Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells are unable to process insulin. Insulin helps convert the foods you eat into energy in the form of glucose. Glucose provides the fuel your cells need to do their job. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to both mild and serious complications. To help control your blood level of glucose you need to make smart food choices.
Step 1
Control your caloric intake. Maintaining a healthy weight will help you to control your diabetes. As you prepare your meals keep your daily caloric needs in mind. If you are overweight try to cut five hundred calories per day from your diet to lose one pound per week, and one thousand calories per day to lose two pounds. However, you do not want your daily caloric intake to go too low either. If you are overweight you may need to combine exercise with caloric restriction to take off excess weight. Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you to set safe daily caloric intake goals.
Step 2
Watch your overall carbohydrate intake, not just your sugar intake. According to the American Diabetes Association, eating carbohydrates affects your blood sugar. The ADA goes on to state that the total amount of carbohydrates that you eat affects your blood sugar levels more than the type of carbohydrates or sugar you consume. Track the carbs you eat and limit them to between 45 and 60 grams per meal. As you track your carbohydrate intake also test your blood sugar to see how your body responds, and adjust your carbohydrate intake as needed.
Step 3
Read food labels to know what you are eating. Make sure you look at the serving size along with the grams of total carbohydrate in each serving. To figure out the total carbohydrate amount, add the grams of carbohydrates, starch and fiber per serving as printed on the nutrition label. Be careful with baked goods, cereal, rice, crackers, fruit (fresh and juice) milk, yogurt, dried beans and soy products and snack foods.
Step 4
Avoid starchy vegetables. According to the American Diabetes Association, vegetables are categorized into starchy and non starchy. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn are higher in carbohydrates so they need to be limited. In addition, if you are using frozen or canned varieties of foods look for those that are low in fat, sugar and sodium. If there is sodium in the product drain it first and then rinse in water.
Step 5
Stick with foods that are low in carbohydrates. These include lettuce, broccoli, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, celery and cabbage. The National Diabetes Education Program suggests including plenty of fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, chicken or turkey without the skin, dry peas or beans, whole grains, and low-fat or skim milk and cheese. Visit the link below for the American Dietetic Association's list of foods and their carbohydrate levels.
Step 6
Plan your meals using the diabetes food pyramid. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse states that to help make the above changes you should aim to balance your diet using a specialized food pyramid for those with diabetes. The website also has a meal planner to help you get started.
Tips and Warnings
- Test your blood sugar often at first to see how your body is responding to your diet. Everyone's body responds differently to change and it will take a trial period to develop the right food plan for your individual needs.
- Talk to your physician or a registered dietitian if you need to lose weight or are newly diagnosed. He or she can help you develop a plan that is safe. Too much or too little glucose int he blood can lead to serious medical complications.
