The diabetic patient is not permitted to eat just any type of foods because not all of them are good for his health. Certain diets are restricted because they add up to the patient’s problem by making his condition worse.
No particular food is tagged “diabetic diet”; since other persons can eat what the diabetic person eats. The only thing is that the person with diabetes needs to abstain from certain kinds of foods in order to avoid the problems associated with them, usually because they are not compatible with his health condition.
The patient is free to eat a balanced diet (with the nutrients in the right proportions) but with the carbohydrates carefully controlled, but not completely eliminated because he requires it as a source of energy supply. The individual should therefore avoid the following:
1. Sugar: He has to avoid white sugar, jaggery, jelly jam, honey, pastries, ice cream, cake, canned juice, chocolates, pie, doughnuts, syrup, cookies and carbonated soft drinks. They increase the blood sugar level and could make the patient suffer hyperglycaemia.
2. Cholesterol-rich food: He should avoid sources of high cholesterol such as egg yolks, red meat, poultry, high fat dairy foods and products. Cheese should be limited (Light cream cheese, cottage cheese and margarine), because they help to add more fatty deposits to the wall of the blood vessels, thereby worsening the diabetic condition.
3. Starchy vegetables: Starchy vegetables such as squash and potatoes should also be avoided.
4. Junk foods: Junk foods such as meat pie, fish roll, egg roll, sausage roll, etc, should be limited. They are made of white flour, and also have the tendency to add more calories to the system, which in the long run lead to weight increase and subsequently worsen the condition of the patient. They should not be eaten regularly or in large quantity.
5. Soy Sauce: They should be avoided because of the fact that they contain a lot of sodium chloride, which usually retains fluid, increase oedema and lead to hypertension or worsen an already existing hypertension (usually a complication of diabetes).
6. Avoid alcohol: Alcohol has the tendency to increase weight (especially beer), and as such they should be avoided. Besides, whisky and spirits are toxic to the liver and could lead to hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, which in turn worsen diabetes. Smoking should also be avoided.
If the patient sticks to this advice and abstains from those foods which are not compatible with his condition, he would be free from some of the complications associated with diabetes; and he would also enjoy relative health and live longer.
By: Joseph Ezie Efoghor
