The Diabetes Diet Plan

A diabetes diet should do three things; achieve ideal weight, maintain normal blood glucose levels, and limit foods that contribute to hear disease.

The proper diet can help someone with diabetes:

Achieve and maintain desirable weight. Many people with diabetes can control their blood glucose by losing weight and keeping it off.

Maintain normal blood glucose levels.

Prevent heart and blood vessel diseases, conditions that tend to occur in people with diabetes.

The guidelines for diabetes diet planning include the following:

Many experts, including the American Diabetes Association, recommend that 50 to 60 percent of daily calories come from carbohydrates, 12 to 20 percent from protein, and no more than 30 percent from fat.

Spacing meals throughout the day, instead of eating heavy meals once or twice a day, can help a person avoid extremely high or low blood glucose levels.

The best way to lose weight is gradually: one or two pounds a week. Strict diets must never be undertaken without the supervision of a doctor.

People with diabetes have twice the risk of developing heart disease as those without diabetes, and high blood cholesterol levels raise the risk of heart disease. Losing weight and reducing intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, in favor of unsaturated and monounsaturated fats, can help lower blood cholesterol.

For example, meats and dairy products are major sources of saturated fats, which should be avoided; most vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fats, which are fine in limited amounts; and olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fat, the healthiest type of fat. Liver and other organ meats and egg yolks are particularly high in cholesterol. A doctor or nutritionist can advise someone on this aspect of diet.

Studies show that foods with fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, and whole-grain breads and cereals may help lower blood glucose. A doctor or nutritionist can advise someone about adding fiber to a diet.

Exchange lists are useful in planning a diabetes diet. They place foods with similar nutrients and calories into groups. With the help of a nutritionist, the person plans the number of servings from each exchange list that he or she should eat throughout the day. More information on exchange lists is available from nutritionists and from the American Diabetes Association.

Someone with diabetes can get assistance in the following ways: A doctor can recommend a local nutritionist or dietitian. The local American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and American Dietetic Association can provide names of qualified dietitians or nutritionists and information about diet planning. Local diabetes centers at large medical clinics, hospitals, or medical universities usually have dietitians and nutritionists on staff.

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