A gluten free diabetic diet is recommended for people who have gluten intolerance and diabetes at the same time. There is some correlation between diabetes and gluten intolerance. About one percent of the world population suffers from celiac disease, a disease characterized by gluten intolerance.
Of all people living with this disease, the majority have diabetes type 1. However, it is also worth mentioning that not all people with gluten intolerance are celiac disease sufferers.
For these people, diabetes least likely becomes the risk factor of their gluten intolerance. Regardless, if you are diabetic and have gluten intolerance, it is important for you to control your diet properly by monitoring your blood sugar level and avoiding gluten-laden foods.
The General Rule
A gluten free diabetic diet generally requires you to eat carb-controlled zero-gluten foods. Carb is sugar and without proper control, it will wreak havoc in your body if you are diabetic.
Gluten is your main enemy if your body is intolerant to it because, in the body, it will cause various digestive problems. If you have celiac disease, gluten damages your intestines and prevents them from absorbing necessary nutrients from your food.
Avoiding tortilla, crackers, cookies, cakes, and beer is thus a task—often daunting—that you have to accomplish if you don’t want the gluten to bother you.
You also need to control your carb intake. A controlled carb intake means you should know when to limit its consumption and when to relax its intake. Even better, you can make a one-week plan for your diet so that you can always get a balanced amount of carb to keep your blood sugar controlled.
The Celiac Disease Foundation is a good source if you need a reference to make your weekly diet plan.
Fiber-Fortified Diet
The majority of gluten free food products available on the market are surprisingly low in fiber. If your diet consists only of gluten-free foods, you will not receive enough amount of fiber.
When you buy gluten free foods, be sure to read the label to find out whether they are fortified with fiber. If your foods are low in fiber, you can take a gluten free fiber supplement as an alternative.
The first option, however, is the more recommended because taking supplement all the time is not the healthy way to eat. Include fiber-rich gluten free foods, such as chickpeas, black beans, and pinto beans, in your gluten free diabetic diet and you should be able to keep your fiber intake sufficient enough.
Snacks
Having gluten intolerance means you have to stay away from all of those delicious snacks. Ironically, snacks are usually used as emergency foods when your blood sugar level drops. Because diabetic people must have access to snacks, especially during emergency situations, be sure that you keep gluten-free snacks nearby to avoid unwanted mishaps.
Closing
Living with gluten intolerance and diabetes seems to be a difficult life, but in fact, it is not always that way. With the right diet plan, you can actually live happily and deliciously without gluten and sugar. Consult a dietitian or the Celiac Disease Foundation to get the advice on how to plan your gluten free diabetic diet.
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