The Dangers of Dieting with Diabetes?

Author >> Type Free Diabetes

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and are overweight, losing 5-10of your current weight will help improve your blood sugar levels. However, losing weight often requires you to assume a healthier life style and behavior change, not simply putting yourself on a diabetic diet. Many of the diets advertised today may be harmful and do not promote a holistic diabetes life style change.

So what are some of the Problems with dieting?

• Reduced intake of fiber, vitamins and minerals and take diabetes vitamins and supplements

• Reduced calories (units of energy that help the body function)

• Depending on medications, increased risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

• Too difficult to follow long term which often results in regaining weight

Low in fiber, vitamins and minerals: Many fad diets eliminate certain food groups all together. Over time, these types of diets may cause vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies that can have a long-term harmful effect on the body. Diets that eliminate carbohydrates are often also very low in fiber. However, fiber is important for a healthy body, especially when managing Diabetes. Fiber makes you feel satiated so that you are less likely to overeat. Fiber also helps to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of certain types of cancers.

Too few calories: Most diets have too few calories. Believe it or not, you have to eat to lose weight! Following a very low calorie diet will eventually cause your metabolism to slow down. This will cause weight gain in the long run, not weight loss. Many people who follow low calorie diets and diabetic diet foods end up with 'yo-yo' weight loss and gain.