Some 16 million Americans have diabetes mellitus, a serious, chronic disease that impairs the body's ability to convert blood sugar, or glucose4, into energy. Persons with diabetes either cannot produce or respond to insulin, a hormone instrumental in glucose metabolism. Because all human body tissues must have a steady supply of glucose, diabetes can affect every organ. In particular, it can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and nerve problems. Diabetes is the leading cause of amputations in the U.S. and the fourth leading cause of death, both of which can often be prevented by early, effective treatment. [参考译文〗约有1600万美国人患有糖尿病。这种严重的慢性疾病会减弱人体将血糖或葡萄糖转化为能量的能力。糖尿病患者的体内无法产生胰岛素或者胰岛素在其体内不起作用，而胰岛素是一种促进葡萄糖代谢的荷尔蒙。由于稳定的葡萄糖供给对于人体所有组织都必不可少，所以糖尿病会影响到每一个器官，尤其可能引发心脏病、肾功能衰竭、失明以及神经疾病。在美国，糖尿病是导致截肢的罪魁祸首以及导致死亡的第四大杀手，而及时、有效的措施却常常可以预防这两种后果。

Diet is fundamental in managing diabetes. A good one can stop symptoms, stabilize blood sugar levels and lower the risk of complications. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) urges every patient to consult a registered dietitian to work out a diet tailored to individual tastes and needs. The ADA now emphasizes meal plans that take into consideration the overall diabetes management as well as age and related health concerns, such as elevated blood cholesterol levels and hypertension. In order to maintain normal blood glucose levels, meals and snacks must be balanced to provide a mixture of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Children must have adequate calories for growth; a teenager's meal plan should allow flexibility to match an often erratic schedule. Adults may need to reduce fat, cholesterol and protein to guard against kidney and heart disease. An overweight person with type E diabetes needs to focus on weight loss by cutting 200 to 300 calories from his daily diet and increasing ex ercise to burn up more.饮食是控制糖尿病的根本途径，良好的饮食能够消除症状、稳定血糖含量并减小并发症的几率。美国糖尿病协会强烈要求每一位糖尿病患者请注册营养师为自己订制一套适合于个人口味与需求的饮食计划，并且强调饮食计划考虑到糖尿病的整体控制以及年龄和其他相关的健康因素，如高胆固醇和高血压。要保持正常的血糖水平，正餐与小食品的碳水化合物、脂肪和蛋白质含量就必须均衡。儿童须摄人足够的热量以促进生长，青少年的饮食计划则需灵活机动，以适应往往不规律的生活日程。成年人需要减少脂肪、 胆固醇与蛋白质的摄人量以预防肾功能衰竭与心脏病。体重过！"
 
For most diabetics, complex carbohydrates (vegetables, breads, cereals and pasta) should make up the bulk of the diet. Because their fiber content slows the release of glucose, high-fiber starches -- such as whole-grain bread, beans, peas and lentils -- help suppress a sharp increase in blood sugar after high-carbohydrate meals. High-grade protein (lean meats, meat substitutes and low-fat dairy items) should supply 10-20% of daily calories. Fruits are a nutritious source of simple sugar. If you use canned fruits, buy them packed in natural juices instead of syrup.Ounce for ounce, dried fruits have more concentrated sugar than fresh. Be careful to limit salt and salty foods if you have high blood pressure, a complication of diabetes. 高的成年二型糖尿病患者则应注意减肥，通过从日常饮食中减少200到300卡路里的热量并增加运动量来消耗更多的脂肪。对于大多数的糖尿病患者来说，饮食应该主要由复合糖类构成（如蔬菜、面包、谷类和面食》由于它们所含的纤维能够减缓葡萄糖的释放，所以富含纤维的淀粉类食品，如全谷面包、大豆、豌豆和扁豆，能够抑制食用高碳水化合物食物之后血糖含量的骤然升高。每日摄人的热量中应包含10-20%。的高级蛋白质（如痩肉、肉替代品和低脂乳制品）。水果是一种营养丰富的单糖来源，如果你吃罐装水果，则应该买含天然果汁而不是糖浆的那种。在相同重量的前提下，干果比新鲜水果的含糖量要高。如果你患有高血压（糖尿病的并发症），那么要注意限制盐和含盐食品的摄人量。

In contrast to earlier ADA recommendations, the current dietary guidelines allow leeway in eating simple carbohydrates. It is no longer an iron-clad rule that syrups, sugars and sweeteners must be avoided in favor of vegetables, breads, cereals, pasta and other complex carbohydrates. The emphasis is now on monitoring total carbohydrate consumption rather than the source of the carbohydrate. So, a cookie will have no more effect on blood glucose than mashed potatoes, provided the total amount of carbohydrate is the same. Still, all carbohydrates are not equal when it comes to nutrition. Starches provide vitamins, minerals and fiber, whereas sugar and sweeteners provide mostly calories; therefore, starches should make up the bulk of the diabetic diet, and sugar only a small amount.与以往美国糖尿病协会的建议不同的是，现在的营养方案允许摄人单糖的余地，不再是只吃蔬菜、面包、谷物、面食等复合糖类，对糖浆、食糖和甜味剂避而远之的清规戒律。现在重点监控的是整体糖类摄人量， 而不是其来源。所以甜饼对于血糖的影响和土豆泥相比并无区别，只要它们所含的碳水―――――化合物总量相等。然而就营养来说，各种糖类之间还是有所不同。淀粉类食品能提供维生素、矿物质和纤维，而食糖和甜味剂则主要提供热量。所以糖尿病患者的饮食仍应主要由 淀粉构成，食糖则少量摄人即可。【康旸摘自 Reader’s Diggest，摘录：杭州翻译公司 http://www.hangzhoutrans.cn，本文版权归原作者及译者所有】