Simply, a diabetes diet means that eating the healthiest foods and sticking to meal times.
A diabetes diet is a healthy eating plan that is naturally low in fat and calories and rich in nutrients. Key elements are vegetables, fruits and grains. A diabetes diet is, in fact, the best eating plan for everyone.
Purpose
If you have prediabetes or diabetes, most probably your doctor will recommend that you contact with a dietitian to make you a healthy eating plan. This helps you manage your weight, control your blood sugar and control risk factors.
When you eat fat, there is an undesirable rise in blood sugar. If blood sugar is not kept in check, it will cause serious problems, such as a dangerously high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) and long term complications, such as kidney, nerve and heart disease.
You can keep your blood sugar level in a safe range by healthy food choices and tracking the eating habits.
Weight loss also can make it easier for people with diabetes to control blood sugar. If you need to become thin, diabetes diet provides a nutritious, well-organized way to reach your purpose safely.
Diet details
List of foods for diabetics is based on having 3 meals a day. It helps body better use insulin. A dietitian help you have a diet based on your health tastes, goals and lifestyle.
Recommended foods
It has to be chosen nutritious food for diabetic patient, these are:
- Healthy carbohydrates. Sugars and starches break down into blood sugar during digestion. You can focus on healthy carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and low fat dairy products.
- Fiber rich foods. Dietary fiber contains all parts of plants that your body cannot absorb or digest. Fiber controls blood sugar levels. Foods with fiber contain fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, wheat bran and whole-wheat flour.
- Heart healthy fish. At least twice a week you must eat fish. It can be a good alternative to high fat meats. For instance, tuna, cod and halibut have less fat and cholesterol than meat and poultry. Salmon, sardines, mackerel, bluefish and tuna are rich in omega3, which make heart health by lowering triglycerides.
- Avoid fish with high levels of mercury and fried fish, such as swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel.
- “Good” fats. Foods containing polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can lower your cholesterol levels. These involve almonds, avocados, walnuts, pecans, olives, canola and peanut oils.
Foods to avoid
Diabetes pose a risk of heart disease and paralysis by accelerating the improvement of hardened and clogged arteries.
- Saturated fats. Animal proteins and high fat dairy products such as hot dogs, beef, sausage and bacon involve saturated fats.
- Trans fats. These are found in processed baked goods, snacks, stick and shortening margarines. Avoid these foods.
- High fat dairy products and high fat animal proteins, such as liver, egg yolks, and other organ meats. No more than 200 mg of cholesterol a day must be taken.
- Less than 2300 mg of sodium a day must be taken. But if you also have hypertension disease, you should take less than 1500 mg of sodium a day.