Eating Healthy

A healthy diet is one of the most important aspects of any Diabetes care plan. If you have Diabetes, then you should eat less fat, more carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein and a minimum of sugar and salt.

The Special Diabetic Diet

The good news is that the food recommended for Diabetics, while being healthy and safe, can be tasty, appetizing and quite satisfying. Being diagnosed with Diabetes doesn't mean you have to give up everything you enjoyed eating - you just have to learn to ration yourself, and eat moderately.

Carbohydrates - Where to look for them.

Foods high in carbohydrates should fill upto three quarters of a Diabetic's plate during each meal.

Foods that contain carbohydrates include:

• Bread
Cereals
• Fruits and vegetables
• Rice
• Pasta
• Dried beans, peas and lentils

All carbohydrate foods are healthy for a Diabetic. However, some carbohydrates are digested very slowly by the body. These have the best effect on blood glucose levels, so if you have Diabetes, you must learn to prefer slow acting carbohydrates.

A List of Slow Acting Carbohydrates:

This list might help patients and their families decide the constituents of daily meals -

• Dried peas and beans, especially kidney beans, chickpeas and baked beans
• Bread, especially heavy wholegrain and heavy fruit breads.
• Wholegrain cereals like rolled oats, barley bran, rice bran and oat bran
• Fruit, especially apples, pears, oranges, grapes, cherries, grapefruit, peaches, plums, kiwifruit and firm bananas
• Rice, especially of the basmati and doongara variety.
• All vegetables, especially sweet potato, corn, and yam.

It is recommended that a Diabetic include at least one slow acting carbohydrate in every meal he or she consumes.

Fats - the Lesser the Better

Eating less fat is important for people with Diabetes because they need to keep a close watch on their weight. Weight control is important as it reduces the risk of heart diseases, and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Some Tips on Lowering Fat Levels in the Diabetic Diet -

• Use very little of pure fats like butter, margarine and oil.
• Limit the use of high fat foods such as fatty meats, nuts and cheese.
• Eat small servings of lean meat, chicken and fish.
• Use low-fat dairy products, like skim milk, low-fat yogurt and low-fat cheese
• Limit the intake of snacks like cakes, biscuits, chocolates, chips, pizzas and burgers
• Instead of using conventional methods of cooking, try low-fat techniques like grilling, microwaving and barbecuing.
• Avoid adding fats like butter, margarine or cream sauces to cooked food.

Proteins - Practice Moderation

The body requires proteins for growth and repair. Protein foods often contain fat. The best protein foods to choose from are those low in fat, such as:

• Legumes
• Fish and seafood
• Lean meat
• Poultry (without the skin)
• Milk (skim or low fat)
• Yoghurt (skim or low fat)
• Low fat cheese.

Most people only require one to two small serves of meat or meat alternative and two to three serves of dairy foods each day.

Avoid Salt and Sugar

Most people with Diabetes can include small amounts of sugar as part of their meals, but foods or drinks that contain large amounts of sugar should be avoided.

A high salt diet can increase blood pressure in some people, and since it's so important for people with Diabetes to control blood pressure, they must learn to avoid salt. Try not to add too much salt when you cook or at the table, and limit the use of foods that are high in salt content.

Avoid Alcohol

It is recommended that people with Diabetes drink alcohol in moderation. If you are Diabetic, limit the intake of alcohol to one to two standard drinks per day, and have atleast two alcohol free-days per week.

People who are on tablets or insulin for their Diabetes must be aware that alcohol could react with their medication. It is important that they discuss this issue with their dietitian or doctor.