February 11, 2008

Type 2 Diabetes Diet Should Contain Calories From Good Fats

Type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes are the three fundamental forms of diabetes. There are many risk factors for type two diabetes. These include age - being over the age of 45, a family history of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, elevated blood pressure, atypical cholesterol levels, a history of gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary disease, not exercising on a regular basis, or a history of vascular disease.

The results of a handful of studies suggest that drinking coffee may be beneficial toward preventing diabetes. People who drink a lot of coffee are actually lower at risk for diabetes than the general public. The caffeine is probably not the only beneficial ingredient in coffee, but several other ingredients could possibly be shielding drinkers from the harmful effects of diabetes.

Decaffeinated coffee seems to aid people in controlling their blood glucose, while regular coffee has a harmful effect on blood glucose. When caffeine is not counterbalanced by other substances in coffee, the negative effect may be yet greater. And if coffee does in fact contain substances which have a positive effect against the diabetic condition, those substances still do not outweigh the negative effects caffeine produces.

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are feeling exteme thirst, having to urinate more often than what is normal for you, unexplained weight loss, feelings of tiredness or crankiness. Body changes of Type 2 diabetes can in some cases include cuts and bruises that don't seem to heal like normal, vision changes, tingling or numbness in your extemeties, frequent infections of the skin, mouth or bladder, of vaginal yeast infections.

Most people with diabetes have questions about the foods they can eat and the type 2 diabetes diet. As you may know, diabetes is a metabolic disorder, and therefore affects how your body processes food into energy. There are many misconceptions regarding diabetes and food. A common misconception is that a diet prohibiting sugar and other types of foods exists for diabetics.

In fact, the advice for people with diabetes is similar to that for the general population, but with extra emphasis on weight control and control of blood sugar and risk factors for heart disease. The type 2 diabetes diet should be a well-balanced diet with a variety of healthy foods, while watching total calories and engaging in physical activity.

The current recommended amount of calories derived from fat is 20-35%, according to the Institute of Medicine. However, the American Diabetes Association doesn't like to give general rules such as that. No matter what school of thought they ascribe to, all doctors agree that all fats consumed in a type 2 diabetes diet should be primarily healthy fats, versus unhealthy ones. Particularly dangerous types of fats are saturated fats.

One of the three main types of diabetes, type two diabetes affects mainly those suffering from certain risk factors such as age, overweight, sedentary lifestyles, high blood pressure and family history. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include increased hunger and thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, irritability and unexplained weight loss. At root a metabolic disorder, diabetes affects the way your body derives energy from food. As such, diabetes can largely be controlled through diet and exercise. Coffee has been shown to be beneficial for diabetics, as have healthy fats. A type 2 diabetes diet is not simply about prohibiting sugar; rather, it should be well-balanced, avoid saturated fats, and watch total caloric content.

- michael diro


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