Type 2 diabetes is caused by your body's resistance to insulin, which is a hormone that helps cells within fat, liver and muscle tissue pull glucose out of the blood. If you have type 2 diabetes, you will need to follow a carefully planned diet to make it easier to manage the condition.
Blood Glucose Control
The primary goal of a diet for type 2 diabetes is to help keep your blood glucose levels under control. One way of doing this is to space out your carbohydrate intake evenly throughout the day, MedlinePlus notes, because carbohydrate-heavy meals can cause a sudden jump in blood glucose levels. You can also lower your blood glucose levels by replacing some of your carbohydrate intake with unsaturated fats. However, it is important to not consume too much fat, as maintaining or losing weight can also help you keep your blood glucose levels low.
Fiber
A good diet for diabetics involves significant amounts of fiber. Eating more fiber can help you keep your blood glucose levels under control, as fiber slows the rate at which carbohydrates are digested. According to UpToDate, consuming 25 to 30 g of fiber each day is recommended, so stock up on high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
Calorie Proportion
A good diet for type 2 diabetes will have the right balance of sources of calories. Between 45 and 65 percent of your calories should be from carbohydrates, UpToDate reports. Although you should consume fat only in moderation, 25 to 35 percent of your daily caloric intake should come from fat, with less than 7 percent of your calories coming from saturated fats.
Diabetes and Exchange Diets
One way to make it easier to plan a healthy diet is to utilize an "exchange" plan. The Mayo Clinic explains if you use an exchange diet you can group foods into different categories, like carbohydrates, meats and fats. A serving of one of those groups is known as an "exchange," and an exchange in one group has the same amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat as all other foods in the group. The number of servings of each group you can have each day varies depending on your size, gender and physical activity.
Advantages
If you have type 2 diabetes, following an appropriate diet may help lower your blood glucose levels, which means you may be able to reduce the number or amounts of medications you take. A healthy diet will also help you lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease. Although most people cannot treat their type 2 diabetes with diet alone, diet is an important part of any diabetes treatment plan.
