Healthy Diet For Diabetic Patient – Content by: Dr. Nikita Toshi BDS, Assistant Manager (Medical Examination), Dr. Ritu Budania MBBS, MD (Pharmacology) Head, Medical Affairs and Dt. Ami Shah PG Clinical Nutrition (Heart and Diabetes), Registered Nutritionist and Diabetes Educator
Meal Planning in Diabetes and Mental Health: How to Create and Stick to a Diabetic Diet Plan You Enjoy
Healthy Diet For Diabetic Patient
First, what is diabetes mellitus? It is a metabolic disorder that affects the way our body uses blood sugar. It is widely distributed in India. Either we have been diagnosed or know someone in our family or close circle of friends who has. Contrary to popular belief, people can lead fairly normal and fulfilling lives with diabetes. And this is possible when the right measures are taken to manage blood sugar levels over a period of time. When you are diagnosed with diabetes, it can be scary at first. Accepting a diagnosis and preparing for recovery can be a difficult process, after all, it can be a struggle sometimes to leave our favorite foods out of our lives. You might even experience a barrage of advice from everyone around you. Eat this, don’t eat this, eat less, eat a big breakfast, go on a juice cleanse leaving you confused and further weakening your resolve.
The Best Fruits For People With Diabetes — And The Worst
While a diabetes diet plan may look different for everyone, the basic truth is that a small change in your lifestyle can go a long way in managing the condition. When we hear about a diabetes diet plan, we fear that it might cut out everything we want to eat and only bland foods will take its place. Although this may not always be the case, there are many ways that eating can be enjoyable even for a diabetic. In this article, let’s look at how to meal plan for diabetes, portion sizes, what to supplement and also some sample 7-day Indian meal plans to follow.
The most common and 3 main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. These occur when your blood sugar is higher than the normal range. If not controlled in the beginning, it can also cause health problems. Managing your diabetes means managing not only your blood glucose, but also your blood pressure and even your cholesterol. Switching to a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and physical activity is an absolute must. It is better if you are able to give up smoking and drinking.
So the best way to start is to make a diabetes meal plan for yourself that will help you control your blood sugar. Add to that some form of physical activity most days of the week and you’re on the right course. You should also talk to your health care professional about the diet plan that is right for you.
If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, your healthcare professional will, in most cases, recommend that you see a dietitian for a pre-diabetes meal plan. This helps develop a healthy eating plan, and the plan, in turn, helps you control your blood sugar, manage your weight, and manage diabetes complications.
Diabetic Diet Chart (1600 Calories, Vegetarian)
You can help keep your blood glucose levels in a safe range by making healthy food choices and following your diet plan.
A meal plan is your answer to when, what and how much to eat to get the right amount of nutrition you need. All this while keeping your blood sugar levels in the target range. A good meal plan is one where you don’t stop yourself from eating delicious foods while making sure your sugar levels are under control.
Carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels, and how quickly they do so depends on what foods you eat. For example, drinking fruit juice raises blood sugar faster than eating whole fruit. Also, eating carbohydrates with foods that contain protein, fat, or fiber slows how quickly blood sugar rises. This intake needs to be monitored and planned. Regular and balanced meals help to avoid high or low blood sugar levels. You must eat the same amount of carbohydrates in every meal as it helps in diabetes diet plan. The plate method and carb counting are two common tools that can make meal planning easier. Also, meal planning may vary depending on the type of diabetes you are diagnosed with.
When you have a chronic condition like diabetes, the primary goal for any diabetic is to find ways to keep it under control. Controlling your blood sugar can help you avoid the symptoms of diabetes that reach your extremities, can reduce your pill burden and your risk of developing other health complications. It may even help you feel more energetic.
Fruits That Are Good For Diabetics
If there are medications your doctor has prescribed to help control your blood sugar, then you must take them on time, every day.
Eating healthy, planned meals at about the same time each day helps keep your blood sugar stable. Also, the consistency of meals helps to avoid severe hunger. It also helps medicines work better.
Your goal should be to eat two to four servings of carbohydrates a day. They should be around 30 to 60 grams per meal. Carbohydrates raise blood sugar and keep it in a healthy range.
Testing your blood sugar with a meter before and after meals is the only way to know how your body is reacting to the meals you eat. Checking your blood sugar a few times a week is enough for some people, but if you need regular monitoring, your healthcare professional will inform you about the same. In general, someone who doesn’t take insulin can start by testing their blood sugar three times a day—fasting in the morning, before their biggest meal, and then two hours after that meal. People taking insulin may test more often.
Wonder Foods For Diabetic Person
Writing down what you eat and also your blood sugar readings helps your health expert review your progress and also compare it.
Improper meal timing can be the biggest and most common cause of low blood sugar. Especially when taking diabetes medication. However, if and when you experience the warning signs, check your sugar levels immediately, if below 70 mg/dL-15 grams of carbohydrates (approximately 3 teaspoons of sugar/honey or 120 ml of fruit juice) are recommended. After resting for 15 minutes, you must test your blood sugar again, and if it is below 70, do another 3 until the sugar level returns to normal.
People with diabetes who exercise tend to have better blood sugar control. It also keeps blood pressure and cholesterol levels in range. However, to avoid low blood sugar, it is recommended to eat an additional portion of carbohydrates half an hour before starting exercise. Make sure if you’re exercising for a long time that you drink diluted juice or consume other carbohydrates during your workout to stay hydrated.
If you are dining out, then plan by looking at the restaurant’s online menu. The extra carbs lurking in restaurants, such as stick-on chicken, can make eating out a challenge. You must also limit fats such as butter and cream. When eating out, it’s best to start with appetizers like soup and grilled appetizers to avoid overeating during the main course.
Best Fruits For A Diabetic Diet
Recruit family members to eat healthy and exercise with you. This makes it feel more like fun than a chore.
If you struggle with controlling your blood sugar, then don’t beat yourself up about it. With medication and a healthy lifestyle and meal plan for diabetes, you can control its progression. Additionally, seek help from a professional mental health therapist, licensed counselor, or even members of a support group to help you process your anxieties and fears in a healthy way.
Most of us believe the myth that dieting means starving yourself. However, that is far from the truth. Dieting means eating healthy food at intervals and in moderate amounts.
A diabetes diet plan is a method of healthy eating that should contain essential nutrients that provide your body with fuel in a steady manner. The key elements of such a diet plan are vegetables and fresh fruits. A diabetes meal plan is actually recommended for everyone, not just diabetic patients.
Diabetes Food Chart The Best Food For Diabetes
Your dietitian will recommend something called a therapeutic lifestyle change plan to achieve your diabetes diet plan. The goal is to control your glucose, improve your HbA1C levels, lower your cholesterol levels, lose extra weight, which can help your doctor lower the dose of your sugar-lowering medications. This will help prevent some serious health complications, such as heart complications, which are more common when you have diabetes.
Control saturated fat to 7% of your daily calories, 10% or less of polyunsaturated fat, and > 10% of monounsaturated fat.
A common myth is that serving size and portion size are the same, but they are not. A serving is the amount of food you choose to eat at one time, but a serving is a specific amount of food, such as a slice of bread.
Nowadays, portions in restaurants are quite a bit larger than they used to be. Studies have proven that people tend to eat more if
