According the the American Diabetes Association, almost 18 million people in the United States are known to have diabetes, and more than 5 million are still undiagnosed. In addition, the mortality rate in people with diabetes is up to 11 times higher than in people without the disease. The complications of diabetes are the result of an elevated blood glucose level, so a diet that keeps your blood glucose well controlled decreases your risk of complications from diabetes.
Background
In diabetes, insulin, a hormone that normally takes glucose from the blood into the cells, is not present or the cells are not responsive to insulin. As stated by the AAFP, 90 percent of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the cells losing their responsiveness to insulin, which is called insulin resistance. Since type 2 diabetes is typically associated with obesity and overweight, weight loss can help your cells become more responsive to insulin over time.
Weight Loss
A healthy, well-balanced diet both promotes weight loss and has heart-healthy benefits. This is particularly important if you have diabetes, which increases your risk of heart disease. If you consume approximately 2,000 calories per day, you should be eating approximately eight servings of starches, four of vegetables, three of fruits, two of low-fat dairy products and 4 to 6 oz. of meat daily. Examples of healthy starches include whole grain bread, oatmeal and sweet potatoes. When choosing meat, lean meats such as chicken and pork contain less saturated fat than red meat. Be careful to choose appropriate serving sizes -- one slice of bread constitutes a serving of starch.
Counting Carbohydrates
Starches, such as bread, rice, cereal and starchy vegetables, contain carbohydrates, which are converted into sugar by your body. Whole grain products and vegetables are complex carbohydrates that take longer to be converted and thus keep your blood sugar at a more constant level. Your physician may ask you to count the carbohydrates you eat at meals and to limit yourself to 45 to 60 g per meal. Most food labels will tell you how much carbohydrate is in a food product -- for example, there are 15 g in 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 piece of fresh fruit or 1/4 of a baked potato.
Considerations
Keeping your blood glucose well controlled decreases your risk of eye disease, kidney disease, infections, heart disease and stroke. If diet alone does not decrease your blood glucose, your physician will likely recommend medications to keep your blood glucose at optimal levels. Additionally, physical exercise is useful to both promote weight loss and help your cells use insulin more effectively. In general, 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week is recommended.
