Healthy eating through diabetic meal planning is an important aspect of diabetes management. In most cases, your doctor is likely to recommend a dietitian or a diabetes educator to help you with your diabetic meal planning. A meal plan will be developed according to your specific needs such as the kinds of foods that you enjoy and current lifestyle. In addition, your meal plan will also focus on controlling calories to help you lose excess weight if you are facing obesity issues.
When you have type 2 diabetes, the type and amount of food you eat and when you eat affects your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels go up after eating. You should try to eat about the same amount of food at about the same time each day to keep you blood glucose near normal levels. If you eat a big dinner one day and a small dinner the next, your blood glucose levels may fluctuate too much.
You should note that there is no single diabetes diet that is right for everyone. However, there are a few points that you should remember during your diabetic meal planning. Firstly, carbohydrates are especially important because they have the largest influence on blood glucose. You should eat about the same amount of carbohydrate-rich foods at about the same time each day. For instance, you can consume foods such as fruits, milk, starches (whole-grain bread, cereal or rice) and starchy vegetables (corn or potatoes) during your meal times. In addition, ensure that your starches come from whole grains because they contain fiber and many other nutrients and are digested and absorbed by the body more slowly than refined starches. This can help to maintain a steady glucose level in your body.
Another important aspect of diabetic meal planning involves the appropriate ratio of total calories to nutrients such as proteins and healthy fats. Depending on you circumstances, your dietitian may recommend slightly different percentages for you. The typical recommendations for the ratio of total calories to nutrients are as follows:
1. 45 to 65 percent consisting of carbohydrates
2. 12 to 20 percent consisting of proteins
3. 10 to 30 percent consisting of fats
In addition, you should limit your intake of foods that are high in cholesterol, such as egg yolks. Avoid high-fat foods and sweets because they provide a lot of calories but few nutrients. Keeping track of your calories intake can help you keep your blood sugar at as steady level and help you make adjustments for reaching weight goals.
By following the above guidelines, you should be able to easily develop an appropriate meal program to control your glucose level. Most important of all, you really have to diligently follow the plan for effective results to be seen from diabetic meal planning!
By: Sky Joe
Posts Tagged ‘Diabetes Sufferers’
Diabetic Meal Planning Is A Must For All Diabetes Sufferers!
March 4th, 2010Sample Diets For Gestational Diabetes
February 5th, 2010
Gestational diabetes causes excessive blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This medical condition starts between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy and seems similar to type 2 diabetes.
Although gestational diabetes often disappears after the baby’s birth, there is a possibility that type 2 diabetes will occur later in life. Diets for both types of diabetes sufferers are similar. Monitoring carbohydrate intake becomes an integral part of daily nutritional habits.
During digestion food is metabolized and carbohydrates turn into glucose (simple sugars). Simple sugars reach the cells where insulin assists in converting them to energy. During pregnancy, other hormones in the body cause gestational diabetes to make the body insulin resistant.
Sample diets encourages a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats for the calories and energy required for the developing baby and maintaining the health and strength of the mother.
Daily carbohydrate intake, according to a strict time table, helps regulate blood sugar, keeping it normal. One serving size of carbohydrates is 12 to 15 grams (½ cup of cereal or 1 slice of bread).
Examples of sample serving sizes:
Carbohydrates – 1 serving: ½ cup pasta, mashed potatoes, peas, corn; 1/3 cup beans or rice; ½ hamburger or hotdog bun, frozen bagel, English muffin; 6 saltines.
Protein – 1 serving: 3 oz of meat, 1 egg, ½ cup cottage cheese, 2 Tbsp peanut butter.
Fruit – 1 serving: ½ cup applesauce, 2 ½ inch apple, 1 kiwi.
Sample diets must provide additional calories (about 300 per day) needed for a baby’s development, weight gain and nutritional needs.
Carbohydrates from processed foods are not utilized as well as those from vegetables and fruits (processed foods are also calorie dense) – similar sized vegetable servings would have less carbohydrates and calories and less carbohydrates than 1 serving of macaroni and cheese. Vegetables have just 5 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Dieticians, according to a physician’s recommendations, will work out a sample diet for gestational diabetes that meets the specific needs of mother and baby. Obesity (before conception) is a risk factor for the development of gestational diabetes. Many obstetricians recommend that obese women gain just 10 pounds during pregnancy to help minimize possible delivery complications.
Side effects of eating less is burning more – by gaining just 10 pounds during pregnancy means that often the body burns fat thereby releasing ketones which may have negative neurological effects on the developing baby. Ketones can be produced in obese women who are following strict diets or who have uncontrolled gestational diabetes.
It is important to follow nutritional recommendations of dieticians and physicians during pregnancy.
By: Bob Cotto
