calories | Your Guide to a Healthier Life

Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is classed as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism is the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. What we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood and also the main source of energy in our body.

Glucose makes its way into our bloodstream when food is digested. However, glucose cannot enter our cells without the presence of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. After eating, the pancreas automatically releases an adequate quantity of insulin to move the glucose present in our blood into the cells, and lowers the blood sugar level.

A person with diabetes has a condition in which the glucose level in the blood is higher than normal (hyperglycemia). It’s either because the body does not produce sufficient insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces. This results in the accumulation of glucose in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy and growth requirements.

What you should keep in mind

What, when, and how much you eat all affect your blood glucose level. You can keep your blood glucose at a healthy level if you:

Eat about the same amount of food each day.
Eat at about the same times each day.
Take your medication at the same times each day.
Exercise at regular times.
Limit the amounts of fats and sweets you eat each day.

Diabetic Diet and Calories

Have about 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day if you are:

– a small woman who exercises
– a small or medium woman who wants to lose weight
– a medium woman who does not exercise much

Have about 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day if you are:

– a large woman who wants to lose weight
– a small man at a healthy weight
– a medium man who does not exercise much
– a medium to large man who wants to lose weight

Have about 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day if you are

– a medium/large man who does a lot of exercise or has a physically active job
– a large man at a healthy weight
– a large woman who exercises a lot or has a physically active job

When your blood glucose level goes too high or too low?

It’s does not matter, whether you are diagnosed with diabetes I or II. What, when and how you eat will affect your blood glucose level!

Your blood glucose can also go too high or drop too low if you don’t take the right amount of diabetes medicine.

You can have problems if your blood glucose level stays both too high (hyperglycaemia) or too low (hypoglycaemia). If your blood glucose stays high too most of the time, you can get heart, eye, foot, kidney, and other problems.

Blood Glucose Levels: What Should My Blood Glucose Levels Be?

For most people, target blood glucose levels are:

Before meals – 90 to 130
1 to 2 hours after the start of a meal – less than 180

Why Should I Eat About the Same Amount at the Same Times Each Day?

Your blood glucose goes up after you eat. If you eat a big lunch one day and a small lunch the next day, your blood glucose levels will change too much. Keep your blood glucose at a healthy level by eating about the same amount of carbohydrate foods at about the same times each day.

Diet for Diabetes Patients

Less than 25 to 35 percent of calories per day from fat, and less than 7 percent of calories per day from saturated fat

There should be minimal trans fat. Saturated and trans fats are found in solid fats like cheese, red meats, butter, margarine, and shortening. People with diabetes are at increased risk for heart disease and stroke, and eating a diet low in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol can help to manage cholesterol levels and decrease these risks.

Total cholesterol intake should be less than 200 mg per day

The major sources of cholesterol in the diet are foods such as organ meats and egg yolks. Shrimp and squid are also moderately high in cholesterol, but can be included in your diet occasionally because they are low in fat.

Between 15 and 20 percent of calories should be from protein

Except in people with certain kidney problems (chronic kidney disease or CKD). People with CKD are sometimes advised to eat a low-protein diet.

High fiber (25 to 30 grams per day)

To control blood sugar levels and AIC.

Low sodium (less than 1500 mg per day), fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy products

Recommended and can help manage blood pressure. For people with diabetes and heart failure, a low sodium diet may reduce symptoms.

Sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and maltitol

Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and maltitol) are often used to sweeten sugar-free candies and gum, and increase blood sugar levels slightly. When calculating the carbohydrate content of foods, one-half of the sugar alcohol content should be counted in the total carbohydrate content of the food. Eating too much sugar alcohol at one time can cause cramping, gas, and diarrhea.

Take sugar in moderation

If you take insulin, calculate your dose based upon the number of carbohydrates, which already includes the sugar content.

Tips

Products that are “sugar-free” or “fat-free” do not necessarily have a reduced number of calories or carbohydrates. Read the nutrition label carefully and compare it to other similar products that are not sugar- or fat-free to determine which has the best balance of serving size and number of calories, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber.Some sugar-free foods, such as diet soda, sugar-free gelatin, and sugar-free gum, do not have a significant number of calories or carbohydrates, and are considered “free foods.” Any food that has less than 20 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate is considered a free food, meaning that there are not enough calories or carbohydrates to affect your weight or require additional insulin.

You don’t wanna be one step behind from being a millionaire right? XD

So lead healthy life, and be free from the risk of diabetes!

References

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-type-2-diabetes-mellitus-and-diet-beyond-the-basics?source=search_result&search=diet+for+diabetes+type+2&selectedTitle=1~150

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes/

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-type-1-diabetes-mellitus-and-diet-beyond-the-basics

http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/diabetes-diet-plan.html

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, andosteoarthritis.

What causes obesity?

Diet: Eating high fat, high calorie foods causes weight gain.
Lack of exercise: Sedentary people don’t burn as many calories as active people.
Genetics: Your genes may influence how much fat your body stores and where it is stored. But genes alone do not mean you will be obese.
Age: People gain weight as they get older, because they tend to be less active and to lose muscle mass.
Psychological issues: Some people overeat when they are upset or stressed.
Medications: Some drugs, such as corticosteroids, blood pressure medication, and tricyclic antidepressants, can cause you to gain weight.
Medical problems: Rarely, obesity is due to a medical problem such as Cushing syndrome (where the adrenal glands produce too much hormone) or hypothyroidism (where the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormone). Conditions such as osteoarthritis cause people to be less active, which can lead to weight gain.
Prenatal environmental factors: Several studies show that adult men and women who were born small for their gestational age are more likely to be overweight or obese than those who were of normal size at birth. Maternal smoking and excess weight gain is also associated with offspring obesity.

Food to limit

Foods rich in saturated and trans fats

This includes fatty red meat, whole milk, heavy cream, poultry skin, butter, margarine, shortening, potato chips and deep-fried foods.

Foods rich in added sugar

Such as cookies, cake, pastries, candy and sugar-containinng soft drinks may also dampen your weight loss efforts.

Food to take

Food that encourage nutrient-rich foods, particularly those that encourage and support calorie reduction.

Healthy foods that includes foods from all necessary nutrient groups

This includes vegetables, complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and modest amounts of healthy fats. Choose primarily fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables, as they tend to provide the richest amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber and water.