Alternative Health - Is a Very Low Fat Eating Plan OK When You Have Type 2 Diabetes?

To answer the question about very low fat eating plans, you have to ask other questions. For example:

what will be your source of essential fats during the time you are not eating the required amount of fat?
if the fat content of the diet is low, what will replace it? Will it be protein or carbohydrates?

Your body requires fat for a lot of different functions. The nerves in your body that leave your brain and extend all the way down to your fingers and toes are lined with a certain type of fat called myelin. Your brain itself is full of fat. In fact, some experts are really blunt about this and they say we are all fatheads! There are at least a dozen different types of fat that can be found in our body and each one has a different function.

One of the most popular fats is omega 3:

We now know that without this fat our body tends to have more inflammation, (inflammation is considered to be a key mechanism leading to type 2 diabetes), than it should. This can mean:

slower wound healing
slower recovery time
greater frequency of allergies and asthma attacks and
more inflamed joints

A deficiency can also cause attention deficit disorder or problems with focus and concentration.

Low omega 3 levels are thought to be pretty common simply because there are not very many foods that contain high amounts of this fat. Fatty fish such as salmon, swordfish, tuna and halibut are high in omega 3 fats but they are also high in mercury so this can be a problem unless you only eat deep ocean fish. Experts say only two servings of these types of fish per week are enough to provide essential omega 3 fats in your diet.

So if you go on a very low fat diet, it's still essential to get your omega 3 fats... the best way is most likely with supplementation.

If you do decide to go on a very low fat diet, then consider what your diet is really composed of. Is it primarily protein? This will not harm you, unless you have kidney disease. However, a high protein diet will not cause kidney disease like many people believe.

If your diet is high in carbohydrates, then you end up counteracting the goal you wish to achieve with a very low fat diet. The high carbohydrate levels will cause your body to release insulin levels that will store calories as fat.

The best way to do a very low fat diet is to make it with protein and mainly low-GI carbohydrate and take an omega 3 supplement. This way your body receives the benefits without any harm.

How do omega 3's supplements help the diabetic?

People with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, almost always have low levels of the omega 3 fats. These fats:

improve insulin sensitivity
lower cholesterol by lowering triglycerides and raising HDL
reduce inflammation
improves nerve function and may help prevent the nerve damage common in diabetes

and some research suggests that they even help your body burn fat.

Would you like more information about alternative ways to handle your type 2 diabetes?

To download your free copy of my E-Book, click here now: drugfreetype2diabetes.com/faq.html Answers to Your Questions... its based on questions many diabetics have asked me over recent months.

Beverleigh Piepers is a registered nurse who would like to help you understand how to live easily and happily with your type 2 diabetes.
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