WHAT IS DIABETES?
The food we eat must be digested before the body can use it. Digested fats pass into the blood as fatty acids, proteins as amino acids and carbohydrates as glucose (sugar). The value we measure in the blood as blood sugar is in fact glucose, the building block of carbohydrates. Glucose is the energy source for the brain and other organs, and the hormone insulin is needed for tissues to use it. Diabetes develops when insulin is partly or completely insufficient or absent. Diabetes is a disease characterized by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) that disrupts carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism.
WHICH FOODS CONTAIN CARBOHYDRATES?
- Milk and dairy products (kefir, yogurt, ayran…)
- Bread and the bread group (soup, biscuits, chestnuts, potatoes, pasta, rice, roasted chickpeas…)
- Fruit
- Pulses
- Vegetables
- Sugar and sugary foods (honey, grape molasses, jam, marmalade, cake, chocolate…)
Carbohydrates are divided into two types: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and raise blood sugar quickly, while complex carbohydrates are high in fiber, digested slowly and raise blood sugar slowly. In diabetes, unrefined, high-fiber sources of complex carbohydrates should be preferred, such as whole-grain bread, pulses, bulgur and oats.
IT IS WRONG TO GIVE UP ALL SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATE FOR FEAR THAT YOUR BLOOD SUGAR WILL RISE!
Many people with diabetes think that avoiding carbohydrate sources will help them control their blood sugar. If the body does not get enough carbohydrates, it cannot produce the energy it needs, tissues are not nourished and serious health problems can follow. What matters is eating as much carbohydrate as you need, and choosing sources with a low glycemic index that are high in fiber and rich in vitamins, minerals and beneficial fatty acids.