Diabetics must watch the types of foods to eat to avoid increases in blood sugar. However, the American Diabetes Association states that you may choose from a variety of foods, even sweet foods, as long as you create a meal plan and stick to it. A healthy diet of nutritious foods may help you manage your disease and prevent short-term and long-term complications.
Carbohydrates
Your body needs sugar for energy. Yet, because of your metabolic disorder, you should choose carbohydrates that are low glycemic. Sugar from low-glycemic foods is digested slowly and doesn't rapidly increase blood levels of sugar and insulin, a hormone that helps sugar get into muscle cells, Linus Pauling Institute explains. The University of Sydney recommends that you eat low-glycemic foods such as cereals that contain whole oats, barley or bran, breads with whole grains, quinoa and plenty of salad vegetables. Research by Jennie Brand-Miller published in "Diabetes Care" in 2003 reports that choosing low-glycemic index foods instead of conventional or high-glycemic index foods has a clinically useful effect on the control of blood sugar in patients with diabetes.
Fats
Diabetes more than doubles your risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. High blood-cholesterol and fat increases your risk for heart disease even more, which is why you should eat foods that are heart-healthy. Research by M. Tanasescu published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" discovered that a higher intake of cholesterol and saturated fat concurrent with a low ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease among women with type-2 diabetes, whereas replacement of saturated fat with monounsaturated fat reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 37 percent. Olive oil and avocados are foods that are rich in monounsaturated fat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports.
Plant-Based Foods
Plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits and legumes are low in calories and rich sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. You should eat plenty of plant-based foods at each meal. Research by Neal Barnard published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2009 found that both low-fat vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with sustained reductions in weight and blood levels of cholesterol and fats. The research also demonstrates that a low-fat vegan diet improves blood levels of sugar, cholesterol and fats more than other types of diabetes diets. Earlier research by Neal Barnard published in "Diabetes Care" in 2006 reported that both a low-fat vegan diet and a diet based on the American Diabetes Association guidelines improve blood levels of sugar, cholesterol and fat in type-2 diabetic patients. However, the results are even greater in the low-fat vegan diet. A low-fat vegan diet emphasizes that you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and sprouted legumes, with no consumption of animal-derived foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.
References
- FamilyDoctor.org: Diabetes and Nutrition
- American Diabetes Association: Sugar and Desserts
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
- University of Sydney: Home of the Glycemic Index
- "Diabetes Care"; Low-Glycemic Index Diets in the Management of Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials; Brand-Miller, J.; August 2003
