For people with diabetes, a healthy diet is more important than trying to control blood sugar levels. A good diet can also help prevent or delay the onset of complications such as nerve pain or heart disease.
While a “diabetic diet” has been suggested, experts say there is no such thing as a diabetic diet. The healthy diets recommended for non-diabetics are also valid for people with diabetes. In this case, you just need to plan your diet for your individual needs, for example, to lower your cholesterol levels. But in general, there is no difference in healthy eating between diabetics and non-diabetics.
Here are suggestions on how to eat healthier that can benefit you for years to come.
Secrets of the diabetic diet
Ruth S. Pupo, a diabetes educator and dietitian at the East Los Angeles Diabetes Center at White Memorial Medical Center, notes that “the Department of Agriculture’s health guidelines now define the term diabetic diet as a healthy diet for all U.S. citizens.”
She makes a specific point when discussing this with people with diabetes: “We would caution patients to be extra cautious when consuming high levels of sugar (such as juice, candy, cake).
Meal planning for people with type 2 diabetes is also more relevant than ever. Angela Ginn-Meadow, a dietitian and diabetes educator at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Baltimore, USA, points out that such meal plans need to combine good nutrition with the individual patient’s specific dietary needs.
Some people with diabetes may need to lower their cholesterol levels. Others may need to lower their high blood pressure. She noted that “one meal” (plan) does not work for all patients.”
But all meal plans must be effective in improving blood sugar levels and controlling diabetes. The following points should be taken into account in the diet:
- Low in calories
- Rich in complex carbohydrates (available through the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains)
- Low in saturated fats (such as butter, cheese, and fatty meats)
- High in mono- and polyunsaturated fats (such as olive or canola oil)
While experts do not agree on the details of the so-called “ideal” eating plan, they do agree that distributing carbohydrates throughout the day, or carefully counting carbohydrate intake, is a good way to keep blood sugar levels under control.
Details of a meal plan for people with diabetes
How much of each food group should I consume? The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that people with diabetes eat more high-fiber complex carbohydrates, limit protein to 20% of total daily calories, and limit saturated fat intake to 7% of total daily calories.
Experts at the Joslin Diabetes Center have issued several guidelines for people with overweight or obese type 2 diabetes, who account for about 80% of people with type 2 diabetes. These guidelines all recommend that patients eat a small amount of carbohydrates with a slight increase in protein.
- About 40% of calories come from carbohydrates.
- About 40% of your calories come from carbohydrates
- About 30% of calories come from protein
- About 30% of your calories come from fat
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Osama Hamdy, MD, medical director of the Obesity Clinic and Program at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, believes that reducing carbohydrate intake and slightly increasing protein intake can help reduce unhealthy weight and manage diabetes in people with type 2 diabetes.
“Any meal plan for overweight people with type 2 diabetes should be aimed at weight loss,” Hamdy said. He recommends that overweight people with type 2 diabetes should reduce their caloric intake by 250 to 500 kilocalories per day, which would result in a modest weight loss of 0.5 kg per week or every 2 weeks.
Carbohydrate management
Pupo noted that one of the goals of a healthy diet is to keep blood glucose levels stable, and this can be achieved with a “consistent carbohydrate” intake plan.
People with diabetes should eat about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal. The total carbohydrate content of the diet should be based on the advice of your doctor.
She believes that high or low blood glucose levels should be avoided as much as possible. This can happen when you consume refined carbohydrates or sugary drinks. A consistent diet throughout the day can manage blood sugar levels.
A variety of ways to manage carbohydrates are given below.
Carbohydrate counting
Record the amount of carbohydrates consumed. The American Diabetes Association recommends starting with 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates per meal, and then adjusting the amount of carbohydrates at each meal based on your blood glucose level and your doctor’s advice.
Calculate your carbohydrate intake by reading food labels or getting a detailed list from your doctor.
The plate method of calculating carbohydrates
The plate method is a simpler way to calculate and control portion sizes. Divide the plate in half by sight. Then divide the two equal parts into four equal parts.
- Fill the largest portion, half of the plate, with a non-starchy vegetable such as spinach, carrots, or green beans.
- Fill one of the smallest aliquots, or quarters of the plate, with starchy foods such as whole wheat bread, potatoes, or cooked grains such as ready-to-eat oatmeal.
- Fill the last compartment, or the other quarter of the plate, with meat or meat substitutes.
The relationship between a healthy diet and low complications
A healthy diet helps control blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of diabetes complications, such as nerve pain (diabetic peripheral neuropathy), heart disease, and foot problems.
“Most complications are related to fat and the amount of fat in the diet,” Hamdy said. He thinks any diet that lowers high cholesterol levels (reduces fat) is a good choice.
Does a good diet really improve diabetes?
Hamdy found that weight loss plus exercise could help people with type 2 diabetes achieve a glycated hemoglobin goal of less than 7%.
Hamdy reported on the results of the Weight Loss Achievement and Intensive Care Program at the Joslin Diabetes Center, which encourages overweight people with type 2 diabetes to follow Joslin’s guidelines for weight loss.
In a report on 85 participants in the WAIT program, Hamdy found that patients lost an average of 11 kg after 12 weeks. about 82% of patients reached the goal of a glycated hemoglobin of less than 7%.
These patients also had significant improvements in cholesterol levels. The patients also lost weight and had a corresponding reduction in the use of diabetes medications.
Lifestyle changes are feasible
Ginn-Meadow of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Baltimore noted that patients can benefit from lifestyle changes. She said, “One of my patients is 65 years old and has had type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years. His glycated hemoglobin was 8 percent at the time of his visit, and through lifestyle changes, carbohydrate counting and a healthier diet, his glycated hemoglobin dropped to 5.8 percent. Within 4 months his condition had improved significantly.”