People with diabetes have too much glucose, or sugar, in their blood because their cells are unable to use, or don't produce enough of, the glucose-regulating hormone insulin. The result is that diabetics are unable to use glucose effectively for their energy and development requirements. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that learning what foods to eat, when to eat and how much to eat can help you keep your glucose level in a healthy range and avoid heart, nerve and kidney damage.
Know Your Target Glucose Levels
What you should eat and when you should eat depends on your blood glucose levels. The NIDDK recommends target blood glucose levels for diabetics of 70 to 130 mg/dL before meals and less than 180 mg/dL one to two hours after you start eating. Make sure you check with your doctor to get your specific target glucose recommendations and ask how often you should check your blood sugar values.
Plan Your Daily Meal and Snack Times
Work with a dietitian to create your daily menu plan, which should include three meals and several snacks a day. Eat your meals and snacks at regularly scheduled times, and do not skip any meals or snacks. Watch your total caloric intake and your calorie sources. Endocrinologist.com notes that 10 to 20 percent of the calories in each meal should come from protein, no more than of 30 percent should come from fat and 50 to 60 percent of the calories should come from carbohydrates.
Foods You Should Eat
MayoClinic.com recommends that diabetics eat protein, low-fat dairy products and high-fiber foods like whole-grain bread, grains, cereal, pasta, corn, beans, lentils, cereal, crackers and potatoes at each meal. Choose lean meats, poultry, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, cottage cheese and tofu. Add low-fat fish twice weekly, but avoid fish that are high in mercury. Eat healthy fats like avocados, nuts, olives, and canola, olive and peanut oils, but limit quantities.
Learn the "Exchange" System
Varying your menus makes your meals more interesting and makes it easier to remain on your diet. Learn what a serving size is for each type of food in your diet, how to control portion size and how to read food labels. Then you can categorize your foods and determine what items and quantities you can exchange or substitute for others, while still keeping your glucose levels from fluctuating.
Use the Glycemic Index to Help You Plan Your Diet
Foods with a high glycemic index, like carbohydrates, raise blood glucose levels higher and faster than other foods. Carbohydrates include white vegetables, milk and milk products, cereals and sugary beverages and desserts. Endocrinologist.com points out that, although your body takes 3 to 4 hours to turn proteins into glucose and 7 to 8 hours to turn fats into glucose, it turns carbohydrates into glucose within 30 to 60 minutes. Use the glycemic index to avoid those sugar surges.
