Diabetes kills 200,000 Americans annually and greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. It even is epidemic among our children.

Some goals to seriously consider.

1. Limit carbohydrate servings, especially high glycemic foods. 
   
   Carbohydrates include sugars, all starches, including bread, pastas, cereals rice beans, etc. and fiber, and 1 serving is about 15 g. People with or without diabetes should eat a diet that includes carbohydrate, particularly from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk. Several studies show that carbohydrate, no matter its source (eg, cakes, corn, cereal, candy), produces about the same response in blood sugar; therefore, it is the total amount of carbohydrate in meals and snacks that is most important, not the type of carbohydrate.
    
2. Lose body fat.
   
   FAT loss reduces blood sugar and after reaching FAT-loss goals, some patients no longer need their diabetes medications. Calorie restriction is necessary for losing weight, but the very low-calorie diets (< 800 calories/day) are not effective for long-term weight loss. Most people need 1200 to 2000 calories/day, depending on metabolic needs and activity level. It is helpful to get an idea of what a patient’s typical daily caloric intake is and then work with that patient on ways to cut back on calories. This might include substituting low-fat dressings for regular, using mustard instead of mayonnaise, eating lean meats instead of fatty ones. Also, nonnutritive sweeteners, which have few or no calories, are safe when consumed within the acceptable daily intake levels established by the FDA.
   
   Low-carbohydrate diets promote weight-loss by replacing carbohydrates with high fiber foods and good monounsaturated fat to assist your body in BURNING FAT instead of storing fat. e weight gain.¹ The ADA does not make any recommendations on using one of these popular diets over another (eg, Atkins, the Zone), but evidence suggests that these diets are beneficial in helping people lose weight.³ More research needs to be done, however, to assess long-term success and potential risks.   The best weight-loss program involves routine exercise, which is defined as exercising on most days of the week for at least 30 minutes. All diabetes patients should discuss exercise programs with their physician before beginning.
    
3. Restrict protein in the presence of renal dysfunction.
   
   For people with diabetes, there is no evidence to suggest that usual protein intake (15%–20% of total daily energy) should be modified if renal function is normal. If there is renal dysfunction, however, protein should be restricted to 8 mg/kg/day. A natural herbal kidney cleanse is recommended.
    
4. Limit partially hydrogenated and trans fatty acids. Partially hydrogenated fats are in all processed packaged food. Trans fatty acids are created when oil is heated. All fried foods, French fries and potato chips have trans fatty acids. These two types of fats are man made fats and are very detrimental to the circulatory system and should be avoided like the plague!
    
5. Limit alcohol consumption.
   
   It is important to tell those patients with diabetes who would like to drink alcohol when and how much it is safe to drink and still keep their diabetes under control. Alcohol can cause serious fluctuations in blood sugar levels, particularly when combined with oral diabetes medications or insulin. The liver normally keeps a person’s blood sugar from going too low by releasing glucose into the blood. When a person drinks, the liver is not able to maintain this action because it is breaking down the alcohol. Therefore, if a diabetes patient is taking insulin or other diabetes medication and consumes alcohol, his or her blood sugar may become too low.  On the other hand, alcohol does contain calories and carbohydrates, which can cause the blood sugar to rise. These 2 things must be factored into the patient’s eating plan to keep blood sugar under control and to maintain or lose weight. Alcohol also raises triglyceride levels, which is main cause of heart attacks and strokes.

   Health Questions?

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