Medical nutrition therapy -- or MNT -- is an eating plan for diabetics to follow with the intention of regulating blood sugar levels without placing a host of restrictions on your daily diet. Your nutritional needs do not differ from those without diabetes, but you need to watch the foods you eat with a closer eye to keep blood sugar levels even.
Purpose
The purpose of medical nutrition therapy, according to the MayoClinic website, is to eat fewer calories and fat; this keeps your blood sugar levels on an even keel, and makes managing your glucose easier, keeping it within a healthy range. Medical nutrition therapy also aids in weight loss, an important aspect of controlling your blood sugar.
Simple vs Complex Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates have the largest impact on your blood sugar; controlling your carbohydrates enables you to regulate your blood sugar levels. Choosing the right carbs is key to this.
Simple carbohydrates break down quickly, which your blood absorbs just as fast. This results in blood sugar spikes. Foods in this group have little nutritional value and are high in calories, and include soda, high-sugar cereals, whole-milk products, white bread and rice, white pasta, candy and sweetened fruit juice.
Complex carbs are usually high in fiber; foods high in fiber take longer to break down in the blood. Complex carbohydrates have little impact on your blood sugar levels, helping in their regulation. They include foods such as oatmeal, kidney beans, navy beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta and brown rice.
Gycemic Index
Some fruits and vegetables are better for you than others. Fruits contain natural sugar which can increase your blood sugar, just as certain vegetables like corn and peas. All fruits and vegetables contain minerals and vitamins your body needs though -- just choose carefully. Green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, green beans, celery and cucumbers, oatmeal and brown rice make better choices.
The glycemic index can be of help when choosing the right foods for you. It rates all foods based upon the amount of carbohydrates they contain and the impact they have on your blood sugar -- the lower the food rates, the less the impact. Try to eat foods rating 55 or less.
Lean Protein
Fats are important to your diet, and just like carbohydrates, there are good and bad. Red meat, such as steak and hamburger, contains saturated fats. To reduce your risk of heart disease, a common complication of diabetes, replace red meat with lean protein such as skinless, white-meat poultry, tuna, cod and salmon. These fish contain less fat and cholesterol than both red meat and poultry.
Moderation
Eating in moderation helps prevents weight gain and a fluctuation in blood sugar levels. The HelpGuide website recommends splitting your plate in three sections. Fill the half the plate with vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, cauliflower or carrots; these are all complex carbohydrates. Eat these first to ensure your body receives the nutrients it needs. A 3 oz. portion of meat should fill one-quarter, and once you finish your veggies, move on to this. The remaining quarter can contain a starch such as potatoes or white rice, both simple carbohydrates that have the largest impact on your blood sugar. Finish this last, if you are still hungry.
Schedule Meals
Eating your meals at regular times of the day prevents overeating while regulating your blood sugar. Begin with breakfast at the same time; this gives you energy and stabilizes your glucose. Eat six small meals; this prevents you from becoming hungry and overeating. Try to eat the same number of calories every day; do not eat more at one meal and less at another. This interferes with your blood sugar, causing it to spike.
Considerations
Ask your doctor or registered dietitian what your daily caloric and carbohydrate intake should be; this information is a critical part of medical nutritional therapy. Follow your doctor's directions, and keep every appointment. Your needs may change according to your recorded, daily glucose results.
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