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diet for diabetes

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Q: Is anyone else finding contradicting information about the best diet for diabetes?
I was reading Dr. Barnard’s book about becoming totally vegan and then eating all the good carbs all you want. But everything else seems to indicate you need to eat very few carbs and plenty of lean meats, all in small portions. What’s the deal? I am on the high end of normal, bordering pre-diabetes (after gestational diabetes). Trying to stay “normal.”

A: It’s pretty much a concensus that eating a balanced diet is the most helpful for everyone. Trouble is, that’s hard.

Balanced means eating by the ‘food pyramid’. Not the OLD one, the new one. In order of what you should eat the most, to what you should eat the least, the new one is Vegetables, fruits, complex carbs, meats and dairy, fats/oils/refined sugar.

I find that this diet is what controls my diabetes the best. I’m not a vegan–and don’t think a vegan diet is particularly healthy, to be honest. It can lack certain minerals, and it’s really hard to get complete proteins from a vegan diet. We need some of the nutrients found in meats and fish–and you just can’t get these by taking supplements.

However, I eat more vegetables than anything else, and the only carbs I eat are whole grains, and unrefined rice. I do eat some sugar–(have a sweet tooth) but I keep it to a low level. But I also make sure I get a decent amount of proteins–cheese, soy milk, yogurt and lean meats. I keep red meats and fatty meats very low–and stick to mostly fish and chicken, lean pork and very lean beef. I do not eat fast food or even restaurant food very often anymore. This was a HUGE help in controlling my sugar.

I think you can eat darn near anything as long as you practice sense and moderation. I have dessert with dinner. I have fruit. I have candy once in a while. I don’t binge, I don’t eat lunch at McD’s and I try to keep my portions reasonable, rather than the ones we’ve gotten used to these days.

A good book is called “Eat This, Not That” if you have questions about what you are getting in most commercial food. Otherwise, the best idea is to find out as much information as you can about what foods are and are not good for you–and stick to a sensible, balanced plan.

Q: anyone with type2 diabetes have a diabetes diet plan to share?
looking for a weight loss plan for a type 2 diabetic, hope someone out there is willing to share it with me …will be greatly appreciated….

A: i dont know of a diet plan. but i can tell you whats working for me. i eat more during the day when im active and small meal at dinner along with a snack at bedtime. if im not hungry but i feel my blood sugar dropping i keep pediasure in the house to drink. it has lots of vitamins. low fat cereals and eggs for breakfast. during the day fruits, yogerts, pretzels, lowfat soups, a variety of things. i dont eat a lunch so to say. but i eat a serving of something every couple hours when im at work. south beach cereal bars are good to and you can always keep them on you for those hunger fits or when your low too. 100 calorie packs are good and cure sweet tooths. milk and gram crackers before bed keep my sugar up at night and when i have a snack with a little sugar in it i dont feel do deprived and hungry. 70 calorie packs of jello. im a huge salt finatic so pickles, crab meat, hard boiled eggs with salt, tomatoes, the choices are endless of low calorie things you can eat. i am losing on average 2-3 pounds a week doing this. and to tell you the truth i dont go out of my way to exercise much and my doctor would kill me to admit that lol.

Q: What is the diet for diabetes?
What is the diet for? and can you tell me some information about it?

A: Your diet is VERY important to keeping your blood sugar in check, and to prevent complications from high and low extremes in blood sugars. Despite what some are saying, if you eat fatty foods and sugar consistently and in large amounts, you will end up with complications such as blindness and lost limbs from high sugar levels…I’ve seen it.

Having diabetes doesn’t mean that you have to start eating special foods or follow a complicated diabetes diet plan. Your diabetes diet simply translates into eating a variety of foods in moderate amounts, having a treat or two, and sticking to regular mealtimes.

This means choosing a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Consistency also is key, because your body responds to excess calories and fat by creating an undesirable rise in blood sugar. Sticking to planned mealtimes is very important; always carry a snack to prevent drops in blood sugar.

Meeting with a dietitian is often helpful in getting started, as there are multiple plans and options for you based on your lifestyle. I have included a few links for a some different types of plans for you. Take a look, and find one that works best with your food preferences and life.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a treat every now and then, or are on a strict diet. Moderation is key, and fresh healthy foods should be the main component.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00077

http://diabetes.about.com/od/nutrition/p/eatingplans.htm

Best of luck to you.

Q: I would like to have a good diet for diabetes 2?
my husband has diabetes 2 and I would like to know what he can eat and in what portions.

A: You and your husband should make an appointment with a dietitian to know what diet suits his individual needs.No two people are alike.
make sure to sign up for diabetes magazines and read books about diabetes that have been published in the past five yrs.
Education is the key.
There are no more one fits all diets.
Good luck

Q: Question about Diet / Diabetes ?????
Wats are the Carbohydrated Foods, Protein Foods…and wats the best food for diabetic patient having cholestrol more.

A: The best thing to do is to find out if there is a dietitian or nutritionist that can explain this to you locally, and may be able to be a support person if you run into difficulties.

Basics are:
Carbohydrates are the sweet and starchy foods – breads, cereals, rice, pasta, potato, sweet potato, legumes, fruit and things like candy and soft drink are all sources of carbohydrates.

Protein foods are meats, eggs, legumes and dairy (legumes are things like lentils, dried beans eg. garbanzo, kidney, etc., split peas etc.)

Fat includes all fats and oils, including fats in meat, butter, margarine, and all cooking oils.

For diabetes, we need some carbohydrate foods at each meal. Different carbohydrate foods produce different rates of blood sugar levels rising, so there are better choices. Best choices are whole grain breads and cereals, basmati rice, sweet potato and legumes. That said, monitoring is still crucial.

Things like candy and soft drinks (regular not diet) tend to cause a big rise in blood sugar levels. If you are looking for more information on how carbohydrate foods affect blood sugar levels, the glycaemic index or GI is a measure of this. Information can be found on the internet, or I would recommend any books on the subject by Jenny Brand-Miller.

Milk, yoghurt and fruit all contain some sugar, but unless you eat large volumes in one go, tend to only cause a small rise in blood sugar levels.

The amount of fat in your diet will affect your cholesterol. Choosing low fat where possible is the biggest help. Cholesterol is made from fat, and choosing low fat limits the amount that can be made. That said, different fats will effect cholesterol differently – fats from animals, animal products such as butter, cream and milk, coconut and palm oil tend to increase the bad (LDL) cholesterol, where as other fats may help increase the good (HDL) cholesterol.

If you stick to a low fat, high fibre diet, with a small portion of carbohydrate food at each meal, plenty of vegetables, a piece of meat/chicken/fish about the size of the palm once a day, a few pieces of fruit and 2-3 serves of low fat dairy food every day, this will be the basic foods for managing diabetes and cholesterol. Monitoring your blood sugar levels is IMPORTANT and will allow you to adapt your carbohydrate intake to your need. If your sugars are high, reduce your serve size the next time, if they are low, increase. Recording sugar levels and what you have eaten/done also will help work out foods which eaten irregularly may be affecting your sugar levels.

Exercise is also a big part of controlling your diabetes. It helps lower blood sugar levels on average. Even increasing your exercise slowly to about 30 minutes of walking 4-5 times per week can have a huge effect on blood sugar levels.

This information is very, very basic, and I want to reinforce seeking advice locally is the only way to find out locally applicable information (food labelling and availability may affect your food choices greatly).

Q: Can a high-carbohydrate diet cause diabetes?
I know that carbohydrate will be converted to glycogen (sugar) and stored in body. For this reason, if I eat a lot of carbohydrate, ie. the food groups at the base of Pyramid Food Guide, will I possibly increase sugar for myself? ANd consequently, will I have diabetes because of high-carb diet?
: I eat a lot of high-sugar fruits too though, eg, grapes, tangerine, pears, apple. My diet is low around 1,200-1,500 calorie and my eating habit is irregular.

And if I exercise regularly, will my sugar decrease due to burning of energy for use during exercise?

A: Ray, there are only 2 ways to become a type 2 diabetic:

a. There MUST be a pre-disposition to it (the genetic factor) , because your not aware of someone in your family having it doesn’t mean the gene hasn’t been passed along. Many people go undiagnosed or not tell other family members, so no one knows for sure that it doesn’t run in their family.

AND

Something environmental must trigger the disease, the usual suspects are”
a. Obesity
b. A lifetime of poor eating habits
c. A lifestyle with not enough exercise.

The answer to the last part of your question is yes, exercise will burn off excess glucose.

Q: Last attempt at asking for help…..Diet/diabetes?
I am looking for a kind soul who is willing to make me a meal plan both for weight loss and being diabetic. Please do not send me to a website ive been there and its not what im looking for. Thank you in advance for your help.

Notes: Most fish makes me ill and can only have little diary (allergic)
Please no diet pills either
Maybe im not being specific enough….this is what i need

For b-fast eat _____
For snack eat ______
and so on.

A: Last attempt at telling you that we can NOT make your meal plan for you. Sorry, but each person with diabetes is totally different. Foods will affect us each differently. I am one of the lucky ones. I can pretty much eat what I want without spiking, but you have some who have very strict limits to prevent spiking. Any meal planning we give you could result in serious problems for you. Go and find you a nutritionist who can help you learn how to plan your meals and work with your doctor for control and weight loss once you know which foods are best for you to stay away from due to spiking. We are not trying to be mean here, we are trying to help you. Plus we don’t know what you like, dislike, or may be allergic too. Here is tho what I eat at least 2 times a week.
Breakfast:
instant flavored oatmeal (nothing added) 1 pack
slice of whole wheat heart healthy toast with peanut butter

Lunch:
garden salad with some kind of meat (canned tuna, chicken, etc) and croutons, and dressing that I like.
Fruit – fresh or jarred tropical fruit> up to 1 cup

Dinner:
One or two types veggies (at least one is green)
A starch. It can be a potato, rice or pasta.
Meat, 4 to 6 ounces.

Snack:
any of the following: small piece of cake, candy bar, fruit, jello, pudding.

Now my diet could be the wrong diet for you or other diabetics. So eat what I eat at your own risk.

Q: What should I expect to be on my diet for gestational diabetes?
I go to see the gestational diabetes nutritionist on thurs. I am 29 weeks and they diagnosed me at 28. She told me not to worry about what I’m eating until then, so I’m using these last few days to get my cravings satisfied! lol. When I see her though, what should I expect to be eating alot of? Staying away from? Is it going to be that bad? Or was it manageable for you?

A: mt friend had it and some of the foods she had to stay away from were fizzy drinks, especially coke, chocolate, pizza, lollies (candy), ice cream and a few others. i cant remeber them all. however i do know that she caved in occasioanlly and would have the odd can of coke or chocolate bar

Q: How can unhealthy diet contributes to diabetes?
uhm i need to know about diabetes and the question above is what i need a answer for thanx

A: Eating sweets does not… and will never… cause diabetes. It’s a myth that grew legs of its own and ran. Be selective in what advice you heed on here. *However* If you are predisposed to type 2, you can speed up its diagnosis by eating crap and lack of exercise. Contrarywise, you can slow down its onset by eating right and taking care of your health. Sweets plays a part in type 2 onset, but in itself will never cause the disease. Type 2 is primarily genetic, so if there is type 2 diabetes in your family, you should be careful with food and lifestyle choices, you may be predisposed. Eating right is never a bad idea! Type 2 is not as direct as type 1 in its target, and cousins, nephews and grandchildren are all within its reach.

A healthy/unhealthy diet will never play a role in type 1. Type 1 diabetics become such due to genetics (very direct – parent/child, sibling/sibling); your body erroneously identifies the insulin making cells (islet cells) as enemy or foreign cells, and destroys them… kind of the way they do when you have a cold… it’s why your cold goes away. This is often, but not always, preceded by an indeterminate virus. By indeterminate, I mean it’s not the same virus from person to person, nor is the length of time between virus and diabetes onset.

I don’t know why mystical was downthumbed, he’s not that far off.

Q: Question about feeling better on diet for diabetes?
Monday of this week I cut out all sugar except what occurs naturally in fruits & vegetables.I probably got some sugar in some ketchup & some salad dressing, but that’s about it. I have also cut out all “bad” carbs.

Before I cut out all sugar & bad carbs I was feeling like I had hypoglycemic symptoms about 2 or 3 hours after I’d have something sugary to eat.Now I feel the symptoms very mildly when it’s been about 3 hours since I have eaten any meal.I get a little light headed & my jaw tenses up.

I really expected these symptoms to completely go away immediately because I’m not eating sugar or carbs, but I guess it doesn’t work like that. Maybe I didn’t get hypoglycemic symptoms between every meal before because I was on such a sugar “high” all of the time. I was addicted.

Any idea how long it takes to quit getting those hypoglycemic feelings after changing the diet?

Any insight is appreciated, but if you don’t know the answer, please don’t answer this question. Thanks!

A: Hi, SuzieQ92! I was addicted to sweet chocolate, and can relate. What you’re experiencing is also influenced by portion size at meals, and the efficiency of your digestive system, and your recent level of exercise, and even your emotional state. So it is really difficult to give a relevant and accurate answer to your question. It sounds like you haven’t been under a doctor’s care for very long, so I’m going to provide you with some general information that you probably won’t find anywhere else. Use anything that helps, and throw the rest away. Here’s a little different take on the subject of diabetes–

There are many things you can do to overcome type II diabetes, and improve life as a Type I diabetic. I’ve been researching alternative medicine, and the amount of help that’s available to diabetics is amazing.

Natural remedies are quite effective, and include:

Cinnamon
Bitter Melon
Gymnema Sylvestre
Nopal cactus
American Ginseng
Fenugreek
Chromium picolinate

Cinnamon regulates glucose, and has a polyphenol compound called MHCP that mimics insulin and activates cell receptor sites.
Everything on the above list has a use in fighting diabetes. If you are serious about learning how to use these herbs and not falling victim to diabetes needlessly, I suggest getting a copy of–

“One Son’s Quest for the Cause and Cure of Diabetes”, ISBN 7890766313

The author, a doctor, lost his mother to diabetes and spent the next 20 years finding a way to overcome it. My brother was dying of diabetes, and I was just starting to need insulin when we came across this definitive work which was first availale in February 2005. We both lead mostly normal lives now. It’s a life saver, and the best money you’ll ever spend on the subject.
You might want to check Abe Books, Alibri’s, or Amazon.com for a good used copy cheap. I bought mine new, and I think it was about $35. I don’t get any money from anybody for telling you this–just want to help, and the techniques in this book is what made the difference for me and mine. Best of luck.

Q: what is best diet for Diabetes and Cholesterol ( what should you eat)?
to help a person with Diabetes and Cholesterol

A: Don’t eat carbs, limit sugars and carbs. Limit yourself to 30 carbs per meal and snacks. I did this and it helped me a lot. My blood sugars were over 200, and it would not go down to save my soul. After cutting my carbs to under 30 for 6 weeks, my blood sugars went down to 90 as a fasting. I do still take 2 glucophage at night, but I used to take 2 in the morning and at night. I’m hoping to be able to cut out the glucophage over the next few weeks. My cholesterol was high, and now it is normal. My trigylcerides are just 1 point above normal now too.

Q: What is good diet for diabetes patient?

A: One thing keep in mind is avoid sugar hehe and also be regular at your medicines.
Here are some tips-
Establish a routine for eating meals and snacks at regular times every day
Choose the healthiest foods in the right amounts at each meal
Consistency and variety are key
Consistent eating habits can help you control your blood sugar level. Every day try to eat about the same amount of food at about the same time. Include a variety of foods to help meet your nutritional goals. Your dietitian can help you plan a program that meets these guidelines:

Nutrient Aim for
Carbohydrates 45% to 65% of daily calories
Protein 15% to 20% of daily calories
Fats 20% to 35% of daily calories

If you stick to your meal plan and watch your serving sizes, you’ll eat about the same amount of carbohydrates and calories every day. This helps control your blood sugar and your weight. On the flip side, the more you vary what you eat — especially the amount of carbohydrates — the harder it is to control your blood sugar.

Hope it helps!!!!

Q: Does anybody know a good diabetes diet?
like tell me a good diet like for example tell me what to put in a salad and stuff thank you

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Q: is ¨the zone diet ¨ healthy for diabetes II?
my 11 year old boy is not dependent on taking insulin, only exercise and the atkins diet were doing just fine, but his sugar levels have been are little higher lately, and friend convinced us that by start doing ¨the diet zone ¨ result , his sugar levels are through the roof. any helpful input ?

A: Based on the 5 minutes that I scanned over the website, it makes sense since it includes a balanced diet and exercise.

Q: Would my diet cause diabetes?
I eat a slice pizza and a large slurpee 5 days a week for 10 months a year (school year) for 3 years of high school. Would that lead to me getting diabetes?

A: If that’s all you ate, yes… it would lead to developing type two diabetes. A primarily high carbohydrate diet, lacking in essential nutrients (such as the one you described), is one of the main reasons why people develop type two diabetes. Switching to primarily raw fruits and vegetables, along with other natural foods like whole grains and nuts, is the best way to reverse the process.

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