What Can Diabetics Eat?

what can diabetics eat
what can diabetics eat

What can diabetics eat? It’s the eternal question of those who have been diagnosed with the disease diabetes. The diabetes disease is overwhelming the United States as more and more people pass the defective gene on or basically, eat too much of the wrong foods and fail to do adequate exercise. Diabetes is where the organ known as the pancreas stops or slows in the vital production of chemical called insulin.

Insulin is the chemical responsible for fueling the body. It takes the glucose (sugar) that is in the blood and turns it into fuel that the body’s cells can use. So if there is not enough insulin in the body the amount of glucose in the body rises, and this can have serious health effects that just come to the surface years later. Such as heart damage, nerve damage, blindness, and kidney damage. So for a diabetic managing a correct blood sugar level is very hard and is mostly defined by what they eat.

So what can Diabetics eat?

The amount of food today that is high in sugar and is low in everything else is endless, making it very hard for those who have the disease to get the proper nutrition to manage their condition correctly. The facts are that diabetics generally need a high protein diet with only limited amounts of carbohydrates and very small amounts of sugars. When you factor in the fact that fried foods must be greatly limited, potatoes and white rice are very starchy, and most oily foods are too high in fat the answer to “what can diabetics eat” can be quite challenging.

As a rule, the first person that can say what can diabetics eat is the personal physician of the individual with diabetes. The personal physician will be familiar with the diabetics personal health history and present condition and will be able to give the best advice on what you can and shouldn’t eat. For more healthy choices, read here for some great “super foods” to add to your daily diet.

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What are glucose machines?

glucose machines
glucose machines

What are glucose machines? Blood glucose machines are unit that are used by diabetics to measure blood sugar levels. Diabetics have to have these or risk major health effects and even death. Diabetes is a severe disease where the body doesn’t create the amounts of insulin created for the body to function correctly.

Insulin is a very important chemical that is created by the pancreas that changes the glucose (sugar) in the human’s blood into fuel that the body can use. If too little of the chemical is produced the glucose levels rise and can cause serious damage. The lists of damage include heart disease and damage, nerve damage, blindness, and kidney damage. All of which increase the chances of death. Hypoglycemia is where the body has too much insulin and is just as dangerous with fainting, dizziness, confusion, headaches as its symptoms.

Glucose machines are used to keep these under or above levels of glucose in check. By checking the blood levels periodically the blood glucose level can be kept at an even rate. Blood glucose machines are small units that are a necessary weapon in the diabetic war. The unit is generally no bigger than an average person’s hand, making it small and portable. There is no best glucose machine, it all depend on the users preference and what the like more as using this is a part of a diabetics survival. Glucose machines use “test strips” which are plastic strips that carry the chemicals needed to measure the blood glucose levels. It then displays the results on a small screen to the side, usually fairly easy to see. When getting glucose machines, you must be sure you know how to operate it effectively and utilize all of its resources, because your life depends on your ability to use the unit.

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What is the normal blood sugar level?

What is the normal blood sugar level? This is one of the most important questions for diabetics. Diabetics have to know accurate measurements on their blood sugar levels or risk having to high blood sugar and damage their body. Diabetes is a disease were the body produces to little of the chemical insulin. Insulin is a chemical created by the pancreas; the job that does is in turning the glucose (sugar) in the body into fuel that the body can use.

When insulin is not created in high enough amounts, glucose soars. This has many health effects that permanently damage the body, such as:

  • nerve damage,
  • blindness,
  • heart disease,
  • and kidney failure.

Knowing what is the normal blood sugar level, is absolutely vital for the survival of the diabetic. Hypoglycemia is where too much insulin is created and the body needs more fuel. This can result in fainting, dizziness, confusion, and other serious side effects.

what is the normal blood sugar levelSo what is the normal blood sugar level? 64.8 to 104 mg/dl is the normal blood sugar level for the average person. Blood sugar levels are monitored by a blood glucose meter. This is a small unit that measures the amount of glucose in a person’s blood and displays it. The blood is placed in a small plastic strip that is then scanned and the results are displayed on a small window on the side. This allows a diabetic to closely monitor their blood sugar levels. Things that can be done to help lower the blood sugar levels include a normal blood sugar level chart this is where you write down all of your readings that you take and what you were doing prior to it to narrow down activities that should not be a part of your daily life. So knowing what is the normal blood sugar level is very important.

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What are acceptable blood sugar levels?

acceptable blood sugar levels
acceptable blood sugar levels

For a diabetic maintaining an acceptable blood sugar level is key to staying healthy. Diabetics whose blood sugar levels are high must talk with their doctor to find out what their blood sugar level should be which is determined by age, weight, and diet. Diabetes is the high blood sugar in a person’s body.

This is because of the small amount of insulin, a chemical that changes the glucose (sugar) in the body into fuel that the body can manage. If the body cannot produce enough of this chemical you become a diabetic and need insulin. The average amount of glucose in an adult is 140 mg/dl two hours after eating, with diabetes this number can reach an unacceptable blood sugar levels of 200 mg/dl and higher. This can result (overtime) in death and serious health problems.

Maintaining acceptable blood sugar levels is key in any diabetic life. Maintaining this is done by using a blood glucose meter. This small unit takes a small sample of blood in a strip and measures the amount of glucose in it. Then the unit displays the results on a small screen on the side. The American Diabetes Association States that all diabetes should use these small machines to measure your blood glucose and keep it on the spot. They also support using a blood sugar chart to graph your blood sugar readings. This is helpful because it can show you what you do and how it affects your blood sugar levels. Also they encourage proper diet and exercise as prescribed by your doctor. Maintaining a good acceptable blood sugar level is very important and should be a part of anyone’s life that has diabetes (form one or two) so talk to your doctor about what your acceptable blood sugar levels are.

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Have you had a type 2 diabetes sample diet?

type 2 diabetes sample diet
type 2 diabetes sample diet

Diabetics have to undergo vast lifestyle changes when they are first diagnosed. There then becomes so many things that they cannot eat. Items that are full of sugar soon become off limits and can depress the diabetic. A type 2 sample diet can consist of some of the more bland foods in the world but can be spiced up with some help.

A average (or at least by the American diabetes association) breakfast for a diabetic should be a ½ cup of skim milk, a ½ a banana, 1 slice of toast, and ½ cup of oatmeal, meaning that the recommended breakfast meal is quite boring and is totally different from average meals.

A type 2 diabetes sample diet in the afternoon consists of four ounces of chicken (that has been broiled), ½ cup of carrots, and 2/3 cup of brown rice, 1 whole grain dinner roll, and 4 unsweetened apricot slices. At the most a type sample diet should contain 1600 calories and 220 grams of carbohydrates. The best way to determine a usable diet is to create type 2 diabetes meal plans and to then consult with your doctor.

Your doctor may make suggestions or even add in detail. Such as portion amounts (very important), when is the best times to eat, and how to prepare your food to best suite the diabetes. Also a quick look online or in your local bookstore can give you type 2 diet recipes that can be used to spice up your life. Also if (because it is only type 2) you have a higher exercise level your doctor may prescribe changes in your portion sizes and best times to eat, allowing much more leave way. So talk to your doctor about your type 2 diabetes sample diet and see if it’s right for you.

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