Diet Plan for Diabetes

 

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.

Your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. Your body controls this sugar level through a hormone called ‘insulin’ which is secreted in the pancreas.

With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. It is quite alarming that India has the maximum number of diabetic patients in the world, it is estimated that 8 out of 10 Indian adults are suffering from diabetes.

 

Diabetes can be of varied kinds but the most common are :

Type 1 Diabetes (also called Insulin Dependent Diabetes) – The pancreas progressively reduces the amount of insulin it produces until it stops producing any at all thus, the body depends on external sources for insulin.

If the amount of glucose in the blood is too high, it can, over time, seriously damage the body's organs. Although this condition at any age but it is prevalent more in kids and adolescents.

Type 2 Diabetes (also known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes) – This is the most common kind of diabetes which is an impairment in the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as a fuel.

Spotting NIDD may take many years as this is a 6 staged condition.

Stage 1 – Insulin resistance – A lot of blood sugar enters the bloodstream. The pancreas pumps out more insulin to get blood sugar into cells. Over time, cells stop responding to all that insulin—they become insulin resistant.

Stage 2 – Hyperinsulinemia – as stage 1 persists the amount of insulin in your blood becomes higher than what's considered normal. Alone, it isn't diabetes but if not controlled may lead the body to the next stage.

Stage 3 – Reactive Hypoglycemia - Reactive hypoglycemia refers to low blood sugar that occurs after a meal — usually within four hours after eating.

It's likely the result of your body making too much insulin.

Stage 4 – Pre-Diabetes - you have a higher-than-normal blood sugar level. It's not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes yet. But without lifestyle changes, adults and children with prediabetes are at high risk to develop type 2 diabetes.

Stage 5 – Type 2 diabetes – A condition that occurs when the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood becomes constantly high. It can cause symptoms like excessive thirst, needing to pee a lot, and tiredness.

Stage 6 – Diabetes Type 1 – as discussed earlier the body becomes dependent on an external source of insulin as the pancreas seizes the production of insulin.

High blood sugar can damage vital organs such as the heart and kidneys, it can also affect the vision and nerves at large. Thus, it is said that diabetes invites other ailments too. Diabetes can be managed and even reversed with diet and lifestyle modification. Yes! it can be, sadly people ignore the first line of cure which is through dietary changes along with prescribed medicines.

Discuss your case with Nutrishilp to help yourself out in managing Diabetes. Intermittent Fasting, Low glycemic index diet, High fiber diet, and High good quality fat diet chart and schedule curated as per the need of each individual.