| If you have type 2 diabetes, no doubt you know it is | | | | also contain significant amounts of fiber, which can |
| a serious disease that needs treatment. In addition to | | | | also help keep blood sugar levels even. These foods |
| medications your doctor may want you to take, one | | | | can also reduce certain types of cancer and other |
| of the most important things you can do as a type 2 | | | | diseases. |
| diabetic is to follow a proper diet. | | | | If you're a type 2 diabetic, it's also likely that you |
| For most people, type 2 diabetes occurs because of | | | | have an unhealthy lipid profile. This means that the |
| a combination of lack of exercise and the wrong diet. | | | | wrong types of fats are too high in your system, |
| The wrong diet can include too much food in general | | | | while the right types of fats are too low in your |
| and too many calories consumed, but in particular, | | | | system. If you have too much of the wrong types |
| foods consumed that are high on the glycemic scale | | | | of fats, you can have an increased risk of heart |
| are of great concern. With type 2 diabetes, the body | | | | disease and circulation difficulties. By choosing healthy |
| becomes unresponsive to its own insulin, which | | | | fats in moderation, such as the monounsaturated |
| means the insulin does not work as efficiently as it | | | | fats found in olive oil and certain kinds of nuts, you |
| once did and large amounts are needed to keep | | | | will help improve your lipid profile and therefore help |
| blood sugar levels down. | | | | decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke, |
| In addition to exercise and medications, diet must be | | | | among other diseases. |
| adjusted to help keep blood sugar levels even. The | | | | In addition, avoid drinking alcohol; if you must, do so |
| most important foods to consider with type 2 | | | | only very occasionally. Alcohol is a two-pronged evil |
| diabetes are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates come in | | | | when it comes to type 2 diabetes. First, it can affect |
| two basic forms. The first, refined carbohydrates, is | | | | your blood lipid profile negatively. Second, alcohol is a |
| a type of carbohydrate that causes blood sugar | | | | refined carbohydrate and can raise blood sugar levels |
| levels to rise rapidly. The second, complex | | | | significantly. If you must drink alcohol, do so very |
| carbohydrates burn much more slowly and keep | | | | occasionally and eat healthy foods along with it when |
| blood sugar levels much more even. | | | | you do so, to slow down absorption rate. |
| One way to determine what types of foods should | | | | Finally, minimize or eliminate refined sugars in your |
| go into your diet if you're a type 2 diabetic is to | | | | diet. There are many healthy sweeteners out there |
| choose foods that are low on the glycemic index. | | | | that can provide the sweetness you need without |
| This means that these foods will cause less of a | | | | raising blood sugar levels at all. Again, if you must eat |
| spike in blood sugar after a meal than those that | | | | sweets, do so very occasionally and only with the |
| have a high glycemic index. Among foods low on the | | | | express permission of your doctor. |
| glycemic index are most vegetables, beans and | | | | Follow your doctor's orders, eat right and exercise, |
| legumes. These are a healthy part of the diet not | | | | and it may be that you can bring your type 2 |
| only because they digest slowly and keep blood | | | | diabetes under control completely, so that you no |
| sugar levels even, but they are very nutritious and | | | | longer have this problem. |