Kendsie Hunter: Proteins and Juvenile Diabetes
Food is broken up into three different areas: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Each area plays an important role in any diet, and no diet should be devoid of one group.
Protein is a basic component of our body’s make up. Our cells, hairs, nails, bones and muscles all have protein in them, so we must eat protein to keep our bodies in tip-top shape (http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html).
Protein is a great way to keep blood sugar levels stable. If paired with carbs, diabetics get the energy they need from the carbs, but the protein stabilizes the blood sugar, preventing blood sugar spikes (http://www.revolutionhealth.com/conditions/diabetes/diet-nutrition/carbs...). The reason for protein’s stabilizing properties is because it takes the body longer to process protein than it does carbohydrates. When the body takes a longer time to process, the result is no spike in blood sugar (http://www.dsolve.com/content/view/108/2/).
The same sources of fat are usually good sources of protein as well. Meats, dairy products and nuts are good sources of protein. Smoothies are a great way to get your daily intake of protein and have a delicious meal (usually breakfast) or snack. By combining fruits with dairy products, you get a great mix of carbohydrates, fat and protein to get you through the day.
Just make sure that you don’t add more sugar than necessary, because this will knock your blood sugars up to levels that will be considered out of control.
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