Living With Type 2 Diabetes: Diets That Work
According to the National Diabetes Factsheet of 2011 released by the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), about 25.8 million people in the United States are affected by diabetes.1 Furthermore, of all the diagnosed diabetes cases in adults, Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90-95%.
In Type 2 diabetes, the body does not respond properly to insulin, the hormone required to move blood sugar into cells. As a result, the blood sugar does not get stored in the cells for energy.
According to the CDC factsheet, obesity is one of the factors associated with Type 2 diabetes and it suggests that many people affected with this type of diabetes can control their blood sugar by following a healthy meal plan.
Type 2 Diabetes Diet
Creating a healthy diet plan for Type 2 Diabetes is the first step towards managing the disease. Diabetics are usually asked by their physicians to consult a nutritionist or a registered dietician tocreate a Type 2 diabetes diet plan for them.
There are two main meal planning systemsthat are effective as a
Type 2 diabetes dietThe first is called the carbohydrate counting method.In this system, the focus is on budgeting the amount of carbs you eat at each meal or snack. If you are suffering from diabetes, you will be asked to evenly distribute the consumption of carbs between all your meals to control your blood sugar.
With carbohydrate counting, you can eat anything you want so long as you control the portion size to stay within permissible carb limits.
The second Type 2 diabetes diet meal plan system is called the exchange list. In this system, all food types are grouped into a few basic categories like:starches;milk; fruit; veggies; sweets, fats, and alcohol; and meat and fish.
This Type 2 diabetes diet plan works on the premise that the nutritional content or the amount of energy provided by foods within a particular group is essentially the same, so you can trade one type of food for another from the same group.
A registered dietician will determine the amount of calories, carbs and other nutrients you require and how much food you need to consume from each group to meet that requirement. Based on your individual needs, you and your dietician can create a diet plan for your meals and snacks from the different food categories.
Type 2 Diabetes Diet: Foods to Eat and Avoid
For effective Type 2 diabetes management, it is important that you eat a well-balanced diet consisting of carbs, proteins and fats. Its recommended that you add certain food varieties to your plan, while avoid others.
For example, its good to add a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables to your Type 2 Diabetes diet plan. However, care should be taken to avoid very sugary fruits. Its also a good idea to check the amount of fruit you can have in a day. So far as veggies are concerned, its advisable to go for the non-starchy ones like carrots, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, celery, cucumber, spinach, etc.
Vegetables are a rich source of fiber, which helps control blood sugar levels. In addition to veggies, eating legumes, beans, lentils, peas, etc. are also recommended. Other foods that should be added to your meal plan include non-fat or low-fat dairy, skinless chicken or turkey, lean pork or beef, and fish.
Needless to say, foods rich in saturated and Trans fat, salt and cholesterol are a big no-no if you suffer from Type 2 diabetes. Examples of similar food include sodas, cookies, chips, high-fat dairy products like ice cream, etc.
Dukan Diet Type 2 Diabetes Diet
What if someone was to tell you that there already exists a diet plan that can effectively help you manage your diabetes? It requires no carb counting, no food exchanging and is simple enough to follow on your own.
Its called the
Dukan Diet Type 2 Diabetes Diet, which has a weight loss coaching program and the diet can be followed by diabetics to control their condition as it is low in carbs, low in fats, and low in salt. It prescribes a wholesome mix of non-starchy vegetables, lean meats and seafood and other healthy proteins.
The diet further promotes a healthy lifestyle by recommended inclusion of physical exercise into your daily schedule, which is such an important part of any diabetes management plan.
by: Sydney Nelson
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