Monday, November 29, 2010

What Every Diabetic Should Know About Carbohydrates

There's no doubt that carbohydrates have a great effect on the diabetic diet. Carbohydrates are the sugars that are released from our food by digestion. These digested sugars often called glucose cause the rise in blood sugar levels. The rise in blood sugar levels cause the release of insulin.Insulin job is to carry glucose to the cells for energy.Insulin keeps blood sugar levels in balance at a very narrow range ideally between 70-110 mg/dl. Our diets of highly processed foods in our modern world are very high in carbohydrates. And to many carbohydrates makes to much glucose in our blood.
Hyperglycemia is a high rise in blood sugar levels, going above the 110 mg/dl level causing a over stimulation of insulin.This is called glycemic stress.And years of glycemic stress leads to Insulin Resistance and type 2 diabetes. Its been commonly believed over the past 100 years,That there are simple carbs such as glucose,fructose,maltose or sucrose that would make your blood sugar level rise faster than the complex carbs,such as bread,potato's,cereal,rice or pasta. These complex carbohydrates are what we see at the base of the USDA food pyramid.suggestion that we eat 5-11 servings a day.Many physicians and dietitian's still recommend this today for a healthy diet. In 1981 a researcher Dr.Jenkins introduced a revolutionary new concept. The Glycemic Index.
The Glycemic Index rates how fast a carbohydrate food brakes down into glucose.This discovery has shown that many of what we thought was good carbohydrates actually turn into glucose faster than the simple carbs. Many complex carbohydrates cause hyperglycemia and over stimulate Insulin. A low carbohydrate diet is effective in the diabetic diet.
This diet eliminates many of the complex carbs and highly processed foods that have a high carbohydrate number on the label.If the nutrition label list only 10 carbs,These can be high Glycemic carbs that digest fast into glucose causing hyperglycemia and over stimulating Insulin.A diet to low in carbs can cause low blood sugar levels to fall below 65 mg/dl.hypoglycemia.
Our body's need a certain amount carbohydrates for optimal health and energy. Starting low Glycemic carbohydrate diet can be very effective in controlling blood sugar levels.A low glycemic carb might have a carbohydrate number of 35 on the nutrition label.But these kind of carbs digest slowly and slowly release a steady amount of glucose into the blood.
Not causing Hyperglycemia.And not over stimulating the use of Insulin. Low glycemic carbohydrates help keep steady blood sugar levels. Giving you more energy through your day.keep you hunger satisfied longer. And also has a side effect of weight loss.

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