Should Diabetics Juice

One hot trend right now in the nutrition industry is juicing. Whether you purchase a fancy new juicing machine capable of juicing just about any fruit or vegetable you put into it, or you pick up some fresh juice at your local smoothie bar, you might feel you are doing something right for your body and your blood sugar levels.

But, as you go about this juicing practice, there are a few things you will want to know. Let's look at a few key pieces of info to keep in mind...

1. What You Juice Matters. The first thing to take into account is what you are juicing does matter. If you are juicing carrots, celery, lemons, and other low-calorie items, you can drink at ease knowing you aren't going to be putting yourself at risk for weight gain to a high degree.

If, however, you choose to add in fresh fruits - and the high-calorie ones such as pineapples, bananas, apples, and so forth, you could easily be taking in 200 or more calories per juice you consume.

Juice, by nature, is not a healthy option for those who are suffering from Type 2 diabetes or looking to combat prediabetes. It's simply too high in overall sugar content to be taken in on a regular basis.

As soon as diabetics toss a vegetable or two in with the fruit, they think it's far different. It's not. If you are juicing fruit, you are drinking fruit juice - which is not the best move.

2. Be Conscious Of Sodium Content. Another big thing to watch for is the sodium content. If you are purchasing juice already prepared, and it's primarily vegetable juice, be sure it contains no salt. Often, it has, and the level would surprise you. Take V8 for instance, a commercially prepared vegetable juice that has 481 mg of sodium per serving. This amount of sodium is 20% of your total daily intake. Drink two of those per day and you could easily be putting yourself at risk for hypertension.

If you prepare your juice using only vegetables (and no salt), then you can rest assured it's a lower sodium variety.

3. Don't Stray From Fresh. Finally, also remember when you juice, you are going to lose some of the fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables. The pulp is what contains blood sugar-stabilizing dietary fiber, and that pulp is thrown away.

While you may be taking in the vitamins and minerals, you aren't taking in what you as a Type 2 diabetic need - the fiber. As one of the effects of eating fiber is lower blood sugar, this means you're missing out

So be careful about juicing. While freshly juiced vegetables on occasion can be useful if you're behind in your intake for the day, don't make a habit of turning to juice rather than eating the real deal.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9202553

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