Diabetes sufferers are required to eat a special diabetic diet. So called "Diabetic" or "Diatetic" versions of some foods which are commonly sold in health food stores are nothing more than a marketing ploy. Diabetics, like 7 Steps to Health & The Big Diabetes Lie everyone else, should eat a normal balanced diet which is low in fat and which contains moderate levels of both salt and sugar. The addition of whole grain foods, vegetables and fruit is also beneficial. Diabetes is contagious. It is sometimes said that you can catch diabetes in much the same way as you would catch a cold or flu. There is no truth in this at all. It is believed however that diabetes sufferers are genetically predisposed to the disease and that it is triggered by environmental factors which will include both viruses and drugs, including antibiotics. It is possible therefore that catching a common illness, or treating that illness with antibiotics, may lead to the onset of diabetes.
Taking insulin can lead to high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. In early tests there was some suggestion that insulin might play a role in triggering processes associated with the development of hardened arteries but time has shown that there is no evidence that insulin causes either high blood pressure or hardening of the arteries. Diabetic suffers should only eat very small amounts of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates, from which the body gets much of the glucose required for energy, are found in a range of foods including beans, bread, cereals, pasta and rice and normally account for about half to three-quarters of our dietary intake. Diabetics can and should include carbohydrates in their diet, especially as they also contain essential fiber, and the secret here is to simply ensure that they are balanced with other foods and that portion sizes are reasonable.