Type 2 Diabetes Diet and High Cholesterol

  Type 2 Diabetes Diet
 
Healthy Eating Guidelines

People with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes are at a high risk for heart disease. Therefore, if you have Diabetes, it is important to have your cholesterol and blood lipids (fat in your blood) checked regularly. It is also important to be aware of what healthy cholesterol numbers should be in order to reduce the risk of a heart attack and stroke.

About 68% of diagnosed diabetics were unaware that heart disease was the number one cause of death among diabetics, according to a study reported by the NIH. This is an area where you should exhibit keen awareness due to the severity of this complication.

What should your numbers be?

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends the following:

A milligram per deciliter (mg/dL) is a measurement of concentration used to measure how many milligrams of a substance there are present in one liter of blood.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol: A waxy, fat-like substance found only in foods of animal origin and in every body cell; your body makes cholesterol as well.

Triglyceride: The chemical name for a type of fat found in food and in the blood.

HDL-Cholesterol: High Densitiy Lipoprotein- (good cholesterol), this type of cholesterol increases with exercise and eating healthy.

LDL-Cholesterol: Low Density Lipoprotein -(bad cholesterol; this cholesterol increases with high intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.

What can you do to lower your cholesterol and triglycerides?                                  Test Your Blood Cholesterol

The foods you should choose to manage your cholesterol will also help you manage your diabetes. There are several things you can do to improve your numbers and reduce your risk.

1. Eat less saturated fat – fully hydrogenated fat can increase cholesterol levels; this type of fat is solid at room temperature.

• choose lean cuts of meat whenever possible and limit processed and high fat cuts of meat

• choose low-fat dairy products
• bake, roast, broil, grill, steam, or stir fry meats rather than frying
• eat no more than one whole egg daily
• choose the low-fat version of products such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, cream cheese, sour cream, and margarine

2. Eat less trans-fat

• read food labels and look for trans fat
• limit commercial baked goods and snack foods
• limit foods that list “hydrogenated” oils or fats in the ingredients

3. Eat less sugar

• choose sugar free drinks, unsweetened tea, or water
• limit candy and sweets

4. Eat more fiber

• choose whole grains instead of refined cereals, white bread, white rice and white pasta
• try old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast, sweeten with berries or fruit
• eat more fruits and vegetables, especially one with the skin

5. Eat fish at least twice a week

• prepare fish without frying

6. Eat more unsaturated fats

• choose oil instead of margarine or butter for cooking
• choose oil based salad dressings
• choose a handful of almonds, walnuts or peanuts as a snack or add to foods
• be careful to watch portions as all fats are high in calories
• add ground flax seed

Choose a variety of foods from all the food groups and you can’t go wrong. When we get stuck in a “rut” of eating the same unhealthy foods all the time, we start to feel lethargic and our blood cholesterol levels will show increase. Therefore, monitor your cholesterol levels closely for a high impact on your health.

Learn more about Heart Disease.

Are you at Risk of Having a Heart Attack?

Learn more about Cholesterol.