Type 2 Diabetic Diet Plan

Diet plans help people to keep their diets in check- thus, for someone suffering from diabetes, a type 2 diabetic diet plan becomes all the more crucial. Patients need to keep their sugar levels in control. The means by which the rise in the sugar level is understood is known as the glycemic index rating. Now, there are certain foods, on eating which the blood sugar level takes a sudden, massive leap. These include most processed foods, white rice, white potato etc. Therefore, consumption of such items needs to be checked and planned properly.  

This is where the concept of a ‘balance’ diet becomes very important. If a diabetic had white rice for a meal, it needs to be balanced with other items on the menu such as meat which is a source of protein or vegetables which contain complex carbohydrates. A diabetic therefore, should have a good idea about a type 2 diabetic diet plans, glycemic index list and glycemic load. While the glycemic index list is a list of what you consume, the glycemic load helps in measuring the quantity.

Making a Type 2 Diabetic Diet Plan

Diabetes can be kept in control if one follows a proper diet and exercises regularly. Planning the menu properly will include making a plan for days individually, weeks or even a month. One will have to follow this strictly and the commonest difficulty in doing this is a lack of choices. A good diet plan offers you a lot of options. The same holds true for a type 2 diabetic diet plan. A type 2 diabetic diet plan may be considered good if it provides you with snack options and recipes too.

There are different kinds of type 2 diabetic diet plans, one of the most popular of which is the Mediterranean food pyramid. The main reason behind it’s popularity is it’s strong inclusion of high glycemic index carbs. The bottommost layer of the pyramid includes those foods and activities meant for daily usage. As the pyramid tapers towards it’s top, it lists the foods which are to be had in lesser amounts, moving from weekly, to monthly.

The Goals of Type 2 Diabetic Diet Plan

 Like all diet plans, type 2 diabetic diet plans aim to provide a guideline to it’s followers to help them follow a diet which is most suited for their needs. An average person consumes about 2000 calories per day which should have an ideal break up of:

·        100 grams of protein (at 4Cal/gram)

·        275 grams of carbohydrates (at 4 Cal/gram)

·        56 grams of fat (at 9 Cal/gram)

A type 2 diabetic diet plan suggests it’s users to have the following amount of each every day:

·        Carbohydrates (45%-65%)

·         Proteins (10%-35%)

·         Unsaturated fats (20%-35%)

As surprising as it may be, fat is actually needed for the body and must be consumed in moderate amounts on a regular basis. Fishes and plants are the healthiest source of fats, since they have only monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, whereas, bird meat such as turkey, chicken, pigs, cow meat contain a lot of saturated fat which is bad for health. A type 2 diabetic diet plan also helps people to keep their calorie intake level under check. Keep in mind that a healthy diet not only means that you are one step ahead in having a healthy body; it also ensures a healthy mind. 

Type 2 Diabetes Diet Meal Plan

The main problem with a diabetic body is how the body processes the food it gets and a type 2 diabetic diet meal plan can assist you in doing exactly that. It helps to improve the functioning of a body. Though there are medications available to deal with diabetes, sticking to the diabetes diet plan will help you cut on medicines or even stop medication altogether! It is actually aimed to make people understand the cause behind diabetes and bring as much change as is possible by altering one’s diet, instead of relying on medicines.

How Does a Type 2 Diabetic Diet Meal Plan Work?

Instead of the wrong concept of eating less to produce less sugar, type 2 diabetic diet meal plan uses proper nutrition to keep diabetes in check. It brings about a major change in the body. The major problem in type 2 diabetes is cell sensitivity due to lack of insulin. The type 2 diabetic diet meal plan will help the insulin to work properly so that these problems are lessened. It can even treat patients who have reached a very complicated stage of diabetes. Instead of the quantity, diabetes diet plan focusses on the quality or the kind of food being consumed. Diabetics can eat till they are full and are even allowed to have snacks.

Effects of Type 2 Diabetes Diet Meal Plan

Since the primary issue that diabetics have to deal with is a high level of blood sugar, diabetic diet plan helps in reducing that. It also increases sensitivity of insulin and lowers dependence on medicines and in some cases even succeeds to completely cut them off. Apart from these, it also helps to maintain a lower blood pressure and cholesterol level, in weight loss and also provides more energy. Weight reduction does not happen very easily though- it takes some time. For a diabetic diet plan to work successfully, one also needs to combine it with a healthy lifestyle. Diabetes often brings with it other problems such as nerve pains in areas such as legs and feet. This is called neuropathy. Such conditions and even heart diseases can be treated with type 2 diabetic diet meal plans.

Diabetes is usually inherited, genetic and thus cannot be removed. This means that even if someone goes through treatment and blood tests do not signify a high level of sugar, the person cannot revert back to a state of not having diabetes. This is why people who have type 1 diabetes have to continue taking insulin, in spite of altering their diets. However, each diabetic has his own way of getting better and becoming healthy again. For obvious reasons this varies from one diabetic to another. Other conditions such as age, weight, etc. are not important contributing factors. 

There are other popular beliefs related to diabetes such as people from a few particular races are more likely to diabetes. Such is not the case. This might be true in case of people’s socio-economic background; due to the kind of diet people follow. Another popular assumption is that a high level of carbohydrate consumption makes people prone to diabetes. 

This can be proved wrong by stating those researches which show that people living in countries like Thailand, Japan, China or even in some parts of Africa, where carbohydrate consumption is very high, were less likely to have diabetes. A type 2 diabetic diet meal plan will thus make you more aware of your condition and instead of making depressing changes, allow you to make minor changes and enjoy life! 

Planning Type 2 Diabetic Diet Snacks

Instead of depending on medication, planning your type 2 diabetic diet snacks and meal will take you a long way towards staying healthy. Though a lot of people have regular doses of medicines, insulin, they are never really the ultimate answers. Developing a dependence on medicines can also prove to be very harmful. The key to changing your condition is changing your lifestyle, which includes your food habits.

Need for Type 2 Diabetic Diet Snacks

Diabetics often face the difficulty of deciding on snacks which would not be harmful to their health, since most of most choices of snacks. Planning your type 2 diabetic diet snacks proves to be extremely helpful in this regard. A lot of the snacks that we have are either junk or processed food and therefore have an excess of salt in them, which is not at all advisable food for a diabetic. If you have a good type 2 diabetic snack plan, it will give you options of snacks from which you can choose. Thus, a good plan will allow you to enjoy eating as well as ensure that sticking to it will keep you healthy. Then again, controlling your diet is not the only solution. The diet plan gives a combination of a balanced diet to keep the food intake in check and also suggests an exercise routine to be followed regularly. Therefore, it also helps you to lose weight. One has the chance of losing 3 to 5 pounds in a time span of about two months. Being overweight only aggravates your problems if you are diabetic already. Sticking to this diet and exercise routine on a regular basis is very crucial and it is also important to get it done from professionals.

Making Type 2 Diabetics Diet Snacks

Since the condition of one diabetic significantly differs from another, the diet plan of each will be different from the other. When thinking of getting a diet plan done, consult a nutritionist. They will test your condition and make a plan for you accordingly, to suit your specific needs. They decide which type of diet plan will best help control the glucose level in your blood. It is widely agreed among nutritionists that the most important part of treating diabetes type 2 is the weight loss program. Keeping this in mind, the nutritionist will make you a diet plan which will include all the nutrients that you need to keep your body in a good state. Good diet plans have a special emphasis on type 2 diabetic diet snacks and sometimes also provide recipes.

In spite of being easy to control, if you are suffering from type 2 diabetes you need to take good care of yourself. Ignoring may lead to seriously and permanently damaging consequences.  According to the WHO (World Health Organization), the problems arising from adult diabetes are becoming more acute. Considering this, one must follow a diet plan. Snacks are an area which needs special attention, so you must follow type 2 diabetic diet snacks and also follow an exercise routine.

Following Type 2 Diabetes Diet Restrictions

In order to keep your diabetic body in good state, you need to follow some type 2 diabetes diet restrictions. Diabetes is a condition of the body and not a disease. Therefore continued medication will not be of help. One has to take some other measures to stay fit. The most important step in this regard is having a planned diet with some restrictions.

Why Do You Need Type 2 Diabetes Diet Restrictions?

What happens when you have diabetes is that your body produces a lesser amount of insulin than what is required. This in turn causes the sugar level in the blood to rise. The first concern should therefore be to control the consumption of food, the kind of food being consumed. This will ensure that the blood sugar level remains normal. This is also useful in producing insulin. In due time, by applying type 2 diabetes diet restrictions and exercising regularly, you can control diabetes and prevent yourself from having any of it’s dangerous effects.

How do Type 2 Diabetes Diet Restrictions Work?

It is the most commonly heard issue that those with diabetes should not have sugar. Diet plans for diabetics have also stood proof to this. It has been a practice for a long time. This is however, a misconception and a very bad practice. The body needs a certain dose of carbohydrates and fats to function properly. Not receiving this does may lead to fatal consequences, more so in case of diabetics. Sometimes such diabetic patients have to go to coronary wards. Recent researches have shown that even diabetics need a certain measure of carbohydrates in their daily diet. Accordingly, a diet plan and carbohydrates with a GI index have been made. Type 2 Diabetes diet restrictions include this essential.

The GI index in a diabetic diet plan deals with the kind of carbohydrate that is being taken by the body. There are different kinds of carbohydrates, some of which are very quickly broken down by the body. It is these which increase the sugar level in the blood and thereby make acute the diabetic condition. As mentioned above, these are a few of the many kinds of carbohydrates. There are some which are not harmful. In fact, they are good for the body. They do not break up immediately and cannot be easily absorbed by the body. They need a lot of time to be broken down and absorbed in the body and hence are better. These are usually included in the diet plan and not excluded by type 2 diabetes diet restrictions.

A lot of foods have a lower GI index. These are thus included in a diabetic’s diet and they in turn help the body to stay fit. Yoghurt and condensed milk are a few among such foods.  Fruits and vegetables are also extremely important in a diabetic’s diet. Since some fruits have a high level of sugar in them, they are either excluded by diabetes diet restrictions or allowed in little quantities. Nutritionists recommend some fruits like apples, oranges and pears. Vegetables which are allowed include sweet potato and sweet corn. Type 2 Diabetes diet restrictions also include whole grain breads, linseed and fruit loafs. 

Making Type 2 Diabetes Diet Choices

Type 2 Diabetes diet choices are like the keys a diabetic chooses for his future life. The primary concern of a person suffering from diabetes is to keep his blood sugar level under control. The type 2 diabetes diet plan is incomparable when it comes to helping people to bring their high blood sugar levels to normalcy. There are different types of diabetes of which, diabetes mellitus type 2 which was earlier known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is one such. It is characterized by a high level of blood sugar which is caused by insulin insensitivity or a low insulin production in the body. Though medication might be needed in extreme cases, the right kind of type 2 diabetes diet choices and exercise takes you a long way.

Features of Type 2 Diabetes Diet Choices

Typical features of type 2 diabetes diet choices are their focus on the balance and maintenance of food categories. While it is important to have a restricted diet, it is also important to ensure a wholesome, nutritious diet which will fulfil all the needs of the body. This means, nothing should be cut off completely. Here are a few points to be kept in mind:

·        Carbohydrates, when digested, become glucose. Glucose is a kind of sugar which is responsible for providing energy to all the cells in the body. Thus carbohydrates have a direct impact on the blood. It becomes very important to check the kind of carbohydrate consumed.

The two kinds of carbohydrates are simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are found in refined sugar and fruits. In fruits these are found in the form of glucose, sucrose, lactose and fructose. Complex carbohydrates are starches. Whole grains, nuts, vegetables and beans are sources of complex carbohydrates. By virtue of being digested slowly, complex carbohydrates are the healthier choices.

·        Fibrous foods are not only helpful in digestion they are also a good source of vitamins and minerals. By delaying absorption of sugar, they help in controlling glucose levels. It also helps in weight loss. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, legumes are all good sources of fibre.

·        Since diabetics have an added risk of developing heart diseases, it is vital to control the intake of fat. Type 2 diabetes diet choices do not include stuff like processed cheese, beef and other fatty foods.

Benefits of Type 2 Diabetes Diet Choices

Diabetes is not like any other disease. It is more of a condition of the body. Thus medication cannot provide a permanent solution. If you really want to live a healthy life, you have to choose a healthy lifestyle. This will essentially mean, exercising regularly and making accurate type 2 diabetes diet choices. In order to this, you should first gather enough knowledge about your condition by going to a specialist who will explain everything to you after conducting a few tests. Then he will guide you with you type 2 diabetes diet choices. Further, you can know more from the numerous websites, e books and usual books available. It is empowering to know and to feel that you are making the right choices for a better life ahead.