Food

Is Keto Good for Diabetes

Is Keto Good for Diabetes – Diabetes Mellitus is the impairment of your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, which results in excessive glucose circulating in the bloodstream.

It eventually results in various disorders such as the disorder of the nervous system, circulatory, and immune systems.

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce sufficient insulin levels, the hormone primarily responsible for managing blood glucose levels. There is adequate evidence that low-carb diets can benefit people with type 1 and 2 diabetes.

A ketogenic diet is a high fat, moderate protein, and deficient carbohydrate diet. But is it suitable for people with diabetes?

First, let us learn about the ketogenic diet and how it impacts blood glucose levels.

What Is a Ketogenic Diet?

A keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that is effective for regulating blood sugar levels as it reduces carbohydrate intake to burn fat for energy. The ketogenic diet benefits people who want to lose body fat without following low-calorie starvation diets.

Fitness enthusiasts no longer follow intermittent fasting or diet plans limiting their food intake. But how does a keto diet work, and why is it suitable for diabetes?

There’s a good possibility that you’re looking for a quick and simple low-carb snack. It’s just not realistic to have to prepare a whole meal every time you are hungry (or sustainable). What is the best low-carb snack? At Carnivore Snax, you can learn more about low carb snacks.

Mechanism of Ketosis

When you have a low carbohydrate intake, the body starts to burn fat for fuel. The fat-burning process puts your body into a different metabolic state called ketosis.

In ketosis, your liver starts to burn fat molecules into small energy packets called ketones. These energy packets provide your body with the energy to perform vital functions. The keto diet also helps lower insulin levels in the body.

Keto for Diabetes

Whether you want to reduce overall body fat or manage your blood glucose levels, a keto diet is what you need. People have different dietary needs according to their activity levels and energy expenditure.

While personalized diet plans work best for individuals, some people with diabetes can highly benefit from the ketogenic diet, and here’s why.

Foods with high carbohydrate levels, such as bread, pasta, milk, fruit, and rice, are good energy sources.

When your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, insulin, a hormone, helps regulate blood glucose levels. It is responsible for the movement of sugar into the cells.

However, in diabetes, the insulin is absent or does not work efficiently. This results in the impairment of the cell’s ability to use carbohydrates, disrupting ideal blood glucose levels.

When the body does not utilize carbohydrates, there is a high level of sugar circulating in the bloodstream. Eating high-carb meals for diabetes can cause a spike in blood glucose. Therefore a low carbohydrate diet is essential for people with type 1 and 2 diabetes.

The keto diet’s primary focus is to reduce carbohydrate intake. Research suggests that a keto diet may help reduce the risk of diabetes. It can also improve glycemic control in people with diabetes.

Impact of Keto Diet on Blood Sugar Levels

Severely restricting carbohydrates on a ketogenic diet forces the body to burn fat molecules for energy production. This process of ketosis helps people with type 2 diabetes because it allows their bodies to maintain ideal glucose levels to stay healthy.

Moreover, the lower carbohydrate consumption helps eliminate the spike in blood glucose levels. This reduces the need for more insulin.

According to studies, a keto diet can also help control the HbA1c levels. This is the amount of glucose that travels with hemoglobin in the blood for three months.

Benefits of a Keto Diet for Diabetes

Here are the many benefits of keto for diabetes.

Improves glycemic control
Low HbA1c levels
Lower triglycerides in the body
Reduces the need for insulin
Improves heart health
Helps lose weight
Improves cognitive function
Improves cholesterol levels

Can the Keto Diet Reverse Diabetes?

According to a meta-analysis of multiple studies, a keto diet can normalize A1C levels for people who take their diabetes medications for six months.

People who discontinued medications did not see this effect. Therefore the keto diet is only effective for normalizing A1C levels if you continue to take your medications.

Moreover, you have to stick to the diet for 12 months. So it’s difficult to assume if the effect lasts in people who do not stick to the diet after a certain period.

As for reversal, it’s hard to say with certainty if diabetes reversal is possible through ketosis. Future research will help us understand this phenomenon better.

Bottomline

The keto diet helps control blood glucose levels and initiates weight loss in people with diabetes. But studies suggest that these effects only last when you stick to the diet for a long time. The long-term effects of ketogenesis aren’t always healthy for many individuals.

But significant dietary changes are essential to managing diabetes. Therefore a moderate reduction in carbohydrate intake is beneficial for diabetes.

Moreover, a moderate carbohydrate intake is more sustainable in the long run. But before you stick to restrictive diets, you must consult your healthcare professional to devise a personalized diet plan.

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Food

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

Americans are revolting against McDonald’s and other fast-food establishments. This is harming French fry suppliers like Lamb Weston.

Lamb Weston, North America’s largest manufacturer of french fries and a significant supplier to fast-food chains, restaurants, and grocery stores, is closing a production facility in Washington state. Last week, the company stated that it would lay off almost 400 employees, or 4% of its workforce, and temporarily shut down manufacturing lines in response to falling customer demand.

Lamb Weston (LW) shares have plummeted 35% this year.

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

The potato giant is oversupplied at a time when demand is low. In recent years, restaurant prices have risen faster than grocery store prices, prompting shoppers to avoid fast-food establishments.

This move has had an impact on Lamb Weston because individuals are less inclined to prepare French fries at home. According to Lamb Weston, fast-food restaurants account for around 80% of all french fries consumed in the United States.

Fast-food restaurants, such as McDonald’s, are offering bargain menus to entice customers back. McDonald’s has introduced a $5 meal that contains a McDouble cheeseburger or a McChicken sandwich, small french fries, four chicken nuggets, and a small soft drink. However, these promotions are not benefiting Lamb Weston because customers are purchasing fewer portions of fries.

“Many of these promotional meal deals have consumers trading down from a medium fry to a small fry,” Lamb Weston CEO Thomas Werner stated during an earnings call last week.

Lamb Weston did not immediately reply to CNN’s request for comment.

McDonald’s, Lamb Weston’s largest customer, accounts for 13% of revenue. As McDonald’s goes, so does Lamb Weston.

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

And McDonald’s is struggling. Sales at US restaurants open at least a year declined 0.7% last quarter compared to the same period a year ago, dragged down by fewer consumers visiting the brand.

Lamb Weston is also heavily exposed to other fast-food companies, according to analyst R.J. Hottovy of analytics firm Placer.ai, in a research note to clients last week.

Customer traffic to fast-food restaurants fell 2% last quarter and 3% the prior quarter compared to the same period last year, according to Lamb Weston.

SOURCE | CNN

Food

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

YouTube’s top stars have launched their competitor to Lunchables.

MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are collaborating on a “groundbreaking new better-for-you lunch option” called Lunchly, combining all their goods into a single meal geared at their younger fans.

The all-in-one meal includes a bottle of Prime Hydration, a sports drink alternative founded by Paul and KSI that has grown in popularity; a Feastables milk chocolate bar created by MrBeast, a popular YouTube star with over 300 million subscribers; and one of three processed food options, including pizza, nachos, or turkey aand cheese with crackers.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

“Our ultimate goal has always been to offer not only high-quality products, but also healthier alternatives,” Lunchly cofounder Logan Paul stated in a press release. He also stated that the school lunch industry has been “dominated by Lunchables” since he was a child, and that it is “time to provide a better option for those looking for a convenient, healthier choice.”

Lunchly promises to be “healthier” since Prime contains more electrolytes than a Capri Sun in Lunchables, and Mr. Beast’s chocolate bar contains less sugar than a Kit Kat or Crunch bar.

Lunchly’s launch comes after Lunchable, owned by Kraft Heinz, announced a huge initiative last year to participate in school lunch programs. However, the company had to reformulate the components first to guarantee that the items met regulatory rules, which included incorporating fresh fruit into their meals.

Consumer Reports reported in 2024 that it recently studied the nutritional profiles of two Lunchables kits supplied in schools and discovered that they contain significantly more sodium than the Lunchables kits available in stores.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

Of course, KSI, Paul, and MrBeast know how to create brands, thanks partly to their devoted following. Despite government worries about the caffeine content of some of its drinks, Prime sales have risen, threatening industry leaders such as Gatorade and BodyArmor.

“Prime brings a youthful buying cohort that hasn’t had a lot pitched their way beyond traditional kids’ drinks,” Jeffrey Klineman, editor-in-chief of BevNet, previously told CNN. “Paul is significantly more intriguing to a 13-year-old than a juice box.”

SOURCE | CNN

Food

Beyond Soups and Stews: Unexpected Ways to Utilize Your 5 Litre Pressure Cooker

Pressure cookers are very popular cooking utensils for preparing soups, stews, and tenderising meats in quick time. However, their versatility and uses go far beyond these traditional uses.

If you’re trying to use your 5 litre pressure cooker differently, you are at the right place, as we are going to explore unexpected and creative ways to use this essential kitchen utensil.

Infused oils and extract

You can use your pressure cooker to prepare infused oils and extracts. To do that, you have to put the herbs, spices, or citrus peels in a jar filled with oil or alcohol. Then, seal the jar and cook under low pressure for a short time to infuse the flavours uniformly.

By this method, you can extract intense flavours in a quick time as compared to what it takes through traditional infusion methods. You can also experiment with combinations like rosemary-infused olive oil or vanilla extract for baking.

Artisanal Curd Making

You can use your pressure cooker to prepare yoghurt. To do that you have to heat the milk to a proper and specific temperature, and then cool it down before adding yoghurt culture. After that, keep the mixture in jars, seal, and ferment in the pressure cooker with the use of the yoghurt setting. And yes, after that, you will have creamy, homemade yoghurt at a much lower cost than store-bought varieties. You can add up your yoghurt, various flavours and toppings for a healthy breakfast or snack option.

Quick pickling

You can also prepare quick pickles using your pressure cooker. For doing that combine the ingredients such as vinegar, water, salt, and your choice of vegetables or fruits in the cooker.

Now, after that, cook under pressure for a few minutes to infuse the flavours rapidly.

Once it is done and cooled, your quick pickles will be ready to eat and enjoy, giving a taste of tangy flavour to sandwiches, salads, or charcuterie boards. You can do this using different spices and herbs to prepare unique flavour profiles for your pickles.

Steaming vegetables and seafood

You can use your pressure cooker’s steaming capabilities to cook vegetables and seafood very easily and quickly. To do that, you have to place a steamer basket inside the cooker, add water, and put your ingredients.

Then, after that, cook under pressure for a few minutes to keep the nutrients intact and also get the perfect tenderness. From crisp-tender asparagus to succulent shrimp, the possibilities of preparing the dishes are many. You can add different flavours using aromatic herbs, spices, and citrus zest.

Homemade bread and desserts

You can amaze your family with freshly baked bread and delicious desserts that can easily be prepared in your pressure cooker. To do that, use the cooker as a makeshift oven by placing a trivet inside and also adding water to it.

After that, you have to place your bread dough or dessert batter in a heat-proof container, cover it, and then cook under low pressure. In very little time, you will get tender bread or delicious desserts without even messing up the kitchen. You can also try various other recipes like chocolate lava cake or savoury herb bread for a delightful treat.

One-pot pasta dishes

You can easily prepare one-pot pasta dishes that are cooked perfectly in your pressure cooker. To do that you have to combine pasta, sauce, vegetables, and protein in the cooker, and also remember to check and put enough liquid for cooking. Then, seal and cook under pressure for a few minutes. This will allow the flavours to get mixed beautifully.

And with this, from classic spaghetti marinara to creamy Alfredo, your pressure cooker can do it all. You can enhance your pasta with your favourite ingredients and garnishes.

Conclusion on a pressure cooker

Cooking indeed is a creative method. Do justice to your creative culinary spirit with your 5-litre pressure cooker. Bake bread, make homemade yoghurt, and make several main dishes as well as side dishes using a wide pressure cooker.

Impress everyone and yourself! Make the best out of your culinary instincts.

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