Diabetes Type 2 Diet – For Your Good Health !

September 3, 2010 by  
Filed under Managing Diabetes

Staying on track with an appropriate Type II Diabetes patient’s eating plan is not as complex as it may first seem. In fact, the foods that you should be incorporating and avoiding are also the ones that are healthy for most anyone. Therefore, any changes that you may be making will not only be good for your condition, but for the overall well being of both you and your family. If you are just starting out with these dietary alterations, it is important to keep in mind that you are doing something very helpful for the future of your health.

The main difference between a Type 2 Diabetes diet and a normal healthy diet is that the specific amounts of carbohydrates eaten will need to be regulated more strictly. Although the right balance and amounts of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are important, the latter category is, by far, the most important to which you should pay close attention. The reason for this is that, more than any other type of food, they have a much larger effect on blood sugar levels. When dealing with Diabetes 2, your primary focus should always be on keeping these levels as stable as possible. Consuming the correct foods in the right amounts makes a huge difference when it comes to keeping them even.

 

To determine a food’s effect on blood glucose, one should see its GI or its glycemic index. This system assesses many foods depending on how quickly they are digested and, consequently, how much they have on one’s blood glucose. A higher number indicates that the specific food will have a larger impact. However, many high glycemic foods are typically foods that are not the healthiest for us anyway and, therefore, should always be consumed in moderation by anyone. This, once again, shows us that a diabetes diet is one that is universally healthy for the majority of people

One very important part of a nutrition program for Type two Diabetes is making sure that you eat small to moderate amounts of good for you foods on a regular basis. Not having regular meals or waiting long periods of time between eating can cause your blood glucose to go up and down much more than they would if you, instead, stick to a set schedule of meals and snacks. The amounts and times that you eat do not have to be overly strict. However, following this tip, along with other guidelines for a diabetes diet, will help you manage your condition and keep you and those around you healthy.

How to Make the Best Diabetic Desserts

May 24, 2010 by  
Filed under Dealing With Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic health conditions in the world. It affects the way your body uses food for energy. Diabetics do not produce enough insulin in their bodies and more than sixteen million Americans have this disease, which accounts for six percent of the population.

 

Diabetics can have a sweet tooth just like the rest of us, which is why diabetic desserts are such a godsend. Even though somebody with diabetes will not be able to eat much sugar because of their blood glucose levels, artificial sweeteners can give food the same sweet flavor without the sugar or the calories.

 

Splenda is a good example of an artificial sweetener. If you prefer not to use sweeteners, you can simply reduce the amount of sugar in a dessert recipe. Cutting down the sugar by 20% does not normally affect the end flavor of the dessert noticeably.

 

Forms of Diabetic Desserts

 

You might like to switch the sugar in a dessert recipe for an artificial sweetener but this will not work in all dessert recipes plus some contain other ingredients, which are high in sugar and not so easy to substitute.

 

Another great option is to make diabetic desserts with sugar free jello. If you like to make simple desserts and no bake desserts, sugar free jello is a wonderful ingredient. You can combine fresh fruit with jello or make something more creative such as a jello cake or a colorful, multi-layered jello dessert. Some fruits have a high sugar content so you will need to be careful if making a fruit and jello dessert recipe.

 

You can get readymade diabetic meals and prepackaged snacks and candy for diabetics but these tend to be very expensive so it is better to make your own homemade fare.

 

Giving Diabetic Desserts Great Flavor

 

Flavoring extracts can add flavor to diabetic desserts. Sugar substitutes used in diabetic dessert recipes can sometimes give a metallic or bland taste, so using a strong flavoring extract like almond or vanilla can perk up your dessert flavor. You can also use flavoring extracts in everyday recipes, such as adding some black walnut flavoring or maple syrup flavoring to pancakes. What about trying some coconut extract in a pineapple jello recipe?

 

If you want to try making some jello recipes for your family, why not use sugar free jello instead of regular jello? It is similarly priced and comes in plenty of fruity flavors such as lime, strawberry, blackcurrant, cherry, orange and lots more. Sugar free jello is sweet and satisfying, free from fat, carbohydrates and calories and you can use it to make lots of different diabetic desserts for the whole family to delight in.