Diabetic Food Guide Pyramid

Diabetes is a metabolism disorder where the body cannot deal with sugar or glucose in the blood. Insulin is the hormone that is released to deal with blood sugar. It facilitates the issue of sugar as energy that can be used by the cells. Depending on the type of diabetes, the body may be defiant to insulin or cannot yield it because the beta cells responsible for producing insulin are destroyed by the immune system. Regardless of the type of diabetes that a person has, they have to watch what they eat. Food is responsible for the sugar that goes into the bloodstream. Diabetics can have more operate over their health if they know how foods work on their blood sugar levels. A useful tool for this is the diabetic food guide pyramid. This report will describe how the pyramid works and how to use it.

The diabetic food pyramid is a diagrammatic representation of the types of foods a diabetic should eat. The diagram is in the shape of a pyramid divided into six sections. The sections at the bottom are biggest, indicating that these types of foods should be eaten the most. As the pyramid moves to the tip, the sections get smaller until the tip is the smallest, and indicates that these types of foods should be eaten the least.

The Food Pyramid

The foods are identified, primarily, by their carbohydrate and protein content. Carbohydrates are most prominent to a diabetic because these types of foods are often metabolized as sugar that goes directly into the bloodstream. By monitoring the type and quantity of carbohydrates that a person with diabetes eats, they can have a good idea of the level and range of their blood sugar level. High blood sugar levels or sudden rises are bad for a diabetic in terms of feeling unwell and also long term complications.

The pyramid is made up of :

Breads, grains and starches at the bottom of the pyramid. These are things like starchy vegetables such as potatoes, rice, cereals and grains like oats, wheat and rye. These types of foods consist mainly of carbohydrates. The food guide pyramid suggests 6-11 servings from this group a day. The size of a serving depends on the type of food, for example a slice of bread would be classes as a serving.

Vegetables are next. These type of vegetables are predominantly green vegetables. They are good as a source of vitamin, minerals and fiber. They are also low in fat and calories. The guide recommends 3-5 servings a day where one serving is a cup for raw vegetables and half a cup for cooked vegetables.

Then comes fruits. Also good for vitamins and minerals but fruits comprise carbohydrates which can alter the blood sugar level. It is advised to have 2-4 servings a day where one serving is a small piece of fresh fruit.

Milk is next. This could be milk or yogurt. Try low fat versions of these types of food. Take 2-3 servings a day where one serving is a cup of milk.

Then meat and meat substitutes. Eat lean cuts if you are eating meat. Meat alternatives are things like eggs, cheese or tofu. The guide recommends 4-6 ounces per day of this type of food.

The tip of the pyramid is fats, sweets and alcohol. These are things like cakes, candy, ice cream and potato chips. Try to eat these only for a treat or special occasion. They have no real nutritious value to the body but are nice to have once in a while.

Diabetic Food Guide Pyramid