Goals of a Diabetic Diet

Hi! My name is Nikole and I write for the website healhtybalanceddiet.org. I am going to discuss in this video about the goals of a diabetic diet. In the previous video I talked about the diabetic diet guidelines and just a refresher a Diabetic Diet is a balanced and healthy diet crucial for the treatment of diabetes. The main goal of diabetic guidelines is to keep a diabetic’s blood glucose close as possible to a person without diabetes regardless of what type of diabetes a person has. But apart from this, there are other important goals such as: Protecting heart and ensure that cholesterol levels and blood pressure are within normal range Having diabetes increases your risk of developing high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, because diabetes adversely affects the arteries, predisposing them to atherosclerosis which is the hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis can cause high blood pressure, which if not treated, can lead to blood vessel damage, stroke, heart failure, heart attack, or even kidney failure. Keep the person on a healthy weight, if the person is obese, he/she should aim for an achievable, reasonable weight. Adults who are overweight or obese are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes this type of diabetes that is most often diagnosed in adulthood. In fact, approximately 80% to 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. This is partly because excess body fat can cause insulin resistance, a situation where the body makes insulin but the tissues cannot use it properly to help take in blood sugar. Maintain adequate calories in your diet. To keep your blood sugar levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices. A dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education to help you develop a personalized meal plan that fits your lifestyle and activity level, and meets your medical needs.