A new study of people with Type II diabetes — often called “adult onset diabetes” — says that the vast majority of them are eating too much fat, too much sodium, and not enough fruits and vegetables. In fact, “Only a limited number of participants met nutrient intake recommendations for total fat, saturated fat, sodium and fiber. Overall, the participants consumed a diet that provided approximately 44 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 40 percent from fat and 17 percent from protein.”
Diabetes is a serious chronic disease where the body no longer produces enough of the hormone insulin for the proper metabolic function. If untreated or inadequately controlled, it can lead to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, neurological problems, amputations, dental problems, sexual dysfunction, and other problems that are serious and potentially life threatening. Avoiding or at least controlling diabetes is vital to aging against the machine.
It’s not hard to see why diabetics might be confused about nutrition. Over the years they’ve been told to avoid too much protein, they’ve been told to avoid fat, and they know they have to avoid simple sugars and be careful about all carbohydrates. With all this conflicting information, they may think “Well, what am I supposed to eat? I give up; I’ll just eat what I want.”
The most up-to-date research suggests that the Mediterranean diet is more effective than the low-fat diets that were recently prescribed for diabetics. It is important to monitor the effect of food, particularly carbohydrates, on blood sugar levels. There is also ample evidence to show that exercise is an important part of diabetes management.
Her Take: The media seems to be focused on one particular statistic, that 93% of Type II diabetics ate too much fat. The far more important fact that over half of them don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables got left behind. The problem is that diabetes is a disease of carbohydrate metabolism, not fat metabolism. If you want to control blood sugar, you have to control carbs.
