Most of the food you eat turns into sugar. Your body uses sugar as a source of energy. Insulin helps to deliver sugar from the bloodstream into the cells. As a diabetic, you either do not make enough insulin or cannot properly use the insulin you do make, leading to elevated blood sugar. In addition to exercise and medication, following a healthy diabetic diet can help you control your blood sugar.
Carbohydrate Counting Diet
Foods with carbohydrates have the greatest impact on blood sugar, and include all foods in the starch, fruit and milk groups. The American Diabetes Association says controlling the amount of carbohydrates you eat at each meal can help you achieve better blood sugar control. On the carbohydrate counting diet, you eat a certain amount of grams of carbohydrates at each meal. A doctor or dietitian can help determine your exact needs, but you can start at 45 g to 60 g, according to the American Diabetes Association. Standard food serving sizes and food labels help you calculate your carbohydrate intake. For example, a half cup of cooked oatmeal, a 4 oz. piece of fruit and one cup of skim milk all contain about 15 g of carbohydrates. Vegetables contain small amounts of carbohydrates and do not need to be counted. Meats and fats are carbohydrate free. To create healthy, balanced meals, be sure to include vegetables, meats and some fats along with carbohydrate-containing foods.
Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid
The diabetes food guide pyramid is a visual teaching tool designed to show you how to make healthy food choices and control portion intake for both blood sugar and weight control. The pyramid divides foods into basic food groups based on similarities in nutrient content. When following the diabetes food pyramid diet, you can eat a certain number of servings from each group based on your calorie needs and blood sugar goals. The plan encourages you to eat more of the healthy foods from the bottom of the pyramid, including starches, fruits and vegetables, and less of the foods at the top of the pyramid, including sweets and fats.
Diabetes Exchange Diet
The diabetes exchange diet is a calorie-controlled, low-fat meal-planning tool created by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association. Like the diabetes food pyramid, the exchange diet also divides foods into basic food groups based on similarities in calorie, carbohydrate, fat and protein content. Based on your calorie needs, you are allowed to eat a certain number of servings, or exchanges, from each of the food groups. When meal planning, you can exchange items within each food group. For example, at lunch you can exchange two slices of bread in a sandwich for an English muffin or a hamburger roll.
