Healthy Eating and Nutrition for Diabetics - Free Essay Example

The body is a powerful mechanism that reads and dilates the food that is eaten each day. Once food is eaten and digested in the stomach the body understands the composition. The food that is eaten gives our bodies the information that is needed to perform properly. In order for diabetics to be healthy they must maintain a diet with proper servings of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. It is important for diabetics to limit their daily fat intake to about 20 to 35 percent of their total calories [2]. The three types of fats include saturated fat, trans fat and unsaturated fat. In any type of diet it is important to try to get the least amount of saturated fat as possible. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, strict guidelines have not been published regarding the amount of unsaturated fat that diabetics should eat. Saturated fats are simply fat molecules that have no double bonds between carbon molecules [15]. Additionally the recommended daily values for saturated fat should be 12 grams or less for diabetics. Ideally foods that are high in saturated fats include butter, dairy, and fatty meats. Typically foods that are high in trans fats include pastries and fried foods. When selecting a meal diabetics must choose carefully because all foods will have some types of fat. It is also necessary to note that there are certain healthy fats like avocados, nuts and fish that are heavily incorporated in diets. The next component of the diet that diabetics track is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are large group of organic compounds occurring in foods and living tissues [3] . In order to fully understand carbohydrates it is necessary to know that there are three types of carbohydrates. According to the American Diabetes Association the three types of carbs include starch, sugar, and fiber. Foods that are known to have amount of carbohydrates are rice, pasta, and breads. The last component of the diet that diabetics will track is protein. Protein is a food component that is mostly found in foods like lean chicken, beef, nuts, and fish. To the surprise of many protein can be found in all foods. Overall it is important for diabetics to track their food consumption because food has glucose which can affect the blood. Many people who are affected with diabetes will ask themselves Is diabetes hereditary? In order to fully understand if diabetes is hereditary the link between family lineage and lifestyle decisions is discussed. For example if someone knows that their family has a history of diabetes they will tend to blame their genetics on their current disease. One of the main causes for diabetes and obesity is that families tend to have similar eating and exercise habits. Overall this means that from a young age families can determine the future health of children. An example of this includes families who participate in a healthy habits tend to raise healthier children. Many dietitians and fertility doctor stress the importance of nutrition of pregnant women in order to raise healthy children. There has been several experiments proving that type 2 diabetes can first occur when the fetus is at eight weeks.[1] According to these studies, which state that poor nutrition in a mothers diet can lead to consequences in the structure of organs in the fetus.(Hales, C. N., Barker, D. J.) The timing of diabetes can be seen in life by the formation of these habits by pregnant women. Another aspect of this paper is the ongoing relationship between nutrition in college students and diabetes. Many outcomes that determines the overall diets of college students is taste, price, and convenience (Deshpande, S., Basil, M. D., Basil, D. Z. (2009). These reasons can ultimately determine the future of college students health. For example students who are prone to the susceptibility of healthy eating may purchase the cheaper food that is not equally nutritious. The transition of having to decide what food to eat can be challenging for college students. There are other outcomes of food choice and nutrition that also have an independent effects on health including some types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes (Nicklas, Baranowski, Baranowski, Cullen, Rittenberry, Olvera, 2001). In order for college students to get the proper nutrition to prevent diabetes and other diseases they should try to consume healthier food. With limited access to resources many student s prefer convenience. Aside from food Advice for new college students and how they can access their health would be to purchase a weekly meal health plan with the university. For example the University Of Nevada Las Vegas, is offering and marketing all students the option to purchase five meals for the price of $35 dollars [14]. This option gives students not only the convenience to food, but provides students a discounted rate. In order for this plan to be successful students must select meals that are filled with nutrients. To conclude many people will try many methods to prevent diabetes. The diabetes prevention program was a major clinical trial aimed to decide if either diet and exercise could prevent type 2 diabetes [8]. Some of the things that people will do in order to prevent diabetes is to maintain an active lifestyle and to eat healthy. According to the diabetes prevention program lifestyle intervention was effective in decreasing diabetes. The diabetes prevention program also states that lifestyle intervention decreased the occurences of type 2 diabetes by 58% (Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Research Group. (2002). In order for people to prevent diabetes they must create an action plan and maintain their goals in order to be successful.