Type 2 Diabetes Diets
Proper type 2 diabetes diets can make a huge difference if you're someone who suffers from this disease. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your doctor will probably recommend visiting a dietitian to help you develop healthy eating habits that will help control your blood sugar levels and manage your weight. However, we've taken nutrition recommendations from leading diabetes organizations like the American Diabetes Association and Mayo Clinic and compiled some easy-to-understand healthy eating guidelines to help you develop a healthy type 2 diabetes diet plan. Carbohydrates are one of the major food categories in a type 2 diabetes diet (the others include proteins and fats). Carbs provides the fuel for your body in the form of glucose and are the primary source of energy. Because carbohydrates break down into glucose, they have the greatest impact on your blood glucose level. It's important to make sure your timing and amount of carbohydrates are the same each day, especially if you take diabetes medications or insulin. The American Diabetes Association has a useful page on carb counting here. It's also important to understand that not all carbs are created equal when you're starting a type 2 diabetes diet plan. Most carbs that come from grains are "refined," which means they've been milled and stripped of their nutritional benefits (vitamins, minerals, and fiber). Refined flour is used to make white bread, rice, pasta, and all types of processed, packaged foods. Refined grains are digested quickly, leading to dramatic fluctuations in your blood glucose levels. Instead, choose healthy complex carbohydrates which are unprocessed and unrefined. This means they contain whole grains, which have all the natural nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and fiber) intact. These carbs are digested slowly, keeping your blood sugar levels in check and your digestive system working properly. Long story short for type 2 diabetes diets: eat more "good carbs" like vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. When you need sugar, stick to natural sources of sugar like milk or a piece of fruit. The American Diabetes Association recommends the following to help manage the ABCs (A1c, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol) and promote good health: 25-35% of calories each day should come from fat, less than 7% of calories per day should be from saturated fat, and there should be little to no trans fat. If you don't know how to read a nutrition label, we explain it here. Note that the majority of fats you eat should come from healthy fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Check out this research that supports the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, which is high in monounsaturated fats, as a part of a type 2 diabetes diet plan Total cholesterol intake should be less than 200 mg per day. The main sources of cholesterol in the diet are foods such as meats, egg yolks, and whole milk (Note:, some scientific studies show only a weak relationship between the amount of dietary cholesterol a person consumes and his or her blood cholesterol levels the main point here is you may be at a higher risk for heart disease when your cholesterol levels are above normal levels, so keep your cholesterol levels in check by eating the foods we describe on this page) 15-20% of calories should come from protein, except in people with certain kidney problems (chronic kidney disease or CKD). Stick to lean sources of protein like lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish); lean dairy (fat free or reduced fat milk, cheese and yogurt); beans; nuts; and whole grains A diet that is high in fiber (25 to 30 grams per day) may help to control blood glucose levels and hemoglobin A1c goals. Learn more about fiber on our healthy foods high in fiber page A type 2 diabetes diet that is low in sodium (less than 2300 mg per day) may help reduce your risk of hypertension and high blood pressure, two of the most common conditions for people with diabetes The number of calories needed to maintain weight depends upon many factors such as age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. In general: Men, active women - 15 calories/pound To get a better idea of how many calories you should eat each day on a type 2 diabetes diet, check out this calorie calculator from the Mayo Clinic Using the plate method is a simple way to help you remember how to fill your plate with the correct proportions of healthy foods. Check out the quick video below to learn how to use the plate method.
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