Diet and Diabetes,have considered what guideline to fellow to ensure a proper diet,these extract will help
One of the most effective tools you have to keep your blood glucose in the target range is your diet. What you eat, how much, and when has a big impact on your glucose levels.
Basic Guidelines for Diet Control of Blood Glucose:
1. Eat three meals a day and snacks spaced in long spans.
2. Do not skip meals.
3. Eat your meals and planned snacks about the same time every day, just as you take your medication.
4. Eat a consistent amount of carbohydrates at each meal and snack, and distribute carbohydrates evenly throughout the day.
5. It is important to be mindful of what you eat, and the effect it has on your blood glucose by testing before and after meals.
Composition of Food
Here is a mini-lesson in Nutrition 101. Food is made of three components— fat, protein and carbohydrate. Each of these has different effects on blood glucose.
Fats, oily substances like oil, mayonnaise, cream, butter and
avocado, do not raise blood glucose. In fact, fats slow stomach emptying
and so decrease the rate at which blood glucose rises after a mixed
meal.
Protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, tofu, etc. cause the blood sugar to rise slightly, and also slows this rise because of length of digestion time.
Carbohydrates are all the sweets, starches, fruits, vegetables and milk/yogurt foods.
These foods are responsible for an increase in blood glucose, which activates insulin
release. Carefully controlling your intake of certain portions of
carbohydrate will keep your blood glucose on target. Your meal plan will
have a defined amount of carbohydrate for you to eat each day.
What about Fiber?
Dietary fiber
is a source of carbohydrate. Fiber is found in plant-based food like
fruit, vegetables, legumes, peas, brown rice, whole-grain breads and
cereals. Fiber is not digested or absorbed like other starches, and so
has less of an effect on increasing blood sugars. The recommendation is
to eat 20-35 grams of fiber a day.
There are two kinds of fiber. Insoluble fiber is roughage–bran, skins
and seeds, vegetables and cereal. This kind of fiber promotes
regularity by adding bulk to bowel movements, slows digestion to aid in
weight loss and blood glucose control, and helps prevent intestinal
disorders and reduces the risk of intestinal cancers. Soluble fiber is
the part of the plant material which absorbs water and dissolves in the
digestive system. Oat bran, barley, legumes and fruit are high in
soluble fiber. This fiber also works to moderate blood glucose, reduce cholesterol, triglycerides and lower LDL cholesterol.
Fiber is listed on a Nutrition Facts panel in a food label under the
Total Carbohydrate. The number listed is part of the total
carbohydrate. A good portion of the fiber in a food goes undigested, so
the impact in calories and glucose rise is minimal. Rule of thumb—if
there is more than 5 grams of fiber per serving in a food item, you can
subtract half the fiber from the total carbohydrate to get a more
accurate representation of the available carbohydrate in the food. (http://www.diabetescare.net)