Diabetes and Nutrition

Diabetes Mellitus, or Diabetes, is a metabolism disorder. Metabolism is the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. Glucose is the main form of sugar in the blood and is used as fuel for the body. Most of the food people eat is broken down into glucose. Diabetes Mellitus is a very serious disease. It is one of the top 5 causes of death.

GLUCOSE AND INSULIN

Glucose passes into the bloodstream after digestion. There it is used by cells for growth and energy. Insulin must be present for glucose to get into the cells. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas.

PANCREAS AND INSULIN

The pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin needed to move glucose from the blood into the cells. However, with diabetes, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. When this happens, glucose builds up in the blood, then overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Even though the blood contains a large amount of glucose, the body loses its main source of fuel.

DIABETES AND NUTRITION

It is very important for people with diabetes to maintain proper nutrition. A doctor may prescribe a diabetic diet to meet the needs of a particular patient. This diet must be carefully calculated and prepared, since the food must balance with the ability to handle the kind and amount of medication that has been prescribed for them.

DIABETIC DIET

Advertisement A diabetic diet is basically a calorie controlled diet requiring either a reduction or increase in calories. The diabetic diet, like all diets, must be personalized in order to meet the specific needs of each individual person.

CALORIE CONTROLLED DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Calorie controlled diets are also used for weight management. Low calorie diets should be monitored especially if the person is grossly obese. One pound a week can be lost if a diet is reduced to 500 calories a day. Low calorie diets may be ordered anywhere from 800-1800 calories. The range is generally 1000-1500 for women and 1200-1800 for men. Of course, this varies depending on each person’s individual dietary needs.

CALORIE CONTROLLED DIET FOR WEIGHT GAIN

Metabolic problems may appear in people who are underweight. Tests for any abnormal conditions should be performed. The proper diet can be prescribed once a diagnosis is made. If a person needs to gain weight, a 3500 - 5000 calorie diet may be ordered. This would include 3 meals and 3 high protein, high calorie snacks per day.

Recipe4Nutrition.com provides individualized diets for many diseases and conditions. You can also go to the American Diabetes Association, for more information. If you have diabetes or suspect that you do, please consult your physician to obtain proper care to maintain a healthy lifestyle.