A diabetes diet is about how to manage the diet of diabetes patients. Diabetic patients must control their diabetes so that they prevent diabetes long-term complications, such as eye, heart, and kidney complications.
Diabetes management is always achieved through
3 main rules including a healthy diet, exercise, and medications. Eating a
healthy diet is a must for diabetic patients.
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Diabetes diet Questions and answers
Why diet is very crucial to diabetic patients?
It is very important for diabetic patients, as
it is an essential part of diabetes treatment. Many patients need to modify
what they eat and how much they eat to help control their diabetes.
Making your diet healthy will also help manage
obesity, elevated blood pressure, and increased cholesterol. These problems can
affect diabetic patients and can lead to future complications, such as heart
attacks, kidney problems, or strokes.
Who will help me to
change my diet?
Indeed, your doctor or nurse will help
you put a food plan to make your diet healthy. They might also recommend you
visit a dietitian who is an expert on dieting.
Do I need to eat at the same time every day?
It will depend on many factors, in part, on
the diabetes medications that you take. As an example, patients who take a
certain type of insulin or those who take pills that increase insulin levels
usually should eat meals at the same time daily. This will help them to avoid
low blood sugar levels.
However, patients who use an insulin pump, or
pills that enhance the effect of insulin do not always need to eat their meals
at the same time every day. That's because these treatment medications have a
smaller risk of causing low blood sugar levels.
What do I need to think about when planning what to eat?
You should know that our bodies digest
the food we eat into small particles called carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. When diabetic patients plan to eat, they need
to think about:
Carbohydrates (or
"carbs")
They are sugars that our bodies get energy
from, but they can elevate a patient's blood sugar level. Your doctor or
dietitian will inform you about the number of carbohydrates you should eat at
each meal or snack.
You can find carbohydrates in many foods
including bread, pasta, rice, vegetables, fruits, dairy
foods, and any food with added sugar.
You must know that it is best to gain your
carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
Protein
Ask your doctor or dietitian how much
protein you should eat in meals or snacks each day. You should eat lean meats, fish, eggs, and beans. You can get proteins also from other foods such as peas, soy products, nuts, and seeds.
Fats
It should be known to you that the type
of fat is more crucial than the amount. "Saturated" and
"trans" fat types will increase your risk for heart diseases, and
strokes.
Saturated fats are present in many foods
including meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream. Trans fats are present in many foods including
processed food with partially hydrogenated oils (read on the ingredients list).
Also, they are present in fried food, store-bought cookies, pies, and cakes.
Types of fats such as "Monounsaturated" and
"polyunsaturated" fats are better for diabetic patients. These types
are present in many foods including fish, avocado, olive oil, and nuts.
Calories
Diabetic patients should eat a certain amount
of calories daily to avoid increasing their weight. Also, patients who are
overweight should try to lose weight, so they have to eat fewer calories daily.
Fiber
Eating foods that contain a lot of fiber
can also aid in controlling the blood sugar level.
Salt
Patients with elevated blood pressure should
not eat foods that contain a heavy salt content. Also, they should consume
healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products.
Alcohol
For patients who drink more than 1 cup
(for women) or 2 cups (for men) a day, their blood sugar levels will be
elevated. Also, cups that contain fruit juice or soda in them can elevate blood
sugar levels.
How can you lose weight?
Exercise
Diabetic patients should do mild to moderate
strength exercise for 30 minutes a day, nearly 5 days per week. Patients should
check their blood sugar levels before, during, and after the exercise. Some diabetic patients need to modify their
medication dose before exercising.
Eat fewer calories
Your doctor or dietitian can inform you about
the number of calories you must eat daily to reach the optimum body weight. If you are worried about your body weight, your
doctor or dietitian will help you.
Should I eat types of food different from my family?
You do not have to consume special food types.
You can consume the same food as your family. Modification of your diet is
mainly about consuming healthy foods and not eating too much food.
Some diabetic patients need to learn how they
can adjust their diet and exercise with their medication dose. To achieve this
goal, you need to think about: What
they will eat at the next meal, the grade and duration of exercise, and their
blood sugar level before the exercise.
If you do not adjust the medication dose with
your diet and exercise, your blood sugar level can become too low or too high.
This alteration in blood sugar levels will lead to multiple complications.