Type 2 Diabetes - Will Organic Fruit And Vegetables Really Help Ward Off Diabetes Symptoms?

Type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable and eating more fresh vegetables is often the advice given to diabetics at diagnosis. Although this is the age of organic eating this does not mean the fresh fruit and vegetables in your eating plan need to be organic.



It almost looks like the hippies of old have finally won, and the world is saying, "peace, love and if you don't grow it yourself you shouldn't be eating it in the first place". Needless to say, that slogan wouldn't be catchy enough for most t-shirts. But regardless, a lot of people have been completely sold on the notion of eating organic produce. But believe it or not, a lot of people don't realize a lot of things about organic food they really should. And not just because it's expensive, but also because this has an effect on your health. Seriously, when your health is at stake, you really can't know too much.



For one thing, did you know that no studies have ever shown that organic produce is any healthier, or contributes in any way to better health, than regular fresh produce? While it is more emotionally appealing to think that organic food must be better for you because they don't use chemical pesticides on it, the fact is that these pesticides are washed and cooked off before you eat them anyway. Even eating fruits off of trees where pesticides were used makes absolutely no difference, as far as the medical and scientific communities have been able to identify. That is the main reason why there is no legal definition for organic produce... and thus, there is little to no capacity to verify one way or the next.



Taking a step back, all "organic" means is that the growing methods used did not include any chemical pesticides. While chemicals such as DDT are now illegal for anyone to use, modern farmers have been using all sorts of other pesticides for well over a hundred years. And probably they are going to continue using all manner of weed killing, bug killing and whatever other types of pesticides that are necessary to make sure their crops grow up healthy enough so they can be sold at market.



There is not even a legal requirement for a food product to be called "organic" on its packaging, so there isn't even any proof (or any way to find out), of the validity of such a claim.



Whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or not, there is no evidence to suggest that eating organically grown products is any healthier than eating any other freshly grown goods. While it's admirable people want to do whatever it takes to make their bodies work better, this is a little on the misguided side. Focus on eating fresh foods with low glycemic indexes and glycemic loads, and stay active.

Diabetes Diet, What Are The 10 Best Fruits And Vegetables For Diabetic Patients

This is the question my diabetic patients always ask. Hopefully this article will enhance your knowledge about diet for a diabetic patient.



AVOID THESE FOODS



If you are a diabetic patient try to avoid following list of foods.



1-Sugar, artificial sweeteners and honey. However you may take sweetener like stevia. It is difficult to omit sugar from your diet at-once, I will recommend you to decrease sugar in your diet gradually.



2-You should stop taking sweets and chocolates. If you are in a party and want to take chocolate, then preferably try to take Continental dark chocolate with at-least 70% or more cocoa solids, and try to avoid chocolates where sugar is the first named ingredient



3-Try to avoid foods containing ingredients end in (ol) or (ose) as these are mainly different forms of carbohydrates like fructose, glucose, dextrose.



4-Avoid grains like cakes, biscuits, pies, tarts, breakfast cereals, wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, bread, pasta, pastry,



5-Avoid vegetables which contain larger amount of starch and carbohydrates like potatoes,carrots, peas, beans, parsnips, beet.



6-Also avoid fruits like watermelon, mangoes, banana, Chikoos(Pakistani), jackfruit, grapes, Strawberry, Sugarcane.



7-You may take milk but in small quantity. Avoid fat yogurts and cheese. Also be careful not to drink too much coffee or tea and add only as much sugar as in needed for taste.



8-Avoid commercially packaged foods like TV dinners, "lean" or "light" in particular, and snack foods, fast foods.



9-Avoid fresh fruit juices as these are highly concentrated carbohydrates. If you like fruit juices you may dilute one part of juice with 3 or 4 parts of water.



10-Always avoid saturated fats like fatty meat, full fat dairy products, butter, lard. Try to prefer unsaturated fats like olive oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, soy oil. Avoid cottage cheese as it has a high carbohydrate content and very little fat



You must be thinking that I have mentioned here all the stuff, and nothing is left to eat, these are foods you can eat:



1-You may take fruits like apple, Grapefruit, Lime, Peaches. You must divide your fruit and vegetable diet in five portions through all the day, by Spreading the fruit you eat through the day helps to avoid a sudden rise in blood sugar levels.



2-You must take high fibre diet. Fibrous diet is Cereals, Fruits, Nuts, Pulses, Seeds, Vegetables. Fibrous diet not only lowers your glucose level but also decreases blood cholesterol.



3-Always try to take whole grain rather than processed food and take things like whole-wheat spaghetti and brown rather than white rice(Indian Pakistani). Pakistani and Indian people do like white rice very much, but if you are diabetic, please avoid these.



4-You may take meat of lamb, beef once or twice a week. Organ meats can also be taken like liver kidneys and heart to meat your vitamin needs.



5-Try to take white meat like poultry chicken fish meat duck etc.



6-You may take Fish and seafood of all types. It is recommended to boil, steam, bake or grill fish rather than frying it.



7-Always prefer non-fatty dairy products such as "skimmed milk", non-fat cheese and yogurt.



8-You may take eggs as well but try to take whitish part not the yellow one as it may increase your cholesterol level.



9-All cheeses can be taken except cottage cheese.



10-You may take all vegetables, onion and garlic are known for decreasing blood glucose level.



Generally Type 2 diabetic patients need 1500-1800 calorie diet per day to promote weight loss, however calories requirement may vary depending upon patients age, sex, activity level and body weight. 50% of total daily required calories should come from carbohydrates.One gram of carbohydrate is about 4 calories. A diabetic patient on a 1600 calorie diet should get 50% of these calories from carbohydrate. In other words it will be equal to 800 Calories from Carbohydrates, it means you have to take 200gms of carbohydrates everyday.It is better that you buy food tables with calories measurements to know more about your daily required food.

Diabetic Diets - A List of Fruits and Vegetables to Eat

Almost all fruits and vegetables are good when you are on a diabetic diet if consumed in appropriate amounts.



The benefits fresh fruit and raw vegetables have to offer a person with diabetes or other manifestation of blood sugar handling problems are many.



Consuming raw produce is important because canning, freezing, or cooking kills all of the beneficial enzymes and most of the essential nutrients these natural foods have to offer.



What Is Diabetes?



Diabetes is defined by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood and the body's inability to either make or utilize insulin, which is the substance that takes sugar from the bloodstream and puts it into the body's cells.



When insulin is able to put blood sugar into the cells to be burned as energy it lowers the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. The functioning of insulin from the moment it is produced in the pancreas to its ability to transfer blood sugar into the cells will largely determine whether diabetes exists or not.



Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions and is a threat to health throughout the world.



It is a growing threat because of the changing diet of the worlds population. More cooked and processed foods are being consumed in greater quantities than they have been in the past.



More than 150 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide with great concentrations in the United States and Great Britain. The U.S. and U.K. account for the fastest growth rate of the incidence of diabetes in the world.



Diabetes is implicated in the rising incidence of heart disease, arterial disease, kidney failure, blindness, and neuropathy, a painful and debilitating condition caused by diabetes affecting the nerves leading to the extremities.



Vegetable List For Diabetics



A list of fruits and vegetables to eat when you are diabetic or attempting to avoid diabetes is extensive and includes many of the common vegetables you are familiar with.



It is always smart to contact your physician or take a class designed for diabetics so you know what size portion to eat of any food you will be consuming. Most hospitals can direct you to such a class.



The best fruits for diabetics include:



ท Unripe bananas
ท Sour cherries
ท Fresh coconut
ท Figs (either raw or dried)
ท Fresh lemon
ท Lime



Yes, there are many other fruits but these have an alkalizing affect of your body which may assist in a diabetic situation.



The best vegetables for diabetics also have an alkalizing effect and include:



ท Avocado
ท Tomato
ท Lima beans
ท Carrots
ท Raw red beets
ท Kohlrabi
ท Red and black radishes
ท Rutabaga
ท Turnips
ท Yams (not sweet potato...there is a difference between them!)
ท Artichoke
ท Asparagus
ท Egg Plant
ท Peppers of all types
ท Bok Choy
ท Brussels sprouts
ท Cabbage of all hues
ท Cauliflower
ท Celery
ท Cucumber
ท Endive
ท Lettuce
ท Mustard greens
ท Onions
ท Parsnips
ท Peas
ท Spinach
ท Squash
ท Zucchini



Good Healthful Foods



A well balanced diet is essential for a person suffering from diabetes. Take the time to learn how to eat correctly, adhere to the diet you must to keep this condition under control, and exercise regularly.



Learning what are the best fruits and vegetables to consume is only the beginning. All diabetic diets and a list of fruits and vegetables to eat are useless until you accept that you must follow the dietary mandates your body demands and deserves.