The Dangers of Sugar in Diabetes
You may probably well know that high sugar levels in the blood can pose a danger to a diabetic. According to health experts, sugar does not cause diabetes but excessive caloric intake and unhealthy lifestyle can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Although sugar in itself does not cause diabetes, people with this disease must closely monitor their blood sugar levels.
In this article, we’ll talk about the basic things that you need to know about sugar. Hopefully, after reading this article you will be able to make better food choices to prevent diabetes as well as to treat diabetes:
Sugars in the Food We Eat
There are two types of sugar in the foods we eat- slow sugars and fast sugars. Instead of being converted into energy, fast sugars are converted into fat and are immediately released into the bloodstreams. As a result, excessive sugar levels stay in the blood which in turn can lead to other complications.
Sadly, most of the foods sold in the market today are packed with fast sugars. Both children and adults are now faced with the serious risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes because of unhealthy eating habits. How is Type 2 Diabetes acquired?
When our blood contains high levels of sugar, our pancreas is alerted and it produces insulin to keep our blood sugar under control. However, continues intake of sugar can cause our pancreas to malfunction. Aside from this, we develop resistance to insulin which means your body stops responding to insulin as it normally would, leading to uncontrolled levels of sugar in the blood. In most cases, the onset of diabetes symptoms may start in later years although recent reports show that a large number of Type 2 Diabetes cases now occur at a younger age.
Slow sugars are so-called slow sugars because the fiber in these food groups causes the sugar to be released into the bloodstream more slowly. Slow sugars can be found in brown rice, brown bread, brown pasta, and other whole grain foods. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that slow sugars can be eaten excessively. Clearly, in order to avoid diabetes, every person needs to be aware of his diet. Remember, the key to a healthy diet is knowing the right foods to eat and eating them in moderation.
Eating Healthily as a Diabetic
What if you already have diabetes? Obviously, you need to be more conscious about your diet. Watch out with the use of artificial sweeteners as too much use of such products can also bring about health problems and complications. Stay away from processed foods especially if they contain Trans fat, hydrogenated fat, saturated fat, sodium and other food chemicals.
If you read the labels of canned foods and every packed food products in the grocery, you’ll be surprised to find out that most of them contain these unhealthy ingredients. If you are really concerned about your health, it’s about time to go back to fresh, home cooked meals where you can control the amount salt and sugar in your meals.
