Diabetes Diet
The proper diet is critical
to diabetes treatment. It can help someone with diabetes:
A doctor will usually prescribe diet as part of diabetes treatment. A
dietitian or nutritionist can recommend a diet that is healthy, but also
interesting and easy to follow. No one has to be limited to a preprinted,
standard diet. Someone with diabetes can get assistance in the following
ways:
- A doctor can recommend a local nutritionist or dietitian.
- The local American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association,
and American Dietetic Association can provide names of qualified
dietitians or nutritionists and information about diet planning.
- Local diabetes centers at large medical clinics, hospitals, or
medical universities usually have dietitians and nutritionists on staff.
The guidelines for diabetes diet planning include the following:
- Many experts, including the American Diabetes Association, recommend
that 50 to 60 percent of daily calories come from carbohydrates, 12 to
20 percent from protein, and no more than 30 percent from fat.
- Spacing meals throughout the day, instead of eating heavy meals once
or twice a day, can help a person avoid extremely high or low blood
glucose levels.
- With few exceptions, the best way to lose weight is gradually: one
or two pounds a week. Strict diets must never be undertaken
without the supervision of a doctor.
- People with diabetes have twice the risk of developing heart disease
as those without diabetes, and high blood cholesterol levels raise the
risk of heart disease. Losing weight and reducing intake of saturated
fats and cholesterol, in favor of unsaturated and monounsaturated fats,
can help lower blood cholesterol.
For example, meats and dairy
products are major sources of saturated fats, which should be avoided;
most vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fats, which are fine in
limited amounts; and olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fat,
the healthiest type of fat. Liver and other organ meats and egg yolks are
particularly high in cholesterol. A doctor or nutritionist can advise
someone on this aspect of diet.
- Studies show that foods with fiber, such as fruits, vegetables,
peas, beans, and whole-grain breads and cereals may help lower blood
glucose. However, it seems that a person must eat much more fiber than
the average American now consumes to get this benefit. A doctor or
nutritionist can advise someone about adding fiber to a diet.
| Points to Remember
- A diabetes diet should do three things; achieve ideal weight,
maintain normal blood glucose levels, and limit foods that
contribute to the disease.
- A nutritionist or dietitian can help plan a diabetes diet.
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Exchange lists are useful in planning a
diabetes diet. They place
foods with similar
nutrients and calories into groups. With the
help of
a nutritionist, the person plans the
number of servings from each
exchange list
that he or she should eat throughout the day.
Diets that
use exchange lists offer more
choices than preprinted diets. More
information on exchange lists is available
from nutritionists and from
the
American Diabetes Association.
Continuing research may lead to new approaches to
diabetes diets. Because one goal of a diabetes diet is to maintain normal
blood glucose levels, it would be helpful to have reliable information on
the effects of foods on blood glucose. For example, foods that are rich in
carbohydrates, like breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables break down
into glucose during digestion, causing blood glucose to rise. However,
scientists don't know how each of these carbohydrates affect blood glucose
levels. Research is also under way to learn whether foods with sugar raise
blood glucose higher than foods with starch. Experts do know that cooked
foods raise blood glucose higher than raw, unpeeled foods. A person with
diabetes can ask a doctor or nutritionist about using this kind of
information in diet planning.