Diet is an essential part of a plan to manage diabetes symptoms, and to prevent this disease from causing irreversible damage to your body. The foods you eat affect both glucose and cholesterol levels in your bloodstream. Managing blood glucose helps you avoid fatigue, shakiness, headaches, toxic damage and loss of mental focus associated with diabetes. Lowering your intake of fats helps control low-density lipoproteins, the "bad" cholesterol that contributes to cardiovascular disease, particularly in diabetics. Consult your doctor prior to altering your dietary habits.
Step 1
Limit your intake of saturated fats. These fats are found in meats, particularly pork and beef, as well as in eggs and whole-milk dairy products. Saturated fats can increase low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels in your bloodstream, raising your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Step 2
Replace refined sugar with stevia, a natural sweetener that does not significantly affect your blood sugar levels. Refined sugar can cause rapid blood sugar fluctuations, and may contribute to lethargy, confusion and diabetic coma.
Step 3
Increase your consumption of foods high in dietary fiber, such as beans, seeds and nuts. Dietary fiber may help control blood sugar levels, and may also lower triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins.
Step 4
Opt for whole-grain breads, pastas, bagels and tortillas instead of products made with white flour. Your digestive system metabolizes carbohydrates in whole-grains much more slowly than carbohydrates found in white flour products. This may help stabilize blood sugar levels. It may also help provide consistent energy, rather than spikes and crashes.
Step 5
Add fish such as tuna, herring and salmon to your diet. These meats are lower in saturated fats than pork and beef. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids that may help lower blood triglycerides.
Tips and Warnings
- Grill or bake fish to avoid adding calories and fats from cooking oils.
Things You'll Need
- Stevia
- Fiber-rich foods
- Whole grains
- Fish
References
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.; 2010
- "Diabetes for Dummies"; Alan M. Rubin, M.D.; 2008
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Diet
