Low Carbohydrate Approach in Diabetic Meal Planning
Nov 6th, 2009 by sandalwood
Carbohydrates and Glucose
Carbohydrate are the major source of glucose needed by the body’s cells for energy. Too many calories obtained from the “wrong” carbohydrates are a problem. But if you can lessen or eliminate those wrong carbohydrates from your diabetic menu you can expect to benefit. You can identify those less beneficial carbohydrates by referring to their glycemic index and glycemic load values, and by removing those with the high values you will probably achieve lower blood glucose levels and lose weight, another benefit for most diabetics. And, as described below, some doctors recommend that fewer total calories obtained from carbohydrates the easier it is to control and manage blood glucose levels.
Carbohydrates are the breads, cookies, cakes, potatoes, beans, spaghetti and other starchy and sugary foods that make up a fairly large proportion of meals for people living in the developed world. Carbohydrates are chains of sugar molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, just as their name indicates. And there are hundreds of possible different varieties of sugars in foods available to us.
The American Diabetes Association acknowledges that adhering to a low carbohydrate food intake can aid diabetes patients in controlling blood sugars and keeping them down to within reasonable levels given their prevailing diabetic condition. And it has sponsored clinically controlled studies in appropriate medically supervised facilities that have born this out, however, even after such positive results, the ADA believes that diets that follow the low carbohydrate approach are difficult for patients to faithfully stay on for very long because they are too restrictive. The Association continues to support its own published recommendations that approximately 55% of daily calorie intake should be in the form of carbohydrates, preferably of the complex, low glycemic index category. A spokesman for the ADA states that they wish to promote a diet that people can live with long-term.
Swedish study show additional positive results
Another benefit was found in a 22 month study in Sweden, reported in WebMD News in 2006, that involved about 30 obese diabetic participants following two different low calorie diets, about half of them on a low carbohydrate intake of 20% of calories, and the other half on a carbohydrate intake of 60%, together with a low fat component. It so happened that, at least during the trial period, there was a reduced dependence on prescription medications such as Metformin and Glyburide (those are the drugs that I take daily, 1000mg Metformin, 20mg Glyburide).
If you can stick to it, it work says Dr. Feinman
Another advocate of the low carbohydrate dietary approach, Richard D. Feinman, PhD, founder of the Metabolism Society and co-Editor-In-Chief of the journal, Nutrition & Metabolism, has stated “Many people are essentially cured of their type 2 diabetes by low carbohydrate diets but that message is not getting out”. While agreeing that many patients have difficulty staying on the low carb diet, he contends that for those who do, it can mean a life free from insulin and diabetic drugs. Dr. Feinman is also Professor of Biochemistry at Downstate Medical Center (SUNY) in New York.
There are many valid reasons given to support the views of its opponents regarding why the low carbohydrate diet is not appropriate. One of the major reservations is that the diet, as well as being low in carbs, is also high in proteins and fats. High protein consumption drains calcium from the body and overworks the kidneys. The high dietary fats include saturated fat and that, they say, brings additional problems, especially fats of the type found in some well-known diets such as the Atkins Diet that includes steak, eggs and bacon, whole milk, butter cheese, and ice cream. Saturated fats are associated with health problems such as high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and heart disease.
Countering that criticism, professor Feinman, on many pages of his Nutrition & Metabolism journal states, almost it seems as a mantra:
“The deleterious effects of fat have been measured in the presence of high carbohydrate. A high fat diet in the presence of high carbohydrate is different than a high fat diet in the presence of low carbohydrate.”
The Metabolism Society, founded by Dr. Feinman, does not advocate any particular dietary approach but believes that low-carbohydrate diets for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, should be more fully investigated.
Neither dietary approach is ideal and anyway, one approach does not fit everyone
For the low carbohydrate dietary approach, perhaps we need better ways as individual diabetic patients to learn how to deal with the difficulties of staying on it long-term. But how will we be affected by the other conditions and problems cited by our medical specialists that apparently accompany a low carbohydrate diet? And what is known about the long-term effects for those who are prepared to follow it?
The high-carbohydrates raise blood glucose and insulin secretion, increasing the risk of obesity and in many instances will require the inclusion of drugs to manage the diabetic condition. There is a long history to draw on when reviewing the effectiveness of the high carbohydrate approach.
It is obvious to all that the instances of diabetes are increasing dramatically almost everywhere. And that is accompanied by the possibly contributing factor of widespread obesity. In a world where great numbers of people are starving to death daily, we have a population virtually eating themselves into their graves.
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when I learned I had type2 Diabetes, I knew that I had to change my diet or die slowly and unpleasantly. so–I cut my carbs to 100 per day and my calories to 1500 per day. It is not so hard to stick to and the best thing is that my HbA1c is 5.3 and that I have lost 50 lbs.
“Saturated fats are associated with health problems such as high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and heart disease.”
I have not had “ONE” carb in over a year! All I eat is 1 ribeye and mabe some eggs and bacon a day. I have also had my Cholesterol checked mabe 6 times during the course of a year and my triglycerides are in the low 50′s which the doctor’s want you to be around 150 benchmark. So I am almost 100 points under benchmark! Triglycerides turns into sugar basically in the system. So how is it possible Saturated fat’s make your cholesterol higher? My energy is so high I have to cut back on the fat from steaks sometimes since “fat” is the energy source of my body since I eat this way. My doctor told me after I lost 80 pounds I was in the best shape of my life and then I told him how I was eating. All vitamins and nutrients needed come from meat. America keep drinking and giving Juices to children thinking it is healthy and wonder why your children gets diabetes??? Everyone seems to think they know about what’s good for them but has never really read any information about how the body actually works. Keep eating carbs which in return makes a insulin roller-coaster up and down along with blood sugar levels. That’s why you get sleepy after a big dinner. Next is diabetes and you will be taking a good ol shot of insulin!!! No such thing as calorie in calorie out! of course if you starve your body you will look like Michael Jackson all frail with no muscle mass and bones. Skinny skeleton? I eat probably 5-6000 calories a day. Sometimes I eat 2 ribeye’s a day and I am 35 years old leaner than I was in my 20′s. So starving yourself with craving’s galore and counting calories is not a fix to people’s problems. Saturated fat gives level energy and no craving’s since blood sugar and insulin levels are alway’s level and not like you on a Six Flags roller coaster.
Well, if you are thriving on that good luck to you, i wish you all the best. But for the rest us who are of average height and not overweight or not very much overweight, and not excessively active, 5-6000 calories per day is way more than we need to meet our bodies requirements. Carbs are OK, in fact can be great if they are the right type, Low GL, and not too many of course. I try to take in about 25percent protein, 25 percent fats (no more than 10 percent saturated) and 50 percent carbs in a calorie intake of about 2000 per day. I don’t gain weight but ddn’t lose any either, when my sugars get extra high it is because I’ve eaten apple pie or some other goody. And none of the meals should be too large, about the same for each is probably the best.