Eating healthy isn't just recommended for people with diabetes, it's essential. In most diabetic diets sugar needs to be restricted. The Mayo Clinic website explains that insulin--the hormone secreted by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar--needs to be replaced in Type 1 diabetes where none is manufactured, and also is necessary sometimes in treating Type 2 diabetes where the available insulin doesn't work properly, if all other treatments have failed. High blood-sugar levels can lead to complications including blindness and kidney failure.
Step 1
Consult the diabetes food pyramid for suggestions about what you should be eating. The American Diabetes Association has a food pyramid that is similar to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's pyramid, except that it stresses the foods that people with diabetes should be eating based on carbohydrate and protein values. Insulin-dependant diabetics should spread carbs throughout the day to make it easier to plan the timing and amount in your injections.
Step 2
Make a list of healthy foods with low sugar content and use this list as your "go-to" foods. These foods will likely include lean proteins such as chicken and fish and low-carbohydrate fruits and vegetables such as apples and spinach.The diabetes food pyramid can help you understand how to count foods in your diet, and also has parity in its serving sizes so that each serving has the same number of carbohydrates.
Step 3
Talk with your health care provider or diabetes counselor to understand how your insulin injections relate to the carbs you eat. You will need to adjust your insulin based on the carbohydrates in each meal, and while the occasional high-sugar meal can be accommodated, it's best to keep your blood sugar stable in between injections of insulin.
Step 4
Use a website such as Spark People to make sure you are getting proper nutrition from the foods you are eating. Registration is required, but it's free and you can track your daily diet. The tracking tool gives you carbohydrate, protein and fat values for each food as well as cumulatively throughout the day. It can be set up to track fiber, vitamins and minerals, too.
Tips and Warnings
- A nutritionist experienced in diabetes counseling can help you devise a diet that is healthy and won't spike blood sugar. Many times these services are covered by insurance.
- Do not make any changes to your diet without first consulting your health care provider as a change in diet may require a change in insulin dosages.
