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Nutrition and Diabetes
Diabetes Diet: Create Your Healthy-eating Plan
A diabetes diet is a healthy-eating plan that helps control blood sugar. Use this guide to get started, from meal planning to counting carbohydrates. A diabetes diet simply means eating the healthiest foods in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes. It's a healthy-eating plan that's naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories. Key elements are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In fact, this type of diet is the best eating plan for most everyone.
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your health care provider will likely recommend that you see a dietitian to help you develop a healthy-eating plan. The plan helps you control your blood sugar, also called blood glucose, manage your weight and control heart disease risk factors. These factors include high blood pressure and high blood fats.
When you eat extra calories and carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels rise. If blood sugar isn't controlled, it can lead to serious problems. These problems include a high blood sugar level, called hyperglycemia. If this high level lasts for a long time, it may lead to long-term complications, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage.
For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make it easier to control blood sugar. Weight loss offers a host of other health benefits. A diet for people living with diabetes is based on eating healthy meals at regular times. Eating meals at regular times helps to better use insulin that the body makes or gets through medicine.
Make your calories count with nutritious foods. Choose healthy carbohydrates, fiber-rich foods, fish and "good" fats. Focus on healthy carbohydrates, such as:
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes, such as beans and peas
Low-fat dairy products, such as milk and cheese
Foods containing the following can work against your goal of a heart-healthy diet.
Saturated fats. Avoid high-fat dairy products and animal proteins such as butter, beef, hot dogs, sausage and bacon. Limit coconut and palm kernel oils.
Trans fats. Avoid trans fats found in processed snacks, baked goods, shortening and stick margarines.
Cholesterol. Cholesterol sources include high-fat dairy products and high-fat animal proteins, egg yolks, liver, and other organ meats. Aim for no more than 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day.
Sodium. Aim for no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Your health care provider may suggest you aim for a smaller amount if you have high blood pressure.
Embracing a healthy-eating plan is the best way to keep your blood sugar level under control and prevent diabetes complications. And if you need to lose weight, you can tailor the plan to your specific goals. If you live with diabetes, it's important that you partner with your health care provider and dietitian to create an eating plan that works for you. Use healthy foods, portion control and a schedule to manage your blood sugar level.
To access the full article and get more nutrition tips for diabetes management, click here.