If you have diabetes, your diet is an extremely important part of the treatment of your disease. Your body will convert any carbohydrates you consume into sugar, for use as energy. Too little glucose in your blood, known as hypoglycemia, can leave you feeling shaky, confused, irritable and tired. Too much sugar in your system, called hyperglycemia, can lead to a life-threatening diabetic coma.
Carefully controlling your diet, exercise and diabetes medication can lower your risk of developing serious health complications. Kidney failure, nerve damage, heart disease and blindness are all consequences of uncontrolled blood sugar.
Step 1
Determine your individual caloric and nutritional needs. Your age, weight, activity level and other health concerns influence how much food you need to eat. Maintaining a healthy body weight is a critical part of diabetes management. The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests eating about 12 calories per pound of your goal weight. For example, if you want to weigh 135 lbs., you should consume just over 1,600 calories daily. Eat fewer calories to lose weight faster, but make sure to consume at least 1,200 calories per day.
Step 2
Use the Diabetic Exchange List program. Designed by the American Diabetes Association in conjunction with the American Dietetic Association, the exchange list diet groups foods into six different categories: carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, fruits, fats and milk. Depending on your nutritional needs, you're allowed a specific number of exchanges within each category.
Step 3
Eat foods low on the glycemic index, or GI, which measures how quickly any carbohydrate will raise your glucose level. Glucose scores a perfect 100 on the GI, and all carbs are ranked in comparison to pure glucose. Foods lower than 55 are considered low GI foods. Several popular commercial diet plans are based on the glycemic index, including the Zone, South Beach Diet and Nutrisystem.
Step 4
Choose foods high in fiber, which does not raise glucose levels and slows the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. The Joslin Diabetes Center notes that people who eat a very high fiber diet -- about 50 g daily -- have better control of their glucose levels than people who ate 25 to 30 g of fiber daily.
Tips and Warnings
- Increase your fiber intake slowly. Adding too much fiber to your diet too quickly might result in gastric distress, flatulence and constipation. Make sure to drink more water as you increase your fiber intake.
- Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet. Monitor your glucose levels closely, especially as you begin to lose weight. You might need to adjust your medication if your body begins to process sugar more effectively.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Diabetes Diet - Weight Control for Type 2 Diabetes
- "Diabetes Spectrum": Choose Your Foods -- Exchange Lists for Diabetes -- 2008 Revision of Exchange Lists for Meal Planning
- Glycemic Index: Definition
- Joslin Diabetes Center: How Does Fiber Affect Blood Glucose Levels?
- MayoClinic.com: Your Diabetes Diet - Exchange Lists
