Why is it so important that people with diabetes pay careful attention to what they eat and when? It’s because it helps to control their blood sugar (glucose) levels and prevents complications from developing.
We can change many aspects of our lives to become more healthful. Eating the same amount of food at certain times during the day helps with the carbohydrate metabolism problem that is caused by diabetes.
Another way to be more healthful is to pay attention to what you eat and to make wise food choices.
Foods and nutrition play an important part in managing diabetes, but for people to use these key tools, they must know the right kinds and amounts of food to eat each day.
Foods are classified according to the major nutrients they provide: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dietary intake of these nutrients can affect the body’s ability to function.
Too often, life is spent in a rush.
Because of this, food is often eaten quickly, without any consideration of the nutrition it provides. But eating properly and healthfully takes planning and advance decisions to ensure the right choices in foods are made.
People with diabetes can eat the same foods as the rest of their families, but they need to make sure their eating habits are healthy to better control their diabetes.
Healthy, nutritious foods enable the body to grow, maintain, and repair tissues and to balance its chemistry.
The body needs proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water in the right amounts and at the right times to function well.
No one food supplies all the nutrients the body needs. The food we eat can really make a difference in the amount of glucose in our blood. Choosing healthful foods is a lifestyle choice that we must make if we are to control our diabetes.
Let your meal plan guide your daily food choices. Everyone with diabetes should follow these simple guidelines, which are the keys to controlling diabetes:
• Eat a variety of grains daily, especially whole grain choices of bread, cereals, rice, and pasta.
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
• Eat less total fat, saturated fat, trans fatty acids and cholesterol.
• Eat fewer foods that are high in salt or sugar.
• Make wise meal choices, and eat at the same times throughout the day.
To build a healthy meal plan, begin with the grains: breads, cereals, rice, and pasta. Eat at least six servings from this group this day. Include at least three to five vegetables and two to four fruits in your meals every day. Choose two 3-ounce servings from the protein group and two or three servings from the dairy group.If you can afford the extra calories, add a small amount of fat, oil, and sweets. Cut back on salt.
People with diabetes are especially concerned with carbohydrates, since their bodies don’t metabolize starches well.
Carbohydrates that have a higher fiber content-breads, cereals, vegetables, and fruits-are better tolerated than simple carbohydrates with less fiber and higher sugar contents, such as milk, fruit juices, and concentrated sweets such as sugar, syrup, and honey.
Fiber is also an important part of the meal plan, especially for those that have diabetes. Whole grain pastas, dried peas and beans, whole-grain flour, cereals, fruits and vegetables all have fiber, which is better for those with diabetes.
While raising the amount of fiber in their meal plans, people with diabetes need to be aware of the amount of fats they consume. Because people with diabetes have higher amounts of lipids (fats) and extra sugar in
their blood, they face a greater risk of heart disease and stroke than do people who don’t have diabetes. Reduce the amount of fat consumed by following these guidelines:
• Eat more fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains and starches that have no saturated fatty acids, no trans fats, and no cholesterol.
• Choose vegetable oils with higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids and lower levels of saturated fatty acids. Some of the healthier oils are safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, olive, and peanut.
• Eat lean meat from the leg or loin cuts of beef, pork or lamb, poultry and fish. Trim all visible fat.
• Buy lower-fat milk and milk products.
• Read labels to look for hidden sources of fats in foods.
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