Foods to Eat with Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the only diseases where your food plays a part in the treatment. Eating too much can make you overweight, which raises insulin resistance. The kinds of foods you eat can affect your blood glucose levels. Taking good care of yourself means learning how to manage food and meals.
Newly diagnosed individuals may wonder what foods to eat with type 2 diabetes. A Type 2 Diabetic Diet is filled with a variety of tasty options that make creating a healthy lifestyle much easier.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or when the cells of the body are unable to process the insulin that is produced. During digestion, the body breaks down starch and sugars, turning them into glucose. The glucose provides energy to the cells of the body.
Insulin transports the glucose from the bloodstream into the body's cells. When a person does not have enough insulin, the glucose is unable to reach the cells. In some cases, a type 2 diabetic may produce sufficient insulin but the cells do not absorb the glucose the way they should.
The cells do not receive the necessary energy for proper functioning and if the buildup of glucose in the bloodstream continues, health problems may arise that affect the heart, kidneys, nervous system and eyes. The excess glucose buildup can be lessened with balanced nutrition.
Foods to Eat with Type 2 Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association offers excellent support and information about diet and diabetic conditions. This organization features a diabetic food pyramid that helps individuals adopting an eating plan for diabetics easier. The pyramid helps by providing a visual aid dieters can use to determine which foods to select. This helps create balance in the diet. It begins with understanding the different types of foods to eat with type 2 diabetes, as well as which ones to control. Each food can be put into convenient categories in order to help organize a healthy, balanced eating plan. The focus is preventing the buildup of glucose in the bloodstream, making the following food categories of particular concern.
- Carbohydrates
- Fat
- Protein
- Fiber
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are of particular concern because they are transformed into glucose. There are two basic types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Simple carbs are sugars and complex carbs are starches. As a rule of thumb, it is better to incorporate complex carbohydrates into the eating plan because they take longer for the digestive system to process.
- Simple Carbohydrates are found in fruits and many processed foods that contain refined sugar.
- Sugar
- Foods containing lactose, fructose, glucose
- Fruit
- Complex Carbohydrates are starches that naturally occur in many foods.
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Nuts
- Whole grains
Complex carbohydrates are preferable because they provide a steady stream of energy that does make glucose levels spike as significantly as sugars do. These foods tend to have generous amounts of fiber that aid in digestion.
It is necessary to balance carbohydrates, whether simple or complex, with protein or fat in order to slow the breakdown of carbs in to glucose in the bloodstream. For example, an ideal snack would be slices of apple served with slices of low fat cheese.
Fat
A high amount of fat is not advisable for any diet, and it is of great concern for a diabetic diet. People who are diagnosed with diabetes should avoid eating too many foods containing saturated fats and trans fats because there is an increased chance of developing heart disease.
Foods to limit include:
- Red meat
- Cheese
- Milk
- Frying oil
- Pastries
Healthy fats should be taken in moderation as well. Healthy fat can be found in:
- Nuts
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Dark chocolate
- Olives
Protein
Protein is nutrition's building block. The essential component is important in building tissues and muscles in the body. Many fatty foods like beef contain generous levels of protein, but leaner options are more valuable for a type 2 diabetic diet.
- Low fat dairy products should be counted as carbohydrates as well.
- Reduced fat cheese
- Skim milk
- Nonfat yogurt
- Animal products
- Lean red meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Eggs
Please note that the categories are not food groups. They are specific areas of concern when creating a
Fiber
Fiber is a critical component in any diet but it is especially important for diabetics. The fiber aids digestion and it prevents the blood from absorbing sugars all at once. Add the following foods to the diet plan:
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Bran
- Brown rice
Proper Portions
Portion control is another significant issue that is addressed by the diabetic food pyramid. Balance is a critical issue and knowing how much of each food is appropriate is key to successfully implementing a diet for type 2 diabetics. Learning to prepare the right portions helps with weight control as well as preventing the build up of glucose in the bloodstream.
More Information
More information about the foods to eat with type 2 diabetes is available:
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