Diabetes is a chronic disorder that needs to be tackled on a daily basis for as long as you live. Planning a diet is of the utmost importance in this disease. If your blood sugar is high, a well-planned diet can help bring the sugar levels down. Of course, a change in the lifestyle is also required, and the diet has to be supplemented by lots of exercise and strict discipline. Diets are often used in conjunction with oral drugs and insulin, in the treatment of diabetes. The diet aims to provide nutrition to the body without increasing and sometimes reducing the sugar content in the blood.
Usually, a patient with diabetes also suffers from other heart conditions like blood pressure and cholesterol. Since all these diseases are somewhat interconnected, while planning a diet, care has to be taken so that these other diseases are not aggravated.
The diet is also based on the height and weight of the patient. The body mass index is first calculated, and the diet is planned according to that. The dietician usually takes all these factors, as well as medical history, into consideration, and then creates a diet especially for you. Each food group is assessed and the amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibers are set. According to these parameters, the specific diet is then planned.
Simple carbohydrates are the food group that gives us the maximum amount of sugars. When the simple carbohydrates break down, they convert into sugars and give us energy. Therefore to control sugar levels in the blood, consumption of simple carbohydrates should be limited.
Although there are certain foods that are good for people with diabetes, there is no one diet that is good for all diabetics. All patients have different needs and therefore, need to have an individualized diet plan. There are some universal guidelines for preparing diets for diabetics. The first thing is to include a good amount of fiber in your diet. Also, reduce the amount of food that you consume and increase the number of meals that you take. For example, instead of taking three heavy meals everyday, have four lighter meals. Instead of refined products and fast food, go for whole cereals. Replace white breads with brown breads. To your diet, add at least five to six servings of fruit. Every time you feel like snacking, eat a fruit instead of fast food or finger food.
answered by G M