The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has provided some basic diet guidelines that can help you plan the diet you need to deal with diabetes. Because each person with diabetes is different, ADA does not provide one specific diet, but provides foundational principles and tools to help you cater to your individual condition. Diet is one of the most powerful tools in controlling diabetes.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates--starches, sugar and fiber--are foods that raise blood glucose levels. Because controlling blood glucose is fundamental to managing diabetes, it's important to evaluate each meal and look at the number of carbohydrates you're eating. The ADA recommends 45 to 60g of carbohydrates per meal. Learn to calculate the number of carbohydrates you eat with each meal and snack. As always, this must be tailored to your body's individual needs.
Counting Carbs
To find out the number of carbohydrates in a packaged food, look at the nutrition facts label, which will list grams of total carbohydrates. Be sure to take serving size into account when calculating your carbohydrates. If the food is not packaged, become familiar with the carbohydrate content of some basic foods, and learn to estimate based on this knowledge. For example, a small piece of fruit, two small cookies or one slice of bread all contain about 15g of carbohydrates.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is another way of measuring a food's impact on your blood glucose. The ADA recommends trying this method as a way to fine tune your diet to your blood glucose needs. A specified amount of white bread and glucose have a GI of 100, and the rate at which other foods raise your blood glucose levels are measured against this standard. Higher ranking foods contribute to a faster rise in blood glucose, and are thus less desirable. For example, a white bagel has a high GI (70 or more), whereas most fruits have a low GI (55 or more).
Top 10 Superfoods
The ADA has compiled a list of the top 10 foods for diabetics. These foods all have a low GI and are easy to incorporate into your diet. Beans, such as kidney, pinto, black, lima, or your other favorite variety are a good source of protein and fiber. Whole grains and nuts provide fiber as well as valuable omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon also contains the healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Dark green leafy vegetables contain a multitude of valuable nutrients, and few calories and carbohydrates. Tomatoes are easy to incorporate into a variety of dishes, and provide tasty variety to your meals. Berries and citrus fruit offer fiber and vitamins, with berries having the advantage of a high portion of antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are good items for your diner table and contain a high amount of vitamin A. Lastly, find a healthy source of calcium in fat-free milk and yogurt.
Considerations
The ADA encourages each person to use these tools to evaluate his own diet and choose healthy eating options to help manage their diabetes. Find alternatives that work for your lifestyle, and form new habits to help you use a wholesome and tasty diet to treat diabetes.
