Diet and Diabetes

Heather Little-White, PhD, Contributor

Diabetics will quickly learn that controlling blood-sugar levels depends heavily on what they eat. It is easy to make glucose, which comes from complex carbohydrates like ground provisions and pasta and from simple carbohydrates like sugars. The challenge is to get glucose into the cells where it is needed. This is where insulin plays that critical role in unlocking the cells to allow glucose to enter the cells. When the body does not produce enough insulin for this essential function, glucose accumulates in the bloodstream resulting in diabetes.

Constant hunger

The signals that the pancreas is not producing enough insulin include feeling tired and constantly hungry because the cells are lacking in glucose. There may also be frequent urination and constant thirst. Over time, weight may be shed as the body finds the reserves to compensate for the missing glucose in the cells. Diabetes management should be taken seriously as it could result in long-term complications, including nerve damage, blindness, impotence, heart attacks and kidney damage.

Once you accept the conditions of the disease, its management through nutrition therapy is fairly easy but challenging. The best eating plan is one that is tailored to meet your needs, as people are not the same and have different needs, and what they need depends on total health, not just the diabetic condition. Some persons may be overweight, others may have high levels of LDL cholesterol, and others yet may be hypertensive. This explains why some people can have a little 'sweet ending' after a meal while others are restricted.

Weight control

Apart from personal preferences, the goals of any diet must be weight control and lowering the risk of heart disease while, at the same time, controlling blood sugar. There is no one-size-fits-all eating plan, but the guidelines serve the goals of diet control.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) provides flexible guidelines for dietary management. Researchers have long struggled with the prescription of no sweets. But when totally restricted, people tend to cheat and end up eating too much. The ADA recommends portioning the different elements of the diet to keep blood sugar under control.

Reduce fats: Thirty per cent of total calories should come from fat, limiting saturated fat (animal fats) to 10 per cent of total calories, with the rest coming from monounsatu-rated or polyunsaturated fats (plant sources) such as olive oil.

Cut back on proteins: If diabetics consume too much protein, they face the risk of kidney complication, especially if a lot of animal fats is consumed.

More carbs: Diabetics should not be afraid of eating high-complex carbs to 'bulk' up their diet.

Enjoy snacks: Some sugars are needed, so a small piece of pastry or a candy cannot be criticised as dangerous. All carbohydrates, not just sugars, can raise blood-sugar levels. Since all carbohydrates are not created equal, when you decide to have sugary snacks, you will have to cut back on your carbohydrate intake later.

Stock up on fibre: Thirty to 35 grams of fibre should be eaten each day by consuming three to five servings of vegetables, along with two to three servings of fruit, in addition to two or three servings of whole grains.

Start the diet of diabetes control by shedding a few pounds and reducing fat intake. Make dietary diabetes management a fun activity and balance your life with exercise and safe lifestyle practices like not smoking and engaging in safe sex.