If you have diabetes, you may need to follow a special diet plan. Diabetes is caused by abnormally low insulin levels or a poor response to insulin, which causes blood glucose levels to be chronically high. You will find that a number of different diet plans of varying degrees of complexity can help you manage your diabetes.
Purpose
The primary goal of a diabetes diet plan is to help you keep your blood glucose levels under control. High blood glucose levels can damage the walls of your arteries, your retinas and your kidneys. Even if you are taking insulin or other medications for diabetes, following the proper diet is critical. Diabetes diet plans can also help you lose weight and eat the right balance of nutrients in your diet, which can further lower your risk of heart disease.
Diabetes Exchange Menus
Diabetes exchange diets are the most detailed diet plans. Exchange diet plans break foods down into one or more categories, such as starches, milks, meats, fruits, vegetables and fats. Foods are assigned a number of "exchanges" in one or more of these groups, and the patient is then allowed a certain number of exchanges in each category daily. For example, someone eating between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day can have six starches, two fruits, three vegetables, two milks, 4 to 6 oz. of meat and up to three fats each day.
Carbohydrate Counting
Carbohydrate counting is another type of diet plan for diabetes. Carbohydrates have the greatest impact on your blood glucose levels because the body converts carbohydrates into glucose rather quickly. By regulating your carbohydrate intake, you can help control your blood glucose levels while having more freedom in your food choices than you do with the exchange diet. With carbohydrate counting, your goal is to get approximately 50 percent of your calories from carbohydrates each day and to distribute those carbohydrates evenly throughout the day.
Plate Planning
The simplest diet plan for diabetes may be the "Create Your Plate" plan from the American Diabetes Association, which helps you eat different food groups in the right proportions. This plan focuses on the amount of space allotted to different food groups on your plate. One-half of your plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, green beans, carrots, spinach or cabbage. One-fourth of your plate should be filled with starchy foods, while meat or a meat substitute should comprise the remaining one-fourth of the plate.
