vAlternativeHealthCare.com

Glycaemic Index is a measurement system which gives a percentage value to foods using as a basis the rise in blood glucose after eating 10 gm of carbohydrate found in white bread.

For example, the glycaemic index of white bread is 100 that of white rice is 83 while honey has a glycaemic index of 126.

It means that the same amount of rice will cause a blood sugar rise of 83% compared to that of white bread while honey will cause a rise of 126%.

No Comments »

At the spur of the moment, many of us would want to go on a diet so as to stay healthy and fit.

However, it is important to stress that you should know the objective(s) of your diet management which might include one or all of the following:

• If you are diabetic then the need to help control levels of glucose in the blood and prevent loss of glucose in the urine,
• To achieve a satisfactory weight. Overweight is indeed a health hazard particularly for diabetics. If you are under-weight, you will need to increase your body weight,
• To provide a palatable diet which is acceptable to each individual,
• To provide sufficient calories for normal activities.

Once the objective is/are clear, the next step is to:

• Prescribed the diet relative to each individualized person characteristics namely his/her age, weight, height and activity. The planned diet should take into account of the individual’s economic status, availability and cost of food items, national, religious and social customs, personal idiosyncrasies, occupation, facilities for preparing and obtaining meals and so on.
• Whether the person is diabetic or not, type of medication, amount and when administered
• Nutritional requirements of the individual.

With the aforesaid steps clear, meaning that (a) the reasons/objectives for specified diet (b) the size and portion which may be used, unfortunately, we still see people eating the same food over and over again. They resist changing food during a diet.

However, it is important to understand the following :

“ Eating Well, while eating right; Eating right is half the fight”

What it means here is that you can have a free choice for possible substitutions in your diet instead of  sticking to the same food diet program as long as guidelines on reasons/objectives of  the diet  and  right size and portion are used.

No Comments »

This article looks at the fibre rich foods – what are they and the benefits derived from including them into our dietary foodDietary fibre is

• that part of plant material in the diet which is resistant to digestion. Sources are from fruits, vegetables and cereal food groups.
• There are two type of fibres- soluble (gel-forming) and insoluble (non-gel-forming).Examples of soluble fibres –pectins,guar gum, plant polysaccharides, mucilage and a few hemicelluloses while insoluble fibres include cellulose and bran.Studies show many beneficial effect of foods rich in fibre rich foods:
• A high level of the soluble fibre in the diet tends to lower blood glucose
• It delays gastric emptying, makes the intestinal contents more viscous and thus slow down the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed from the gut. ( if carbohydrates is absorbed too quickly, blood sugar will rise correspondingly, and insulin response may be inadequate to deal with it.)
• Fibre rich food provides non-calorie containing bulk and therefore gives a feeling of satiety with fewer calories
• Diabetics tend to have elevated level of blood lipids, and a high fibre diet tends to lower serum cholesterol
• For insoluble high fibre diet, the advantage is that in the colon it is able to hold water which ensures that the bowel content is large and soft which is essential for the normal action of the muscles of the large gut and so prevent constipation.So how much fibre should be eaten:-

Suggestions seem to be about 30-40 grams per day.

No Comments »