You may have been recommended to follow a diabetic diet or a heart healthy diet if you are diagnosed with either diabetes or heart disease, or if you are at risk for developing either condition. Both diets are well established and have clear nutrition rules to follow. Before starting any new health program, it is wisest to consult your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Significance
A diabetic diet is known to improve blood sugar control in those diagnosed with diabetes, insulin resistance or any other condition affecting your blood sugars. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million adults and children have diabetes and it was ranked as the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States as of 2006. A heart healthy diet is also well known, but it is designed to improve your cardiovascular system and decrease your risk of complications from heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death, and according to the American Heart Association, nearly 40 percent of adults aged 40-59, and 73 percent of adults over age 60 have heart disease.
Function
The diabetic diet is designed to help to normalize your blood sugars in order to reduce complications of diabetes. This is done by focusing on your daily consumption of carbohydrates. The heart healthy diet, on the other hand, is designed to help lower your cardiovascular risk factors, including lowering your cholesterol and reducing plaque build-up in your arteries, which is called atherosclerosis. This is done by focusing mainly on your daily consumption of fat. For both diets, the quality of your overall diet is very important.
Identification
The diabetic diet can be identified by its recommendations related to carbohydrate consumption. This includes monitoring your total amount of carbohydrates consumed, focusing on the types of carbohydrates, such as increasing consumption of whole wheat grains while decreasing consumption of refined, white grains.
The heart healthy diet can be identified by its recommendations mainly related to fat consumption. This includes types of fat consumed, such as limiting saturated and trans fat consumption, while increasing consumption of poly- and mono-unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3s, and also increasing consumption of dietary fiber.
Benefits
Both diets have been shown to be effective in improving outcomes, reducing complications, and also for reducing your risk factors for either condition. If you have been diagnosed with any form of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, you will most likely be recommended to make specific lifestyle changes and to follow a diabetic diet or heart healthy diet. The American Dietetic Association can be used as a resource to find a registered dietitian who can work with you to individualize recommendations to your specific conditions. A link is in the Resources section.
Considerations
Everyone's condition is unique and all diet recommendations should be individualized for best results. While certain types of nutrition therapy have been proved to be effective in improving outcomes of certain conditions, it is important to realize they are designed to work in conjunction with medical care and not as a replacement for it. Consult your doctor or registered dietitian to get specific dietary recommendations for your specific condition.
