As a consequence, those with diabetes, including children and teenagers, are encouraged to take a more active approach to managing cholesterol levels. The American Academy of Pediatrics, for instance, recently recommended wider cholesterol screening for children. Underpinning these recommendations is the understanding that elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol in kids can lead to an onset of cardiovascular disease earlier in adulthood. It recognizes that the plaque in an adult’s arteries may have begun developing very early in life.

Healthy Food Pyramid

The AAP also suggested that for a selected group of children, prescribing a statin medication might be appropriate. Drug treatment, according to these recommendations, should be considered for children 8 and older who face multiple risk factors for developing heart disease.

Yet, statins are not typically considered the first line of treatment. Instead, medical nutrition therapy is recommended. Medical nutrition therapy includes the following: decreasing saturated fat (less than 7% total daily calories), avoiding trans fatty acids, decreasing dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg daily, increasing soluble fiber from oats, beans, psyllium or fruits, and adding plant sterols daily.

In a recent study published in Diabetes Education, the role of medical nutrition therapy was evaluated in a patient with Type II diabetes. The patient achieved a desired LDL cholesterols level through nutrition alone. Medications were not required.

The Study’s author concluded that evidence-based nutrition guidelines have been evaluated and reviewed to demonstrate the effectiveness of heart-healthy eating for children with hyperlipidemia and type 1 diabetes.

Source: http://www.kardeanutrition.com/blog/2009/04/juvenile-diabetes-cholesterol.html

Having Juvenile Diabetes is a balancing act but it is manageable if you take the time to learn how. As long as you are eating the right amount of healthy foods and you are avoiding all of the sugar that you are not allowed to eat you will be well on your way to staying healthy in spite of diabetes.

The Right Diet Can Give You Great Benefits

There are certain rules that you should follow to ensure you stay healthy with Juvenile Diabetes.  Proper nutrition is essential and must become part of your lifestyle.

• You should follow the nutrition guidelines in the Food Pyramid, with special attention to carbohydrate intake. You also eat at regular intervals and always exercise portion control.
• Starches are allowed in your juvenile diabetes diet but you should also watch how much you eat.  Common sources of starchy foods are bread, cereal, and some vegetables.
• Ensure that at least five servings of fruits and/or vegetables are included in your diet everyday.   This is easier than it sounds.  You can simply include a piece of fruit for snacks during the day and by eating vegetables during dinner.  Soups, stir-fries, and chili are good hidden sources for vegetables if you want to get creative.
• Soluble fibers can be very beneficial to a juvenile diabetic since they help to slow down the absorption of glucose from the digestive system.  These are also found in many fruits, vegetables, and seeds.  Cooked Kidney Beans are an excellent sources for soluble fibers.
• Contacting a dietician is the best way to put together a good juvenile diabetes diet. Everyone is different, so keeping in contact with your physician and nutrition consultant will ensure your diet plan is the optimum one for you. A professional will take into account your lifestyle, medication, weight, other medical issues, and your favorite foods to come up with a plan that will keep you healthy and satisfy your cravings for particular flavors.
• Absolutely no smoking or alcohol consumption as it can aggravate diabetes and make it more difficult to cope with the disease.

Healthy Food Pyramid

Keeping an eye on your sugar intake is key to good diabetes diet management. This will mean learning all of the best sugar replacements and sugar free foods. This used to be a lot harder than it is now. These days there are all kinds of great sugar replacements, many are even perfect for baking, and the sugar free products are becoming ever so popular. Even people without diabetes are choosing them over the sugar filled alternatives. Sugar free products taste delicious, which makes the easy to eat and enjoy while still maintaining a good blood sugar level.

You will also need to watch how much food that you eat. Eating too much or too little can have a negative impact on your diet and health. Talk to your doctor about how much food you should be eating each and every day and what times are optimal. Your diabetes diet will have to be set just right if you want to stay in perfect control and health. As long as you eat right every day you will stay feeling good and healthy for years to come.