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Diabetes is a word that rings in the minds of many as it is often heard in many households. You may be a diabetic, in many cases, if you have a family history of diabetes or if you are overweight or leading a sedentary lifestyle. You may be a diabetic now or you may become a diabetic in the future, whatever may be the cause if at all. You should know how to take care of yourself in terms of what to eat and how much to consume. Prior knowledge of a diabetes diet chart and a meal plan can be of great help to you before you choose to eat.
Through a healthy eating pattern, regular physical activity and the right medication can be a ray of hope to manage diabetes. For many it may be challenging as to what to eat and how much to eat. According to a diabetes association, one should make a nutritious eating plan while making a meal. This is to delay any further complications you could run into. Focusing on all the macro nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fat) as well as micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in balanced portions you can arrive at a proper nutritional support to the body.
Diabetes Diet Chart
Diet chart of diabetes takes the following things into consideration
1You should eat balanced
You may be munching on bits of food at odd hours of the day. You may have to avoid this as this could deposit unnecessary fat that could lead to high blood sugar. Actually, diabetes is a disease in which enough insulin is either not produced or is not used up by the body properly.
Insulin actually helps the body to get energy by sending sugar in the blood into the cells of the body where the body uses it for energy. If insulin cannot do this work due to less production or if your body cannot use it effectively, the blood sugar in the blood remains, and forms as bad cholesterol that might cause you to become overweight or prone to a heart stroke or attack.
So make it a point not to eat between meals. Your meals may have to include a breakfast, lunch, a dinner and two snacks one between the first two meals and the other between the next two meals. You have to eat five meals in a day so that you keep yourself filled at all time and do not starve. Or eating between meals might again be a cause of high blood sugar.
But the servings of fruits and vegetables together may be up to 8 as eating them can be healthy even in large amounts. Try including veggies and fruits for meals and snacks.
2Taking calories
Calorie intake is another aspect that needs careful attention. You cannot consume as many calories without making a count. According to your gender, age and activity level, your calorie intake varies or if you want to lose weight. Your calorie intake requirement ranges from 1550 to 1650 calories per day.
A person with diabetes may have to gain 50 % of calories from carbohydrates and this would amount to around 800 calories spread out over the entire day. Each gram of carbohydrates provides you with 4 calories. So calorie intake should be the primary goal to keep blood sugar in control as too much of calories in the form of carbohydrates can produce more glucose. And more sugar or glucose gets deposited unused in the body due to lack of insulin or inability of the body to use insulin. You can check the label on foods for any information on carbohydrates.
You may also have to limit the amount of simple sugars as they get deposited as cholesterol when unused by the body due to lack of insulin. Whenever you eat anything, check how many calories you are consuming including sodium, carbs, fat and sugars.
3Limit trans fats
Your kitchen may be loaded with delicious fried and processed foods that contain trans fats ( trans fats use hydrogen to solidify which may store in the form of fat). Eating trans fats like cakes, cookies, biscuits, pizza, margarine and other spreads. This may increase the cholesterol content as our insulin, however, is unable to help the fat convert into energy. The fat can get deposited as cholesterol in the body unused by the body. You had better include mono saturated and poly saturated fats that are helpful in lowering this cholesterol deposited in the body.
4Cholesterol
Many panic at the word cholesterol and avoid foods that cause cholesterol. It is actually good to eliminate foods that increase cholesterol for it can lead to heart stroke. We have already learned how insulin affects cholesterol. Your body makes the cholesterol on its own from food.
People with diabetes must have 300 mg per day and not more. Saturated fat foods like butter, ghee, hard margarine, lard, full fat cheese, cream, yogurt and coconut or palm oils must be avoided as they increase cholesterol.
5You may need fiber
Including dietary fiber can eliminate cholesterol from the digestive tract and does not allow it to deposit in the body. As insulin cannot convert the fat into energy in a diabetic patient, at least eliminating fat from the body is important. You can get fiber from plant -based foods, whole grains ,fruits ,vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans. People with diabetes need about 25 g for women and 35 g for men. Many Americans may generally, through diet, get only half of what has been recommended.
6Sodium
Watching sodium is very important. The American Diabetes Association recommends 2300 g of sodium or less per day. Most Americans have an alarmingly huge amount of sodium of 3400 g consumed per day through food. You can make smart food choices and reduce the intake of sodium in your diet. The labels on foods can guide you with the amount of sodium contained in the foods.
In whatever foods you eat, you had better check how many calories you are consuming including carbohydrates, fats and sugars. By keeping in mind the diabetes diet chart and meal plan, you can help yourself to deal with the symptoms of diabetes.
Pradeepa Polineni
