Diabetic patients often require more care when it comes to their diet and in this article we shed a light on diabetic patients, the nutrients that they require while managing their disease and its absorption into their bodies.
The No.1 Misconception About Diabetic Patients When It Comes To Their Diets
The one main misconception diabetic patients often have about their health is the lack of awareness that the nutrients they have been consuming are not being absorbed by the cells. As a result, they become fatigued. They are not only tired but actually fatigued. The difference between tired and fatigued is that the latter cannot be treated with rest.
Nutrients Diabetic Patients Should Pay Attention To
Diabetic patients should know about suitable nutrients that their body craves for. There are a lot of food replacements suitable for diabetic patients who may not have a balanced diet. They need to supplement themselves with basic amino acids that the cells need for recovery.
These amino acids can be from powder, tablet supplement or virgin coconut oil. There are plenty of varieties of brands available to be purchased on pharmacy shelves. Do talk to your pharmacist on which form of supplement to choose.
Take note regarding hydration too. Some patients do not respond to medication or nutrients given just because their cells lack certain essential minerals.
Minerals are very important for our nerve signals. These minerals are also available in the form of sachets, tetra packs and drops. Vitamin B is also important for maintenance of nerve health especially B1, B6 and B12 as they may help with neuropathy.
According to Cleveland clinic, neuropathy is when there is damage to the nerves that usually leads to numbness, tingling, muscle weakness and pain where the nerves were damaged.
Neuropathy usually starts in your extremities such as your hands and feet but other parts of the body can be affected too.
If a diabetic patient finds out about their illness earlier, they can maintain their nerve health before further damage is done.
Ingesting Vitamin B will take much longer time to heal rather than preventing the destruction.
It is also suggested that healthy diabetic patients to take fresh organic whole foods rather than food replacement unless they have been in a diabetic state for so long that there are not enough good cells to help with the recovery. The replacement meal is much more important for diabetic patients who are not managing their disease well. It is even more important when they have wounds to take care of.
Complications If Diabetic Patients Does Not Follow Suitable Diets
If a diabetic patient doesn’t follow diet advice given by a medical professional, they might end up with so many other health conditions such as heart problems, gangrene, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and more.
The Organs That Can Be Harmed Should A Diabetic Patient Not Carefully Control Their Diet
Organs that can be harmed by high glucose level in the blood are the liver, kidneys and eyes. This is because high blood sugar level is bad for organs which are integral in the blood circulation system.
Foods Or Herbs Might Have Interaction With Diabetes Medications
Diabetic patients may benefit from herbs such as :
- Cat’s Whiskers/Misai Kucing (Orthosiphon stamineus) which is good for maintaining good blood circulation
- Bitter gourd seed extract which is good for supplying enough amino acid to the cells
- Ceylon cinnamon which is good to decrease inflammation and lower blood sugar
The patient may be asked to monitor their own blood glucose daily closely while taking those herbs. Keeping a diary and bringing it along when getting medications from the doctor or pharmacist may help them get the proper diabetic medication. The patient would also have the right advice when it comes to ingesting herbs in conjunction with medication especially if they’re managing their disease by themselves.
Rather than hiding those herbs they take from doctors and pharmacist, a diabetes patient should also have the spirit to live well rather than leaving all the decisions to doctors.
Diabetes patient must be responsible to their own body and most importantly constantly receive good support from their loved ones to go through this medical condition wisely. So, if you are caring for a family member who has diabetes, it’s not constructive to scold them for not taking the doctor’s or pharmacist’s advice. Instead, what they need is a caring support system.
Lastly, caregivers of diabetic patients must be aware of the amount of sugar they put in their cooking or even drinks. In fact, replacing white sugar with brown sugar or other sugars that are not bleached but still high in minerals like palm sugar which is high in antioxidants is highly recommended.
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