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A question that deserves some attention as the Centers for Disease Control has estimated that 57 million people are in danger of becoming diagnosed with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, attributed mostly to poor food choices and lack of exercise, accounts for 95% of the 23 million diabetics already diagnosed in the United States.

No better time than now to evaluate your chances by understanding these 7 common symptoms of poor sugar choices in your diet.

1. Oops, Is That My Belly? The body’s storage capacity for carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, sweets and other starchy and sugary foods) is quite limited so any excess carbs are converted, via insulin, into fat and stored in the fatty tissue. Insulin, stimulated by excess carbohydrates is responsible for adipose fat. This is the type of fat that collects in your abdominal region causing bulging stomachs and fat rolls in thighs.

2. I’ve Lost My Spark? Do you feel tired in the morning, no energy for fun after work or lethargic after eating? Once simple sugars are digested in your body they are metabolized and should be available for energy. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body – it’s purpose is to be used for energy. However too much processed sugar disrupts the balance so that glucose can’t get into your cells and instead builds up in your blood, causing fatigue.

3. What’s Going On With All That Gas? Does your body feel sluggish? Is your digestion slow? A healthy gut is made up of the friendly microflora (good bacteria) that reside in your intestines and should keep you healthy and strong. Over time, antibiotics, pasteurized and processed foods, along with a lifestyle of constant stress will damage this inner ecosystem. An unhealthy inner ecosystem can lead to a digestive tract that functions inefficiently causing bloating, excess gas with constipation or diarrhea.

4. More and More Sugar, Please. Low blood sugar occurs when glucose is used up too quickly, glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly or too much insulin is released into the bloodstream. You may feel dizzy, fatigued, have double or blurry vision, rapid heart rate, cold sweats or unexplained nervousness. Your body is often craving that snack or sugary drink to relieve the symptom you have by raising the glucose level of your blood.

5. Only Old People Check Their Blood Pressure. High blood pressure often has no noticeable symptoms so don’t wait to start checking it. In a study conducted at the University of Colorado researchers found that people who consumed 74 grams or more per day of fructose had a 77% greater risk of having blood pressure levels of 160/100. For comparison, a normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80. Certain sugars break down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one of which is uric acid. Uric acid may be elevating your blood pressure.

6. How Can I Still Be So…..Hungry? Sugar is processed in the liver. When you eat too much sugar, your liver can’t process it fast enough, instead it turns it into fats which go into your bloodstream in the form of triglycerides High amounts of triglycerides causes your brain to sense starvation and prompts you to eat more even when you should be full.

7. Seems I am Eating Sweets To Feed Those Darn Yeast? Sugar encourages the growth of yeast and suppresses your body’s natural immunity. If you are experiencing recurring infections this is a sign that the digestive tract is out of balance. Without the proper amount of good bacteria in the gut, yeast and harmful bacteria will take over causing infections.

A small percentage of pregnant women, between about three percent and eight percent, develop a condition known as gestational diabetes during their pregnancy, often starting around the twenty sixth week, but it can be earlier. It is a temporary form of diabetes that normally ends with the birth of the new baby.

Although a temporary form, gestational diabetes must be taken seriously and properly treated, probably with the implementation of a custom gestational diabetes diet devised by a dietitian and perhaps an addition of some physical exercise to the daily routine.

Like all forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes is characterized by the existence of higher than normal levels of glucose in the bloodstream. The source of the glucose is the foods eaten each day and primarily from the foods with significant carbohydrate content.

An appropriate gestational diabetes diet will provide all the essential nutrients, the proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals for the continuing good health of mother and baby but will pay special attention to the carbohydrate foods that cause the greatest affect in raising blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential sources of energy needed by the cells of the body. Carbohydrates are composed of molecules of sugars, starches, and fiber, joined together in a chainlike structure. They can be described as “simple” or “complex”, depending on the number of and type of sugar molecules that make up the chain. After being eaten, the body’s digestive system converts and breaks down the carbohydrate chains to individual glucose molecules that are then passed into the bloodstream.

For the person with diabetes, the simple carbohydrates are the biggest problem because their sugars enter the bloodstream quickly compared with those of the complex carbohydrates. The diabetic condition involves an impairment in the body’s system to easily process and absorb the sugars and that results in the higher blood sugar levels that must be avoided or minimized as much as possible because they can lead to more serious health conditions if not controlled.

Because of the foregoing, it is likely that the gestational diabetes diet will eliminate the simple carbohydrate foods, the sweet tasting products that are high in sugars, such as cookies, table sugar, honey, candy, pies, pastries, and cake.

As well as allowing a more gradual entry of glucose into the bloodstream there is an additional nutritional advantage in depending more on complex carbohydrates in the diet because they usually provide additional vitamins, minerals, and fiber, beneficial for good health.

The choice of good carbohydrates for the diet will include such foods as fresh fruits and most vegetables (but probably not potatoes and possible a few others), legumes, beans, nuts and seeds, whole grain breads and cereals.

A balanced diet will also provide an appropriate ratio of proteins and fats in relation to the carbohydrates.

Proteins

Foods in this nutrient category, with some exceptions due to personal preferences, are: lean meats, fish, chicken without the skin, low fat cheeses and milk, eggs, yogurt. The carbohydrate content of these protein foods is minimal.

Fats

Essential for good health, fats should be mainly unsaturated fats with fewer saturated and transfats. Good fats are found in olive oil, canola and other vegetable oils and in many nuts such as hazel nuts, almonds, walnuts and Brazil nuts. The omega-3 fatty acids are also found in cold water fish such as salmon, preferably of the wild variety in preference to farmed fish.

Beverages

Eight glasses of liquid daily is a common recommendation with water as the main source. Avoid sugary pops and soft drinks. Caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee may be approved by the dietitian but probably limited to two per day. There are non caffeinated forms of those popular drinks.
Usually, sweeteners such as Nutrasweet and Equal that use aspartame are acceptable and also Splenda find favor with dietitians.

The general guidelines are to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grain cereals and breads, while avoiding processed, refined, and fried foods and saturated fats as much as possible. Choose low fat dairy foods and lean meats and skinless poultry. Eat enough but don’t eat too much. And if the doctor approves, exercise, even moderate exercise can be beneficial, during pregnancy and long after.

In conclusion

The doctor and the supporting healthcare team, including the dietitian are the authorities and will monitor and manage the pregnancy and any accompanying gestational diabetes.

Diabetics need a special diet. They need to watch what they eat to help regulate their blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels could rise and fall depending on the amount and type of food consumed. For people suffering from diabetes this becomes unpredictable and therefore could become deadly if not managed properly. High blood sugar levels could lead to several health complications, while really low blood sugar levels could result into a diabetic coma.

However, this does not mean that diabetics could not eat certain foods. They can, in fact, eat what they want, as long as it’s in the right proportions. A diabetes menu should be low in sugar and should contain plenty of vitamins and proteins. If you’re a diabetic, you might want to learn how to read the nutritional labels on foods. There are also books that could help you understand the nutritional values of certain foods. Like for example, when something is said to be sugar free, it doesn’t always mean that it is. If it’s listed as having carbohydrates on its nutritional label then technically it has sugar in it.

If you’re planning to start a diabetic menu, it’s best to consult a dietician or perhaps purchase a diabetic cookbook. Cookbooks such as those can provide you with diabetes friendly recipes. They can also help teach you what to buy or eat, and what to avoid.

You might also want to check out the glycaemic index or GI. The GI rates how much certain foods can affect the blood sugar levels. Foods that have high GI rates cause the blood sugar levels to rise quickly. These are carbohydrates that are broken down easily during digestion, causing the rise in the blood sugar levels. While foods that have low GI rates are carbohydrates that are broken down little by little during digestion, causing a slower rise in the blood glucose levels.

If you’re looking for a healthy diabetic menu, you need to include more low ranking GI foods into your diet. Some low GI foods include condensed fat yogurt and milk; orchard fruits like pears, apples, peaches and oranges; sweet potatoes; sweet corn; whole grain breads and other breads like fruit loaves, soy and linseed; basmati or doongara rice; breakfast cereals like oats, porridge and bran; pasta and noodles; and legumes.

You also need to watch out for the types of condiments you use. Condiments such as ketchup, steak sauce should be used in moderation. These contain sugars so you should be careful in using them. Flour also contains carbohydrates, so anything that has breading on it like crispy fried chicken or breaded pork, should be consumed sparingly.

Preparing a diabetes menu may seem trivial but once you get started on it, it won’t seem so difficult and complicated. You just need to educate yourself on which foods you should eat more and which ones you should avoid, which brands you should buy and which ones that are better left on the shelves. You also need to be willing to stick to your menu. All it takes is a little effort and you’d be one your way to a better and healthier life.