Risk of heart disease is two to four times greater when you have diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Prolonged elevated blood sugars causes the body to leave fatty deposits along artery walls, leading to a narrowing of the artery and a decreased blood flow to the heart, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. A stent may be placed to widen the artery to improve blood flow. A diet that controls both blood sugar and limits saturated fat intake is recommended following stent placement to prevent further build-up.
Diabetes Food Pyramid
The diabetes food guide pyramid is a healthy eating guide designed to teach you how to make good choices to control your blood sugar. It divides foods up into groups based on similarities in nutrient composition. The diabetes food pyramid is similar to the old U.S. Department of Agriculture food guide pyramid and encourages you to eat more foods from the bottom of the pyramid, including starches, fruits and vegetables, and fewer foods from the top of the pyramid, including fats and sweets. The emphasis on high fiber low-fat foods can help you lower your cholesterol levels. To control your blood sugar, the food pyramid offers portion-controlled serving suggestions from each group to eat each day based on your calorie needs.
Diabetes Exchange Diet
The diabetes exchange diet was designed by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association as a low-fat, calorie-controlled diet guide for diabetes. The exchange diet also divides foods up into groups based on similarities in calorie, carbohydrate, protein and fat content. The diet helps you control blood sugar by allowing you to eat a certain number of servings, or exchanges, from each of the food groups. Foods within each group can be exchanged for one another. For example at dinner, you can exchange a 1/3 cup serving of brown rice for a 1/3 cup serving of whole wheat pasta. The diet encourages you to select foods high in fiber and low in saturated fat to decrease your risk of heart disease.
Carbohydrate Counting Diet
Carbohydrate-containing foods have the greatest impact on blood sugar. The carbohydrate counting diet helps you manage blood sugar by controlling only your carbohydrate intake. Diabetics on insulin can get tighter blood sugar control following the carbohydrate counting diet, according to the American Diabetes Association, because they give themselves enough insulin to cover the amount of carbohydrate they will be eating at a particular meal. Having tighter control over your blood sugars significantly reduces your risk of complications, such as fatty deposits along artery walls. Carbohydrate containing foods include all starches, starchy vegetables, milk, yogurt and all fruits. People following the carbohydrate counting diet use standard serving sizes and food labels to calculate grams of carbohydrate. Meats, fats and vegetables should be included with meals for balance. Choose more lean meats, such as skinless chicken and fish, and more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil and margarine, for overall heart health.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Your Diabetes Eating Plan: Exchange Lists
- NIDDK: What I Need to Know About Eating and Diabetes
- American Heart Association: Carbohydrate Counting
- International Diabetes Federation: Complications of Diabetes
- NIDDK: Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke
- Radiology Info: Angioplasty and Vascular Stenting
