Diabetic Diet Plan - Diet and Good Nutrition
Diabetes Diet, Diabetes and Insulin
Before insulin was introduced into clinical practice in 1922, diet and diabetes were joined at the hip. For people with diabetes, following a strict diabetes diet was not a frivolous or joking matter but a matter of life and death.
Diabetes Diet is the key to management of both type 1 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The diabetes diet program then was tough but straightforward. People with diabetes were told follow a healthy diabetes diet program i.e. "diet strictly or die."
Insulin introduced into the medical practice in 1922 was a miracle drug. It allowed people with diabetes to eat a less tightly regulated diabetes diet.
Diabetes Diet Program
What can a healthy diabetes diet plan do for a diabetic ?
The word "diet" is derived from a Greek word that means "a way of life." We must make it a way of life to pay close attention to what we eat and to be thankful for every meal.
Most people don't pay enough attention to their basic nutritional needs. Diabetes highlights the importance of a well-balanced healthy eating lifestyle.
For those with diabetes, there are three important benefits to be had from a nutritionally sound diabetes diet program :-
- it helps you achieve and maintain good control of your blood glucose levels
- it help you regulate and maintain your body weight
- it helps prevent or delay the onset of long-term health risk linked with diabetes
Diabetes Nutrition Care
What we eat is a very individual matter. The enjoyment we get from food should be matched by its value as a source of nourishment.
When you develop diabetes you need to become more aware of food, you need to reappraise with care what your eat. Improving your daily eating habits will bring immediate and significant health benefits.
The nutrients in food include protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, fiber and water, all of which are essential for continued good health.
Diabetes Nutrition Guidelines
Dietary recommendation for people with diabetes are very similar to those aimed at the general population for the promotion of good health.
Diabetes Diet
Nutrition guidelines for good diabetes nutrition care are as follows:-
- Base meal around starchy high fiber diabetes food
- Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day
- Eat less saturated and trans fats
- Moderate intake of sugar
- Limit salt intake
- Limit alcohol intake
Diabetes Diet Food
Diabetes Diet Food - Starchy, high fiber diabetes food
Starchy, high fiber diabetes food should make up the bulk of your
diabetes diet
(approximately half your daily energy need). They contain energy
in the form of carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Inclusion of high fiber diabetes food in your diet will help in the control of your
diabetes and weight management.
Knowing carbohydrate is important if you have diabetes. Carbohydrate breaks down into glucose and balancing glucose is a vital part of diabetes management. It is important to include at least three or four serving of high carbohydrate, high fiber diabetes food in every meal.
Carbohydrate food have different effects on the blood glucose levels. Even though they provide the same amount of carbohydrate, some will cause a quicker and higher rise in blood glucose levels than others. This is because different foods are digested and absorbed at different rates.
Carbohydrate food are rated (1-100) according to the effect
they have on blood glucose level. This is known as the Glycemic
Index (GI). The best diabetes food for control of diabetes are those
carbohydrate food which have a low GI number and also low in fat.
Diabetes Diet Food - Eat more fruits and vegetables
Include a variety of fresh, frozen, canned fruit, dried fruit and
vegetables in your diet. These foods are naturally rich in
antioxidants especially vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E.
Antioxidants protects us from potentially harmful compounds known as "free radicals" which may damage cells, leading to degenerative diseases.
Diet high in plant foods lower the incidences of
certain diseases including diabetes, cancers and cardiovascular disorders.
Diabetes Diet Food - Eat less saturated fat and trans fat
Fat is the most concentrated form of energy we eat, providing
twice the amount of calories per gram than both carbohydrate and
protein.
Diet high in saturated fat and trans fat are often associated with heart and circulation problem. Danger of such a high fat diet is that it will also lead to excessive weight gain.
Excessive fat stores in the body and large amounts of fat in the diet can increase insulin resistance by inhibiting insulin activity. This will cause an increase in your blood glucose levels. Reducing dietary fat, particularly saturated fat and trans fat, is important for most people with diabetes. This is especially important where overweight is a problem.
For the overweight diabetics follow a low
fat diet plan based on good fats, by substituting saturated fat and trans
fat with healthy
monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.
Diabetic Diet Plan Guide on intake of sugar, salt and alcohol
Moderate intake of sugar
Moderate intake of sugar can be included as part of your healthy
diabetes diet program, whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. It is good to
limit the amount of added sugar, as sugar is relatively high in
calories but low in nutrients.
Limit salt intake
We all eat too much salt. Recommendation is to limit salt
intake to about 6g/day. If you have high blood pressure it may
be advisable to cut down on salt even further.
Limit alcohol intake
Alcoholic drinks are high in calories and can contribute to
weight gain. If you drink alcohol, drink it in moderation and
with good sense.