Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar

When people eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible

ones into sugar, which enters the blood.

• As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage.
• As cells absorb blood sugar, levels in the bloodstream begin to fall.
• When this happens, the pancreas start making glucagon, a hormone that signals the liver to start releasing stored sugar.
• This interplay of insulin and glucagon ensure that cells throughout the body, and especially in the brain, have a steady supply of blood sugar.

Carbohydrate metabolism is important in the development of type 2 diabetes, which occurs when the body can’t make enough insulin or can’t properly use the insulin it makes.

• Type 2 diabetes usually develops gradually over a number of years, beginning when muscle and other cells stop responding to insulin. This condition, known as insulin resistance, causes blood sugar and insulin levels to stay high long after eating. Over time, the heavy demands made on the insulin-making cells wears them out, and insulin production eventually stops.

Glycemic index

In the past, carbohydrates were commonly classified as being either “simple” or “complex,” and described as follows:

Simple carbohydrates:

These carbohydrates are composed of sugars (such as fructose and glucose) which have simple chemical structures composed of only one sugar (monosaccharides) or two sugars (disaccharides). Simple carbohydrates are easily and quickly utilized for energy by the body because of their simple chemical structure, often leading to a faster rise in blood sugar and insulin secretion from the pancreas – which can have negative health effects.

Complex carbohydrates:

These carbohydrates have more complex chemical structures, with three or more sugars linked together (known as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides).  Many complex carbohydrate foods contain fiber, vitamins and minerals, and they take longer to digest – which means they have less of an immediate impact on blood sugar, causing it to rise more slowly. But other so called complex carbohydrate foods such as white bread and white potatoes contain mostly starch but little fiber or other beneficial nutrients.

Dividing carbohydrates into simple and complex, however, does not account for the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar and chronic diseases. To explain how different kinds of carbohydrate-rich foods directly affect blood sugar, the glycemic index was developed and is considered a better way of categorizing carbohydrates, especially starchy foods.

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 based on how quickly and how much they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, are rapidly digested and cause substantial fluctuations in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, prompting a more gradual rise in blood sugar.

• Low-glycemic foods have a rating of 55 or less, and foods rated 70-100 are considered high-glycemic foods. Medium-level foods have a glycemic index of 56-69.
• Eating many high-glycemic-index foods – which cause powerful spikes in blood sugar – can lead to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, (2) heart disease, (3), (4) and overweight, (5,6) (7). There is also preliminary work linking high-glycemic diets to age-related macular degeneration, (8) ovulatory infertility, (9) and colorectal cancer. (10)
• Foods with a low glycemic index have been shown to help control type 2 diabetes and improve weight loss.
• A 2014 review of studies researching carbohydrate quality and chronic disease risk showed that low-glycemic-index diets may offer anti-inflammatory benefits. (16)
• The University of Sydney in Australia maintains a searchable database of foods and their corresponding glycemic indices.

Many factors can affect a food’s glycemic index, including the following:

• Processing: Grains that have been milled and refined—removing the bran and the germ—have a higher glycemic index than minimally processed whole grains.
• Physical form: Finely ground grain is more rapidly digested than coarsely ground grain. This is why eating whole grains in their “whole form” like brown rice or oats can be healthier than eating highly processed whole grain bread.
• Fiber content: High-fiber foods don’t contain as much digestible carbohydrate, so it slows the rate of digestion and causes a more gradual and lower rise in blood sugar. (17)
• Ripeness: Ripe fruits and vegetables tend to have a higher glycemic index than un-ripened fruit.
• Fat content and acid content: Meals with fat or acid are converted more slowly into sugar.

Numerous epidemiologic studies have shown a positive association between higher dietary glycemic index and increased risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. However, the relationship between glycemic index and body weight is less well studied and remains controversial.

Glycemic load

One thing that a food’s glycemic index does not tell us is how much digestible carbohydrate – the total amount of carbohydrates excluding  fiber – it delivers. That’s why researchers developed a related way to classify foods that takes into account both the amount of carbohydrate in the food in relation to its impact on blood sugar levels. This measure is called the glycemic load. (11,12) A food’s glycemic load is determined by multiplying its glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate the food contains. In general, a glycemic load of 20 or more is high, 11 to 19 is medium, and 10 or under is low.

The glycemic load has been used to study whether or not high-glycemic load diets are associated with increased risks for type 2 diabetes risk and cardiac events. In a large meta-analysis of 24 prospective cohort studies, researchers concluded that people who consumed lower-glycemic load diets were at a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate a diet of higher-glycemic load foods. (13) A similar type of meta-analysis concluded that higher-glycemic load diets were also associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease events. (14)

Here is a listing of low, medium, and high glycemic load foods. For good health, choose foods that have a low or medium glycemic load, and limit foods that have a high glycemic load.

Low glycemic load (10 or under)

• Bran cereals
• Apple
• Orange
• Kidney beans
• Black beans
• Lentils
• Wheat tortilla
• Skim milk
• Cashews
• Peanuts
• Carrots

Medium glycemic load (11-19)

• Pearled barley: 1 cup cooked
• Brown rice: 3/4 cup cooked
• Oatmeal: 1 cup cooked
• Bulgur: 3/4 cup cooked
• Rice cakes: 3 cakes
• Whole grain breads: 1 slice
• Whole-grain pasta: 1 1/4 cup cooked

High glycemic load (20+)

• Baked potato
• French fries
• Refined breakfast cereal: 1 oz
• Sugar-sweetened beverages: 12 oz
• Candy bars: 1 2-oz bar or 3 mini bars
• Couscous: 1 cup cooked
• White basmati rice: 1 cup cooked
• White-flour pasta: 1 1/4 cup cooked (15)

Here’s a list of the glycemic index and glycemic load for the most common foods.

References

2. de Munter JS, Hu FB, Spiegelman D, Franz M, van Dam RM. Whole grain, bran, and germ intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study and systematic review. PLoS Med. 2007;4:e261.

3. Beulens JW, de Bruijne LM, Stolk RP, et al. High dietary glycemic load and glycemic index increase risk of cardiovascular disease among middle-aged women: a population-based follow-up study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007;50:14-21.

4. Halton TL, Willett WC, Liu S, et al. Low-carbohydrate-diet score and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:1991-2002.

5. Anderson JW, Randles KM, Kendall CW, Jenkins DJ. Carbohydrate and fiber recommendations for individuals with diabetes: a quantitative assessment and meta-analysis of the evidence. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004;23:5-17.

6. Ebbeling CB, Leidig MM, Feldman HA, Lovesky MM, Ludwig DS. Effects of a low-glycemic load vs low-fat diet in obese young adults: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007;297:2092-102.

7. Maki KC, Rains TM, Kaden VN, Raneri KR, Davidson MH. Effects of a reduced-glycemic-load diet on body weight, body composition, and cardiovascular disease risk markers in overweight and obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85:724-34.

8. Chiu CJ, Hubbard LD, Armstrong J, et al. Dietary glycemic index and carbohydrate in relation to early age-related macular degeneration. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83:880-6.

9. Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner BA, Willett WC. A prospective study of dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to risk of ovulatory infertility. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63:78-86.

10. Higginbotham S, Zhang ZF, Lee IM, et al. Dietary glycemic load and risk of colorectal cancer in the Women’s Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96:229-33.

11. Liu S, Willett WC. Dietary glycemic load and atherothrombotic risk. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2002;4:454-61.

12. Willett W, Manson J, Liu S. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76:274S-80S.

13. Livesey G, Taylor R, Livesey H, Liu S. Is there a dose-response relation of dietary glycemic load to risk of type 2 diabetes? Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97:584-96.

14. Mirrahimi A, de Souza RJ, Chiavaroli L, et al. Associations of glycemic index and load with coronary heart disease events: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohorts. J Am Heart Assoc. 2012;1:e000752.

15. Foster-Powell K, Holt SH, Brand-Miller JC. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76:5-56.

16. Buyken, AE, Goletzke, J, Joslowski, G, Felbick, A, Cheng, G, Herder, C, Brand-Miller, JC. Association between carbohydrate quality and inflammatory markers: systematic review of observational and interventional studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Am J Clin Nutr. 99(4): 2014;813-33.

17. AlEssa H, Bupathiraju S, Malik V, Wedick N, Campos H, Rosner B, Willett W, Hu FB. Carbohydrate quality measured using multiple quality metrics is negatively associated with type 2 diabetes.Circulation. 2015; 1-31:A:20.

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The 3-Day Military Diet: Is It Legit?

What if someone told you that you could lose 10 pounds a week…while eating ice cream? Sounds too good to be true, right? That’s the alluring sell behind the Military Diet, a strict eating regimen that’s been sweeping the Internet over the past few months. The rules: Follow a rigid meal plan for three days, then do four days of maintenance and watch as the pounds “melt away” by the end of the week.

RELATED: Daily Burn 365: New Workouts, 7 Days a Week

Pinners, bloggers and YouTube vlogs are driving this trend forward with viral before-and-after pictures showcasing impressive (and often hard to believe) changes. Devotees of the diet consume 1,100 to 1,400 calories a day in the form of so-called “fat-burning” food combinations like hot dogs and bananas, and tuna and toast. (Yes, we said hot dogs.) It’s a one-size-fits-all plan, so athletic men and women are going to dine on the same grub as their more sedentary peers. But is this really a healthy way to lose weight? We got to the bottom of this much-talked-about plan.

What the Military Diet Is All About

No shocker here: It turns out that the Military Diet isn’t quite the unique weight loss solution it’s made out to be. “This [diet concept] has been dressed up differently and brought out to dance before,” says Kimberly Gomer, R.D., director of nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Center. In other words, a restrictive three-day plan is nothing new in the health industry.

Plus, the diet’s affiliation with the actual U.S. Army seems to be just a gimmick. (Fun fact: The Cleveland Clinic Diet, British Heart Foundation Diet, Mayo Clinic Diet and Navy Diet aren’t linked to those institutions, either.) So don’t judge a book — or a diet — by its cover.

RELATED: Can the Paleo Diet Improve Your Health?

According to websites dedicated to the meal plan, the three-day Military Diet prescribes the following meal plan:

Day One (approx. 1,400 calories)

Breakfast:
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice toast
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup coffee or tea (with caffeine)

Lunch:
1/2 cup tuna
1 slice toast
1 cup coffee or tea (with caffeine)

Dinner:
3 ounces any type of meat
1 cup green beans
1/2 banana
1 small apple
1 cup vanilla ice cream

Day Two (approx. 1,200 calories)

Breakfast:
1 egg
1 slice toast
1/2 banana

Lunch:
1 cup cottage cheese
1 hard-boiled egg
5 saltine crackers

Dinner:
2 hot dogs (without bun)
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Day Three (approx. 1,100 calories)

Breakfast:
5 saltine crackers
1 slice (1 ounce) cheddar cheese
1 small apple

Lunch:
1 hard-boiled egg (or cooked however you like)
1 slice toast

Dinner:
1 cup tuna
1/2 banana
1 cup vanilla ice cream

Once you complete the three-day diet, you’re supposed to eat and exercise normally for the next four days. “What I found interesting is that this diet allows for almost 1,500 calories, which is a pretty normal weight management diet,” says Gomer. “It’s not a crazy 800-calorie crash diet.” But its promises aren’t all they appear to be.

Three-Day Diet: Crazy or Legit?

One of the central claims of the Military Diet is that your meals are arranged in “fat-burning” food combinations. However, “There’s no science behind it,” says Gomer. You may still lose weight if the calories you’re consuming are less than the calories you’re burning off throughout your day. But nothing about pairing grapefruit with peanut butter toast will necessarily help you slim your waistline more than another combination of similarly caloric foods, Gomer says.

The Military Diet’s focus on small quantities of high-fat food might leave you feeling hungry, too. “This is allowing a very little bit of rich food,” explains Gomer, noting that you’ll still feel hungry despite indulging in ice cream each night. “It makes me frustrated because I could give people six times the amount of food [for the same amount of calories],” says Gomer.

RELATED: To Sip or Not to Sip: The Benefits of Bone Broth

You’d be better off focusing on filling, low-density foods such as fruits and vegetables, which have a lot of water and fiber, Gomer notes. Plus, the diet is also lacking in whole grains, which can reduce your risk of many chronic diseases (like diabetes and heart disease) and help with weight maintenance.

So we hate to break it to you, but devouring hot dogs and ice cream probably won’t be your ticket to sustainable and healthy weight loss. “The idea that there’s something magical in a certain diet, that’s the American dream,” says Gomer. The Military Diet isn’t sustainable, she says. “You’ll get hungry and grouchy and you break your diet and [then] you’re looking for the next miracle.”

It might be time to get off the diet rollercoaster and leave the miracles to Disney.

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5 Ways to Conquer Binge Eating — And When to Seek Help

When Anne-Sophie Reinhardt was trying to lose weight, she’d start the day with black coffee and maybe a slice of toast. But by lunchtime, she’d be so ravenous she’d stuff herself with a huge meal of meat and pasta. That’s when the day would spiral out of control. Next came Nutella-slathered bread and entire bags of jellybeans while watching back-to-back episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Some days, she’d feast on pizza and fries — occasionally, an entire cake. Then panic would set in, and she’d hit the family treadmill, trying to make a dent in daily calorie totals that could top 10,000. Within six months, Reinhart, then 17 years old, had added 50 pounds to her 5’1” frame and reached her heaviest weight of 150.

RELATED: 5 Ways to Stop Stress Eating From Taking Over Your Brain

“I had a hole in my belly I couldn’t fill,” explains Reinhardt, now 27. “I would fight myself not to get more food, but the urge to overeat would always win out. I wouldn’t even get any enjoyment out of it because I was so busy beating myself up. ‘Why again?’ I’d say. ‘You have to be better tomorrow. This is going to be the last time.’”

What Is Binge Eating Disorder?

Reinhardt was eventually treated for binge eating disorder (BED) which, unlike anorexia and bulimia nervosa, hasn’t received a lot of attention over the years. In 2013, the syndrome, which is estimated to affect five million women and three million men in the U.S., was finally included as a distinct entry in the American Psychiatric Association’s most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The disorder is characterized by repeatedly eating large amounts of food — and being unable to stop when full. People who binge will often eat when they are not hungry and consume their food quickly, often to the point of being uncomfortable.

RELATED: Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes an Obsession

The main difference between bingeing and bulimia is that binge eaters do not purge later to prevent weight gain, which is a common side effect of the disorder. One study found that among people entering a weight loss program, about 30 percent suffered from binge eating disorder.

Bingers typically eat alone and feel disgusted or embarrassed by their behavior. “A person without the disorder can say, ‘Well, that was just a bad night,’ and shake it off, but the person with binge eating disorder would feel shame and depression,” explains Stacey Rosenfeld, PhD, a Miami-based psychologist andauthor of Does Every Woman Have an Eating Disorder? Challenging Our Nation’s Fixation with Food and Weight. “Also, when you overindulge with other people, you don’t have such severe physical discomfort. Bingers might not be aware of fullness signals. Or they choose discomfort as a way to punish themselves.”

Psychologists are hesitant to define quantities or types of food associated with BED, although Rosenfeld says it’s typically high-fat, high-calorie fare. You just have to binge at least once a week for three months to qualify for the diagnosis. “They key is you’re doing it on a regular basis and feel out of control,” she says. In other words, occasionally overdoing it at summer barbecues probably doesn’t count.

How to Stop Binge Eating

If you think you might suffer from binge eating disorder, talk to your doctor to find out how to get help. But even if you don’t fit the criteria, many of us occasionally push our limits and eat way more than our bodies need. Here’s how to prevent an excessive eating episode:

1. Get off the diet roller coaster.If you severely restrict what you can eat, you’re more likely to overdo it on those forbidden foods later. “It’s a diet-binge cycle,” explains Rosenfeld. “Patients feel deprived and hungry, and the pendulum swings in the other direction.” Case in point: Reinhardt once lost nearly 10 pounds eating kale soup for two weeks straight. Then she returned to her bingeing behavior and gained back the weight. Find a program that includes regular meals and snacks, along with occasional treats so you’ll always feel satiated.

RELATED: When Is It OK to Cheat? The Pros and Cons of Cheat Days

2. Feed your cravings.Feeling on the verge of chocolate obsession? Eat a gooey truffle or scoop of ice cream before your desire balloons into a brownie-nut-fudge calorie bomb. “Satisfy your cravingsin moderation so they don’t come back to haunt you,” says Rosenfeld. “Food is a pleasure. There’s nothing wrong with that. Treat yourself well.”

3. Know your triggers.Food is often used to numb out uncomfortable feelings, so become aware of which situations (or people!) make you want to overeat. “Try to identify them in advance so you can find other ways of ways of coping,” says Rosenfeld. For example, if you know that getting angry with your husband makes you want to hit a greasy drive-thru, you can go for a walk or call friends next time you’re frustrated.

4. Try meditation.If you’re using food to escape your feelings, regular meditation may help you feel more present in your body and learn to manage uncomfortable emotions. One review of 14 studies on the effect of mindfulness meditation concluded it helped control the disorder, although it didn’t always result in weight loss.

RELATED: 7 Ways to Carve Out Time to Meditate

5. Seek treatment.Don’t hesitate to get help. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps people manage negative thoughts and behaviors, may help deter binges, according to the American Psychological Association. Talk to your doctor about which treatments might be best for you.

In her early 20s, Reinhardt managed to stop binge eating — but then she went to the other extreme. She ate so little she dropped 65 pounds from her 5’1” frame, leaving her at only 80 pounds. Three months in a residential treatment center helped her heal. So did reading actress Portia di Rossi’s eating disorder memoir Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, she says. “It was the first time I realized I wasn’t alone.” Now Reinhardt works as abody image coach and believes that helping others keeps her focused on her recovery. She also swears by chronicling her feelings in a journal and engaging in exercises that make her feel more connected to her body. “You’re always going to have days when you struggle,” she says. “So be kind to yourself and find others who understand what you’re going through.”

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What is a Good Diverticulosis Diet?

The Diverticulitis Diet DefinedAuthor: MN Nikk

Diverticulitis develops from a condition called diverticulosis. If you're older than 40, it's common for you to have diverticulosis - small, bulging pouches (diverticula) in your digestive tract. In the United States, more than 50 percent of people older than 60 have diverticula. Although diverticula can form anywhere, including in your esophagus, stomach and small intestine, most occur in your large intestine. Because these pouches seldom cause any problems, you may never know you have them. A low-fiber diet is considered to be the main cause of diverticular problems. First diagnosed in the United States in the early 1900s, and now common throughout developed countries, the emergence of diverticular disease coincided with the introduction of low-fiber processed foods (eg. branless refined flour). Even now, the disease is rare in Asia and Africa, where people eat high-fiber vegetable diets. In the past, many doctors recommended that people with diverticulosis avoid seeds and nuts, including foods with small seeds, such as tomatoes and strawberries. It was thought that these tiny particles could lodge in the diverticula and cause inflammation (diverticulitis). But there is no scientific evidence that seeds and nuts cause diverticulitis. In fact, eating a high-fiber diet - which may include nuts and seeds - reduces the risk of diverticulitis. It is now believed that only foods that may irritate or get caught in the diverticula cause problems. A low-residue Diverticulitis Diet is recommended during the flare-up periods of diverticulitis to decrease bowel volume so that the infection can heal. An intake of less than 10 grams of fiber per day is generally considered a low residue Diverticulitis Diet. If you have been on a low-residue diet for an extended period of time, your doctor may recommend a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement. Once your symptoms improve, start to add about 5 to 15 grams of fiber a day to allow your digestive system to adjust to the higher fiber intake. Although there is much conflicting information, even in the medical world, about what constitutes a good Diverticulitis Diet, the basic principle of healthy eating remains the same. Most people have no symptoms and only find out that they have Diverticulosis when they've had a colonoscopy done. If you fall into this category, the guidelines suggest that you start on a high fiber and high fluids diet as soon as possible. You should also avoid constipation at all costs. In general, treatment depends on the severity of your signs and symptoms and whether this is your first attack of diverticulitis. If your symptoms are mild, a liquid or low-fiber diet and antibiotics may be all you need. But if you're at risk of complications or have recurrent attacks of diverticulitis, you may need more advanced care. A high-fiber diet is very important in preventing future diverticulitis attacks. As you increase your fiber intake, increase your fluid intake as well. Many people don't realize the harm that a low fiber diet can do to you, and the Diverticulitis Diet is really a necessity to everyone, not just those with the disease. We must remember to keep high-fiber healthy diets to allow ourselves the nutrition we need to support our bodies and allow for proper nutrition. Even if you do have diverticulitis, the Diverticulitis Diet will help you get your bodies nutrients on track and allow you to be healthy again.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/the-diverticulitis-diet-defined-175456.htmlAbout the Author

Read more about the Diverticulitis Diet and weight loss now!

Finding A Diet For DiverticulitisAuthor: Nick Travis

Copyright (c) 2010 Nick Travis

If you have diverticulitis, you are joining a large group of people in the world with the same condition. You can be treated, thankfully, but results are usually better if you combine treatment with a diet for diverticulitis.

Reducing the bulk of waste in the intestines is a huge help in treating this condition. Doctors will usually prescribe a special diet to help reduce the quantity of food in the digestive tract. While this diet is fine for short periods, make sure you take a vitamin supplement if you have to follow it for more than a month.

Just what is permitted on a low residue diet? What do doctors usually suggest? Let's look at what you can eat. Dairy should be avoided while other foods ought to be kept simple.

Basically, you choose between two different options when it comes to diverticulitis diets. The clear diet requires just water, fruit juices without pulp, ice and plain gelatin. These aren't very exciting but they do allow the gut to rest and are usually used during a bad attack of diverticulitis.

The next diet type is far easier to stick to. You're allowed real foods, though they should be processed and not anything that could up the amount of feces in the intestine. This is usually used for those who are in treatment for their condition.

When you eat grains, skip the whole grains and opt for processed. Pasta, white rice, crackers and toasted white bread are all good options. You'll be healthier if you stick to the plain cereals, as well.

While on this diet, you should eat some fruit. Fruit juices are all good, except for prune juice. Watermelon, peaches and watery or juicy fruit like these are the best to eat. You should also be able to have canned fruit cocktail.

Skip foods that cause gas. Anything like beans, cabbage or broccoli should be left off the meal plan. You will still eat squash, green beans, zucchini, carrots and potatoes without the skin on them. Most vegetables like this are fine to eat. Just consider how much bulk a meal will add to your bowels before eating it.

Eggs, fish and chicken are all appropriate sources of protein for someone with diverticulitis. Meat should be very soft. Ground beef is a very good option since it is forced to be tender, but any soft cooked meat should do the trick. Just keep in mind that your intestines need to take it easy right now.

It isn't hard to stick to a diet for diverticulitis if there is a plan and are prepared. Making sure you stock up on the right food in your house is very important. When combined with the right treatment, it's possible to beat this condition and get back to normal food.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/finding-a-diet-for-diverticulitis-3122332.html

About the AuthorDo you want to learn more about diet for diverticulosis and how to restore your intestinal health? Then go to http://www.dietfordiverticulosis.org/

The Best Diet For Diverticulitis

By Gary Vaughn

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What Are Diverticula?

As humans age, they often develop increased pressure in their colon. This pressure is often caused by increasing episodes of constipation. As the pressure is applied to the colon, over time, small tissue pockets or sacs develop outward from the wall of the colon. These sacs are called diverticula. The singular is diverticulum.

The diverticula most commonly occur in the lower 1/3 of the colon, in the area known as the sigmoid colon.

There is no known, specific biological purpose for diverticula. They are simply an anomaly that occurs with age and increasing colonic pressure. The biological reason for the development of diverticula is merely the weakening of the colon as a person ages.

The development of diverticula in the colon is known as "diverticulosis." When they become inflamed, the condition is called "diverticulitis."

What Causes The Diverticula To Become Inflamed? When small particles of difficult to digest food become trapped in the diverticula, they tend to rub on the walls of the colon and develop a very small lesion or ulcer. This small ulcer becomes inflamed and can often react unfavorably to bacteria, which is highly populous in this area.

Once the bacteria enters the picture, the diverticula become very inflamed, swollen and painful. When inflammation occurs, the next step is rupture. If a diverticulum ruptures, the result can be peritonitis or infection of the interior gut, causing severe abdominal pain and tenderness, vomiting, fever and diarrhea, as well as some other serious symptoms.

The ultimate result of this diverticulitis is often serious surgical intervention. This surgery, called a "colon resection", is the actual "cutting out" of affected diverticula. Once this surgery is performed it is essential for the patient to avoid further episodes as the next step is often the application of a colostomy or the removal of a large portion of the colon and the production of an abdominal "stoma" or hole in the gut from which defecation occurs.

The most effective and widely used preventative treatment for diverticulitis is the diverticulitis diet.

What Is A Diverticulitis Diet? A diverticulitis diet is simply one that seeks to accomplish two tasks:

1) It prevents the further introduction of foods that have small, difficult to digest particles such as fibrous fruits or vegetables.

2) It lowers the pressure on the gut and allows the colon to rest as much as possible.

What Are The Most Common Diverticulitis Diets? The most common diet used during acute episodes of the condition is what as known as a "low residue" diet. With this type of diet, fiber is reduced as much as possible because fiber particles can get into the diverticula and cause additional inflammation. The elimination of fiber allows the gut the flow and rest. It rests because fiber causes the bowel to move. Without much fiber, the colon tends to have less peristaltic action, which is the undulating movement that causes feces to move along through the colon. The lack of peristaltic action, unfortunately often leads to constipation so special types of laxatives, called osmotic laxatives, must be used. Most laxatives are bulk laxatives and use fibrous products to cause the bowel to move.

Osmotic laxatives, on the other hand, work by pulling large amounts of fluids into the colon. When this occurs the accumulation of all this fluid in the bowel leads to evacuation of the bowel contents.

With a "low residue" diet certain fruits and vegetables are allowed because their structure is such that very low fiber conditions occur. Some allowed vegetables include carrots, green beans, yellow beans, lettuce, cucumber, cabbage and cauliflower. Also skinless baked potatoes can be eaten effectively.

Some allowed fruits may be banana, cantaloupe, grapes, peaches and watermelon.

Corn, prunes, cherries, lima beans, red beans or nuts of any kind are strictly forbidden as are such products as popcorn.

A "low residue" diet is not easy to prepare nor to tolerate at all times. However, it is necessary in order to avoid an exacerbation of diverticulitis. It is also the most common diet for treatment of diverticulitis.

Another diet which is finding more popularity is the "food combining" diet. This diet should be used after the symptoms have dissipated and the gut is near normal; however, it can also be used to calm the symptoms if followed very strictly.

The "food combining" diet allows a person to eat almost any food that they enjoy eating. The difference is that these foods must be eaten in very specific combinations.

Here's how this works in the gut:

The stomach and intestines can digest "almost" any kind of food as long as it has the appropriate pH to do so. When the pH is balanced as it should be, the appropriate enzymes, acids, alkalies and digestive juices are introduced at the right times. Thus, the efficiency of the digestive system is at maximum and most foods can be digested.

There are still some foods that simply do not break down well in any human digestive system so those particular foods are avoided at all costs.

The entire secret is determining which particular foods work the best, when combined properly. This is not difficult. It simply requires an appropriate information chart. Once a person understands how these food combinations work and use this diet, they often find that the symptoms of diverticulitis can be avoided as long as they remain loyal to the diet.

They also find that they can eat most of the foods they love as long as they maintain a certain combination of food mixtures.

Both diets are found to be highly effective if the patient sticks with them and remains compliant with the rules and requirements.

A decent diverticulitis diet can make the difference between a really horrible digestive experience or a near-normal epicurean life.

Discover the secrets of food combining and find out how this miraculous diet can rid one of diverticulitis and almost any other digestive problems. Look for the free white paper offer containing a plethora of information and instructions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Vaughn

source:http://www.mozdoc.com/html/201107/27/What-is-a-Good-Diverticulosis-Diet-_97753.html

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