Right Diet Plan for Some with Type-2 Diabetes & High Cholesterol

The metabolic abnormality, in which tissues of the body respond inefficiently to insulin which is a hormone that breaks down sugars in the body, is termed as insulin resistance. Type 2 diabetes patients suffer from this condition which leads to increased blood sugar and abnormally high fat levels in the body. Type 2 diabetics generally have high levels of LDL or bad cholesterol and triglycerides and depletion of HDL or good cholesterol levels. The high blood sugar and cholesterol abnormalities make a Type 2 diabetic about four times more susceptible to cardiovascular conditions and stroke. Fortunately for type-2 diabetics, both blood fat and sugar levels can be controlled with a good and healthy diet. Doctors recommend personalized nutrition plans which adhere to some specifications rather than focus on a specific diet chart for these individuals. Restriction of consuming calories is one of the most important parts of these diet plans, especially for overweight type 2 diabetics with high cholesterol levels. Read on for more on type-2 diabetes and high cholesterol diet plan.

Mediterranean Diet Plan for Type-2 Diabetes & High Cholesterol

Mediterranean Diet refers to food products that are eaten along the Mediterranean coastline where food either cooked in olive oil or olive products are widely used. The countries that fall in this bracket are Spain, southern Italy and Greece. Mediterranean Diet also emphasizes on the consumption of beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and seeds for keeping sugar and cholesterol in control. Moderate consumption of fish, poultry, eggs, seafood, yogurt, and cheese is allowed in this diet whereas intake of sweets and red meat is restricted. Wine with meals is normal in a traditional Mediterranean diet; however, it needs to be avoided if an individual is overweight and is working on losing some extra pounds. Research was conducted to understand what effect did a Mediterranean diet had on type 2 diabetes patients and pre-diabetes management. It was seen that Mediterranean diet went a long way in decreasing the bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol or HDL levels in the body, and by adhering to a Mediterranean diet, type 2 diabetes patients lost considerable weight, which by itself plays a key role in decreasing cholesterol levels. Another benefit of Mediterranean diet is that it provides the dieter with loads of omega-3 and fatty acids present in some types of fishes, nuts, and oils.

Omega-3 and fatty acids decrease triglyceride levels but can lead to minimal increase in LDL but that increase is not significant enough to impact the overall health of the individual pertaining to high cholesterol levels. Therefore following a Mediterranean diet is a good idea for people suffering from type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.

Vegan & Vegetarian Diet Plan: Healthy Option for Type-2 Diabetes & High Cholesterol

Vegetarian diets primarily include food products made from edible plants but products like eggs, cheese and butter also come under a vegetarian diet. Vegan diet on the other hand only includes food products made from plants. Both these diets help to reduce bad cholesterol and are also a good diet plan for type-2 diabetics. A vegan diet which was low on fat content helped improve cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. At the culmination of the 20-week study, it was observed that LDL levels dropped by about 21% in people who adhered to a diet consisting of grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes with no calorie restrictions whatsoever, compared to a 10% decline in people following the American Diabetes Association diet. The reduction in weight and blood sugar was also more in people adhering to a vegan diet plan. However, it was also observed that these two diet plans only worked the best if there were calorie restrictions imposed and weight loss observed.

Both vegan and vegetarian diet contains plenty of fiber in them which help in decreasing the bad cholesterol in the body. Further, by adhering to this diet here as an overall decrease in intake of foods rich on fats and cholesterol which also was the key to the success of this diet plan in lowering the cholesterol levels. Thus a planned Vegetarian and Vegan diet is a complete diet with adequate amounts of nutrition that is required by the body for smooth functioning and is also extremely efficacious in preventing and treating many disease conditions to include diabetes and hypercholesterolemia.

Low-Carbohydrate Diet Plan: Effective Diet for Type-2 Diabetes & High Cholesterol

Foods rich on carbohydrates are harmful for diabetics as they negatively impact blood sugar levels. This is the reason that restriction in daily intake of carbs is important not only for weight loss but also control of type 2 diabetes. There are several low-carbohydrate diet plans available with varying degrees of carbohydrate restrictions which are known to be efficacious in controlling both type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. The zone and South beach diets are examples of low-carbohydrate diets which are quite beneficial in people with type-2 diabetes and high cholesterol. The Paleo and Atkins diet plans which are extremely low on carbohydrates trigger off a metabolic process in which the body instead of burning sugar starts burning fat for energy. This process is called ketosis. Low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss is seen to be effective for about a year or so provided individual adheres to the diet plan strictly to maintain normal cholesterol levels. Researchers have found that people following a low-carb diet plan experience much more decrease in their LDL levels, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and a significant increase in HDL levels. It is however recommended that people with diabetes who adhere to a low-carb diet get their fat levels, protein intake, and kidney functions monitored on a regular basis.

Outlook

Diabetes can be best managed by nutritional therapy. Medical experts recommend that people with type-2 diabetes undergo nutritional counseling with a skilled nutritionist. This is essential to ensure that their diet plan includes all the necessary ingredients require for smooth functioning of the body and keep sugars and cholesterols in check. It is equally important for them to consult a healthcare provider when changing their diet plan since alterations in the eating patterns can require readjustment of diabetes and cholesterol medications.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:July 26, 2021

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