under
control. Many carbohydrates-rich foods
have high Gis, and certainly they are
not good in any substantial quantity
for people with diabetes.
Other carbohydrates like complex
carbohydrates and dietary fiber break
down more slowly, releasing glucose
gradually into the blood stream and
are said to have lower Gis, which are
good for diabetic patients.
Studies on Gis by experts showed that many of the
starchy foods produce the highest
glycemic response. These are white bread, some breakfast cereals, e.g. corn
flakes and baked cheesy potatoes.
Low glycemic foods include beans,
barley, pasta, oat, apple, orange,
peach, peanut, strawberry, sweet corn,
and carrot. Vinegar and lemon juice
help reduce glycemic load, the amount
of carbohydrate in a serving of a
particular food.
Many foods gave few available
carbohydrates in standard serving.
These are called “free foods”
because they are essentially free of
any impact on blood sugar. These foods
contain less than five grams of
available carbohydrate in a 100-gram
portion. The rest of the portion is
protein, fat, fiber, ash, and water.
Examples of free foods are: (1)
vegetables – asparagus, beans,
cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, eggplant,
lettuce, okra, mushroom, tomato,
radish, spinach, turnip and pepper;
(2) fruits-avocado, raspberry,
strawberry; (3) eggs and dairy-cheese,
milk plain yogurt, and; (4)
beverages-coffee, diet soda, tea and
water.
The GI should, however, not be
the only criterion
when selecting what to eat. The total amount
of carbohydrate, amount and type of fat,
and the fiber and salt content are
also important.
Factors such as variety of food! cooking
methods, and processing may also
affect a food's GI. HN
|
