There are endless diets that compete and claim to be the perfect choice for diabetic patients, but the truth remains that there is no fixed or ‘perfect’ diet for diabetes. What is important is the count of carbohydrates that one gets each day. As compared to protein and fats, carbohydrates have more effects on the blood sugar levels, although there is a need to check on everything when it comes to the diet. Ideally, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, the first thing to do is to consult a doctor and dietician to plan the food choices.
Understanding the Glycemic Index
If you are diabetic, the crucial thing to know is the Glycemic Index, which is an index that ranks different foods on how they affect and impact the blood sugar levels. So, the foods the foods that rank high on the index are more likely to affect the sugar levels than those that are ranked low. Usually, doctors give their patients the list of things and foods to avoid, and when you don’t have one, check for the same online. Not to forget, check and monitor your sugar level regularly to see the effects of food changes.
The art of eating right
That’s what makes diabetic diet more effective than anything else. Avoid following and cutting carbohydrates blindly from the diet, but take the route of colored foods. Change the color of your food by choosing between meat, fruits, veggies, nuts, beans and other protein. Diabetic diet is never same for everyone because there are elements like sex, age, history, activity levels, physical fitness and other factors that determine what you should eat. Also, there is a need to maintain the weight. This neither means losing too much of weight, nor does that mean being extremely obese. Check with your doctor to know the ideal weight, and aim towards maintaining it.
Check the calories
For a diabetic patient, the source of calories is the biggest concern. Essentially, you have to avoid too much of dieting and have ample fiber to get the bowel movement right. The fiber for the body comes from whole foods, starting from the veggies, beans, to nuts and whole grains. One more thing to note is effect of fiber rich diet on type 2 diabetic patients, which has been on the positive side.
Go for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes plan, or TLC as commonly known, is advised to patients who have diabetes with high levels of cholesterol. The aim of the TLC plan is to lose weight, become active and have diet that aims at lowering cholesterol. The fat count should be limited to 25%-35% of the total calorie count and reducing calories from saturated fats. The diet also calls for 20-30 grams of fiber, while protein consists of 15%-20% of calories each day.
Diabetic patients should stick to the plan of six to eight meals a day, which means no meal is a complete one. Eating in small portions and snacking on healthy fruits is advisable, while one must avoid skipping meals for the benefit of losing weight faster.
