Diabetic Diet Guidelines:
Recommended steps to help control blood glucose and prevent diabetes.
Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes and one-third of these people don’t even know it. What’s more, an additional 54 million people in the U.S. have blood-glucose levels that fall into a risky prediabetes range.
Basically, diabetes is a health condition characterized by high levels of glucose a form of sugar that fuels our body’s cells in the blood. Our bodies break down the foods we eat into glucose but the sugar can’t get into cells without an escort. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, ushers the sugar in. But in people who have diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas don’t make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes), or the body’s cells don’t respond effectively to the hormone (type 2 diabetes). The result: glucose stays in the blood, where it accumulates. Over time, this high concentration of blood glucose a condition called hyperglycemia weakens blood vessels and then can damage the eyes, kidneys and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease and stroke.
The root cause for the diabetes epidemic still eludes medical researchers but most experts agree that poor diet and sedentary living are significant contributing factors. The upside of this is that eating well and moving more helps prevent the condition even if your blood glucose level is already in what’s considered to be a prediabetes range. (And if you have diabetes already, a healthy diet helps keep glucose levels in check.) The nutrition experts at Eating Well recommend the following steps to help control blood glucose and prevent diabetes.
Lose weight.
Extra fat can make your body resistant to the action of insulin. Losing weight improves insulin’s activity, which reduces blood glucose levels. Research suggests that people at high risk for diabetes who lose as little as 5 percent of their body weight (i.e., about 10 pounds, if they weigh 200 pounds) can prevent or delay onset of the condition. The most effective approach, say experts, is a structured weight loss program, such as The Eating Well Diet, that emphasizes lifestyle changes.
Exercise regularly.
Studies show that physical activity improves the body’s response to insulin and helps lower blood glucose levels. Aim to fit in 30 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking nearly every day.
Choose whole grains.
Selecting whole grains, such as whole wheat breads and pastas, barley, corn and oats, over refined ones can help improve insulin sensitivity. Whole grains will help you meet your recommended daily intake for fiber (25 grams); they also provide more vitamins, minerals and other health promoting nutrients than refined grains.
Don’t skip meals.
Research suggests that eating breakfast increases insulin effectiveness in lowering blood glucose levels, and eating regularly spaced meals also has a beneficial effect on insulin response.
Use good fats.
Season dishes with moderate amounts of olive oil and the other good fats that make food tastier and more satisfying. At the same time, keep a watchful eye on saturated fat and trans fats. Limit saturated fats to less than 7 percent and trans fats to less than 1 percent of total calories; restrict cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg/day. Do this by limiting fatty meat and full-fat dairy products (which supply saturated fats and cholesterol) and processed foods (which tend to be packed with partially hydrogenated oils, a.k.a. trans fats).
Choose foods low on the glycemic index.
The glycemic index (GI) is a system of ranking foods that contain equal amounts of carbohydrates according to how much they raise blood glucose levels. (The lower the GI number, the less the food boosts your blood sugar and the more diabetic diet friendly it is.) The GI is somewhat confusing and even a little controversial. But, in general, it does lead you to healthy foods. For example, vegetables, whole grains, beans and high-fiber foods tend to fall lower on the glycemic scale, while processed and refined foods and sweets are higher up.
One of the most important aspects of managing diabetes is controlling your nutrition. Persons with diabetes must develop a meal plan in conjunction with a dietitian or doctor to meet individual lifestyle and disease management needs. Diabetes meal plans generally focus on balance and maintaining glucose control.
Diabetes Guidelines.
Whether it is Type I, Type II diabetes or Gestational diabetes, the goals of achieving control of blood glucose levels are similar: to keep blood glucose as near as possible to that of a person without diabetes.
The following table show the desirable blood sugar level supply by The American Diabetes Association
Blood Glucose Goals – Desirable Blood Sugar Levels.
Time of Test Person without diabetes Person with diabetes
Before meals Less than 115 mg/dl 80 to 120 mg/dl
Before bedtime Less than 120 mg/dl 100 to 140 mg/dl
Recommended daily food portion:
Daily calories count : carbohydrates – 50% to 60%
protein – 12% to 20%
fat – not more than 30%
Spacing meal throughout the day, help a person avoid extremely high or low blood glucose levels.
Diet undertaken with the supervision of a doctor.
In take of food which help lower blood cholesterol.
Use Exchange lists in planning diabetic diet.
See Also
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