Diabetes is a common disease that many people have, and it can be directly connected to your diet. However, contrary to popular belief, having diabetes doesn’t mean that you have to start eating special foods or follow a complicated diabetes diet plan. For most people, having diabetes simply translates into eating a variety of foods in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes.
Diabetes and diet are directly tied together. While you do not have to eat some special diet, you do need to choose a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Your diet should be used as a way to keep your diabetes under control. Rather than a restrictive diabetes diet, it’s a healthy-eating plan that’s naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories.
The diet you should eat for diabetes is the same type of diet you or anyone should eat if they want to manage his or her weight and adopt healthier eating habits. One of the best ways to control your diabetes through diet is plan your meals well.
The first thing you must do is plan your meals, not just what you are going to eat, but when. Establish a routine for eating meals and snacks at regular times every day, and be sure the foods you eat are the healthiest foods you can. By doing this, you will be able to better regulate your body, and keep your blood sugar levels where they should be. Some people with diabetes even find that by getting the healthiest foods in the right amounts at each meal can not only help them control their diabetes, but also greatly reduce them.
For many people with diabetes the complaint comes up that they are already eating healthy, but their diet is not affecting their blood sugar levels much. If you’re already eating healthy foods, you may not need to make many changes to keep your blood sugar (glucose) under control. However, if you tend to eat at irregular times, overeat or eat sporadically, you may need to make changes there. If however, you make poor food choices, ask your doctor for tips to help you change your eating habits.
Sometimes diabetes is affected by your diet mixed with your medication. If you need to lose weight or you’re taking diabetes medications or insulin, you may need to follow a more deliberate plan. Eating only a recommended number of servings from each food group every day may be part of the plan.
If you are taking medications, and they are effecting your blood sugar, your doctor may suggest working with a registered dietitian to tailor your diet based on your health goals, tastes and lifestyle.
There are some different ways to take care of your diet when you have diabetes. For example, you can count carbohydrates or do exchange lists, etc.
Let’s take a closer look at these methods of diet:
Counting carbohydrates
Carbohydrate counting can be a helpful meal-planning tool, and is especially important to use this method if you are taking diabetes medications or insulin. Basically the way it works is that by eating the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal or snack you can better keep your blood sugar from going too high or too low throughout the day. There is some complication when it comes to carb counting, so if you’re counting carbohydrates, work with your dietitian to learn how to do it properly to meet your specific needs.
Using exchange lists
An easier option to carb counting is using exhange lists. Your dietitian may recommend using the exchange system, which groups foods into categories, such as starches, fruits, meats and meat substitutes, and fats. One serving in a particular group is called an “exchange.” The idea is that an exchange has about the same amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories, thus the same effect on your blood sugar, as a serving of every other food in the same group. So the big idea is finding a way to eat a variety of foods, but keep your blood sugar levels constant. In other words, you can exchange foods, for example, a half of a medium baked potato (3 ounces) for 1/3 cup of baked beans or 1/2 cup of corn because they’re all one starch serving.
When it comes to diet and diabetes, consistency and variety are key:
Consistent eating habits can help you control your blood sugar levels. If every day you try to eat about the same amount of food at about the same time, but include a variety of foods to help meet your nutritional goals as well.