Controlling Diabetes with Diet
Your doctor has likely told you that you can control your Diabetes with diet. But what does “diet” really
mean?
Taking on a new diet, or nutritional habit, means that you must learn about foods
that are nutritious for your body and the portion sizes that are necessary for your
blood sugar
control.
You probably know that some foods raise blood sugar more than others. The foods
that turn into sugar in your body are called carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include:
starches (bread, cereal, rice, pasta, grains, crackers), fruits and fruit juice,
milk and yogurt, starchy vegetables (corn, peas, beans, potatoes and sweet potatoes),
sweets and sugar.
Carbohydrates
limit some foods and spread other foods out during the day (such as carbohydrate-rich
foods), thereby, not eating large portions all at one time. Eating too many portions
of carbohydrate-rich foods at one time will lead to high blood sugar levels.
For example: instead o
f eating a plate of spaghetti with garlic bread, and
a glass of milk (all carbohydrates); make ¼ of your plate spaghetti, add a salad
with raw vegetables, a grilled chicken breast, and a glass of water with lemon.
Eating just a spaghetti meal with the bread and milk causes the blood sugar level
to rise drastically after the meal. People with Diabetes cannot process all of the
carbohydrates in order to bring the blood sugar down to a normal level. However,
by choosing the second spaghetti meal, the blood sugar does not go up as high because
there is are less carbohydrates to process and it is easier for the body to bring
the blood sugar level back down.
Proteins
foods. Protein-rich foods do not immediately become sugar in our bloodstream after
consumption. However, simply because these foods do not immediately turn to sugar
doesn’t mean we can eat an unlimited amount of these foods; eating too much of any
food will cause weight gain.
Think of food portions this way…Your 9 inch
plate should be ½ vegetables, ¼ lean meat or meat substitute, and ¼ 
grains/starch.
Add a small piece of fruit and 8 ounce glass of low-fat milk and you have a very
nutritious, balanced meal that will help control your blood sugar.
This is the start of how you change the way you eat to include a more nutritious
diet. For more nutritious eating ideas go to our recipes for diabetes. Remember to include
diabetes exercises in your new way of life.
| Related Links | |
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Diet for Diabetes |
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Diabetes Type II Diet |
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Diabetes and Nutrition |
