By Jim Duffy

It is always important to eat a healthy diet, but for those who have such medical conditions as diabetes, it is even more important. There are certain foods that are not good for diabetics and certain foods that they should be getting more of in their diets. Obviously, it is important to make sure that the foods that diabetics eat are not high in sugar and fat, and it also helps to eat foods that will help diabetics maintain a healthy weight.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that causes the body to either not produce enough insulin, which is necessary for breaking down the foods we eat, or not using the insulin it does produce properly. If you have been diagnosed as having diabetes, it is more important than ever to make sure that you are eating right. There are three types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, or juvenile diabetes; Type 2 diabetes; and gestational diabetes. When a person has diabetes, it means that they have extremely high sugar counts in their blood and this must be controlled. Depending on which type of diabetes you have, controlling your sugars could be as easy as making some dietary changes-or you may need to take insulin to keep your sugars regulated.

Type 1 Diabetes - People who have Type 1 diabetes do not have enough insulin coming from the pancreas and must rely on insulin shots to make sure that they have enough. At one time, this involved taking needles, sometimes several times daily. Today, there is a device called an insulin pump, which is attached to the stomach and will supply insulin to the body as it needs it. Often, Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune disorder, and the person with this type of diabetes has an immune system that actually destroys the pancreas cells, making the organ unable to produce enough insulin.

Type 2 Diabetes - When the body does not properly use the insulin created by the pancreas, it is known as Type 2 diabetes. Often, this is a condition that is caused, or at least worsened, by being overweight. It is thought that excess body weight will inhibit the body's ability to absorb and use insulin, and one way to alleviate this is by losing weight. This can be done by eating a healthy weight loss diet that is meant for diabetics. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, affecting between 90 and 95% of all diabetics.

Gestational Diabetes - This is the only type of diabetes that is a temporary one. It usually occurs when a woman is in the latter half of her pregnancy. It is always important to eat healthy when pregnant, but when gestational diabetes comes into play, it is even more important. When a woman has gestational diabetes, her pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin, and she will have to make some dietary changes, as well as monitor her blood sugar levels regularly. Fortunately, this form of diabetes usually goes away once the baby is born, and it is rare that it will cause the baby to be born with diabetes. It is important for women who are pregnant to be tested for gestational diabetes, so they can start making the dietary changes necessary to control the condition and have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

What Are the Symptoms of Diabetes?

There are many different symptoms of diabetes and although many people experience many of the same symptoms, others may not, depending on the type of diabetes they have. Some of the most common symptoms associated with Type 1 diabetes include:
- Extreme thirst and hunger
- Frequent urination
- Loss of weight
- Blurred vision
- Extreme fatigue

The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are often very similar to those of Type 1 diabetes, but they are not usually as severe and they come on more gradually. Weight is a huge factor and about 80% of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Risk Factors for Developing Diabetes

There are a number of risk factors for diabetes and if you find that you have some of these risk factors, you should have your physician test you for diabetes. The risk factors for diabetes include:

- If you have a family history of diabetes, you may be at risk of developing the disease yourself.

- Being overweight can greatly increase your risk of developing diabetes and the more overweight you are, the greater the risk.

- Certain ethnic groups are at a higher risk for developing diabetes, including Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Latinos.

Blood Sugar Levels

When a person has diabetes, it is essential that they monitor their blood sugar levels and take the appropriate steps to make sure that the levels are what they should be. Before eating, blood sugar levels should be between 90 and 130 and after eating, less than 180. If you have Type 1 diabetes, you will have to monitor your blood sugar levels several times a day. Your physician will be able to help you figure out just how often you should be doing this. In order to make sure that your blood sugar levels are regulated, you may have to take insulin (Type 1 diabetes), change your eating habits and get plenty of exercise.

A Healthy Diet Is Essential for Diabetics

There are certain things that must be included in a diabetic diet and foods that definitely need to be avoided. It is important for diabetics to know what to eat, how much to eat, and when they should eat. When a person is first diagnosed as being diabetic, the dietary changes may seem colossal, but they are not really that bad, especially if the person is already somewhat used to eating healthy. It is also important to get enough exercise, which will also help in weight loss and overall good health.

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Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects as many as 16 million Americans, with diabetes being on such a dramatic increase in the United States, it's helpful to understand what diabetes is, and what to look for. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, renal failure, and amputation in the United States, and is associated with a range of complications, including heart attacks, strokes, amputations and loss of vision. Diabetes is a chronic (life-long) condition that can have serious consequences. Diabetes is often described as type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes, and it is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors.

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or IDDM, accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system attacks the body, destroying pancreatic b cells and preventing the pancreas from producing the insulin. Type 1 Diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease and is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.

Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes and affects approximately 8 percent of adults in the United States. In type 2 diabetes, the body doesn't produce enough insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar) or doesn't respond properly to insulin (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin). Diet, exercise, oral medication, and insulin are the cornerstones of type 2 diabetes treatment.

As incredible as it sounds, coffee drinkers have a substantially lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who abstain from the beverage. People who are overweight (meaning they have a body mass index of 25 or more) do have an increased risk for diabetes, and the risk increases with size, research has shown that strength training can help overweight adults lower their risk of diabetes. In fact, modest, consistent physical activity and a healthy diet can cut your risk for developing type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent.

We often think of overweight adults as being at risk for having diabetes, but it is now know that many overweight teens are at risk for diabetes too. Among the risk factors, diabetes was one of the strongest independent predictors for acute organ failure, with a threefold increased risk. If you want to calculate your personal risk of diabetes, you can visit the American Diabetes Association website.

Risk Factors and Symptoms for Gestational Diabetes
There are several risk factors for gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a glucose intolerance that develops in pregnancy. While gestational diabetes only affects about 4% of pregnant women, if you feel you are at risk, you may want to get tested. Most doctors do a glucose test between 20 and 24 weeks gestation. If your numbers are high after this test, they will have you do a 3-hour test. This longer test is what will give you a definite diagnosis.

Most women with Gestational Diabetes rarely show signs or symptoms of GD.
Some common signs of gestational diabetes are......

• Increased Thirst
• Weight Loss - Weight loss with increased appetite.
• Fatigue - Again, most pregnant women feel more tired than usual.
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Frequent Infections
• Blurred Vision

Risk Factors

• Age - While there is some dispute as to what the age is for being at risk, medical authorities will quote anytime between 25 to 35 years of age as being a determining factor.
• Obesity - One of the major risk factors for gestational diabetes, obesity is defined as scoring more than 30 body mass index (BMI) for your height and weight.
• Race - Women of Hispanic, Native American, African American, Pacific Island or South or East Asian descent seem to be more at risk for gestational diabetes.
• Family history - If your parents or siblings suffer from diabetes of any type, it can increase your chances of developing gestational diabetes when pregnant.
• Gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy - If you developed diabetes in a previous pregnancy, chances are it will come back in subsequent pregnancies. Your chances of developing it again range from 30 to 80%, depending on your other risk factors.

Some authorities consider a previous baby over 8 lbs 5 oz as a risk factor, while others don't count the weight of previous babies unless they are 9 lbs or more. While gestational diabetes can be a cause for high birth weights, it can also cause low birth weight babies. High birth weight babies will often have their blood sugar tested at the hospital to make sure they don't suddenly drop to a low level.

• Miscarriages/still births - If you have had unexplained miscarriages or had a stillbirth, you may be more at risk for developing gestational diabetes. Miscarriage is a symptom of PCOS, which in turn could lead to diabetes due to insulin resistance.
• Smoking - Smokers have double the chance of developing gestational diabetes than those who do not smoke. Smoking also can cause other gestational complications like a low birth-weight baby and placental problems.
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) already causes difficulty in conception due to hormonal imbalances.

Women suffering from PCOS often experience weight problems, irregular ovulation and menstrual cycles, and excessive effects of masculine hormones. PCOS causes a resistance to insulin, which in pregnancy is more pronounced due to the extra needs of the fetus and the mother's body.

As you can see, it is important to check your risk factors for gestational diabetes.