Diabetic Diet Tips To Achieve Optimal Health & Wellness

A meal plan serves as a roadmap for when, what, and how much food to consume to meet your nutritional needs and maintain blood sugar levels within the desired range. A good meal plan will include your goals, interests, lifestyle, and any medications you are taking. In this article, we will discuss how to plan your diet if you have diabetes.

Understanding Diabetes

If you have diabetes, your blood sugar or glucose levels are too high. When you have diabetes, your body either produces insufficient insulin (type 1 diabetes) or uses it improperly (type 2 diabetes), resulting in too much blood sugar in your blood. This can eventually lead to major health issues like kidney disease, loss of vision, and heart disease. Since food is the primary source of sugar in the blood, it is crucial to eat the right food to bring your blood sugar under control. Let us see how food can affect diabetes.

Impact of Meal Choices on Diabetes

Eating the right foods if you have diabetes can give you the following benefits:

• Better control of blood sugar levels
• Slowing down or preventing complications of diabetes
• Maintaining normal blood pressure
• Maintaining desired blood fat (lipid) levels
• Keeping your weight in a healthy range

Dietary Recommendations for People With Diabetes

People living with diabetes should follow a basic healthy diet regime that includes:

• Cutting back on the portion size of your meals and snacks as eating too much can result in weight gain and make diabetes more difficult to control.
• Making the main course of meals with non-starchy veggies or salad.
• Limiting your intake of the following:
  • Foods high in saturated fats, such as full-fat dairy products, butter, cream, fried meals, cakes, pastries, and items that include palm and coconut oil.
  • Alcohol  
  • Candy and sugary beverages including energy drinks, cordials, sports drinks, and soft drinks.
  • High-salt meals.

Role of Nutrition in Diabetes

A crucial aspect of diabetes management is nutrition. Maintaining a healthy diet involves finding the proper ratio of carbohydrates, fats, fibre, and proteins (macronutrients), as well as vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) for you. Let’s see how you can get an optimal amount of these nutrients from your food.

1. Carbohydrates

• Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose (sugar), which it needs as fuel.
• You can maintain your energy levels without significantly raising your blood glucose levels by eating small meals and distributing your portions of carbohydrate-rich foods throughout the day.
• You should follow a low-carb diet (21-70g/day) to lose weight and control blood sugar levels.
• Fibre, a form of carbohydrates, not only supports a healthy digestive tract but also supports healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
• At every meal, consume a modest quantity of high-fibre carbohydrates such as barley and legumes. Wholegrain bread, brown rice, cereals, and most fruits also contain a healthy amount of fibre.

2. Fats

• Fats are known to be high energy sources but at the same time, high in calories.
• Select low-fat dairy products with little or no added sugar. Greek yoghurt combined with fresh fruit is a fantastic choice.
• Choose foods with unsaturated fats such as avocado, seeds, nuts, olive and canola oil, sesame and sunflower oil, and oily fish such as salmon and tuna as they are healthier than foods with saturated fats (e.g., meat fat, solid cooking fats like lard, and palm oil).

3. Proteins

• Protein is used by the body for repair and development.
• Pick legumes (e.g., kidney beans, chickpeas, dried beans, and lentils), tofu, eggs, almonds, and lean meats such as fish, skinless chicken, and turkey as they are rich sources of proteins with low fat content.

4. Micronutrients

• Micronutrients are recognised as essential vitamins and minerals that are needed in minute quantities for a state of equilibrium, enzyme control, and proper functioning.
• Micronutrients include vitamins such as vitamins C, and D and trace mineral elements such as chromium, iodine, zinc, and molybdenum. Trace elements improve the action of insulin by activating insulin receptor sites.
• The deficiency of trace elements is one of the factors directly or indirectly contributing to oxidative stress, which precedes insulin resistance or diabetes.

Sample Diet Plan for People Living With Diabetes

To control blood sugar levels, include a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals in the right amounts. Your major meal might be lunch or dinner. Make sure every meal is high in fibre, low in carbohydrates and low in fat content.

Here are some healthy options that you can include in your diet plan:

1. Breakfast Options

You can choose any one of the following options:

• 1 cup of cereal with low-fat milk and a piece of fruit
• 1/2 cup of natural muesli or rolled oats with milk or Greek yoghurt with less fat.
• Water, tea, or coffee with less sugar
• 2 slices of whole-grain bread toast with peanut butter

2. Lunch or Dinner – Main Meal Options

• Salads are a good way to start a meal. For a fibre boost, you could also add spinach, broccoli, or mixed veggies to your meals.
• 1 to 2 small potatoes or between 1/2 and 1 cup rice  
• 100 grams of prepared fish or seafood
• 65-80 grams of prepared skinless chicken and lean red meat
• One cup of cooked legumes (such as beans or lentils).

3. Snack Options

• Fresh fruits
• A small serving of yoghurt with reduced fat and fruit
• One glass of skim milk
• One slice of whole grain bread with tomato, cottage cheese, and thinly spread peanut butter

Conclusion

Physical exercise is essential, along with a good diet. Take up various forms of activity you like. Try to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise daily. Thirty minutes of consistent exercise each day can keep your blood sugar levels normal and reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.

It is essential to eat an adequate quantity of nutrients each day if you have diabetes. Plan regular, balanced meals to avoid high or low blood sugar levels. Living your healthiest life possible while dealing with diabetes is the prize.