The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating style that can help people with diabetes maintain a healthy weight and lower their risk of heart disease. Both the Mediterranean diet and a diabetic diet emphasize eating a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins, while limiting saturated fat intake. However, you still need to practice portion control and consume the correct number of calories to maintain a healthy body weight. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases suggests that an 1,800-calorie diet is appropriate for a large person who would like to lose weight or a medium-sized man who is not very active.
Mediterranean Diet Basics
The Mediterranean diet is the traditional diet of people who live by the Mediterranean Sea. According to MayoClinic.com, the diet emphasizes eating primarily plant-based foods, using olive oil in place of butter, limiting red meat while eating seafood at least twice a week and using herbs instead of salt. It's a low-sodium, low-saturated fat diet that can help control blood sugar and cholesterol, as well as helping to reduce your risk of certain cancers, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
The Mediterranean Diet and Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association recommends choosing lean proteins, eating seafood twice a week, choosing whole grain breads and cereals, limiting sodium intake and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables; almost exactly the same principles of the Mediterranean diet. Because diabetes raises your risk of cardiovascular disease, following a heart-healthy diet can help lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. According to the ADA, 2 out of 3 diabetics die from cardiovascular disease.
The Diabetic Mediterranean Diet
Vegetables and fruits should make up the majority of your diet. Vegetables are low in calories, but fruits can be higher in calories and natural sugars. To help regulate glucose, choose berries, apples, pears, cherries and citrus fruits, while limiting bananas, watermelon and tropical fruits which contain more sugar. Switch from refined grains to whole grains -- which also helps stabilize glucose levels. Limit saturated fat by limiting butter, lard, high-fat cuts of beef or pork, sausage, bacon and processed meats and eat low-fat or nonfat dairy.
The 1,800 Calorie Diabetic Mediterranean Diet
An 1,800-calorie diet should include eight servings of whole grains, legumes or starchy vegetables, at least four servings of non-starchy vegetables, three servings of fruit, four servings of unsaturated fats, in the form of olive oil, nuts and avocados, two servings of low-fat dairy and up to 6-oz. of lean protein. Space your meals and snacks evenly throughout the day to help stabilize blood sugar. Don't wait too long between meals, as this can lead to hunger and a tendency to overeat. Monitor your glucose levels closely when making dietary changes and always talk to your doctor if you start to have chronic episodes of high or low blood sugar.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DIseases: What I Need to Know About Eating and Diabetes; Oct. 2007
- MayoClinic.com; Mediterranean Diet -- Choose this Heart-Healthy Diet Option; June 2010
- American Diabetes Asscociation: Healthy Eating
- American Diabetes Association: Heart Disease
