Type 2 diabetics call us every day, asking about the foods and beverages they should be consuming to lower their blood sugar and weight levels.

The truth is, most doctors tell patients they have diabetes or pre-diabetes and recommend ‘diet and exercise’, but few give sufferers of this disease any direction on what to eat and what not to eat.

The primary goal of diabetic diets is to get within your target blood glucose or sugar range.

Target blood sugar levels are generally 70-130 before meals and less than 180, one to two hours after the start of a meal.

What you eat, the medicines your doctor prescribes and your exercise levels determine blood sugar.

The types of foods you choose to get the most out of your diabetes diet. Here’s a general rule of thumb to follow:

If you are a woman, you should try to stay within 1,200 to 2,000 calories a day. These calories should come from 6-8 starch foods, 2 milks, 3-4 vegetables, 2-3 fruits and 3-4 fats.

If you are a man, your caloric consumption should be in the 2,000-2,400 range, coming from 10 starches, 2 milks, 4 vegetables, 5-7 ounces of meat, 4 fruits and 4-5 fats.

A lot of people are unsure about what a starch is. Starches are potatoes, pasta, cereal, grains, pretzels, rice, crackers, beans, tortillas, yams, lentils and corn.

It’s recommended that you seek out complex carbohydrates like whole grains starches – they have more fiber, minerals and vitamins than short grain starches.

Examples of vegetables include lettuce, vegetable juice, spinach, peppers, carrots, green beans, tomatoes and cabbage. It’s best if you eat as many vegetables raw and uncooked.

Fruit provides carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet, with examples such as apples, grapefruit, peaches, berries, bananas, oranges, canned fruit and mangos.

Like vegetables, fruit is best eaten raw and uncooked and in smaller portions (much fruit contains high sugar levels).

Milk adds carbohydrates, protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals to your diet.

It’s recommended that you drink fat-free or skim milk.

Meat portions include meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish and tofu. These provide protein, vitamins and minerals. Because of their high fat content, smaller portions are suggested.

Fats should be consumed in small amount because of the high fat content and high calories. Fats include butter, margarine, mayonnaise, olives, bacon cram cheese olive oil and salad dressings.

Regarding alcohol, it’s suggested that you talk with your doctor before consuming wine, beer or spirits. They have no nutrients and can cause your blood sugar levels to go too low.

In addition to watching and controlling your starches, fruit, vegetables, fat, milk and alcohol intake, it’s also suggested that you drink plenty of water (8 glasses a day) and drink clear liquids (such as ginger ale if you can’t eat your normal foods for any reason).

This basic description of diabetic diets will give you a general approach to a healthier lifestyle. For more information, you can also contact the Association of Diabetes Educators or Recognized Diabetes Education Programs.

ProvenResultsHealth Diab-X  http://www.provenresultshealth.com/ Please visit us to learn more about how the natural, herbal ingredients in Diab-X help by promoting normal blood sugar levels, healthy body weight BMI, proper insulin function.

Diet plays an important role in controlling diabetes. The diet plan for a diabetic is based on height, weight, age, sex, and nature of diabetes. Type II diabetes makes up to 95 percent of patients having diabetes. In this type, the pancreas produce insulin, but the body is unable to use it properly. Type II diabetes typically has a gradual onset, appearing in adults around the age of 30, and sometimes in younger person. It is usually not utmost necessary to take insulin injections (unlike Type I where it is imperative as pancreas do not produce any insulin in this type). Type II diabetes can often be managed through a proper diet and exercise alone. Very often, a prescription drug is taken to help the body properly manage sugar levels.

Warning signs include blurred vision, drowsiness, excessive weight gain, numbness in the hands or feet and slow healing of cuts/wounds.

Salient features of a diabetic diet planning

The diabetic diet planning relies upon the proper proportion of carbohydrates to proteins and fats.

The diet needs to provide some dietary fat to help prevent post-meal spikes in blood sugar levels. However, saturated fats should be limited to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Protein should be kept to 20% or less of daily calories in order to prevent or delay the onset of diabetic kidney disease

The target of a diabetic diet is to achieve and maintain recommended blood glucose levels (70-140 mg/dl), cholesterol levels (200 mg/dl or less), and blood pressure (120/80 mm Hg).

Weight loss is often beneficial for people with type II diabetes. Mild to moderate weight loss is known to help control this type of diabetes significantly, even if the desirable body weight is not achieved. Losing 7 to 15 kgs of excess weight results in significant improvement in respect to the goals listed above. Weight loss may even help to reduce the dosage of anti diabetic medication.

Few Points always keep in mind for controlling Diabetes:

1) Avoid Overeating

2) Avoid Sweets and Fried Food.

3) Drink a lot of water. It maintains your body metabolism.

4) Avoid Smoking and Drinking Habits

5) Check Your Blood Sugar Regularly.

6)Maintain your Body weight according to your Height and age.

Here is the way that body weight is determined: calories in versus calories out determines body weight. If you eat MORE calories than you burn, you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. That’s IT — there is nothing magic about it. The old saying “you are what you eat” is actually pretty accurate — at least your body weight is determined partially by what you eat. The other component is how many calories you expend.

When I hear people talk about “diets that really work,” I always want to stop right there and give the above lecture. The ONLY diet that will cause you to lose weight is one in which you eat fewer calories than you burn. It doesn’t matter how you count those calories, either. You can count calories, carbs, and fat grams, or use a “points” system. The objective is still the same; fewer calories in and more calories out is the cause of weight loss.

A pound of body weight is worth about 3,600 calories. If you eat 3,600 more calories than you burn, you will gain a pound of body weight. On the other hand, if you eat 3,600 more calories than you burn, you will lose a pound of body weight.

When I speak of expending calories, I’m talking about the calories your body burns that just keep you breathing and your organs functioning (the brain requires about 400 calories each day) AND deliberate, intentional, on-purpose physical exercise such as walking, running, jumping rope, swimming, bike riding, etc.

There are two components to any diet that actually works:

1. Consuming fewer calories

2. Burning more calories

A general and quick guide for diabetic diets should include a limit on sugar and carbohydrate consumption, eating regular meals with emphasis on fruits and vegetables, and consuming less fat and alcohol. Diabetic diets should include more starches such as bread or cereals, and fruits and vegetables are strongly recommended as they reduce the absorption of glucose in your body as they contain soluble fibers. You should pay a visit to a dietitian to develop a meal plan that is suitable to your body’s needs and caters to your personal taste.

Weight control is important for people with diabetes as a healthy weight indicates an improvement in control of your blood sugar levels. Whilst maintaining a healthy weight is important for everyone, a diabetic diet is not a diet plan for losing weight, but one that focuses on a healthy lifestyle. If you suffer from diabetes, smoking and alcohol consumption should be halted as it causes complications to your condition. These include blood flow problems, increased cholesterol levels, heart attack risks and low blood sugar levels.

A diabetic diet that works for you should not mean complete abstinence from sugar, carbohydrates and fat. Amazing diabetic diets are those that allow moderate consumption of carbohydrates once or twice a week. This allows you to indulge in your favourite ice cream or chips, by employing carbohydrate counting. This will help you to maintain your carbohydrate levels by planning your meals and snacks so that you do not exceed your limit. Keep track of your carbohydrate consumption every day by writing down the number of grams of carbohydrates consumed.

Low carbohydrate diets are popular diabetic diets, as they advocate a low carbohydrate consumption, limit sugar levels and processed foods. It is important for people on a diabetic diet to look out for foods that contain hidden sugar in the forms of preservatives or sauces, as they can lead to overly high blood sugar levels without your conscious knowledge. Proteins are also essential to a diabetic diet, and are available through consumption of meat, eggs and oilseeds which have high protein content.

Diets such as the Atkins Diet which are high in fat are a strict no for people with diabetes. Instead, focus on a diabetic diet which is suitable for you. Whilst it can be difficult to make the transition into a strict diet, it is possible to maintain your health and blood sugar levels without compromising too much on the foods that you enjoy.

{authorbox}