One of the biggest concerns that newly diagnosed diabetics have when they're learning how to treat their disease is making sound diet decisions. They're often confused with what's good for them and what's taboo. Making reasonable choices for diabetics is not as difficult as it seems. The diabetic just needs a few valuable resources to help until they learn how to make decisions on their own.
Carbohydrate Counting
One of the mainstays in managing blood glucose levels is carbohydrate counting. And, with today's food packaging, it's reasonably easy to do. Start by reading the label on the side of the container. The label provides valuable information on how many ounces are in an average serving. It will also contain the number of calories and grams of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Your dietitian will tell you how many grams of carbohydrates you're allowed per day based on your weight, activity level and medications, but most will allow you to eat about 50 percent of your total calories as carbohydrates.
Glycemic Index
Along with keeping 50 percent of your diet carbohydrates, it's important to learn which carbs cause your blood glucose to spike and which stabilize it. The glycemic index (GI) is a simple rating system that rates carbohydrates as low (from 0 to 54), medium (from 55 to 70) and high (over 70). The goal is to eat carbs that are low-GI foods or balance carbohydrates of various GI levels and maintain an even blood glucose level. For instance, if you eat a wedge of watermelon that has a GI rating of 103 (very high), balance it with something else like cherries that have a GI of 22, or consider having a low carbohydrate whole wheat cracker. After a few weeks, you'll learn which of your favorite foods have high GI ratings and which are low.
Create Your Plate
One of the easiest diabetic menu plans to follow is the American Diabetes Association's "Create Your" Plate method. Start by drawing an imaginary line down the center of a dinner plate with your finger, dividing your plate in half. Divide one of the halves into two smaller sections. Fill the larger half with non-starchy vegetables like spinach, carrots, broccoli or mushrooms. Fill one of the smaller sections with starchy foods like whole grain bread, rice, pasta or potatoes. Fill the remaining area with meat or meat substitutes like chicken, turkey, tuna, seafood or low-fat cheese. You'll have a filling, balanced meal that will not cause your blood glucose levels to spike.
