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"Welcome back Readers"

In the previous issue, we delved into the intricacies of crafting a balanced diabetes diet chart, empowering ourselves with knowledge to make informed dietary choices. Today, we embark on a journey to explore unique and innovative dietary approaches that can further enhance our health and well-being. From unconventional ingredients to creative meal ideas, get ready to discover new avenues in managing diabetes through the power of nutrition. So sit back, relax, and let's dive into the world of unique dietary ways to support our diabetes management journey.

First, A bit about fasting

The Body's Metabolic Magic: How Fasting Triggers A Seamless Transition From Burning Glucose To Burning Fat

Our bodies are remarkable machines, equipped to handle periods of fasting with ease. Understanding how the body responds to fasting sheds light on this natural process. Here's a simplified breakdown:

1. Feeding Phase: During meals, insulin levels rise, allowing glucose uptake for immediate energy. Excess glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver.

2. Post-Absorptive Phase: Insulin levels drop, triggering the breakdown of glycogen for energy. Glycogen stores last for about twenty-four hours.

3. Gluconeogenesis: The liver produces new glucose from amino acids and glycerol. Glucose levels decrease but remain within the normal range.

4. Ketosis: Fat stores are broken down into fatty acids and ketone bodies. Ketones serve as an alternative energy source, especially for the brain. This phase can supply up to 75% of the brain's energy needs.

5. Protein Conservation Phase: Growth hormone maintains muscle mass, while norepinephrine levels prevent a decrease in metabolic rate.

Contrary to common misconceptions, the body does not burn muscle until all fat stores are depleted. Instead, it efficiently utilizes stored fat for energy during fasting periods. This adaptation has been crucial throughout human history, allowing survival during times of food scarcity.

Have you ever heard about Keto diet?

Keto & Diabetes: A Powerful Duo for Better Health!

What is a keto diet?

Ketosis or as we commonly call the keto diet is a low carb diet that has shown to have great benefits for losing weight. This diet involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing that with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a state of ketosis. When this happens the body becomes efficient in burning fat for energy and turning fat into ketones in the liver that helps produce energy for the body. These diets can have an impact on blood sugar and insulin levels by reducing them. So people who are diagnosed with diabetes are usually recommended to follow a keto diet.

Though there are many advantages of a keto diet, it is not without its faults. Let us layout both the pros and cons so that you can make up your mind.

The biggest advantage many have experienced with a keto diet is weight loss. As we have seen in the keto diet, we eat fewer carbs so that we can burn more fat. It also makes you full longer and thus you don’t overeat because it curbs your cravings. A keto diet can also help in:

1. Lowering cholesterol – As weird as it may sound, people who follow a high fat keto diet are known to have controlled their cholesterol levels.

2. Reducing risks of heart diseases and regulates blood pressure – Reducing intake of carbs helps you reduce weight and in turn also reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease. For the same reason, it also helps regulate blood pressure.

3. Controlling blood sugar levels – Again as the keto diet helps reduce weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, blood sugar levels can also be controlled. It also helps people who are prediabetic from being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life.

4. Improving cognitive function – Studies show that a keto diet improves your cognitive function. It’s even now being considered as a course of action for those with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

But like with all diets, one should be careful of the short terms and long-term implications of the keto diet. A keto diet has also been shown to have negative implications for many people. Keto diets may also:

• Be nutrient-deficient – As whole food groups are excluded from keto diets, nutrients typically found in foods like whole grains and fruits lack in the diet. This often happens when the diet is followed without proper doctor supervision.

• Trigger keto flu – This diet definitely takes some time to get used to and some people may also suffer the consequences which are called Keto flu. It includes headaches, constipation, nausea, fatigue and it lasts for a few days in the beginning.

• Be difficult to follow – Following a low carb high-fat diet is not an easy task. The food choices get limited and adhering to the diets gets difficult.

• Increase the risk of hypoglycemia – Though the keto diet can lower blood sugar levels, that may mean a higher risk of sugar levels dipping too low, especially if you’re also taking medicine for your diabetes.

It is always advised to consult a nutritionist or a specialist before starting a diet plan as they would be able to brief you on the implications the diet will have for your specific condition.

How does a keto diet benefit people with diabetes?

For people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, food with low carbohydrates is always recommended. So keto diets help in reducing blood sugar levels. But always talk to your doctor before switching to the keto diet. This is because sometimes your sugar levels may drop too low from not consuming carbohydrates and that may lead to a serious condition like hypoglycemia. Again if you are trying to wean yourself off the keto diet, you have to do it carefully because the sudden inclusion of carbohydrates in your diet may cause sugar levels to spike up.

List of foods to include and list of foods to avoid in a keto diet

Now that we have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a keto diet and how it can affect people with diabetes, let’s take a look at foods to eat and avoid.

Foods to opt for:

Non-starchy low carb veggies like cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, cucumber, green beans etc.

•  Seafood

• Cheese

• Avocados

• Meat and poultry

• Eggs

• Coconut oil

• Plain yoghurt

• Nuts and seeds

• Butter and cream

Foods to avoid:

• Foodgrains like wheat, flour, oatmeal, rice, quinoa, etc

• Fruits like apples, grapes, bananas, dates, mangoes, peaches and pineapples.

• Some vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, etc.

• Legumes and beans

• Beverages

• Low-fat dairy products

• Artificial sweeteners

The keto diet may help people with type 2 diabetes reduce weight and in turn control their symptoms. It has been seen over time, that diabetic patients following keto diets not only had fewer diabetic symptoms but also were less dependent on medications.

But that does not mean you blindly start following this diet when you are diagnosed with diabetes. Keto diets have side effects and when not done right it can prove to be dangerous. Also before you start the diet, get advice from your doctor and visit a nutritionist to get the best advice on your diet.