The problem with most dietary advice is that people try to tell you what to eat or not eat. Since everyone has different food preferences, tastes, ability to cook or food budgets, no one diet works for everyone. I prefer to teach people how to eat to provide the body what it needs for health and let them decide which foods they will include.
This is why I am amused and confused when people choose to follow the latest fad diet. Some fad diets restrict entire food groups to severely limit carbohydrates or fats. Others forbid combining certain foods at the same meal or restrict calories to dangerously unhealthy levels. There are many ways to lose weight but not all are healthy. Likewise, there are many ways to eat with diabetes to improve blood sugar levels but not all of them are healthy. Let’s look at some easy ways to improve your diet and help control blood sugar. This works for people wanting to prevent diabetes, those with pre-diabetes or diabetes.
- Limit added sugars. Most people want to completely avoid all sugar if they have diabetes. But not all sugars are created equal. Start by simply avoiding added sugars as much as possible. This is easier now that the FDA requires Added Sugars to be listed on a food label. Many packaged foods contain added sugars in the form of sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup. This includes soda, sports drinks, cookies, cakes and candy. These sugars provide very little nutritional value but can have a significant impact on blood sugar.
- Limit portions of other carbohydrate-containing foods. Any food with naturally-occurring carbohydrates can affect blood sugar and should be consumed in moderation, according to recommendations from the American Diabetes Association. This includes foods made from grain such as bread, pasta, crackers, pretzels, oatmeal, grits or rice. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, green peas or corn are higher in carbohydrates than other vegetables. All fruits contain the natural sugar fructose. Milk has the natural sugar lactose. These foods in their whole form contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can be included in an overall healthy diet. The problem occurs when diabetes impairs the ability to metabolism carbohydrates. This causes blood sugar to rise to an unhealthy level. So these foods must be enjoyed in smaller amounts to prevent chronic high blood sugar.
- Avoid trans fats and limit saturated fat. Because diabetes increases one’s risk of heart disease, it is best to be heart healthy when choosing meat, dairy, cheese or processed foods. Not all fat is bad. Fat from foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil can be heart healthy. Trans fats from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils are unhealthy. Trans fats have been banned from our food supply by the FDA starting in 2018. Saturated fats are known to raise our LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels which may contribute to heart disease risk. Saturated fats are found in meat, poultry, egg yolks, lard, whole fat dairy and coconut oil. A small amount is okay but too much may be detrimental to health.
Eating with diabetes involves choosing foods that provide the right nutrients for health and are eaten in appropriate amounts. Limit empty calories and watch portion sizes to avoid gaining excess weight. If you have specific concerns related to diabetes, find a qualified Certified Diabetes Educator or Registered Dietitian that specializes in diabetes. What do you limit or avoid for diabetes? Leave a comment below.
