Diabetic Foods
Diabetes and heart disease are, unfortunately, intimately linked. Most diabetics have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, two of the main risk factors for heart disease. According to the statistics, 65 percent of people with diabetes die from heart attack. But this is far from a foregone conclusion. By managing blood glucose levels, monitoring high blood pressure, and working to keep LDL cholesterol levels down, diabetics can reduce their risk. Along with exercise and stress management, a healthy diet for diabetic patients is a crucial component to preventing, controlling, and healing diabetes. This article takes a closer look at how food choices impact health for those with diabetes.
Diabetic meals and snacks require the correct diabetic foods in appropriate portions to create a day’s worth of healthy eating for blood sugar regulation. While this may sound overwhelming to the newly diagnosed diabetic, when we take a close look at diabetic food choices, the list is not much different than healthy, balanced eating habits.
Basic Principles
In an effort to modulate the glucose-insulin response, diabetics will benefit from keeping these three principles in mind:
- Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber slows down digestion. It is the food component that defines carbohydrates as complex. There is soluble and insoluble fiber, of which there should be an equal intake. A diet comprised of 25 grams of fiber is highly recommended and beneficial to diabetics, and the general population as well.
- Include sources of lean protein at each meal and snack as often as possible. Protein also decreases the rate of digestion when eaten with carbohydrates that otherwise would enter the bloodstream rapidly. With the addition of a small piece of chicken or a slice of turkey, the white dinner roll ends up having a much less dramatic effect on blood sugar. Of course, by following principle #1, the roll will be a whole grain variety. A daily intake incorporating 20% of calories from protein is advisable.
- Make healthy fats a part of your diabetic meal plan. Sources of healthy, unsaturated fats include avocado, olive oil, canola oil, peanut butter, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds. Acceptable but containing some saturated fats include meats, such as lean beef cuts, chicken and turkey breast, and low fat dairy foods. By adding sources of fat to your daily intake, digestion will again be slowed down and you will better absorb the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. A daily intake of 25-30% of total calories derived from healthy fat sources is recommended. Saturated fat is best limited to no more than 10% of total calories.
List of Diabetic Foods
Protein:
- lean beef cuts – look for “top” or “tip”
- white poultry meat
- fish
- egg whites
- legumes
- whole grains
- soy – tofu, tempeh
Fat:
- canola oil
- olive oil
- nuts
- seeds
- avocados
- low fat dairy products
Carbohydrates:
- whole grain breads
- bran cereals
- oatmeal
- fruits with skin
- vegetables with skin
- kidney beans
- chickpeas
- lentils
- whole wheat pasta
- brown rice
Foods to Avoid
While there is a vast selection of food to choose from when creating a diabetic-friendly meal plan, some carbohydrates are simply best to be avoided. The reason for this is the intense reaction such foods have on blood sugar levels. Here are the main culprits:
- white potatoes
- tropical fruits
- rice cakes
- many cold cereals (void of wheat germ and wheat bran)
- white bread (including bagels, English muffins, dinner rolls, etc. especially if not combined with protein or fat)
- sugar
- white rice
- candy
- soft drinks
Prepared Food Choices
If you roam the aisles of your local supermarket, you are sure to find many prepackaged foods suitable for a diabetic meal plan. In fact, diabetic foods can now be found in nearly every grocery department, including the frozen section, candy aisle, and beverage aisle, to name a few. Your supermarket may even have an area dedicated just to diabetic foods. Such items will usually be sugar-free and made with a sugar substitute. The frozen section will not only offer you entrée selections, but also sweet treats such as ice cream pops, bars, sorbets, and the like. There are also food companies that offer shake mixes, diabetic-friendly snack bars, and other food supplement items. There are also diabetic foods available online such as Eat Well Be Well company.
Basics of the Diabetic Diet
The basics to diabetic diet meal planning are simple once we understand the way our body breaks down food. Everything we eat is broken down into sugar eventually. Sugary foods such as sweets or fruit hit the bloodstream almost immediately, followed by the slower starches (carbohydrates, or carbs), which take an hour or two to break down depending on their complexity. Proteins are next, taking about four hours, then between six and eight hours the fats finally break down. If strict attention is paid to diet and exercise, many diabetics can control their blood sugar with minimal dependence on medication.
Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no " diabetes diet," per se -- and that's good news! The foods recommended for a diabetes diet to control blood glucose (or sugar) are good for those with diabetes -- and everyone else. This means that you and your family can eat the same healthy foods at mealtime. However, for people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition -- carbohydrates, fats, and proteins -- carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels. Most people with diabetes also have to monitor total fat consumption and protein intake, too.
To keep your blood sugar levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, and take the medicines your health care provider prescribes. A dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education to help you develop a personalized meal plan that fits your lifestyle and activity level, and meets your medical needs.
The management of diabetes includes many facets: diet, exercise, medication management (whether oral medications, insulin administration, or both), and checking blood sugars regularly. All of these are very important for keeping blood sugar levels within normal limits to prevent the complications of diabetes. Complications can include cardiovascular disease, impaired sight or blindness, neuropathy (losing the sense of feeling in extremities such as the feet), and kidney failure. People with diabetes should seek the advice of a physician for management of their condition. They should also speak to a dietitian to design a meal plan tailored to their lifestyle.
What is Diabetes?
The condition is centered around a hormone called insulin. Insulin is like a key. It opens the doors to the body’s cells so food that is eaten, which is broken down into glucose, can enter the cells and make energy. In one type of diabetes the body does not produce enough insulin to open the doors to the cells. In another type the body is producing plenty of insulin but the cells will not open their doors - this is insulin resistance. The end result in either case is too much glucose in the blood, which is called hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. The excess sugar in the blood can lead to the complications of diabetes.
Why Do Diabetics Need to Watch Their Diet?
Diet is an integral part of the management of diabetes. In fact, many individuals with this condition manage their blood sugars with diet and exercise alone. It is food, most specifically carbohydrate, which is broken down into glucose, or sugar, that cannot enter the cells to produce energy. What someone eats is a part of his or her overall personal lifestyle. A diet for diabetes, therefore, should be personalized to what each diabetic is able and willing to do. It is a good idea to meet with a dietitian to figure out a meal plan. Many insurance companies are now covering sessions with a dietitian, especially for newly diagnosed individuals.
Moderate weight loss, considered to be 10% of usual body weight, is beneficial to type 2 diabetics in that it can help lower blood sugars, fats in the blood, and blood pressure.
What To Eat?
The goal of the diabetic diet is to provide all the calories and nutrients the diabetic needs while keeping blood sugars as close to normal as possible. Diabetics should include foods from all of the food groups in their diets. The carbohydrate food groups, those that raise the blood sugar, are starches (grains), fruits, and dairy. When having these foods it is important not to have too many at once and to spread them out throughout the day. This will help keep the blood sugar at a steady level as opposed to having a load of carbohydrates at once, which will quickly raise the blood sugar.
Sugars such as sweets, candy, and other desserts are best to be avoided. These have the fastest affect on blood sugar, and are counter-productive to weight loss efforts. Many manufacturers are now making diabetic versions of desserts that are sugar-free. Even so, these foods may contain sweeteners that can raise the blood sugar or have other adverse effects. They should be used in moderation.
When having a high carbohydrate food such as bread, milk, or fruit, including protein along with it will slow the rate of absorption of the sugar into the bloodstream. For example, try combining peanut butter on an apple or turkey on bread. It is also wise to choose high fiber foods, such as whole wheat bread instead of white bread, because these foods digest more slowly, again slowing the rate at which the sugar enters the bloodstream.
It is important not to skip meals. Six small meals a day instead of the traditional three square meals is recommended. This goes back to the idea of keeping blood sugars steady. If meals are skipped entirely, or only two big meals are eaten in a day, the blood sugars can fluctuate wildly.
If a diabetic consumes alcohol, it is best to do so with a meal. Generally, alcohol will not affect blood sugar levels if diabetes is well-controlled. A person on an insulin regimen can consume one drink per day for women and up to two drinks for men with a meal without any adverse affects (1 drink = 12oz. of beer or 5oz. of wine). If the blood sugar levels are out of control or triglyceride levels are elevated, alcohol should not be consumed..