When you have diabetes, it is important to find a diet that will help you keep your blood sugar levels within the recommended range. A low-carb diet can help you keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the whole day and avoid the long-term complications associated with uncontrolled diabetes.
Carbohydrates and Diabetes
Total carbohydrates include starches, sugars and fibers. The carbohydrates contained in foods are broken down into glucose, a type of sugar, during the digestion process and this glucose, once absorbed into your bloodstream, elevates your blood sugar levels. With diabetes, you either do not produce enough insulin or your insulin does not work properly, which prevents the circulating sugar from entering into your cells. Instead, this glucose, or sugar, stays in your blood, leading to high blood sugar levels, which can damage your tissues and organs over time.
Carbohydrate Foods
Many foods in the standard American diet contain carbs. For example, at breakfast, you can find carbs in your breakfast cereals, oatmeal, granola, yogurt, fruit, toasts, jam or the sugar you put in your coffee. At other meals and snacks throughout the day, carbohydrates can be found in breads, granola bars, potatoes, pasta, rice and tortilla. Foods containing carbohydrates, especially starches and sugars, raise your blood sugar levels the most.
Low-Carbohydrate Diet and Diabetes
If you have trouble keeping your blood sugar levels within the optimal range, you may benefit from lowering your carbohydrate intake. A study published in June 2006 in the journal "Nutrition & Metabolism" investigated the effects of low-carb diets in type 2 diabetics. Participants consumed an average of 80 to 90 g of carbohydrates that corresponded to about 20 percent of their daily calorie intake. Participants ate most of their carbohydrates from salad and non-starchy vegetables, which are high in fiber. After 22 months, participants had long-lasting and stable improvements in their blood sugar levels. A large number of type 2 diabetics following a low-carb diet were able to significantly reduce the dose of their diabetes medication or insulin; some were even able to go off it completely. Do not adjust your medications yourself; always consult your doctor first.
Getting Started
To lower your carb intake, limit the amount of carbohydrate-rich foods in your diet such as grains, potatoes, legumes, fruits, milk, yogurt, sweets, desserts and sugar drinks. A low-carb diet typically provides between 50 and 150 g of carbohydrates a day. Base all of your meals on large amounts of high-fiber low-carb non-starchy-vegetables such as broccoli, leafy greens, tomatoes, mushrooms and cauliflower. Accompany your non-starchy vegetables with protein from lean meat, fish and poultry, as well as healthy fats from olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.
