MANAGING DIABETES: SWEET CHALLENGE

A diabetes diet simply means eating the healthiest foods in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes.

A diabetes diet is a healthy eating plan that’s naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and carbs and calories. Key elements are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In fact, a diabetes diet is the best eating plan for everyone.

You can help keep your blood glucose level in a safe range by making healthy food choices and tracking your eating habits.

For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make it easier to control blood glucose and offers a host of other health benefits. If you need to lose weight, a diabetes diet provides a well-organized, nutritious way to reach your goal safely

Recommended foods

Make your calories count with these nutritious foods. Choose healthy carbohydrates(complex carbs), fibre-rich foods, and “good” fats.

Healthy carbohydrates

During digestion, sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates) break down into blood glucose. Focus on healthy carbohydrates, such as:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes, such as beans and peas
• Low-fat dairy products, such as milk and cheese

Avoid less healthy carbohydrates, such as foods or drinks with added fats, sugars and sodium.

Fibre-rich foods

Dietary fibre includes all parts of plant foods that your body can’t digest or absorb. Fibre moderates how your body digests and helps control blood sugar levels. Foods high in fibre include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Legumes, such as beans and peas
• Whole grains

Heart-healthy fish

Eat heart-healthy fish at least twice a week. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may prevent heart disease.

Avoid fried fish and fish with high levels of mercury, such as king mackerel.

‘Good’ fats

Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol levels. These include:

• Avocados
• Nuts
• Canola, olive and peanut oils

But don’t overdo it, as all fats are high in calories.

Foods to avoid

Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by accelerating the development of clogged and hardened arteries. Foods containing the following can work against your goal of a heart-healthy diet.

• Saturated fats. Avoid high-fat dairy products and animal proteins such as butter, beef, hot dogs, sausage and bacon. Also, limit coconut and palm kernel oils.
• Trans fats. Avoid trans fats found in processed snacks, baked goods, shortening and stick margarine.
• Cholesterol. Cholesterol sources include high-fat dairy products and high-fat animal proteins, egg yolks, liver, and other organ meats. Aim for no more than 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day.
• Sodium. Aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Your doctor may suggest you aim for even less if you have high blood pressure.

Putting it all together: Creating a plan

You may use a few different approaches to create a diabetes diet to help you keep your blood glucose level within a normal range. With a dietitian’s help, you may find that one or a combination of the following methods works for you:

The plate method

The American Diabetes Association offers a simple method of meal planning. In essence, it focuses on eating more vegetables. Follow these steps when preparing your plate:

• Fill half of your plate with nonstarchy vegetables, such as spinach, carrots and tomatoes.
• Fill a quarter of your plate with protein, such as tuna, chicken.
• Fill the last quarter with a whole-grain item, such as brown rice, or a starchy vegetable, such as green peas.
• Include “good” fats such as nuts or avocados in small amounts.
• Add a serving of fruit or dairy and a drink of water or unsweetened tea or coffee.

Counting carbohydrates

Because carbohydrates break down into glucose, they have the greatest impact on your blood glucose level. To help control your blood sugar, you may need to learn to calculate the amount of carbohydrates you are eating so that you can adjust the dose of insulin accordingly. It’s important to keep track of the amount of carbohydrates in each meal or snack.

A dietitian can teach you how to measure food portions and become an educated reader of food labels. He or she can also teach you how to pay special attention to serving size and carbohydrate content.

If you’re taking insulin, a dietitian can teach you how to count the amount of carbohydrates in each meal or snack and adjust your insulin dose accordingly.

Glycemic index

Some people who have diabetes use the glycemic index to select foods, especially carbohydrates. This method ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on their effect on blood glucose levels. High glycemic index (GI) foods spike your blood sugar rapidly, while low GI foods have the least effect on blood sugar.

instead of…Try these high-fiber options…

instead of White riceBrown or wild rice, eat riced cauliflower white,

instead of potatoes (including fries and mashed potatoes), eat Sweet potatoes, yams, cauliflower mash

instead of, Regular pasta eat whole-wheat pasta, spaghetti squash

instead of Whitebread eat Whole-wheat or whole-grain bread

instead of sugary breakfast cereal eat high-fibre, low-sugar cereal

instead of instant oatmeal eat Steel-cut or rolled oats

instead of Cornflakes eat Low-sugar bran flakes

instead of Corn eat Peas or leafy greens

Be smart about sweets

Reduce your cravings for sweets, Hold the bread (or rice or pasta) if you want dessert, Add some healthy fat to your dessert, Eat sweets with a meal, rather than as a stand-alone snack. When you eat dessert, truly savour each bite.

Tricks for cutting down on sugar

Reduce soft drinks, soda, and juice. Don’t replace saturated fat with sugar.

Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened iced tea, plain yoghurt, or unflavored oatmeal, for example, and add sweetener (or fruit) yourself. You’ll likely add far less sugar than the manufacturer,

Check labels and opt for low sugar products

Avoid processed or packaged foods

Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes by ¼ to ⅓. You can boost sweetness with mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract instead of sugar.

Find healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead of ice cream, blend up frozen bananas for a creamy, frozen treat. Or enjoy a small chunk of dark chocolate, rather than a milk chocolate bar.

Start with half of the dessert you normally eat and replace the other half with fruit.

Ways to reduce unhealthy fats and add healthy fats:

1. Instead of chips or crackers, snack on nuts or seeds or add them to your morning cereal. Nut butter is also very satisfying.
2. Instead of frying, choose to broil, bake, or stir-fry.
3. Avoid saturated fat from processed meats, packaged meals, and takeout food.
4. Instead of just red meat, vary your diet with skinless chicken, eggs, fish, and vegetarian sources of protein.
5. Use extra-virgin olive oil to dress salads, cooked vegetables, or pasta dishes.
6. Commercial salad dressings are often high in calories so create your own with olive oil, flaxseed oil, or sesame oil.
7. Add avocados to sandwiches and salads Along with being loaded with healthy fats, they make for a filling and satisfying meal.
8. Enjoy dairy in moderation.

Your body is better able to regulate blood sugar levels — and your weight — when you maintain a regular meal schedule. Aim for moderate and consistent portion sizes for each meal.

Get more active

Exercise can help you manage your weight and may improve your insulin sensitivity. An easy way to start exercising is to walk for 30 minutes a day (or for three 10-minute sessions if that’s easier). You can also try swimming, biking, or any other moderate-intensity activity that has you working up a light sweat and breathing harder.

If your last diet attempt wasn’t a success, or life events have caused you to gain weight, don’t be discouraged. The key is to find a plan that works with your body’s individual needs so that you can avoid common diet pitfalls and find long-term, weight loss success.