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| Grain products are often baked, and are rich sources of complex and simple carbohydrates. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects millions of Americans. There are two types of Diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes, used to be known more commonly as juvenile diabetes because of its common onset in childhood. Diabetes Mellitus, or Type 2 Diabetes, occurs more often than the first type. It affects over 80% of all people afflicted with this condition. It usually begins in adulthood, but is being seen more and more among children as incidences of obesity continue to rise.
Diabetics have difficulties with insulin production. Insulin is a hormone that is needed by the pancreas to properly convert sugar into energy for the metabolism to use it as fuel for bodily functions. Diabetics have excess glucose in their blood. Complications of this condition include kidney damage, cardiovascular problems and even death.
Diabetic concerns: The important role of carbohydrates in your diet
A diagnosis of diabetes doesn’t have to be a life sentence, however. The condition, although chronic, is treatable. The symptoms of diabetes can be reduced and better managed with certain lifestyle changes. Dieting and weight loss is strongly recommended for diabetics of all ages and at all stages of the condition, but what kind of diet is recommended for people with diabetes? What role do carbohydrates play in that diet?
That problem seems to have become compounded with the onset of the low-carb diet craze. Carbohydrates are seen as the ‘bad guys’, but the fact is that there are good carbohydrates and bad ones. One must learn how to distinguish between the two.
Many people don’t even know how to define the term, however. So, what is a carbohydrate? A carbohydrate is a chemical compound found in food that is made up of sugars. They come from the starchy parts of plants, including grains. These substances convert easily into sugar for the body to use as fuel.
That sugar is called glucose. When a person eats too many carbohydrates, especially those of the simple variety, they will have an overabundance of glucose in the blood. If one is diabetic, they already have too much glucose in their system. Therefore, many diabetics are told to limit their intake of carbohydrates.
There are two types of carbohydrates. These are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates include white flour, sugar, bakery goods, candy and junk foods in general. These products have had their nutritional value processed out of them. Most experts agree that these products should not be a normal part of a diet plan. However, they can be eaten on occasion as a rare indulgence.
Complex carbohydrates are found in vegetables such as spinach, kale, asparagus and many more. They’re also in unprocessed grains like brown rice, cracked wheat, amaranth and quinoa. These items require more work for the body to process and don’t cause such difficulty for the pancreas and insulin production. In fact, complex carbohydrates have been found to keep blood glucose levels fairly stable. These items also have less processing and more vitamins and minerals. They are an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.
The low-carb craze can bring special challenges for the diabetic. Some of these plans don’t distinguish between good and bad carbs, which is unfortunate. Many of these plans don’t count calories and are high in dietary fat from animal protein, cheeses, butter and oils. Too much protein is not good for a diabetic as it can affect the kidneys. In some cases, too many ketones (burned off fat that enters the bloodstream) can lead to trouble with these already overworked organs and cause a potentially-fatal condition known as ketone acidosis.
In fact, foods aren’t really made up of such simple formulas as just carbohydrates, fats or protein. Most foods have a combination of each in them. High fat foods can also make it harder to lose weight than eating a diet that is balanced with complex carbohydrates and lean proteins. They can also cause cardiovascular problems.
Diabetics should watch the carbohydrate count in their foods, but they needn’t avoid them. Carb and calorie counting can help a diabetic monitor their intake and the affect that the foods they eat will have on their blood sugar. It’s balance, not elimination that should be the goal.
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