One of the crucial components of diabetes management is diet. There is a tremendous variety of opinions as to what works when it comes to diabetes nutrition and diets in general.
Diets are hardly ever a one-size-fits-all program so it's to find one that works for you. The important thing is to follow a meal plan that suits your personal tastes and lifestyle and at the same time helps you attain your goals for your blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight control.
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs
It's also a good idea to stay away from or severely limit the "bad" carbs such as white bread, white rice, and processed foods such as cakes, cookies, potato chips, crackers, candy, and sugary soft drinks.
The G.I. Index
Since "bad" carbs are processed and refined they are broken down by the digestive system at a much faster pace than "good" carbs. This causes your blood sugar to spike. The faster this action occurs the higher the glycemic index or G.I. value for that food. The slower this action occurs, the lower the G.I. value.
If you were to eat an apple it would take your body a while to transfer those carbs into fuel as there are vitamins and fiber the body has to process as well. Your body was designed to process these lower G.I. value foods. If you were to eat straight table sugar or "bad" carbs this process would happen much fast because the sugar converts immediately. These are the higher G.I. value foods and are our bodies simply were not designed to eat these types of food.
How Overeating "Bad" Carbs Can Make Us Fat
Glucose that is not needed right away is turned into glycogen which is simply the stored form of glucose. It is stored in the liver and muscle cells. If the body has too much glucose and all its glycogen storage sites are full, it will convert this glucose to fat. This is why it's important to avoid excessive consumption of "bad" carbs and sugary foods. When you consume "bad" carbs you simply aren't giving your body the proper fuel.
You wouldn't use the wrong fuel in your car so why put it in your body?
"Good" Fats vs. "Bad" Fats
Another thing that most nutrition experts agree on is watching the "bad" fats in your diet. The "bad" fats are the saturated and trans fats which put you at greater risk for several diseases. The saturated fats are fats that are usually solid at room temperature. The trans fats are the hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils found in many processed foods such as crackers, cookies, potato chips, and other processed snack foods.
The "good" fats are the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which help lower disease risk. These are often a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in cold-water fish, nuts, seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flax seed oils and olive oil.
What To Eat
While there is some dispute regarding the best diabetes nutrition, most experts agree on the benefits of the following foods:
· Foods with a glycemic index or G.I. rating of 55 or less
· "Good" carbs such as whole grains, steel-cut or rolled oats, sweet potatoes, beans, and legumes
· Fresh fruit that has a lower G.I. rating· Fresh vegetables
· Fish and seafood
· Low fat chicken, turkey, and pork
· Tofu and egg whites
· Low fat or non-fat milk
The Plate Trick
These foods can be the framework of a diabetic diet for excellent diabetes nutrition. The important thing is to make sure that your meals are balanced. An easy way to do this is to draw an imaginary line down the center of your plate. One half of your plate should contain non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, zucchini, peppers, green beans, etc. Now imagine the remaining section of the plate is also divided by an imaginary line. This leaves you with two equal sections. In one section place your "good" carbs such as whole grain breads, potatoes, rice, and pasta. In the remaining section place your protein such as fish, chicken, or turkey. Add some non-fat milk and a small piece of fruit if you so desire.
There you have it; an manageable way to keep your diet on target and keep yourself healthy. Use food as your ally to win the war against diabetes.
