If you have type 2 diabetes, your priorities should be losing weight and controlling your blood sugar. According to the National Institutes of Health, you can "significantly improve control of type-2 diabetes with moderate weight loss." Losing just 10 percent of your body weight can decrease your risk of developing the serious health complications associated with diabetes.
Improving Blood Sugar
If you have type 2 diabetes but don't take insulin, you need to control your glucose level with a combination of diet and exercise. The NIH suggests following a diet that limits sugar, reduces total carbohydrate intake by replacing some carbs with unsaturated fats and has fewer calories than your current diet. Increasing your activity level will also help stabilize your blood sugar. Try walking 30 minutes daily. Choose nutrient-dense foods that provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber. Emphasize vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean protein and heart-healthy fats.
Calories and Weight Loss
Because a 3,500-calorie deficit will yield a pound of weight loss, cutting 500 calories from your daily diet should help you lose about 1 lb. per week. Another way to determine your calories is to allow yourself 12 per pound of ideal body weight. If you want to weigh 140 lbs., you'll need 1,680 calories a day -- but you may lose weight faster by reducing those calories. Don't cut your calories too drastically. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that women get at least 1,200 calories to maintain metabolism, while men may need as many as 1,800 calories daily.
Diabetes Food Pyramid
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has developed a food pyramid specifically for diabetics. Your calories should come from starches, vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy, fats and sweets. Sweets should be consumed sparingly. Starches, which include bread, grains, rice and starchy vegetables such as corn and potatoes, can have a dramatic effect on your glucose. Help stabilize glucose levels by spacing your food intake evenly throughout the day and always eating starches with protein or fat, which slows digestion and the conversion of food to glucose. If you're eating 1,200 to 1,600 calories daily, the institute suggests six starches, three vegetables, two fruits, two milks, 4 to 6 oz. of lean protein and up to three fat servings.
Carbohydrate Counting and the Plate Method
Carbohydrates have the greatest effect on glucose levels. To keep your glucose level in the target range, count your carbs. Each meal should have 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates. Don't forget that carbohydrates aren't only found in starches -- dairy, fruit and vegetables also have carbs. Portion control may be one of the most difficult adjustments to make. The American Diabetes Association recommends using the plate method. Divide your plate into four equal quarters. Two quarters should contain vegetables, one quarter should contain a starch, and one quarter should contain lean protein.
References
- Medline Plus: Diabetes Diet -- Type 2
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: What I Need to Know About Eating and Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Choosing What, How Much, and When to Eat
- American College of Sports Medicine; Metabolism is Modifiable with the Right Lifestyle Chocies; March 26, 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Diabetes Diet -- Create Your Healthy-Eating Plan; Sept. 17, 2010
