Diabetic Friendly Energy Drinks

Diabetic friendly energy drinks should have a place at the table in any healthy diet plan. There are pitfalls in finding a truly healthy one that does what it claims. That's what this article will help you do.

Diabetes is a growing health problem in the U.S. and throughout the world. It is not a communicable disease. It is spread by our choices of what to eat and drink and our sedentary lifestyle. It is easily curable and preventable by the regular addition of moderate exercise and living by a healthy diet plan.

There is a genetic predisposition factor for some people, more than others, to develop this disease. With both my grandmothers dying from diabetes and associated heart disease, I have always felt I should take precautions not to get it.

You're probably wondering "How can energy drinks be "diabetic friendly"?"

That's a very good question and the answer is..."It's not easy!" The automatic assumption is that, if you are concerned about diabetes, you should choose drinks that are sugar-free, but this is a trap.

While it is true that it is important -- for all of us, not just diabetics -- to avoid sugar, going with artificially-sweetened energy or any other kind of drinks is the wrong way to accomplish this.

A recent study was done at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, which found that over a ten year period the waist sizes of diet soda drinkers increased 70-500% when compared to those who didn't drink diet sodas. (It should be noted that this study was presented to the American Diabetes Association, but the ADA still recommends artificial sweeteners as a sweet, "healthy", alternative to sugar in foods and drinks. Could this be because they are supported by donations from the makers of artificial sweeteners?)

So How Can Some Energy Drinks Be Called Diabetic Friendly?

Some energy drinks use a natural sweetener, Stevia, to achieve lower sugar levels that are low enough not to bother most diabetics. In addition, some add the sugar they do use in the form of natural fruit sugar together with a little fiber to further slow the digestion of the sugar in the drink.

Naturally, it is important not to overdo energy drink consumption, even if it is from diabetic friendly sources. Other factors in the way the drink is formulated can help. Besides keeping the overall impact of the sugars low, the use of guarana or green tea as the stimulant makes the diabetic less likely to get a quick lift and an equally quick "crash" which would encourage them to have another energy drink or other source of sugars.

How a Diabetic Friendly Energy Drink Can Permanently Lower Sugar Levels

One of the primary symptoms of diabetes is a low energy level. The ideal use of a healthily-formulated energy drink is to give the diabetic the energy to make regular, moderate exercise -- such as walking for 30 minutes a day -- a habit. To sit on the couch and talk or watch TV doesn't burn off sufficient sugar to make a difference.

The idea is to use the extra energy from the drink to bring the diabetic's energy up to a level where it is again fun to get out and use their body. This regular habit of exercise, along with a low-glycemic diet with lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, makes it possible to actually reverse the diabetes by bringing the person's weight down and restoring their metabolism of carbohydrates back to normal.

There are a number of doctors who are helping patients do this and weaning them off all diabetes medications. One of these is Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes, which helped me to understand this disease I have been trying to prevent.

I have been fortunate that I have always liked to be active in sports of various kinds. This has kept my weight down, even when I wasn't careful about what I ate. By staying active in hiking, jogging daily, bicycling, and brisk walking -- not all in one day! -- I have been able to prevent the diabetes Type 2 that seemed to be my fate.

Unfortunately, due to the huge influence the pharmaceutical industry has on our medical profession and the various organizations that provide diabetic with information about the disease, there is too little said about the possibility we all have to prevent or even reverse this crippling disease without medication. The key is that we must take responsibility to eat intelligently and exert the discipline to keep our weigh down through regular exercise.

I have found that diabetic friendly energy drinks are very helpful in giving me the "get-up-and-go" necessary to keep up my healthy exercise and dietary practices, even into my 60's.