About Sugar & Diabetes

Overview

Indicated by high sugar levels in the blood, diabetes is a serious metabolic disease that affects over eight percent of the American population. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 23.6 million people suffer from diabetes, up 13.5 percent between 2005 and 2007. The good news is that more people are seeking medical attention than ever before. Ten years ago, 50 percent of those with diabetes were not aware that they had it. Today, only 24 percent of diabetics continue to go untreated. The secret to successfully treating diabetes today is education and working with your health-care professional to learn which foods you can eat and in what quantity. Those who do can continue to live normal, productive lives and continue eating their favorite snacks and foods---even table sugar!

Understanding Diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes---type I and type II. In type I diabetes, the body fails to make enough insulin. Insulin is an important hormone made in the pancreas that regulates how much glucose (or blood sugar) is absorbed by the tissues. The most prevalent is type II diabetes. Type II diabetics make enough insulin, but their tissues have become insensitive to it, so the result is the same---the tissues of both types of diabetics literally starve in an abundance of blood sugar.

Another type of diabetes, called gestational diabetes, affects approximately five percent of pregnant women. In gestational diabetes, hormones created by the baby's placenta block the activity of insulin, much like type II diabetes. During gestational diabetes, the mother's pancreas overproduces insulin but is not effective in reducing blood glucose levels. While the insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do, so the baby's glucose levels continue to rise. The baby's pancreas responds by producing more insulin to lower the blood glucose. As a result, the baby continues to grow and store extra fat, leading to a condition called macrosomia. Such babies are often born with low blood glucose levels at birth, are at high risk for pulmonary problems and are at higher risk for type II diabetes as adults.

Managing Blood Glucose

One of the difficulties many diabetics have when they're first diagnosed is learning how to continue eating products that contain sugar. Sugar is contained in thousands of products---everything from fruits and vegetables to fast food, snacks and alcohol. Fortunately, organizations like the American Diabetes Association have guidelines that will make changing your diet relatively easy. You will need to make changes and learn a few new concepts, but after a few weeks, you'll be able to eat many of your favorite foods and learn how to balance them with others to manage your blood-glucose levels.

Experts in the field of diabetes have come up with a number of simple and innovative ways for diabetics to manage their blood glucose. Three of these are using the glycemic index, carbohydrate counting, and eating with the "Create Your Plate" method.

The Glycemic Index

You can use the glycemic index (GI) to rate how quickly carbohydrates cause your blood glucose to spike. Carbohydrates from chocolate-chip cookies to apples are divided into low GI (less than 54), medium (55 to 70) and high (greater than 70). The goal is to choose foods that you enjoy eating and that have a low GI. This can help you manage your blood glucose to within normal levels (between 70 to 110 mg/dl). For instance, cherries have a very low GI of 22. Pears are rated medium at 58, and dates have a whopping GI of 103. Over time, you can learn how to combine low with high GI foods or include foods that contain fat and protein to help offset the GI of your favorite foods.

Carbohydrate Counting

Carbohydrate counting involves counting the grams of carbohydrates in your diet, using the amounts contained in typical servings of food as a guide. You keep track of the total grams of carbohydrate you eat per day, with the goal of staying below the total number of carbohydrates recommended by your physician or registered dietitian.

Create Your Plate

If counting carbs or keeping track of the glycemic index of foods sounds too difficult, try the "Create Your Plate" approach. Developed by the American Diabetes Association, this is a simple method of determining how much of what type of foods to eat, even if you're dining out or eating at friends' homes. Begin by drawing an imaginary line down the center of a traditional dinner plate, resulting in two equal sections. Divide one of the halves into two smaller, equal sections. Fill the large section with non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or tomatoes. Fill one of the small sections with starchy foods like rice, pasta or sweet potatoes. Fill the last section with protein, such as chicken, turkey, tuna or eggs. Then add a piece of fruit and an eight-ounce glass of non-fat or low-fat milk. By eating a diet that is the proper combination of the right types of foods, you should be able to manage your blood-glucose levels.