Diabetes and Diet

What You Need To Know

Many people think that meals for the diabetic must be unappealing and unappetizing, but nothing could be further from the truth. Diabetics can eat pretty much everything the non-diabetic can.

The difference in what a diabetic eats lies mostly in portion size. Also, it is advisable that the diabetic stick to a routine in terms of the time they eat and meal sizes, as any significant change can lead to unwelcome side effects. These side effects include a lower- or higher-than-regular glucose content in the blood, which can have serious medical repercussions.

The diabetic should include lots of whole grain, vegetables, and fruits in lieu of simple sugars, (such as pastries), starches, and fats.

In fact, these dietary guidelines are worth being used by anyone who wants to lead a healthier lifestyle, especially those wanting to lose weight.

Another dietary change that some diabetics may need to pay attention to is calorie counting. Counting calories is especially helpful for diabetics who take medication to keep their sugar level in check.

Beginners should get the help of a dietician or nutritionist to learn how to count calories properly and the best combination of foods for each meal time.

One meal plan uses what is called the exchange system, where you substitute food from one of the main groups with another. For example, you could exchange a food item from the starches section for another item with similar nutrients.

The main food groups in the exchange system are starches, fruits, meats, meat substitutes (tofu etc), and fats. This makes planning and eating meals less boring, as it widens your options. 

To reiterate, the most important parts of the diabetic's diet are:

• Having set mealtimes, even for snacks, eating at the same time each day
• Eating the right-sized meals
• Eating a well-balanced meal, incorporating foods from all food groups as per the diabetic food pyramid.
  
  The diabetic food pyramid, unlike the regular pyramid, groups foods together based on their starch and fat content. As such, starchy vegetables are grouped with starches instead of other vegetables.
  
• Reducing your intake of fats and sugar
• Eating smaller portions

Eating as outlined above helps to keep your blood sugar at a constant level. Variations, on the other hand, can lower or increase your blood sugar levels, resulting in hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. For your health's sake, it is therefore best to know what you should eat and when to eat it.