Contrary to popular belief, there are no specific restrictions on what a diabetic can and cannot eat. The focus of a diabetic diet is to control blood sugar levels through the food you eat, since your body is unable to do so normally. The three major goals of a diabetes diet are to control your weight, eat a balanced diet and pay attention to portion sizes.
Considerations
If you do not manage your blood glucose levels through your diet, it can lead to high blood glucose, or hyperglycemia, a potentially dangerous complication. Uncontrolled diabetes also increases your risk of developing kidney disease and nerve and heart damage. If you are diabetic, you should not take your diet plan lightly.
Because planning a healthy, balanced meal can be a challenge, enlisting the help of a dietitian can be extremely beneficial. A dietitian can help you create a meal plan that makes sure you receive all the essential vitamins and minerals you need without providing too many calories or excess amounts of fat, which can lead to weight gain and increased blood sugar levels.
Foods to Eat
The basis of your diet should be whole carbohydrates, high-fiber foods, low-fat dairy products and healthy fats. Examples of whole carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. These types of carbohydrates are also high in fiber, which can slow the absorption in your small intestine and help control your blood glucose. Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, can provide you with omega-3 fatty acids, which lower your risk of heart disease. Nuts, seeds, avocado and vegetable oils provide heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
Foods to Avoid
Because diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, you should avoid foods that can add to this risk. Saturated fats, which are found in animal foods like beef, whole milk and cheese, contribute to atherosclerosis and your risk of heart disease. Your saturated fat intake should comprise less than 7 percent of your daily calorie intake. You should completely avoid trans fats, which also increase heart disease risk. The most significant sources of trans fats are processed foods, commercially baked items and margarine.
You should also aim to consume less than 200 mg of cholesterol, which is found in egg yolks, shellfish, beef and whole milk. Limit your intake of sodium to less than 2,000 mg daily.
Meal Planning
In addition to knowing what to eat, you also have to pay attention to when you eat. If too much time elapses between meals, your body does not have access to glucose and your blood sugar levels will drop. If you eat too much at a time, your blood sugar levels can increase significantly. To control your blood sugar levels, try to eat meals around the same time every day. This is especially true for carbohydrates, since they have the most impact on your blood glucose levels.
Pay attention to portion sizes as well. Once you determine your daily calorie needs with the help of your dietitian, a diabetic meal planning tool called the exchange system can help you determine the amount of food you need from each food group.
