Managing Diabetes

by Swee Smith

It is important to have a food plan for people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Every family must work out with their dietitian that fits their family. People with type 1 diabetes cannot be treated with diet alone while type 2 can sometimes be treated with diet and exercise alone. Some beginning rules of good food management, some of which relate to more to a constant carbohydrates food plan, are:

1) eating a well balanced diet,
2) eating meals and snacks at the same time,
3) keep the diet similar from day to day,
4)use snacks to prevent insulin reactions, like meat slices, low carbohydrates veggie sticks, cheese slices...etc.
5) watch how much carbohydrates is in a meal,
6) avoid over treating low blood sugar,
7)reduce total fat which eaten,
8) watch weight and height: avoid becoming over weight,
9) increase the amount of fiber eaten,
10) eat less foods high in sodium,
11) avoid eating too much protein.

A helpful way to plan your meals is use a system called carbohydrate counting. Once you know how many grams of carbohydrates you are allowed, then it's up to you to decide how to "spend" them. For example it is fine to enjoy an occasional candy bar or a cheese danish, as long as you count it toward your daily carbohydrates total, just as you would a plate of pasta or a cup of rice, says Joan V.C. Hill, R.D., director of Educational Service and program at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

Antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and E may be the source for healthier eyes, nerves, and blood vessels. They help protect your body's cells from free radicals, naturally occuring, cell damaging molecules that may pose particular risks to people with diabetes. Some examples of sources of antioxidants ( Vitamin C & E ) rich vegetables and fruits are broccoli, red pepper, grapefruit, oranges, cantaloupe, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and avocado.

The Trace mineral chromium, found in broccoli, grapefruit and fortified breakfast cereals, has been shown to improve the body's ability to regulate blood sugar according to Richard A. Anderson, Ph. D., a biochemist with U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Marlyland.

People with diabetes have lower levels of chromium than people without the disease. In a study, eight people who had difficulty regulating their blood sugar were given 20 micrograms of chromium a day. After five weeks, their sugar levels fell by as much as 50 percent. People without blood sugar problems who were given chromium showed no such changes. You can boost your chromium supplies by eating food that provide it for instant a cup of broccoli contains 22 micrograms, 18 percent of the daily Value. Another source of chromium is found in Xooma's Xtreme X2O, which is an all natural mineral complex that has over 70 trace minerals ( chromium included) and electrolytes.

I have found that my seven year old with diabetes (type 1) , when using Xooma's X2O in her water, regulates her blood sugar much better than days she was drinking just plain water.

In conclusion managing diabetes is more than just eating a few good foods. It's really a "whole" diet in which fibers, minerals, vitamins and so forth are put together in meal planning plus regular exercise to promote blood sugar control, coordinates with medications, and is tailored to your individual preferences and lifestyle.

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