Diabetics have a high blood glucose count because their bodies cannot make insulin, cannot make enough insulin or cannot use it properly. This high level of sugar in the blood can lead to serious health issues including kidney, bone and nerve damage, digestive or skin problems and even heart disease, among other disorders. If you have diabetes, you can help control the level of sugar in your blood by altering your diet.
Limiting Simple Sugars and Carbohydrates
Reducing sugar from your diet is very important for diabetics. Foods with simple sugars, including desserts, soda, juice and even fruit, can spike blood sugar levels. Replace sodas and other foods containing added sugars with sugar-free varieties and use sugar substitutes to sweeten your coffee and in recipes that call for sugar. White rice, bread and potatoes have carbohydrates and are high on the glycemic index -- that is, they are converted to sugar in your body relatively quickly, raising your blood glucose level. Replace these whenever possible with brown rice, whole grain bread or sweet potatoes to lower the effect on your blood sugar.
Limiting Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages often contain hidden sugars. You should avoid or limit all forms of alcohol, if possible, and drink only alongside a meal. Your body absorbs alcohol and its sugar content much more quickly on an empty stomach, causing an overproduction of insulin, which drastically lowers your blood glucose levels. Alcohol can also interfere with the positive effect of any diabetes medications you are taking.
Avoid High Fat Foods
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. About 90 percent of diabetics suffer from the type 2 variety, which is actually brought on by lifestyle factors, including obesity, and is often accompanied by high cholesterol. Reducing high fat and high cholesterol foods in your diet can help you manage your diabetes. Maintaining a healthy body weight by eating low fat foods may also prevent Type 2 diabetes in the first place.
Timing Your Meals
For diabetics, when to eat is almost as important as what to eat. To keep blood sugar stable, eat regular meals or snacks every few hours to keep your blood sugar from dropping. If you have missed a meal and have low blood glucose, eat simple sugar right away, including fruit juice, candy or even plain sugar. Test your blood sugar levels every 15 minutes. If your blood glucose level is still under 70, supplement with more simple sugar and continue checking your blood glucose until it reaches 70.
References
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Diabetes Preventing Diabetic Complications
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; What I Need to Know About Eating and Diabetes; October 2007
- World Health Organization: Diabetes; January 2011
- Mayo Clinic: Alcohol and Diabetes; Nancy Davidson and Peggy Moreland; January 7, 2010
