Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of people in the U.S. alone. A simplified definition of diabetes is when your body does not produce enough insulin to properly use the right kind of sugar into your bloodstream. This can have devastating effects on the body, as the cells do not get all of the fuel they need for energy and growth. While all of the causes of diabetes are not fully understood, eating raw foods helps to reduce some of the currently known risk factors. Therefore, it makes sense to choose a diet of raw foods whether you have been diagnosed or not.

Dietary needs of diabetics
Diabetics still require the same levels of nutrition as everyone else, maybe even more so. Nutrition is one of the most important elements for controlling diabetes properly. As you will see, following a raw food menu will fit in with diabetic nutritional recommendations. Here are some basic tips on eating right.

Choose a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. (Diabetics may need to limit starchy vegetables)

• Avoid processed grains such as white flour, and white rice.
• Opt for whole grains instead.
• Add lentils and beans (like pinto, garbanzo, or kidney beans) to your diet.
• Eat fish a few times a week.
• Consume non-fat dairy products.
• Reduce high-calorie snacks and like cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream.

Raw foods for diabetes
Most of these recommendations fit in well with the raw food lifestyle. The main difference is that the food would not be cooked, as raw foodists eat raw, uncooked, unprocessed and organic food. Fish and dairy products may or may not be a part of your raw foods diet. People that eat raw foods are already reducing their risk for disease, including diabetes.

If you have diabetes and are thinking about a raw foods program, you can see how it is an ideal choice. A raw food diet helps those with diabetes by sticking to the current dietary guidelines. The reason raw foodists do eat uncooked food is because all of the naturally occurring enzymes. These enzymes promote optimum health and digestion. Diabetes is a serious disease, so be sure to check with doctor before switching to raw foods. Take some time to explain what the raw foods diet is all about. Be sure to continue monitoring your blood sugar level according to your doctor’s instructions. Some diabetics eating raw foods have seen remarkable improvements in their condition.

Eat to Beat Diabetes
When it comes to maintaining good blood sugar levels, a healthy diet is vital. People with diabetes have to take extra care to ensure their diet is properly balanced with their insulin and oral medications.

The right meal plan will help any diabetic improve blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers.
All diabetics must control their refined carbohydrate intake. These types of carbohydrates increase blood glucose levels. While some promote health, others when eaten often and in large quantities, may increase the risk for diabetes.

Carbohydrates come from a wide array of foods including fruit, vegetables, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti and corn. The most common and abundant ones refined in are sugars, fibers and starches. It is advised diabetics avoid white bread, rice and pasta, along with foods containing unnaturally added sugars.

The body will convert all types of refined carbohydrates into glucose. Eating extra servings of rice, pasta and bread will make blood sugar rise.

Diabetics should consume carbohydrate-rich foods close to their natural form. These items have greater vital nutrient density. Whenever possible, replace highly processed grains, cereals and sugars with natural whole-grain products.

Eating complex carbohydrates rich in fiber significantly lower blood sugar levels. It is capable of slowing down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and increasing the sensitivity of tissues to insulin, thereby preventing rises in blood sugar.

It is recommended diabetics eat 13 fiber-rich servings of fruits, veggies, beans and grains daily. Soluble-fiber rich foods include orange and grapefruit segments, prunes, cantaloupes, papayas, raisins, lima beans, zucchini, oatmeal, oat bran and granola. Other foods high in soluble fiber include barley, peas and strawberries.

The glycemic index system, or GI, is a good guideline for diabetics to follow.
Invented in the early 1980s by University of Toronto researchers, the glycemic index ranks carbohydrate foods by their effects on blood sugar levels.

The GI assigns carbohydrate-containing foods a number based on how they affect blood sugars. The longer the body has to break an item down into glucose, the slower the rise in blood-sugar levels, and the lower the GI. Adding a half a teaspoon of cinnamon to any meal can stabilize blood sugar swings.

Many diabetics also supplement with vitamins, herbs and medicinal teas. Incorporating natural ginseng into a diet can produce positive affects. This herb, which is recognized throughout China to have healing properties, has been known to help improve fasting blood glucose levels and increase insulin secretion.

The easiest method to control diabetes is through proper diet. An eating plan high in fiber and low in refined carbohydrates will ensure the best strategy to beat the disease.