Diabetic weight loss plan

Diabetes ranks as the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. with new cases of the disease rising at alarming levels, especially among children and teens. More alarming is the fact that diabetes more than doubles the risk of sudden death from a heart attack.

Weight loss among those suffering from diabetes is very difficult as the body's delicate glucose and lipid balancing mechanisms are disrupted, causing excess pounds to become resistant to traditional diet plans. Following a simple, natural diabetic weight loss plan can provide weight loss relief and health benefits to diabetics and those concerned with preventing this devastating disease.

1. Control Diabetes With Food

The Hippocrates quote 'Let food be thy medicine' holds special meaning when discussing diabetes. Medical advise provided to those newly diagnosed with the disease include a variety of prescription medications and a 'low-fat' diet, which is laden with carbohydrates, both of which lead to a proliferation of diabetes and life threatening complications. Diabetes drugs work by forcing sugar into the cells whether needed or not, and don't address the core problem.

Diabetics are particularly sensitive to the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar and a resulting high level of triglycerides. Excess triglycerides circulating in the blood are directly responsible for fat storage in the body, and too many carbohydrates at any given meal will be converted to this fat storage lipid resulting in weight gain.

To prevent and treat diabetes, it's critical to limit carbohydrates from all sources with each meal. Totally eliminate refined carbohydrates from desserts, potatoes and breads. Even fruits and vegetables in large quantities can create blood sugar problems, depending on individual metabolism.

Be sure to include a fat source with each meal, as this helps to regulate the release of sugar into the blood. Lean protein sources from chicken, turkey and pork as well as nuts and seeds have minimal impact on blood glucose and triglyceride levels.

As you remove junk carbohydrate calories from your diet, it becomes easier to monitor total caloric intake to achieve slow and healthy weight loss. Women should target 1,200 calories diabetic diet a day, and men need around 1,500 calorie diabetic diet for effective weight loss.

2. Monitor After Meal Blood Sugars

The best way to determine your carbohydrate sensitivity is to test your blood sugar at one and two hour intervals after eating. Strong evidence exits which indicates that it's the post meal blood sugar readings which determine the risk for diabetic complications. It's also important for those wishing to avoid this disease, as it provides a real-time reading of overall blood glucose control. Many people are unaware they may be pre-diabetic, or already have the disease.



Read more: http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/top-diabetes-weight-loss-diet/#ixzz0xWiOVzy8