Diabetes and Diet

 

How are diabetes and nutrition linked?

Glucose (sugar) is produced by the body from the foods you eat, mainly carbohydrates. So your food choices have an impact on your glucose levels.

The major nutrients in food are protein, fat, and carbohydrates. You need all of these nutrients in your diet. Among the many different sources of these nutrients, some are better for you than others. For example, lean white meat (such as chicken breast with no skin) is a healthier source of protein than fatty red meat (such as hamburger). Liquid vegetable oils (such as olive and canola) are more heart-healthy than solid fats (such as margarine and butter). There are also differences among carbohydrates, and these differences are important in diabetes control.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates (carbs) are the sugars, starches, and fiber in your diet. Starch is in breads, pasta, cereals, potatoes, beans, peas, and lentils. Natural sugars are in fruits, milk, and vegetables. Added sugars are in desserts, sweetened beverages, and candy. Fiber is in all plant foods (vegetables, fruits, and beans).

Unlike refined grains like white flour, whole grains contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals. Brown rice, wild rice, oats, corn, barley, whole wheat breads, whole wheat pasta, millet, quinoa are some examples of whole grains.

How much and what types of carbs should you eat?

The amount of carbs you should eat depends on your gender, size, age, activity level, and medications. A carbohydrate choice is 15g of carbohydrate per serving. Most adult women require at least 3–4 carbohydrate choices (45–60g) at each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner), while adult males require about 4–5 carbohydrate choices (60–75g) at each meal.

Examples of 1 carbohydrate choice

• 1/3 cup of cooked rice or pasta
• 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal
• 1 slice of bread (1 ounce)
• 1/2 cup of corn
• 1/4 large cooked potato
• 1/2 cup of cooked beans (black, kidney)
• 1 small fruit or 4 ounces of fruit juice
• 8 ounces of milk
• 6 ounces of plain yogurt

While the amount of carbohydrate is important, so is the quality. Whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits are best.

How do carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels in diabetes?

When carbs are eaten and digested, they change into sugar. Management of diabetes depends on controlling the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. The goal is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible.

Eating the same amount of carbs daily can help blood glucose levels stay on target. Checking blood glucose levels two hours after meals will allow you to adjust the amount of carbohydrates needed to maintain blood glucose control.