Introduction.
Cases of diabetes are currently on the rise yet most of them are preventable while some can even be reversed if people adopt healthy lifestyles. Taking steps to control or prevent diabetes is not a deprivation of diet, as many would think, but it is a step taken to control glucose intake in the body, which result to rise in insulin levels. Eating right should be a concern whether one is diagnosed with diabetes or not, and being diabetic does not mean that one cannot eat right. Diabetes involves a lot of changes in the diet, which many consider as deprivation to the pleasure of meals. However, one can still have the pleasure in meals without the feeling of deprivation or hunger, but this takes determination and plan.
There are changes in the diet when diagnosed with diabetes: Sugary diets, carbohydrates, and fats have to be regulated in their intake while in some extreme cases have to be done away with altogether (Roth, 2011). However, in most diabetic cases, such foods are either decreased or increased in their intake. In diabetes 2 for instance, the intake of carbohydrates and fats is recommended so that glucose intake levels in the body are reduced (Brown, 2008). Balancing of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and taking a lot of vegetables is mostly the challenge as most people are more skewed to taking a lot of carbohydrates other than vegetables. In this condition, one should take large portions of vegetables, and a small serving of carbohydrates and proteins.
Most diabetic foods are considered expensive, therefore, to fit in the meal plan a lot has to be spent. On the other hand, a lot of meal components have to be dropped, and this creates the balance in expenditure. Foods like beans, rice, grains, pasta, and starchy vegetables should appear more in ones plate as compared to before the diagnose (Brown, 2008). It is recommended that one should have such meal servings six or more times in a day. This implies changes in meal times as one has to shift from the breakfast, lunch and supper trend to a three to four hour gap in feeding.
Fiber is amongst the largest skipped components in most meals as indicated by a World Health Organization Report in 2010. Most people tend to ignore on the importance that fiber has on the digestive system. Being diabetic means taking a lot of fibers to fasten the digestive process system, so that glucose is generated and absorbed in a faster rate. Whole grain foods such as brown rice, beans, bran cereals, crackers, tortillas provide high levels of fiber, therefore, recommended (DeBruyne et al, 2008). Such foods are considered to be sugarless by many, and are always a challenge especially while being fed to children.
Diabetes also has an effect on the choices of fruits to be consumed. It is recommended to take whole fruits such as citrus, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits, other than taking mangoes, bananas, pawpaw, etc, which are considered to add on glucose. However, this is dependent on the diabetic type as in cases of diabetes 1; the reverse is recommended so that insulin levels are increased.
One of the key effects that diabetes has on the diet is that eating time has to be planned. This is the most challenging aspect as it requires timing, and consideration of food quantities. In children, for example, planning the meals may imply changing food types to the child, which may be a challenge as the child may not understand. A meal plan acts as a guide to proper amounts of carbohydrates and fats required in the body (Brown, 2008). Such meals should also provide enough calories required in the body in maintaining a healthy weight. A meal plan allows time regulation whereby one has to take meals in portions contrary to a normal lifestyle. The effect is that meals have to be taken in small portions, and in a timed manner. There has to be a difference between a shovelful and a spoonful of food. Overtime the condition demands to be satisfied with small portions of food than having a lot of food at once (Roth, 2011).
Consistency in meals is also another change that goes along with diabetes. Contrary to what may be considered as a normal lifestyle, once diagnosed with diabetes meals and snacks should be consumed at the same times, each day. Skipping meals or snacks is not recommended as one has to be keen on the types and amounts of glucose in the blood (DeBruyne et al, 2008).
Conclusion.
High levels of blood sugar are equivalent to any poison in the body such that while health experts talk about mercury everyone becomes upset, but when it comes to matters of increased blood sugars, most people do not respond. The effect of diabetes on meals and the changes that one has to adapt to may not happen overnight. However, making changes that may assist in avoiding further damage to ones kidneys, heart, eyes and nerves should not be anything taken by chance. If the changes are meant to improve an individual’s health they should not be considered as deprivation of the pleasure of food, rather as a new lifestyle adding to health.
Reference.
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Brown, R. M. (2008). Diabetes: Good food choices : more than 100 delicious, nutritious recipes suitable for people with diabetes--and everyone else!. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications.
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DeBruyne, L. K., Pinna, K., Whitney, E. N., & Cataldo, C. B. (2008). Nutrition and diet therapy: Principles and practice. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
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Roth, R. A. (2011). Nutrition & diet therapy. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
