Type 2 Diabetes - What A Low Carb Diet Means

If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes it is important for you to realise what a low carb diet means for you so that you can manage your diabetes easily and effectively. Along with your low carb diet you will need to implement a regular exercise routine, which will increase your chances in achieving optimum health.

Low carb diets are usually high protein or high fat or sometimes even both of these combined. This is required so that you can get your energy from somewhere. There are two different types of carbohydrate intake if you are on a low carb diet, and these are:

A very low carbohydrate intake that contains less than 100g of carbohydrate per day, and
An extremely low carbohydrate intake that contains only 20 to 30g of carbohydrate per day (this particular intake can be very dangerous for diabetics and should be avoided at all times)

You may encounter some problems if you do not include enough carbohydrates into your diet. A low carb diet is beneficial with people that have type 2 diabetes that perhaps need to loose weight in the short term, this kind of diet should not be an ongoing diet, please check with your doctor before even considering a low carb diet to make sure it is not going to cause you harm or irreversible complications.

Following is a few of the problems that can occur if you do not get enough carbohydrates into your body:

Your muscles become very tired and therefore any small amount of movement or exercise is a huge effort
The breakdown of fat products known as ketones that cause bad breath
Constipation can be caused by an insufficient intake of fibre in your diet, and
Low blood sugar or glucose levels that cause headaches and fatigue

The most important point to remember on a low carb diet is that you can consume to many saturated fats, these can over time increase your LDL cholesterol, which as we know are very dangerous for diabetics, causing many complications like heart disease.

Protein can also be high in a low carb diet and over time can be the cause of kidney failure as well as the calcium loss in your urine, which can lead to osteoporosis, and kidney stones.

Type 2 diabetes can be managed with a low carb diet over the short term, but it is vital that you remember to stay in control and manage your diabetes with a proper diet so that you can achieve optimum health.

Sue Kennedy is the author of the physician-endorsed e-book "Defeat Diabetes Now," and operates a membership channel devoted to health & wellness. Readers of her book also receive instant access to expert interviews, articles, diet plans and other resources designed to maintain optimum health and prevent disease. Learn how you can defeatdiabetesnow.com.au defeat diabetes now.