Diabetic Diet Management
Contrary to popular belief, having diabetes doesn’t mean you have to eat only bland, boring foods. Quite the contrary. Modern diabetes diet management means you’ll eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains – foods that are high in nutrition and low in fat and calories – and fewer animal products and sweets. Actually, diabetic diet control is the same eating plan that’s recommended for everyone.
Yet understanding what and how much to eat can be challenging. That’s where a Registered Dietitian can help. He or she can help design a meal plan that fits your health goals and lifestyle, as well as what you like to eat.
In the meantime, take a minute to learn four key components of diabetic diet management:
1) Understanding how your body uses food. At the heart of diabetes diet management is understanding the effects of different foods on your blood sugar. Carbohydrates (whether it’s a piece of bread or a scoop of sugar, typically take from five minutes to three hours to digest. Protein takes three to six hours to digest, and fat can take eight hours or more. That’s why a milk shake, which is higher in fat, raises blood sugar levels more slowly than a carbohydrate-laden baked potato. Starches (pastas, rice, bread, cake, potatoes, corn, etc.), fruit and milk are high in carbohydrates. Once in your body, they break down into your cells’ preferred form of energy (glucose) fairly quickly. Diabetes diet management helps you schedule your carbohydrate intake so that your cells can get the glucose that they need — when they need it.
2) Eating the right foods (at the right time). Food is one of the main factors that impacts blood glucose levels — and one you can control with the right diabetic diet management. The first step is to create a varied and balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages among the basic food groups. Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains often. Eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables daily and make at least half the grains you eat whole grains. Decrease saturated fats and trans fatty acids by choosing lean meats and poultry, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products. The next step is to keep your blood sugar at a consistent level by eating the same amount of food with the same proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at the same time every day.
3) How exercise impacts diabetes diet management. Regular exercise is another important part of diabetic diet management. It helps insulin work better while reducing blood glucose levels. Ideally, adults should get 30 minutes of physical activity five or more days per week. And your exercise doesn’t have to be hours spent at the gym. Many everyday activities count as moderate exercise, including:
- Gardening for 30 to 45 minutes
- Stair walking for 15 minutes
- Washing and waxing the car for 60 minutes
4) The importance of regular monitoring. Of course, monitoring goes hand in hand with diabetic diet control. By monitoring your blood glucose levels throughout the day, you can then make smart decisions about meals, exercise and medication.
The American Diabetes Association website (www.diabetes.org) offers plenty of diabetic diet management resources, including:
- Recipe of the day
- Tip of the day
- Guide to eating out
- ADA cookbooks
- Exercise and weight loss brochures
- Information for kids and teens
Tags: diabetes diet management, diabetic diet control, Diabetic Diet Management
