Diabetics have special dietary needs to help control their blood sugar levels and avoid complications. If a diabetic has a heart attack or develops heart disease, a healthy diet becomes even more important. The cardiac diabetic diet limits the intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, sodium and simple carbohydrates, giving diabetics better control of their health.
Significance
Diabetes and heart disease have serious effects on the human body. In diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Since the body uses insulin to deliver glucose to the cells, a lack of insulin causes blood glucose levels to increase. Some type 2 diabetics have insulin resistance, which means their bodies do not process insulin properly. This also leads to increased blood sugar levels. Heart disease increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular complications. The cardiac diabetic diet plays an important role in reducing these risks and preventing death.
Considerations
Eating at the same time each day helps diabetics avoid sharp increases in blood glucose levels. Since carbohydrates cause glucose levels to rise, diabetics also count carbohydrates to prevent dangerous increases in blood sugar. People with heart disease, or those who have had a heart attack, must reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet. Decatur Memorial Hospital recommends reducing the consumption of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of your daily calories. The Mayo Clinic recommends reducing your daily cholesterol intake to 200 mg.
Since excess sodium in the bloodstream makes the heart work harder to pump blood, the cardiac diabetic diet also requires you to reduce your sodium intake. The cardiac diabetic diet combines all of these principles to maintain steady blood glucose levels and reduce cardiovascular risks.
Meal Planning
If you have to follow the cardiac diabetic diet, plan your meals in advance whenever possible. Advance planning allows you to control how much fat, sodium, cholesterol and carbohydrates you consume during each meal or snack. If you plan to dine at a restaurant, view the menu ahead of time to determine which dishes fit in with your diet plan.
Restricted Foods
The cardiac diabetic diet restricts the consumption of some foods due to their nutrient content. Foods that contain high levels of saturated fat include red meat, poultry fat, cream, whole-milk products, butter, coconut, palm oil and cocoa butter. Avoid high-cholesterol foods, such as egg yolks, red meat, whole milk, organ meats and products made with whole milk. Dr. Frederick Jelovsek, a professor in the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, recommends avoiding simple sugars, such as those found in pastries, cookies, candies, cakes, pies and other sweets.
Monitoring
Monitor your blood glucose levels before and after meals to determine if your diet needs any adjustments. Old Dominion University reports that safe blood glucose levels for diabetics range from 80 to 150 mg/dL (milligrams per deciLiter). Your doctor will also help you determine the effectiveness of your cardiac diabetic diet by ordering a lipid profile. The lipid profile checks the levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein ("bad" cholesterol), high-density lipoprotein ("good cholesterol") and triglycerides in the blood. Based on the results of these tests, your doctor may recommend additional dietary restrictions to better control your heart health and diabetes.
