What’s the best diet for diabetes?

Diabetes is one of the commonest chronic diseases in the world right now.

Most patients want to know what they can eat to better control their medical condition.Well, the good news is that the nutritional needs of a Diabetic patient are virtually the same as everyone else, so no "special foods" are necessary.

But you do need to pay attention to some of your food choices—most notably the carbohydrates you eat.

While following a Mediterranean or other heart-healthy diet can help with this, the most important thing you can do is to lose a little weight.Losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight can help you lower your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

Losing weight and eating healthier can also have a profound effect on your mood, energy, and sense of wellbeing.Even if you’ve already developed diabetes, it’s not too late to make a positive change.

By eating healthier, being more physically active, and losing weight, you can reduce your symptoms or even reverse diabetes. It's not too late.

You have more control over your health than you may think.

Belly fat is the biggest risk for type 2 diabetes.

Being overweight or obese is the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

However, your risk is higher if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen as opposed to your hips and thighs.

A lot of belly fat surrounds the abdominal organs and liver and is closely linked to insulin resistance.

You are at an increased risk of developing diabetes if you are:
A woman with a waist circumference of 35 inches or more.
A man with a waist circumference of 40 inches or more.


Calories obtained from fructose (found in sugary beverages such as soda, energy, and sports drinks, coffee drinks, and processed foods like doughnuts, muffins, cereal, candy, and granola bars) are more likely to add weight around your abdomen.

Cutting back on sugary foods can mean a slimmer waistline as well as a lower risk of diabetes.

Planning a diabetes diet

A diabetic diet doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to give up all your favorite foods.

The first step to making smarter choices is to separate the myths from the facts about eating to prevent or control diabetes.

Myths and facts about diabetes and diet

Myth: You must avoid sugar at all costs.
Fact: You can enjoy your favorite treats as long as you plan properly and limit hidden sugars. Dessert doesn’t have to be off limits, as long as it’s a part of a healthy meal plan.

Myth: You have to cut way down on carbs.
Fact: The type of carbohydrates you eat as well as serving size is key. Focus on whole grain carbs instead of starchy carbs since they’re high in fiber and digested slowly, keeping blood sugar levels more even.

Myth: You’ll need special diabetic meals.
Fact: The principles of healthy eating are the same—whether or not you’re diabetic. Expensive diabetic foods generally offer no special benefit.

Myth: A high-protein diet is best.
Fact: Studies have shown that eating too much protein, especially animal protein, may actually cause insulin resistance, a key factor in diabetes.

A healthy diet includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Our bodies need all three to function properly.

For 18 Best Foods for Diabetic patients, visit https://fit4healthng.com/foods-for-diabetic-patients/

How do I lose weight while still eating my delicious Nigerian foods? This is a common question I get nearly every day because a lot of us believe that it is impossible to lose weight while eating our local foods. Well, good news to you today, Nigerian foods are not the problem, our major issue is how we eat it day in and out.

THE NUMBER ONE FACTOR THAT CAUSES WEIGHT GAIN
While there are lots of factors that cause weight gain, the number one cause is excess caloric intake (1). I totally agree that there are other factors that contribute to weight gain such as genetics, hormone imbalance, gut health, drugs such as steroids, etc, the simple truth is that 99% of weight gain is caused by excess caloric intake(2). Everything we eat and drink on a daily basis contains calories. Whether you don’t eat breakfast, you eat once a day or you just walk past the food (**winks**), you can exceed your daily caloric recommendation. I remember when I will sit down a big loaf of hot fresh agege bread, fried egg and chilled Pepsi yet I was wondering why I was gaining weight despite eating just once a day! Hahaha, Trust me, you can exceed your recommended caloric intake with just 1 meal.

THIS THEN BEGS THE QUESTION: WHAT IS A CALORIE AND HOW MANY SHOULD YOU EAT IN A DAY TO LOSE WEIGHT?
A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Calories in food provide energy in the form of heat so that our organs can function. Our bodies store and burn calories as fuel. Storing more calories than you burn will result in weight gain and vice versa for weight loss.

CALORIE VS. KILOCALORIE
When the word “calorie” is used in nutrition settings, by dieters or simply by consumers who are talking about food, they are usually using a casual definition of a calorie. But they are actually referring to kilocalories, which is what you see on nutrition labels. This is how the two terms are different:

The definition of calorie (cal), or small calorie, is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celcius.
kilocalories (kcal), or large calorie, however, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celcius. A kilocalorie is equivalent to 1000 small calories. Kilocalories are sometimes called “food calories” or simply shortened to “calories” when referring to the energy in food.
Another unit of measurement used to quantify energy is called the “joule.” One small calorie is equivalent to just under 4.2 joules. A kilocalorie (kcal) is equivalent to approximately 4.2 kilojoules.

Our body needs calories to function on a daily basis and this is what we call Basal Metabolic Rate(BMR). It has nothing to do with exercise. Just by eating, breathing, moving your bowel, etc you’re burning calories. The number of calories to eat in a day, therefore, depends on your goal which can be:

Lose weight
Maintain weight
Gain weight

There are different ways to determine your caloric needs. You can get a quick estimate online or a more specific (and expensive) test performed in a lab. The best method for you depends on your goals, how much money you want to spend, and your access to various health services.

In Summary, Nigerian foods are not the problem, calories are.

For more on this topic, visit the source: https://fit4healthng.com/how-to-lose-weight-on-a-nigerian-diet/