Diet For Diabetes

Learning to live with diabetes can be a frustrating time, especially soon after diagnosis and when you or your family are fairly unfamiliar with the disease. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions while you are adjusting to your new lifestyle, remember that your doctor, dietician and nutritionist are your friends and they are there to help you transition calmly and seamlessly into your new life as a diabetic. While medications are available for the treatment of diabetes, diet and exercise are two treatment methods that often have the most impact on the quality of life that you have as a diabetic. Learning what makes up a diet for diabetes takes just a little bit of research and it can help you live much healthier life.

The most important part of a diet for diabetes is figuring out what amount of carbohydrates are acceptable within the limits of your body’s blood sugar level. Carbohydrates alone, more than any other type of food, have the ability to drastically affect your body’s blood sugar levels on a daily basis. Many disease experts, including the scientists at the American Association for Diabetes, agree that a diet for diabetes should include a daily caloric intake that is made up of no more than 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates. Experts also recommend that 12 to 20 percent of the daily calories of a diabetic should come from proteins and 30 percent or less of the daily calories of a diabetic should come from fats.

Because it is extremely easy for people with diabetes to develop heart disease and high cholesterol levels which in turn encourage heart disease, it is very important to ascribe to a diabetes diet that limits saturated fats and instead includes monosaturated and unsaturated fats. Consult with your dietician or nutritionist to find out which vegetables are likely to be high in the right kind of fats.

Also ask your food nutrition specialist about how to incorporate the right kinds of lean proteins into your diet for diabetes, as these proteins will be the best for building muscle in your body. As you may know, muscle cells are designed for absorbing the insulin that your body naturally produces, that will help keep your blood sugar regulated naturally. Encouraging the formation of healthy, strong muscle through diet and exercise will equip your body to manage itself more efficiently and without the aid of strong medicines.