No such thing as a "diabetic diet" exists. It's a pervasive remnant of bygone days that bear no resemblance to the meal planning that diabetics observe today. In truth, with proper education about and adherence to healthy eating, a diabetic can eat just about anything that a person without diabetes can eat, according to Harvard University's Joslin Diabetes Center. You might have heard that diabetics aren't supposed to eat sugar. The reality is that diabetics' main priority with eating is to control their blood sugar. The focus isn't on restriction, but rather balancing their nutrient intake.
History
Nutrition recommendations are an area of evolving knowledge, and eating with diabetes is an area of research that has undergone change as a result of better understanding of the condition through research. At the turn of the 20th century, physicians regularly treated diabetes by putting patients on an extreme fast to starve the disease away. Joslin says prevailing beliefs about diabetes nutrition until the mid-1990s called for diabetics to avoid simple sugars and eat only complex carbohydrates. However, there wasn't much scientific evidence backing up this approach. Complicating the messages from public health officials are the marketing messages of industries that have sprouted with the rise of diabetes rates.
Carbohydrates
Today, the main focus for diabetics and their eating is to control how many total grams of carbs they eat at each meal and snack. Under the tutelage of their health care provider, diabetes educator or dietitian, they learn controlling blood sugar means having a consistent and stable amount of carbs at each sitting. Joslin says this recommendation is based on long-term research that demonstrated that diabetics can reduce their risk of complications by keeping their blood sugar steady.
Fats
Although fats don't impact insulin and blood sugar to the same extent as carbohydrates, diabetics need to keep an eye on them. However, this isn't exclusive to diabetics. Everyone needs to watch intake of saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats in your eating, for example, can spike your blood cholesterol. Because diabetics are at increased risk of heart disease, they need to keep their intake of saturated fat low. Likewise, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 makes the same recommendation for nearly all Americans. In addition, diabetics and nondiabetics should moderately increase their intake of poly- and monounsaturated fats because they improve your cholesterol profile.
Meal Planning
Modern dietary management for diabetics is designed to meet all nutrient and health needs of the patient. Today, when a diabetic sits down with his health care team to plan his meals, not only do they take into account carbs and fats, but also his tastes and preferences, work schedules, household routines and treatment goals, such as weight loss and lowering cholesterol. One philosophy, espoused by the American Diabetes Association, is the Plate Method. It involves using a 9-inch plate as a pie chart to show how much of the plate should be covered by various food groups for each meal.
References
- Joslin Diabetes Center: Truth About the So-Called "Diabetes Diet"
- Colorado State University Extension; "Diet and Diabetes"; J. Anderson et al; April 2007
- American Diabetes Association: Create Your Plate
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: What I Need to Know about Eating and Diabetes
- Gutenberg; "The Starvation Treatment of Diabetes"; Rena Sarah Eckman and Lewis Webb Hill; 1916
- "Diabetes Voice"; "History of Diabetes Nutrition Therapy: From Starvation to Evidence-Based Recommendations"; Marion Franz; December 2004
