you get older. Diabetes can damage organs through its effects on blood vessels. The organs affected are kidneys, heart, and eye and nerve disease. Kidney disease is the greatest threat to adults with Type 1 diabetes. The kidney’s small blood vessels filter impurities in the blood for excretion in urine. Diabetes damages these vessels so they cannot perform their filtration duties. Because there is no specific cure for diabetes II, or I the most important aspects of controlling the disease are exercise and diet. The main focus of a diabetic diet is planning, balance, and consistency. It helps to be consistent when eating so the body can more easily adapt to your diet. For non-insulin dependent diabetics the most important aspect of the diet is weight management and weight control. 80-90% of diabetics are overweight.Doctors recommend a calorie controlled meal plan and physical activity is a must for type II diabetics. The idea of less fat more protein is a general idea of where to start your diet. There are many foods you should stay away from and some you should eat more frequently. Skinless poultry, fish, and lean meats are good to eat. Things you should avoid are nuts, butter, margarine, lunchmeat, bacon, sausage, gravy, salad dressing, mayonnaise, hydrated shortening, and it is important to reduce cheese intake. The foods previously listed are just are few of the things to eat and avoid. Each person is different and should use things like the Exchange List provided by the American Diabetes Association to plan their individual diet. The Exchange List groups foods into categories with approximately equal nutrition for each food listed in a group. This system allows a wide variety of meals so you don’t get bored with your diet, and feel the need to stray from it. The diet you choose as a diabetic should be one you feel comfortable in and one you can eat for the rest of your life. Diabetes doesn’t have a cure ye...
