The ADA Diet

By Christina Jobes

Good nourishment and sensible eating habits is extremely significant for a diabetic. The Yankee Diabetes association endorses the ADA diet to all diabetics across the nation. The ADA diet serves as a guideline to help ensure that you are eating healthy and consuming the required vitamins and minerals that the body needs.

Guidelines - The ADA is recommending that a diabetic person eat foods daily from the four major food groups. By following these axioms, you will ensure that your body receives all of the nutrients that it needs in order to function to the best of its capability. A few of these nutriments include: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins.

Carbohydrates provide energy for the body. Unfortunately there are good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. Good carbohydrates include items like : beans, lentils, whole grains, and cereals. When the body breaks carbohydrates down, sugar is produced ; hence watch your carbohydrate intake.

Proteins are another source of energy for the body and are very important for the body's expansion. Proteins have the facility to help maintain level blood glucose results. This is the reason why whenever one has a low blood glucose level, eating a carbohydrate and a protein is recommended. The carbohydrate supplies the body with the sugar which causes the blood glucose level to rise while the protein ensures the level stays there and doesn't drop back down.

High fiber foods and low glycemic index foods are very healthy for diabetics and are highly recommended in the ADA diet. High fiber foods includes : beans, whole grains, peas, and so on. High fiber foods help to reduce high blood glucose levels as well as high blood-fat levels. The ADA diet does make allowance for you to have fat in your diet, but in the right proportions. Avoid - The ADA diet requires that you keep away from foods that are high in fat. Pick meats that are lean and have low fat content. Use olive oil or flax seed oil for cooking. Take away the skin of chicken before eating. Skim or low fat milk is always commended instead of full fat milk.

Low sodium content in your diet is also commended. Keep away from foods that are high in salt and restrict your salt usage during cooking. Learn to read nutrition labels as there are hidden sources of salt in foods such as canned soups. Naturally, sugar intake should be totally removed in the suggested ADA diet. This implies elimination of table sugar, sugar coated cereals, canned soda, syrup, etc should not be consumed. Alcoholic beverages should also be dumped in the ADA diet. Since alcohol acts like sugar in your blood stream, alcoholic beverages are not an excellent idea. - 29887

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