A balanced diet is essential to maintain a healthy body, reduce the risk of some diseases and contribute to the management of some, such as diabetes.
In case of having this chronic condition, it is important to follow medical recommendations to avoid health complications. According to the World Health Organization diabetes is an important cause of blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure, among others.
The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clinical practice, education and research, points out that a meal plan is important to control blood glucose and other risk factors.
“When you consume excess calories and fat, your body creates an unwanted rise in blood glucose. If you don’t keep your blood glucose under control, it can lead to serious problems, such as high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) which, if they persist, can cause long-term complications, including nerve, kidney, and heart damage.” Mayo Clinic experts detail.
Medline Plus, the website of the United States National Library of Medicine, explains that a balanced diet is essential to combat diabetes. He recommends that a variety of foods from all groups be included:
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and oatmeal.
- Proteins, such as lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, lentils, and tofu.
- Fat-free or low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Likewise, it also points out that some important changes must be made, such as moderating or avoiding the consumption of some drinks and foods, which have a high carbohydrate content. Some of them are:
- Sugary foods like candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, sweetened cereals, and canned fruits with added sugar.
- Drinks with added sugars, such as juices, regular sodas, and regular sports or energy drinks.
- White rice, tortillas, breads and pastas, especially those made with white flour.
- Starchy vegetables, such as white potatoes, corn, and peas.
Types of diabetes:
- Diabetes type 1: this type of diabetes is the least common. It can occur at any age, but it is usually suffered by children, adolescents or young adults. It is characterized by a deficient production of insulin, the body does not produce or produces in minimal amounts. This diabetes requires daily injections of insulin (the hormone that transports glucose). The medical cause of this disease is not yet known and it cannot be prevented either, due to little knowledge regarding it. Some of the symptoms of this type of diabetes are constant hunger, weight loss, vision disturbances, excessive excretion of urine and fatigue.
- Type 2 diabetes: This type of diabetes is the most common. It usually occurs in adulthood (overweight), however it is now increasingly occurring in children. In this disease the body is resistant to insulin and does not use it as it should. Although it is diagnosed in obese adults, not all people with type 2 diabetes are obese. This disease has symptoms similar to those of type 1 diabetes, but they occur silently. In some cases, people do not know they have diabetes of this type and are diagnosed much later, which increases the risks and complications in the body.
- Gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes appears in pregnancy. This disease increases the risk of complications in childbirth. At the same time that the mother and child develop type 2 diabetes in the future.
