Diabetic Diet

Diabetes Diet
Diet plays a significant role in controlling the diabetes. The diabetic diet may be used alone or else in combination with insulin doses or with oral hypoglycemic drugs. Main objective of diabetic diet is to maintain ideal body weight, by providing adequate nutrition along with normal blood sugar levels in blood. The diet plan for a diabetic is based on height, weight, age, sex, physical activity and nature of diabetes. While planning diet, the dietician has to consider complications such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels.

With respect to the above factors, a dietician will assess calories to be given, like scheming the carbohydrates, proteins, fats, type of carbohydrate, amount of fiber and so on.

Exchange meal plan is a diet program which balances the amount of carbohydrate that we intake per day. Glucose is a sugar released from carbohydrate so if we want to control blood sugar we have to limit the consumption of simple carbohydrate. Carbohydrate foods are given as value per portion, known as the exchange. This plan helps us to decide on the type of food to be taken, the amount of food and also the time to eat. You can plan for more flexible meal as you get more knowledge about the diet of a diabetic, may be like the counting carbohydrate meal plan or constant carbohydrate. But there is no common diet that works for everyone. Nor is there any particular diet that works perfectly for any diabetic over a long period. While planning diabetes diet we should adhere to certain important factors, they are as follows:
• Fiber should be at least 40 gm / day
• Instead of 3 heavy meals, we should go for 4-5 small mid intervals
• Replace bakery products and fast foods by simple whole cooked cereals, and don't eat carbohydrates 2 hours before bedtime
• Consume fresh fruit and vegetables at least 5 exchange/ day
Diabetics must always need to take care of thier diet and also about the food they eat. Care has to be taken because all foods contain not only carbohydrate, but also some energy value. Protein and fat available in the food are converted to glucose in the body. This glucose has some effect on the blood sugar level which has to be taken care. Furthermore there is no need that you have to eat only bland boring diet. Instead you have to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It means that to select foods that are high in nutrition and low in calories and fat.
Diabetes Care
• Eat food at fixed hours
• Do not overeat
• Do not eat immediately after a workout
• Make sure you have three proper meals & light snacks in between
• Eat about the same amounts of food each day
• Eat your meals and snacks at about the same times each day
• Make sure the gaps between your meals are short
• Do not eat fast; masticate and munch your food well before you swallow
• Drink a lot of water that will help flush the toxins off your system
• Avoid fried foods and sweetmeats
• Include fresh vegetable salad in every meal
• Include sprouts in the diet
• Take your medicines at the same times each day
• Exercise at about the same times each day
• Avoid smoking. Smoking leads to heart disease and poor circulation
• Check your feet for cuts, blisters, and swelling which are likely to result from diabetes-related nerve damage
• Take good sleep daily
• Check your blood sugar level regularly
• Try to stick up to the plan made up for sugar control
• Check the other tests such as kidney function, liver function, heart function, ketone level etc
• Check your weight periodically and maintain ideal body weight
Diabetic Diet Dos

• For breakfast, take cholesterol-lowering oatmeal
• Have nuts rich in mono unsaturated fat, such as pecans, walnuts, and almonds
• Eat pasta, stews and leafy salads along with beans-- kidney beans, chick peas, and dry beans, navy beans and peas which can reduce LDL "bad"; cholesterol
• Fat free milk, yogurt, and cheese to be taken
• Eggs whites to be included
• White meat chicken and Fish and shellfish (not battered) are good
• Increase intake of dry beans and peas
• Have at least 20 to 25 grams of raw onion daily
• Add wheat bran to your wheat flour (50% wheat flour + 50% wheat bran). This helps increase fiber in your diet
• You can also add flaxseed and methi seeds into the wheat flour
• Increase fiber intake in the form of raw fruits, vegetables, whole cereals etc
• Intake of cinnamon, garlic, onion, karela( bitter gaurd), guar beans is known to considerably reduce blood glucose level

Diabetic Diet Don'ts

• Don't fry foods instead bake, broil, poach or saute in nonstick pans. Steam or microwave vegetables. Buy tuna packed in water, not oil
• Eat less high-fat red meat and more low-fat turkey and fish. Avoid organ meats
• Limit the use of condiments such as ketchup, mustard and salad dress ion--they're high in salt and can be high in sugar, too
• Rinse processed foods in water and, wherever possible, choose fresh foods over canned
• Limit your salt (sodium content)
• Read labels carefully. Soy sauce, brine and MSG, for example, contain a lot of sodium
• Don't select ready to eat and junk foods items available to you
• Don't smoke and stop alcohol consumption
• Don't skip meals and medicine times