Type 2 Diabetes Diets
Maintaining a healthy diet is important for everyone, but it is especially important for people with diabetes. Healthy type 2 diabetes diets can make all the difference for a person struggling to keep their blood sugar in check. The nutrition recommendations from the American Diabetes Association are similar to the healthy eating guidelines and healthy diet plan recommended by The Healthy Eating Guide. Basically, you should be eating more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats and less saturated fat, trans fat, and refined carbs. Type 2 Diabetes Diets: Choosing the Right Carbs 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. There are two ways to classify carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates, or “sugars,” are “simple” because they’re made up of 1 or 2 sugar units that are broken down and digested quickly. What does this mean to your body though? Recent research has shown that simple carbohydrates often cause extreme spikes in blood sugar levels, which increases the release of insulin to remove the excess sugar from your blood. Complex carbohydrates (aka “starches”) have a “complex” molecular structure, and therefore the body can’t convert them into energy as quickly as simple carbs. There is a huge difference between “good” complex carbs and “bad” complex carbs. “Bad” complex carbs have been milled, refined, 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. “Good” complex carbohydrates are unprocessed and unrefined so they contain whole grains, which have all the natural nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and fiber) intact. Good carbs are digested slowly, keeping your blood sugar levels in check and your digestive system working properly. Examples of good carbs include vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Your meal plan should strive to keep your blood sugar levels at a normal level by eating plenty of complex, whole grain carbs and limiting simple carbs and complex refined carbs. Type 2 Diabetes Diets: Understanding What to Eat 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. Be sure you understand how to read the nutrition label (Note: in our opinion, this number can be slightly higher, as long as it is from healthy fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated … check out this recent research that supports the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, which is high in monounsaturated fats) • Total cholesterol intake should be less than 200 mg per day. The main sources of cholesterol in the diet are foods such as organ meats, egg yolks, and whole milk (Note: again, a body of scientific studies shows 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 that studies have shown men and women with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease when their cholesterol levels are above normal levels) • 15-20% of calories should come from protein, except in people with certain kidney problems (chronic kidney disease or CKD) • A diet that is high in fiber (25 to 30 grams per day) may help to control blood glucose levels and hemoglobin A1c goals • A type 2 diabetes diet that is low in sodium (less than 2300 mg per day) may help reduce your risk of hypertension, high blood pressure, two of the most common conditions for people with diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Diets: How Many Calories You Should Eat 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 If you’re looking to lose weight, you should pick up a copy of our eBook, Diets Don't Work. It is a straightforward, step-by-step approach for people who have struggled with diets in the past and want to lose the weight and keep it off for good.
|
