Healthy Eating for Diabetics

Eating healthy foods is important for everyone, but even more so for people with diabetes.

Consuming a variety of foods in the right amounts, eating regularly and matching how much you eat with your activity level will help you manage your blood glucose. You don't need to ban any foods from your meal plan, but you may need to limit the amounts, or how often you eat some of them

Following your meal plan, being active and taking your diabetes medications as prescribed are the cornerstones of good diabetes self-care. Your meal plan should be one that you will enjoy and find easy to follow. The goals of your meal plan are to help you:

Keep your blood glucose level within range
Manage your weight
Control lipid levels to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease
Control blood sugar
Reduce your risk of developing diabetes complications

The Effects of Carbs on Glucose Levels

Carbohydrate is the main nutrient that raises blood glucose levels. Simple carbohydrate or sugar will begin to raise blood glucose very soon after ingestion. Complex carbohydrate ,or starchy foods, take longer for the body to convert to sugar but will eventually be changed completely to glucose. Protein and fat have little effect on blood glucose levels.

Carb-containing foods have many vitamins and minerals. Fruits, vegetables, bread, cereals, pasta and dairy products all contain carbs, along with sugary foods. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that 45% to 65% of your daily calories come from carbs. Foods such as grains, fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products are your best carb sources. It's also wise to choose high-fiber foods to balance your meal plan. Examples of high-fiber foods are whole-grain breads and pasta, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables and beans. You can eat sugary foods within your carb allowance but keep in mind that sugary foods usually have more calories and fat and less nutritional value than other carb-rich foods. The number of carbs you need depends on many factors including: height, weight and weight history, age, usual food habits and schedule, level of physical activity, blood glucose levels, and blood lipid levels. For women, a reasonable starting point is about 45 to 60 grams or 3 to 4 servings of carbohydrate per meal and for men, 60 to 75 grams or 4 to 5 servings of carbs each meal. How the carbs are distributed between meals and snacks depends on your current food habits and daily schedule, and the types and doses of your medication. For more information about advanced carb counting, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a registered dietitian.

The Glycemic Index

The Glycemic Index is a measure of how much an individual food will raise the blood glucose level. Some carbohydrate foods can cause a faster rise in blood glucose level than other foods. Considering the glycemic index of foods may be an added benefit to blood glucose control. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information about the glycemic index.

Serving Size

The exchange lists for meal planning can help you determine serving sizes. One serving of starch, fruit or milk has about 15 grams of carbohydrate. The size of a single serving varies with the type of food. Serving sizes are often smaller than what you are used to eating. At first you'll find it helpful to weigh or measure your food to determine your serving sizes. Here are some examples of 1 serving of foods which contain 15 grams of carbohydrate:

1/3 CUP OF CEREAL, RICE, OR PASTA
1 SLICE OF BREAD OR A SMALL ROLL
1 MEDIUM PIECE OF FRUIT
1/2 CUP CORN, PEAS, OR POTATOES
1 CUP NON-FAT MILK OR YOGURT

You can read the labels on food products to see how many carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber they contain. Be aware that some "low-fat" products have extra sugar. Check the food label for words that end in "-ose" such as sucrose, fructose and dextrose. These are types of sugars. The total grams of carbohydrates on the label, less the grams of fiber, is the number you should use when you are counting carbohydrates. This number will include starch and sugar. You can use this food look-up tool to find the nutritional content of many of your favorite foods. If you are dining out or unable to use measuring cups or scales, you can estimate serving sizes by using your hand.

YOUR FIST EQUALS ABOUT 1 CUP
YOUR PALM EQUALS ABOUT 3 OUNCES
A HANDFUL EQUALS ABOUT 2 OUNCES (1/4 CUP) OF SNACK FOOD
YOUR THUMB EQUALS ABOUT 2 TEASPOONS OR 1 OUNCE
YOUR THUMB TIP EQUALS ABOUT 1 TEASPOON

Other nutrients

Proteins: Protein helps to build and repair your body tissues. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs all contain protein. It takes the body a little longer to convert protein into glucose. Some protein- rich foods are also high in fat and cholesterol. Choose low-fat protein foods to limit your fat intake. For those without any kidney problems, health experts usually recommend that 15-20% of total daily calories come from protein.

Fats: Different kinds of fat make up the rest of your meal plan. Monounsaturated fat refers to certain fats such as canola and olive oil. Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn and safflower oils. Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature, and is found mostly in animal products such as butter and meat, although, it is also found in tropical oils such as coconut and palm kernel oil. Less than 10% of your total daily calories should come from saturated fat.