Type 2 Diabetes

 What is it? 

Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes, is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, the main type of sugar in your blood. It is becoming increasingly common in the U.S., especially among overweight people. Diabetes 2 is a chronic disease, which means that it needs constant, close monitor. People with diabetes either produce insufficient amount of insulin or the cells cannot register the insulin, and as a result, ignores it. Insulin is critical to for the body to be able to use glucose, which is the basic fuel for the body. Millions of Americans are diagnosed with it, and there are thousands more who are not aware of their diabetic condition. 


What are some risk factors? 

Inactivity - The less active you are, the more likely you are to get type 2 diabetes because being overweight increases your chance of getting diabetes. Active physical activities keeps your weight in check, and as a consequence, decreases your chance of getting diabetes. 

Age - The older you are, the more likely is it for you to have diabetes. This is especially true if you are over 45 years old. 

Family background - As unfortunate it is, you are more likely to have or develop diabetes if your family members have it. 

Prediabetes - If you have blood pressure that is higher than normal, than you are more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes 
What are some symptoms?   

It is important to recognize the symptoms of diabetes as soon as possible. Some symptoms include: 

• Getting tired easily (during active activities)
• Urinating frequently 
• Increased thirst 
• Dazed Vision (extreme cases)

Why is it important for a teenager with type 2 diabetes to eat healthy?

Eating healthy for a diabetic teen is very important because it can keep your weight in control, it can lower your risk of heart problems or and other cases, and it makes you feel good about yourself everyday. Having a healthy diet keeps your weight in control by limiting your exposure to unhealthy foods and increasing your exposure to healthy foods. Eating healthy foods and avoiding unhealthy ones can improve your body's functioning, therefore leading to a controlled weight. Healthy eating keeps your blood glucose level in target range, which is generally between 70 and 130 before meals (you can check your blood glucose levels with meters located at you local pharmacy). Keeping your blood glucose levels in the target range lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other problems caused by diabetes. Lastly, eating healthy can make you feel better about yourself. Having your weight under control and knowing that you have a healthy diet can make you more confident about your appearance.

What is the recommended daily caloric intake requirement for a teenager with type 2 diabetes?

The amount of recommended calorie intake requirements depends on several factors. First of all, it would depend greatly on how active the teen is. The more active you are, the more calorie you need. Also, gender plays a significant role in determining the recommended calorie intake as well. men usually need more calorie because they have bigger body mass and generally more muscles. Lastly, larger people need more energy compared to smaller people because they require more energy to perform daily activities, such as moving around, exercising, working, etc. 

As for the diabetics, their recommended calorie can be calculated using this formula: multiplying 12-15 to their aim weight, depending on the level of activeness. Also, the fat intake should be no more than 30% of the total intake, because high fat means you have greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Aside from controlling your diet, diabetics can keep their weight in check through various types of exercise. jogging is one of the most effective methods.

What is the importance of the macronutrients for the human body?

Macronutrients are important for your body mainly because they provide energy, which are counted in calories. Macronutrients are called "macro" not because they are extremely large, but because they are needed in large amounts. The 3 main macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Proteins:

Proteins are present in every living cell, and they vary in many different ways. They are made up of amino acid chains, consisting from 20 to several thousands different acids. 9 amino acids are called the "essential" amino acids because the human body cannot produce them on its own so they are necessary to include in the diet. Not only do proteins provide energy, but they also have different jobs such as carrying out chemical reactions or transporting substances throughout the body. Proteins can be found in meats from animals, or in plants like nuts, seeds, or grains. Proteins from animals are called "complete proteins" because they include the essential amino acids, but proteins from plants are called "incomplete proteins" because they lack one or more of the essential amino acids.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates have two main purposes: they are the primary energy source of the body and they are a major source of calories. Carbohydrates come in two different forms, simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates can't be broken down into simpler sugars, and complex carbohydrates are strings of simple carbohydrates. Glucose and glycogen are the forms of carbohydrates that the body uses. The human body can convert both simple and complex carbohydrates into energy very quickly, so carbohydrates are an ideal source of energy. Carbohydrates can be found in grains, cellulose, and fibers.

Fats:
Although people think all fats are detrimental, this is not true. In fact, fats are necessary in order for our body to function properly. Fats contain twice as much energy as carbohydrates, so it is a great source that fuels our daily body work. Although fat is not usually used for immediate use of energy, it is crucial nonetheless. A normal teen's diet should contain between 20 - 35% of fat, but a diabetic's fat percentage should not be over 30. There are good and bad types of fats; Good fats include unsaturated fats, which can be found in vegetable oil. Unsaturated fats bring up HDL, which is a good kind of cholesterol that cleans up your artery and veins. On the other hand, saturated fats and trans fats are bad types of fats. Saturated fat can be found in foods such as dairy and seafood, and trans fats can be found in processed food. Both of these fats bring up LDL (bad cholesterol), which clogs up the artery and veins while lowering HDL, the good cholesterol. 

What specific foods should a teenager with type 2 diabetes limit or avoid?

It is especially imperative for the diabetics to avoid certain types of food, because healthy diet is absolutely critical in controlling weight for the diabetics. Foods a diabetic consumes is directly related to insulin production of the body and the blood sugar levels, so it is very important.

One of the main types of food a diabetic should avoid is empty carbohydrates. This includes foods such as white bread, white rice, pasta, and anything made with white sugar or corn syrup. Also processed foods in a box is detrimental most of the time. The same goes with canned foods, even if it is canned vegetable. Diabetes should try to eat fresh vegetable if possible.

Another types of food a diabetic should avoid is foods high in sodium, such as bacon or sausage. Sodium causes rise in blood pressure, which is very bad if you are a diabetic. Lastly, foods high in bad fat should be avoided as much as possible, as they will interfere with the weight control of diabetics and have little nutritional value. Some foods with bad fat are french fries and bacon. Cakes, candy, and Chinese food also belong in this category.  

3 Day Meal Plan

Day 1

Breakfast:

Cereal

Reasoning:

It is best for Diabetics to have a high fiber start to the day. It is suggested that they have at least 5 grams of fiber. So for day one I put cereal because there are many good, high fiber cereals to eat. Some good cereals: Kashi GoLean Crunch has 10 grams of fiber and General mills fiber one which has 14 grams of fiber.

Serving: A average size bowl

Mid Morning Snack:

Yogurt with fruit and whole grain granola

Reasoning:

Diabetics are sometimes lacking things like vitamins and minerals, for example zinc. Yogurt can give diabetics this zinc since it is plentiful with. Another thing that yogurt is plentiful in is Vitamin B2 and protein which is lacking in diabetics. Yogurt has lots of calcium which is necessary for bone growth. Fruit is low in fats and calorie but high in fiber making it a perfect addition to the yogurt. It also has more natural sugars that are easier to digest.

Serving: A Cup

Lunch:

Turkey Breast Sandwich

Reason:

Turkey is a very good food not only for diabetics but for everybody over all. Turkey breast is very lean and contains low amounts of calories. Turkey is also high in protein. Unlike steaks and red meat, Turkey does not increase your LDL (Bad cholesterol).

Serving: 1 or 2 cuts of turkey

Dinner

Chazuke with chicken

Reason:

Chazuke is a Japanese dish, It is a mixture of tea and rice and sometimes a meat of some sort. Tea is a very good source of a antioxidant called, catechins which have been studied for their effectiveness against chronic diseases. I also chose chicken because similar to turkey it is very lean and high in protein and does not contain a lot of calorie. Chicken also like turkey does not raise your LDL.

Serving: Average size bowl

Day 2

Breakfast:

Oatmeal with cinnamon

Reason:

Like I said before Fiber is a very good thing for a diabetic to have, especially in the morning. Oat meal is a great way to get more than 5 grams of protein. Oatmeal slows down digestion so it keep you full for longer. It helps lower cholesterol and improves blood pressure. Cinnamon helps keep the calories down and provide vitamins B,E, magnesium and potassium, which also lowers blood pressure. Cinnamon helps to lower blood sugar and tastes perfect with the oatmeal. It is proven that only ½ a teaspoon is needed to help lower blood sugar.

Serving: A Cup

Mid Morning Snack:

Almonds

Reason:

Because you had a fiber full breakfast you wont be as hungry as you would be. Almonds like other nuts have good fats that help you to fight heart diseases. These fats also have been proven to help to bring down insulin resistance and makes blood sugar easier to control. Nuts are a great source of Vitamin E it protects from nerve and eye damage. If you eat these nuts they have been proven to reduce weight but if you eat it in moderation. Nuts are high in calories. Nuts have a lot of fiber and magnesium, which helps with blood sugar.

Serving Depends on how hungry you are from breakfast

Lunch:

Tofu-Cranberry Salad with a Olive oil dressing

Reason:

Tofu is a soy product. Tofu is very effective in a diet of a diabetic and a non-diabetic. It contains many antioxidants that help with blood sugar and help with reducing insulin resistance. Cranberries contain high amounts of vitamin C which helps the body. They also contain Anthocyanins which protects against other diseases. Olive oil has good fats that cut down the chance of a heart attack. Olive oil has also shown to keep blood sugar steady and cut the resistance of insulin.

Serving: About 3 cups

Dinner:

Ahi/Tuna on bed of fresh spinach

Reason:

Fish is a good source of protein and is better for you then other fatty meats. Fish is also a good source of Omega 3's a good fat that helps to keep the arteries clear. Often people with diabetes have a low level of HDL (Good Cholesterol) and omega 3's can help improve this number. Spinach is a great source for vitamins and minerals like vitamins B2, B6, and mineral folate, copper, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and fiber.

Serving: Large Cut of Ahi with about a cup and a half of spinach.

Day 3:

Breakfast:

Red Grapefruit

Reason:

Red Grapefruit has been proven to be more effective than white grapefruit. Grapefruit is plentiful in Vitamin C. On a 30 day test of 57 people eating grapefruit for breakfast, decreased there LDL by 20 percent and reduce there triglycerides by 17 percent.

Serving: ½ to 1 grapefruit

Mid Morning Snack:

Apple

Reason:

Apples are high in fiber. Fiber can reduce the risk of a cardiovascular disease, which is a leading cause of diabetes. A medium sized apple contains around 3 grams of fiber which will fill you up fast.

Serving: 1 apple

Lunch:

Salmon cooked with a mix of broccoli and carrots

Reason:

Salmon just like ahi is a good source of protein and is better for you then other fatty meats. Improve this number. Salmon just like tuna is one of the most Omega 3 full fishes. Carrots have beta-carotene, which can help prevent cancer and heart disease. Carrots are also a good source of fiber. Broccoli has more vitamin c per 100 grams than an orange. Broccoli also has fiber and beta-carotene

Serving: Half of a Salmon and 2 cups of broccoli and carrots

Dinner:

Skinless Chicken breast with asparagus

Reason:

I chose Chicken again because it is a very lean meat. Chicken is high in protein and lowers your LDL. Chicken also contains low amounts of calories. Asparagus has 5 grams of carbs per serving and 2 grams of fiber. Asparagus is a good source for vitamin B and C

Serving: 1 chicken breast and a serving of aspargus

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