Honey and diabetes: Can I use honey instead of sugar in diabetes?

Honey and diabetes: Can I use honey instead of sugar in diabetes?

Very often people ask the doctor: "I have diabetes and I wonder whether it is possible to use honey in diabetes to replace the sugar?" Generally, there is no advantage to replace sugar with honey diabetics. Both - honey and sugar - increase blood sugar levels.

Honey is sweeter than sugar, because honey contains slightly more carbohydrates and more calories per teaspoon than granulated sugar, so substituting sugar with honey for diabetics, will only lead to increase glucose in blood and high calories.

If you prefer the taste of honey, you can safely use it - but only in moderate amount. Be sure that you accurately calculate the amount of honey.

Diabetics, as is known, there is no need to consume any kind of sugar - in sweets, desserts, etc. However, the most important not only the amount of sugar you eat, but your overall carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates can be found in both the white and brown sugar, and the products from them, such as honey, syrups, jams. Further, carbohydrates are also present in large quantities in cereals, starchy vegetables and fruits. You should limit your intake of carbohydrates to 45 g- 60g per meal for better control of blood sugar levels.

The content of carbohydrates in honey

Honey, like all other sugars, is a concentrated source of carbohydrates. A tablespoon of honey provides 17.3 grams of carbohydrates, while a teaspoon of honey contains 5.8 grams of carbohydrates. While these numbers may seem small, they can quickly add up depending on how much you consume. It’s a good idea to keep track of carbohydrate intake. Record the food you eat, notice the portion sizes and estimate the carbohydrate content of each of the products using food labels or food composition tables. Make sure that each of your meals will provide no more than 45g - 60g carbohydrates. If the use of honey in diabetes will exceed the daily carbohydrate "budget", the blood sugar level becomes critical. 

Healthy Sweetener

 Honey often considered healthy sweetener, compared with white sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Although honey is a more natural and less processed foods, it still contains about the same amount of sugar, as well as any other type of high-calorie sweeteners. For example, 1 tsp. sugar has 4.8 g of carbohydrates, 1 tsp brown sugar .. has 4.5 g of carbohydrates, 1 tsp .. corn syrup has 5.6 g of carbohydrates and 1 tsp maple syrup has a .. 4 5 g carbohydrates. The amount of carbohydrates is more important than the quality of carbohydrates, when it comes to diabetes.

In diabetes you can use honey! But count it

You can use honey in your diet but you have be careful about something. Number one is the amount you honey, as we already established the biochemical profile of honey, it's clear that honey can also increase blood glucose as the processed sugar. Second important point is to buy unprocessed honey. Yes you can find a lot different kind of honey in markets which are not processed. The next issue will be to get used to the low levels of sweetness in your diet. The thing is that, even a person is not diabetic, he/she isn't suppose to load themselves with sugar. That's why keep in mind that you are following the healthy regime which is necessary to stay healthy but with little more restrictions. Within 2 weeks you will adjest to the these levels of sweetness in your diet and it will new normal for you. But don't eat honey flavored products because the concentration of honey is not under your control. Mix half tea spoon of honey in desirable food by you self.

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Warning Signs of Diabetes

Warning Signs of Diabetes.

Frequent urination

When the body detects a high level of sugar in the blood, kidneys respond by attempting to get rid of excess glucose in the urine. This can lead to an increase in urine production, and the need to urinate frequently. If you find yourself going to the toilet more often, especially if you wake up at night to urinate, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether you need a check.Nighttime awakenings to urinate may also be associated with other diseases.

Who should be tested for diabetes?

According to the National Institutes of Health, people 45 years old and older should consider getting tested for diabetes. People under the age of 45 should consider testing if they are overweight or obese. Initial screening for diabetes includes checking blood glucose level of the blood sample, fasting overnight. Accepted normal range for fasting blood glucose, typically from 70 to 99 mg / dL. The level of post above 100 may require additional testing.

Increased thirst and dry mouth

Production of excess urine can lead to dehydration and the loss of liquid, which is why people with undiagnosed diabetes frequently experience excessive thirst and dryness of the mouth. People can see that they drink more and more water and other liquids, and still not feeling their thirst was quenched.

Increased hunger

When someone developing type 2 diabetes, the ability of glucose to enter the cells of the organism to be used as energy disturbed. When glucose is less accessible cells, the body can react to the feeling of hunger, even if the food has been consumed recently.

Unexplained weight loss

When there is less glucose, the body is also programmed to start burning fat and muscle energy. This may lead to sudden and sometimes rapid weight loss.

Fatigue

A high content of glucose in the blood can also slow blood flow, which reduces the amount of oxygen and other nutrients are delivered to the cells. As a result, fatigue can develop.

Headaches and difficulty concentrating

The brain requires adequate hydration for optimal function, so when the body enters a state of dehydration, as it happens when blood sugar is high, and there is increase in urine output, headaches or blurred mind and fuzzy thinking can be a sad result.

Blurred vision

High blood sugar levels can cause the lens to swell, which may lead to blurred vision. Once blood sugar returns to normal, vision changes back to normal. Nevertheless, the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with Type 2 diabetes to have a complete eye examination soon after they are diagnosed.

Slow healing and increased risk of infection

High blood sugar can lead to disruption of the natural healing process of the body and the ability to fight infections. Experiencing the normal creaking or cut, for example, can take too much time to heal in someone with untreated diabetes and increase the risk of infection. Women with diabetes, bladder, vaginal yeast infections, are generally more common.

Sore throat and numbness

If diabetes go unnoticed or untreated, chronic high blood sugar can damage the nerves throughout the body, a condition known as diabetic neuropathy. When neuropathy develops, people may notice numbness, tingling or pain in the extremities, especially the legs and feet.

Risk factor for diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is often called "lifestyle diseases" because certain factors that put people at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes come from the lifestyle that they have. These factors include  physical inactivity and obesity, poor diet, and smoking. Smoking can be the worst. According to the researchers, smokers are about 50 percent more likely to develop diabetes than non-smokers; smokers are at even higher risk.

Other factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes include family history of diabetes, gestational diabetes during pregnancy, and high blood pressure.

Race may also play a role. Native Americans, African-Americans and Hispanics almost 1.5 times more likely to develop diabetes than Asian Americans or Caucasians.

Age is also important. Type 2 diabetes is most often diagnosed in adults over 45. However, as obesity is increasing among children and adolescents, the number of diagnosed cases of "pre-diabetes" in young adults is also increasing. When someone has pre-diabetes, blood sugar levels higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. 

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Life style with Diabetes

Life style with Diabetes

The correct way of life for people with diabetes is one of the key moments of the full interaction with the outside world. By adhering to certain rules, you can greatly improve the quality of life. 

The main task of the person with diabetes - the desire to compensate for the disease through the use of a number of methods. An important role in this process and the rules assigned to diet, physical stress, work, recreation, and so on. N.

Diet with diabetes Mellitus

Diet regime - one of the basic principles and general diet for people with diabetes. Certain diet regime is crucial to the success of therapeutic interventions. In diabetes as 1 and type 2 is recommended to adhere to a small meals (at least 3-5 times a day), with a break between meals should not be beyond the 3-5 hours.

With regard to diet for people with type 1 diabetes, usually there is no limitation in caloric intake. The exception is obese patient. But as type 1 diabetes usually affects children and young ones, they should be in well fed.

Here the numbers of calories or type of product use as diet are not emphasized because your doctor will adjust you insulin dose according you type and amount of food you eat.

For all people with diabetes, it is important:

• To not skip meals,
• Monitor their weight,
• Limit salt intake to maintain normal levels of blood pressure,
• Daily drink at least 1.5 liters of water,
• cease / aggressively limit intake of alcoholic beverages,
• perform regular physical exercises,
• Conscious approach to product selection, consider the amount of food eaten.

The general principle of physical activity

To maintain normal blood glucose levels and prevent cardiovascular disease for people with diabetes, it is very important to regularly perform light exercise. Physical activity is major component of the complex therapy of diabetes.

Regular physical activity increases the tissue sensitivity to insulin, thereby enhancing its action and the action anti diabetic drugs.

For people with type 2 diabetes, physical activity, along with proper nutrition plays a major role in the treatment. The need for physical exercise is limited by their intensity. Regularity, duration and type of training should be individually discussed with your doctor. Only in this case, you can count on the maximum benefit from exercise without damaging health.

Also, monitoring of blood glucose levels before and after the exercise program are very important. Too high glucose (above 200 mg /dl) are contraindications for any physical activity.

During exercise, people with diabetes mellitus can become hypoglycemic (low blood glucose). In this correlation, you cannot start training on an empty stomach and if blood glucose level is less than 100 mg / dl. To eliminate the possibility of hypoglycemia, it is necessary to have meal containing carbohydrate (sugar, fruit juice).

Hypoglycemia can occur in people with type 1 diabetes during physical exercise. This should be taken into account when calculating the dose of insulin.

It is also very important to understand that exercise is not only a sport, but also doing things at home, work at their summer cottage, short intense jogging, sex, etc. The occurrence of hypoglycemia attack possible in these cases, it is worth remembering what each person with diabetes always carry an adequate supply of carbohydrate in one form or another.

Living with diabetes

The life of a person with diabetes full and does not imply any limitations. With the right approach to the problem of adequate and timely treatment of the disease, people with diabetes can be fully integrated into all spheres of life.

However, there are several aspects to be taken into account when choosing a profession, a job, sexual life, planning pregnancy, long tripsand drinking alcohol.

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