Exercise 1. How much do you know about diabetes? Try to answer these t/f statements by guessing, then listen to the text and find out if your guess was correct.

1. Insulin is produced by the liver.

2. Diabetics can't lead a normal life.

3. Biscuits contain a lot of fat.

4. Diabetics should weigh themselves weekly.

5. Diabetics should eat plenty of fruit.

6. Food with high amounts of sugar should not be avoided.

Exercise 2. Read the text. Healthy eating for diabetics

0–F

Most of the functions in the human body are controlled by hormones, insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, controls the amount of sugar in the blood which is then used bу the body to generate energy. The insufficient production of insulin leads to a common disorder called diabetes.

1 –

Having diabetes does not mean giving up all your favourite foods and eating differently from family and friends. However, a sugar-free diet still remains the cornerstone of the treatment of diabetes. Nowadays, doctors recommend that people with diabetes should continue their lives as usual, but should follow a well-balanced and healthy diet.

2 –

The British Diabetic Association has published guidelines to assist people who need to follow a special diet. The B.D.A. recommends controlling body-weight, reducing at consumption and eating more fruit, vegetables and starchy food. If there is a need to lose weight, realistic short-term targets are most helpful. Aiming for a slow but steady weight loss of one kilogram per week is ideal, until the desired weight is achieved. Including more exercise in your daily routine, and checking your weight once a week are also recommended.

3 –

It is also advisable to avoid cooking meals using large amounts of fat – choose lean meat or low-fat items instead. Removing the skin from chicken and using fat-free milk are also good ways of reducing fat in the diet. Moreover, cutting down on the amount of butter and cheese by using the low-fat versions is recommended. Biscuits and cakes are also high in fat content.

4 –

Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is highly recommended. Beans and lentils contain a considerable amount of a certain type of fibre which helps to slow down the rise of blood sugar lev­els after meals. Choosing brown bread and flour instead of white, and high-fibre breakfast cereals, is also appropriate.

5 –

Foods like sweets, chocolate, cakes and biscuits should be avoided as they usually contain high amounts of sugar and fat. Also, less sugar must be used in cooking, and "diet" drinks are preferable. Using an artificial sweetener instead of sugar also helps a great deal. It is also important to be careful with the sugar content of packaged food items by reading the labels and preferably deciding on a "diet" alternative.

Exercise 3. Choose from the list (A–H) the sentence which best summarises each part (1–5) of the article. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).

A) There is no reason why diabetics should not enjoy a normal life.

B) The B.D.A. is at the public's disposal.

C) Weight control and regular exercise play an important role in a diabetic's life.

D) Diabetics should be careful with foods which contain a lot of sugar.

E) Insulin injections are widely used, but they are not very helpful.

F) Diabetes is the result of inadequate insulin being produced.

G) Some foods help to keep blood sugar down.

H) High-fat foods should be avoided.