Diabetes is chronic condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream is too high due to less insulin production or not using the produced insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone produced by an endocrine gland called pancreas. The main role of insulin is to transport glucose (Absorbed during Digestion) to body cells and maintaining its normal level in blood.
Glucose is very necessary to the body as it is later used in ATP synthesis by Glycolysis – which is the energy source for our body. Glucose is absorbed from the foods rich in starch, such as potatoes, chapattis, bananas, bread, rice, sugar and other sweet foods, the liver also produces glucose in the body.
This Glucose is vital to our body. But-When its level increases then it can be fatal to our body.
Normal Glucose Level – 110mg/dl
Pre Diabetic Glucose Level – 140-199mg/dl
Diabetic Glucose Level – 126mg/dl and Above
Note – People are often confused on Diabetes mellitus and Diabetes insipidus. But, these two are different although they have similar name.
The common type of Diabetes (Sugar) which we are discussing here is Diabetes Mellitus whereas Diabetes Insipidus is a condition in which the kidney of our body removes too much fluid.
In this blog we are explaining the Types Of Diabetes, Symptoms Of Diabetes and What Diabetic Patient Should Eat and What They Shouldn’t Eat.
Types of Diabetes
There are mainly 2 types of Diabetes found in human body. These are explained below.
Type 1 – This type of Diabetes develops when the body cannot make insulin. This is usually shown in people before their 40th birthday and is treated by injecting insulin directly into the body.
Type 2 – This type of Diabetes develops when the body can still make insulin, but it is not enough or insulin is not effective in doing its job, this is sometimes called insulin resistance.
Type 2 diabetes generally appears in people over the age of 40, although it is known to appear as young as 25 in people in South Asia and the African Caribbean. 90% of Diabetic Patient in World are Suffering from Type 2 Diabetes.
Type 3 – There another 3rd type of diabetes called Gestational diabetes. It is actually not a diabetes but the condition of increased blood sugar (Glucose) also exists here.
Gestational diabetes is the condition where there occurs increase in glucose level in pregnant woman. It is generally seen during 2nd and 3rd stage of pregnancy and disappears after birth. However, sometime it needs to be cure as it can affect baby in some cases. Generally, Gestational diabetes do not show any symptoms. That is why, the test of pregnant woman should be done to know if she has this diabetes or not.
Symptoms of Diabetes
There are many symptoms in Diabetes. Some patient show many symptoms and some show less symptoms. Here, we have mention some common symptoms of Diabetes which is shown by most of the people.
- Increased volume of Urine
- Frequent Urination
- Due to frequent urination-Occurs Dehydration
- Dehydration cause increased thirst
- Increase Apetitie
- Hands and Legs got thin but the stomach remains Fat
- Tiredness
- Weight loss
- Genital itching
- Slow wound healing
- Infection on Kidney due to release of protein from urine (Micro-albumin Urine)
- Blurred vision
- Easy attack by other diseases
- Vital Organ damages in long term
- Irritability
- Pain in legs and feets
Treatment of Diabetes
For Type-1 Diabetes – Patient should involve regular physical activity and a healthy, balanced diet. Tablets and insulin may also be necessary to ensure that the body maintains a normal level of glucose in the blood.
For Type-2 Diabetes – Patient should change their lifestyle, exercise regularly and most important thing is to change their eating habit. The food which increases glucose level should be avoided and food good for the body should be consumed more.
Food consumed by Diabetic patient should be of low glycemic index – So that the blood sugar level doesn’t rise sharply.
Food for Diabetic Patients
Choosing right food is an important task because it will ultimately help to make our blood glucose level normal. We have to make control in our eating habit. Proper eating habit is one of the most effective way to control Diabetes. Proper amount of calories should be consumed which is required for body. We shouldn’t eat whatever we like. Suffering from Diabetes doesn’t mean that we can’t eat tasty foods. There are some foods which are good to taste that can be eaten in Diabetes condition also.
Here, we have listed the best foods which can be eaten by Diabetic Patient. The list is shown below.
Vegetables – They contains Vitamins, Minerals, Fibers and they are Cholesterol free. That is why they are good for Diabetic patient Some vegetables that can be consumed are Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic, Capsicum, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Lettuce, Eggplant, Spinach, Sprouts, Lentils, Green Beans and Peas.
Fruits – Apple, Pomegranate, Orange, Cherry, Papaya, Citrus Fruits and Avocado.
Dry Fruits – Almonds, Cashew Nut, Pistachio Nut and Walnuts.
Proteins – Skimmed milk, Legumes, Beans, White Fish and Chicken (Remove Skin).
Note – These all foods should be consumed in Proper amount.
8-10 Glass Water should be consumed regularly.
Foods to be Avoided by Diabetic Patients
There are certain food that should be avoided by Diabetic patient. The food which increases our blood sugar level shouldn’t be consumed. Here, we have listed food items that should be completely avoided by Diabetic Patients.
Oily and Fried Items – Paratha, Pakora, Potato fries and Chips.
Junk Foods – Pizza, Burger, Pasta and Packed Items.
Sweet Items – Sugar, Chocolates, Honey, Cake, Pastries and Ice-Cream.
Biscuits – White Breads and Chips.
Vegetables – Potato, Sweet Potato, Jackfruit and Arbi.
Fruits – Mango, Watermelon, Litchi and Grapes.
Protein – Red Meat and Eggs (2 eggs per week can be eaten).
Drinks – Alcohol and Liquor, Cold Drinks, Coffee and Tea.
Note – Rice Should be Avoided.
Author’s Bio – Prakash Bhattarai, Founder and CEO of Blog Agricultural Guide. He Is Currently pursuing Agricultural Science In one of the Top University of Nepal Agriculture and Forestry University. He Has Great Interest in the Field of Agriculture, Food and Helath.
