Diabetic Foods

Diabetes is a disorder in which the body does not produce sufficient amounts of insulin, which is a hormone required to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy that the body needs to live a normal lifestyle. Diabetes is believed to be caused by a combination of genetics, lack of exercise and a poor diet. A diabetic has a restrictive diet, so if you have diabetes, it is important to be familiar with diabetic foods.

Recommended Dietary Intake

There are certain dietary guidelines that a diabetic should follow. These include consuming a lot of Omega 6 fatty acids (guards against diabetes neuropathy), foods with a low Glycemic Index (do not raise blood sugar levels rapidly), Alpha Lipoic acids (antioxidant vitamin that improves diabetes nerve damage), complex high-fiber carbohydrates (high-fiber diets protect against diabetes) and others.

Foods to Avoid

Since diabetics have limited diets, there are also a lot of foods that they need to avoid. These foods include high fat foods, simple and refined carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, sucrose, white bread, white rice, syrup, table sugar and more), foods that are high in sodium (and foods with a lot of monosodium glutamate), and alcohol (since it increases the risk of liver damage and heart disease).

Identification

Diabetic foods are food substitutions that are made without using real sugar. If you look at diabetic food magazines, you will see everything from sugar-free cookies and sugar-free iced tea to sugar-free syrup and sugar-free ice cream. Diabetics must use artificial sweeteners such as saccharine and aspartame to replicate the sweet, sugar taste.

Considerations

It is very helpful for individuals with diabetes to consider testing their blood sugar levels after they eat meals. This is an accurate way to see what kind of effect certain foods have on the blood sugar level, which should help the diabetic know which foods to avoid and which to eat more often.

Theories/Speculation

If you are diabetic, there are a lot of places in which to purchase diabetic foods. Some places even offer delivery services, such as one online diabetic food vendor called Diabetic Direct. EFood Pantry, Right Health and Echo Health are also great options for diabetics to order appropriate foods.