Keeping Blood Glucose Levels Normal
Healthy Foods That Lower Blood Sugar in Diabetic Menus
Oct 7, 2009
In order to bring blood glucose levels down, a diabetic must first understand why they are high in the first place. Avoiding foods that raise blood sugar, and including healthy foods that lower blood sugar in diabetic menus, can improve blood glucose levels in a diabetic. In order to avoid raising blood sugars for a diabetic, counting carbohydrates is typically necessary. Many changes may be required in a diabetic's diet, so following sample diabetic menus can be helpful in maintaining a normal blood sugar count.
Normal Blood Sugar Count
The normal blood sugar count for a diabetic, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, is anywhere between 70 and 180, depending on whether the reading is taken before or after a meal. This is a contrast to the normal blood sugar count for a non-diabetic, which typically falls between 70 and 120. It is important for a diabetic to find ways to keep his blood glucose levels low, due to the effect of high blood sugar levels on overall health.
Diabetic Health Concerns
When the body does not produce enough insulin to usher glucose into the body's cells for energy, or when the body's cells do not respond properly to the insulin, the glucose that was meant to go into the cells is left in the blood. The excess glucose is filtered out by the kidneys, and excreted in the urine.
In order to produce enough urine to pass all of the extra sugar, the kidneys must pull water from other bodily tissues, resulting in dehydration. The overtaxed kidneys are eventually impacted by the additional load, and bodily organs that are dependent on hydration, such as the eyes, are affected as well.
A Diabetic Counting Carbs Must Read Labels
Diabetic counting requires careful label reading, since many products are labeled as, "sugar free", when they have lactose, fructose, dextrose, corn syrup, or any of a million other versions of sugar in the ingredients. While the small amount of sugar in one such food may not raise the diabetic's blood glucose levels dramatically, the combination of several foods containing hidden sugars can be dangerous.
Sample Diabetic Menus
Sample diabetic menus contain a healthy combination of foods, including meats, and foods containing carbohydrate, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It is important, however, to monitor blood glucose levels after eating food that contain carbohydrate, in order to ensure that the carb-rich foods do not raise blood glucose levels too severely.
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