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Diabetes Nutrition Part 2 Continued Part 2 Continued Cut down on fat intake Fats, particularly hard fats on various meat products are notoriously high in calories, far higher than either protein or carbohydrates. In fact, fat has around 9 calories per gram. Cutting down on fat intake will ensure your cholesterol remains low, and also greatly reduces your risk of developing heart disease. Some of the best ways of reducing fat intake are by changing your cooking methods. For instance, microwaving, steaming and grilling meat. To cut down fats even further you can ensure you buy the leanest meat produce you can find. Also, use only small amounts of cooking oil, and only ones which are high in so-called ‘good fat'. You should also be aware that many so-called ‘low fat' products are in fact not low fat, and more of a misleading gimmick which offers a product which is only slightly lower fat than regular. Cut down on salt consumption The average person would be surprised how much salt they consume per day. Salt is abundant in many foods and is a critical factor in overall health which is often overlooked. Too much salt can lead to hardening of the arteries, higher cholesterol, and heart problems. The recommended salt intake per day for an adult is a maximum of 1 regular tsp, which equates to around 6 grams. The best way of cutting down on salt is to avoid adding salt to meals, but other ways include cutting down on crisps, salted peanuts and other such foods. On food packets, what is basically salt is often referred to by the chemical name of Sodium Chloride. The quantity of salt derived from Sodium Chloride can be worked out as been two-and-a-half times the Sodium Chloride quantity. The recommended maximum intake of Sodium Chloride is approximately 2.5grams. You should also keep in mind when reading food labels, quantities are often given on a per gram basis of the actual weight of the food. For instance, 1 gram of sodium might be per 100 grams of food, with a food package weighing 400 grams. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables One simple way to ensure you're body receives great variety of essential nutrients every day is to eat mixed fresh fruit and vegetables daily. Each vegetable and fruit contains so many different nutrients, vitamins and minerals. By eating a little of a fairly wide variety daily, you can ensure you receive the best of everything your body needs. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables has been proven to help keep blood pressure from becoming too high, and in the long term prevent heart problems. Have a little alcohol, but not too much A common myth is that any amount of alcohol is bad. In fact having a limited amount of the correct kind of alcohol can be beneficial to an individual's health. Alcohol consumption is limited to adults only obviously, where having up to two units per day can have beneficial cardiovascular effects. As different types of alcohol can contain many other ingredients it is equally important to ensure you choose the correct kind of alcohol. Sweet ‘Alco pop' drinks for instance are brimming with sugar and flavourings therefore should be avoided. Red wine is without doubt the best choice of alcohol to be consumed for beneficial effects. You must keep in mind that drinking more than the recommended two units of alcohol per day will null any positive effects, and if much more is drunk, begin to have negative effects.
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