Diabetes can damage the blood vessels, including the arteries that supply blood to the brain. This damage makes it easier for fatty deposits (plaques) to form in the arteries. The build-up of arterial plaques (atherosclerosis) can choke off blood supply to raise the blood pressure, leading to coronary heart disease. Timings of Blood sugar tests: Time of testing - Normal readings/per 100 ml of blood: 1. before breakfast - 80-120 mg. 2. 2 hours after breakfast - 140—180mg 3. Before lunch--------------80—120mg; 4. Bed time------------------100—140mg; 5. At 3am--------------------70—140mg. Diabetes and Diet: 1. High Glycemic foods raise the blood sugar levels. Then extra insulin is produced, quickly sending sugars into blood cells, this is extra burden to the pancreas. 2. Effective management of diabetes depends on a delicate balance between medication and diet control and also to keep the weight under control (neither over weight nor under weight). 3. To maintain blood sugar levels close to the normal levels. 4. Doing exercise regularly and avoiding stress and strain. 5. Avoid sweets and fried foods, which raise cholesterol levels in the blood (leading to heart disease). 6. Every adult requires 2000 calories per day to maintain optimum health. 7. The diet of the person with diabetes should consists of a good combination of nutrients i.e.;-carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals, in order to stay fit and fine and to keep the blood sugar levels in check. … [Read more...]
What is Glycemic Index?
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks carbohydrate –rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels compared to glucose, in the last 2-3hours. There is a lot of misunderstanding about the GI. Eating higher GI foods produces a rapid increase in blood glucose levels, triggering the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin causes the body to attempt to store excess glucose. If the digestive system pumps more glucose in to the blood stream, quicker than the insulin can move it into the muscles (or glucose stays more longer time in the blood), then the body will convert the excess glucose into fat. So, it is a good idea to know more about GI and better to choose foods with a low GI rating (than choosing foods with high GI). Uses of Glycemic Index: 1. To control your blood glucose levels. 2. To control your cholesterol levels. 3. Control your appetite. 4. Lower the risk of getting the heart disease. 5. Lower the risk of getting the type-2 diabetes. Choose the foods wisely: Try to choose low to medium GI foods more often (than high GI foods). 1. Foods of low rank are: GI of 55 or less. 2. Medium rank: GI of 56-69. 3. More rank: GI 70 or more. Other important diet considerations: The GI is not the only criteria when selecting the foods as the total amount of carbohydrates, but also, 1. The amount of fat: Fats from cold-water fish, olive and flax oil are beneficial. 2. Fiber and protein are also important. WE should minimize eating saturated fat and better to take more fiber in the diet. Cooking, food-processing and age, are all affects food’s GI. Ex. Pizza keeps glucose up longer than any other food and glucose was still high even after 4-5 hours. Foods with low Glycemic Index: Soya Beans, Bengal gram and Grapes. Source: Life Scan magazine. … [Read more...]
