Does Your Diet Help Control Your Sugar Levels?
Diabetic Diet
The key to a basic Diabetic Diet is understanding how your body breaks down food. All foods and Drinks that we consume are broken down into sugar. Foods with a lot of Sugar break down and hit the Blood stream a lot faster than starchy (carbohydrates, or carbs), foods, Proteins or Fats. Starchy Foods (carbohydrates, or carbs), can take up to 2 to 3 hours to break down in the body. Proteins can take 4 to 6 hours to break down and finally Fats break down within 6 to 8 hours. Paying attention to your diet and getting plenty of exercise can help control and manage your Blood sugar. Being able to control your Blood Sugar can lead to minimal dependence on medication.
Diabetic Diet Plan
A Diabetic Diet Plan will be different for each Person. A Diet Plan will be based on the individual’s daily nutritional needs and type of diabetes that individual has. Following are the most common type of diabetes diet:
- Type 1 Diabetes Diet – Type 1 diabetes requires insulin treatment, the main focus here is to find a balance between the food intake and insulin.
- Type 2 Diabetic Diet – Type 2 diet will focus on controlling weight in order to improve the body’s ability to utilize insulin. In most cases Type 2 diabetes can be controlled through proper diet and exercise alone.
- Gestational Diabetes Diet – unlike the Type 2 diet, gestational diabetes diet focus on adequate energy and nutrients to support both the mother’s body and growing baby while maintaining stable blood glucose levels for the pregnant mother.
Example of Diet Plan
One serving of protein (3 oz of chicken, lean beef or fish)
One serving of bread (whole grain roll, tortilla or ½ cup pasta)
One serving of dairy (cheese, milk or low-fat sour cream)
One serving vegetables (fist sized portion or a small bowl of salad)
One serving fruit (tennis ball sized or ½ cup sliced)
Small amounts of unsaturated fats are needed, so add a little dressing or a pat of soft margarine. Avoid sweets; consider the fruit your dessert!
Foods that should be avoided include; fatty red meat, organ meat, highly processed food, fried food, fast food, high cholesterol food and foods rich in saturated fat.
The main Goal of the Diabetic Diet is to consume a portion controlled meal. The purpose of this meal is to allow your Body to stay “Level” throughout the day as the Food breaks down in your system. Some good tips are: eat every 2 to 3 hours, try to eat 5 to 6 small meals, and performing light exercise after each meal will allow the body to break down the food without any sugar level spikes. Being able to consume an appropriate serving from each food category at each meal will allow the Body to break down the food at different rates. This will produce a steady flow of sugar to the Blood Stream allowing energy levels to stay stable.
