Diabetic Weight Loss Diets

Diabetes is a disease that affects over 23 million Americans today and is caused by a lack of insulin in the body, which is needed to process sugar and carbohydrates.This lack of insulin can make it difficult for diabetics to shed pounds.

There is no one way to combat diabetic weight loss. But there are many tips nutritionists have offered to keep those with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in check. There are also various alternative treatments that can boost weight loss among diabetic patients.

Food Suggestions

Food and nutrition are some of the most important components of controlling diabetes because food can either balance or fluctuate the levels of chemicals in your system. Food can be a challenging aspect in losing weight as a diabetic.

Controlling how many carbohydrates we eat can especially be challenging, but a decent level of carb intake in one meal is between 45 and 60 grams. Check with a nutritionist to find the proper carbohydrate range for you. When keeping this margin in mind, remember that diary products like milk and yogurt have carbs, as do some beans and some vegetables like corn. However, you need to maintain your required carbohydrate count for every meal, as starches are an important component in your diet.

Checking the glycemic index of food is crucial for the diabetic and a high GI is widely expected to be the reason for a rapidly growing diabetic population in America. The more processed or cooked your food is the higher the GI. For example, if a fruit or vegetable is ripe, it will likely have a very high GI, and if a potato is mashed it will have a higher GI than a plain baked potato due to processing. Maintaining a relatively low GI can help maintain blood glucose levels and keep us trim. For more information visit www.glycemicindex.com for food suggestions and news concerning the research and development of this important nutrition discovery.

Also, as is suggested for the rest of the population, five fruits and five veggies are recommended to keep up metabolism. Stew or fruit salads are a good way to match these numbers on a regular basis. Foods with seeds are especially recommended because they help prevent swift glucose absorption.

Supplements and Treatments

There are many alternative treatments that can help diabetics lose weight and maintain healthy glucose levels. Acupuncture has proven effective for many diabetic patients who suffer nerve damage, and acupuncture also helps relieve stress, which can be a main component in weight gain. Biofeedback is another stress-soothing technique that helps us learn how to deal with our own bodily responses. Another popular treatment in the diabetic community is guided imagery, which helps the patients think of specific images to encourage relaxation.

Herbs and minerals such as chromium, magnesium and vanadium are recommended in combatting weight loss and control of diabetes. Chromium builds up the system's glucose tolerance factor, magnesium ensures a healthy blood glucose control and vanadium has been proven to level blood glucose levels and eventually, allows for a decrease in insulin medication for some.

Foods to Avoid

Sugar is a major concern with diabetics as it raises the glucose level, sometimes to an abnormal and dangerous degree. For this reason sugar should be eaten in moderation by diabetics, who should try eating desserts only once or twice a week. Any white starches are generally a bad idea and contain a high GI. White bread, white rice, white flour and pasta are all examples of foods with a high GI. Red meat can also cause blood sugar to skyrocket, as can caffeine, and though eggs provide protein, diabetics should generally avoid them.