If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, you probably have concerns about your diet--especially about carbohydrates. What am I allowed to eat? What should I stay away from? How will they affect my blood sugar levels? The good news is that you should be able to continue eating most of the foods you enjoy. The bad news is that it will take a little work. But it's easy if you start with a simple plan.
How Carbohydrates Affect Blood Sugar
Carbohydrates are contained in a number of different types of foods, from fruits and vegetables to snacks and beverages. Simple carbohydrates (often called sugars) contain fructose, glucose and lactose and enter the bloodstream rapidly, causing blood glucose levels to spike. Examples are full sugar soft drinks, cakes and cookies. Starches are more complex forms of carbohydrates and are better for diabetics because they are released into the bloodstream slowly. Foods with starches include potatoes, corn, grains, rice and breads. The goal is to stabilize your blood sugar levels by eating a variety of sugars and starches, along with fats and proteins. If you're planning on eating foods that are high in sugar like honey, dates, raisins, or even canned condensed milk, it's a good idea to offset them with low foods like puffed cereal and no-sugar cocoa mix that are lower in sugar. Nuts like almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts and cashews are also good choices because they are low in sugar and higher in fat and fiber-- two qualities that slow down sugar absorption in the bloodstream. High sugar foods that cause your blood glucose to spike make it difficult to manage your glucose levels and could contribute to secondary symptoms such as lightheadedness, nausea, profuse sweating and muscle trembling.
The Glycemic Index
One way to ensure that the carbohydrates you're eating won't cause your blood glucose levels to spike is by eating foods low on the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) is a rating system that assigns a value to all carbohydrates, based on how rapidly they cause your blood glucose levels to spike. Low GI foods are rated lower than 54. Medium GI foods are rated between 55 and 70. High GI foods are rated higher than 70. For instance, dates have a high GI of 103. Waffles (76), doughnuts (76) and baguettes (95) make poor breakfast choices. Sourdough bread (54), All Bran (42) and Muesli (56) digest slower and don't cause blood glucose levels to spike. If you must eat high GI foods, try to balance them with low GI Foods like apple juice (41), multigrain breads (48) and low-fat yogurt (14). Certain foods may surprise you with low GI levels--cherries (22), grapefruit (25) and fettucine (32). By learning how to limit your carbs to low GI foods or by combining low GI foods with high GI foods, you'll be able to continue eating most of your favorite foods without causing high blood glucose levels.
Balancing Your Carbohydrates
Having diabetes doesn't necessarily mean that you can't eat your favorite foods. As long as they're eaten in combination with other types of foods, you'll be able to neutralize your blood glucose responses and avoid spiking. Try to eat small quantities of foods that are high in sugar or rate high on the GI scale. When you do eat high sugar or high GI foods, balance them with fats and proteins and foods that are high in fiber. Most types of nuts are have both. An easy way to learn how to combine carbohydrates with fats and proteins is by using the American Diabetes Association's Create Your Plate eating plan. Using your finger, divide a dinner plate in half. Cut one of the halves into two equal sections. You should have one large half and two quarters. Fill the large side of the plate with non-starchy vegetables like spinach, carrots, broccoli or tomatoes. Fill one of the smaller areas with starchy foods like whole grain breads, rice, pasta or potatoes. Fill the other smaller area with meat or meat substitutes like chicken, turkey, salmon or eggs. You now have a balanced meal that should minimize blood glucose spiking.
Member Comments