Diabetic Diet - If you have diabetes what should you eat?

Healthy foods for almost everyone (but especially diabetic's) are high in fibre & low in animal fat

A healthy diabetic diet is low in animal fat, high in fibre and includes fish. Healthy foods for almost everyone but especially good in the diabetic diet.

Diabetic Diet:

Diet will strongly affect any diabetic, whatever their treatment regime. This makes diabetes unusual in that a significant part of its treatment can be controlled by the individual rather than purely by medication.

To control your diabetes, diet is a very good place to start. Diet, regular exercise and controlling weight can all play a part in giving many diabetic's considerable control over their diabetes.

At first the way that diabetic diet, exercise, drugs and insulin all interact can seem overwhelming. The aim of these diet pages is to help anyone with diabetes to understand the effects that different foods will have on them and how to use that information to improve their blood sugar control.

Current treatments for diabetes are based on controlling the level of blood sugar (blood glucose) and keeping it as close to the normal (non-diabetic) range as possible. This helps reduce the risk of complications that an excess of sugar in the blood produce.

If you are newly diagnosed with (type 2) diabetes, diet and exercise are likely to be the first treatment tried (in the UK). Even if drugs and/or insulin are needed don't forget that good diet will help anyone with diabetes reduce their need for drugs and/or insulin.

The peak absorption period for sugar entering the blood occurs during the first two hours after eating a meal. Carbohydrate is the main source of blood sugar in this period and diabetic's need to take special care with this element of the diet.

Regular well spaced meals (without too large portions) can help with blood sugar control and reducing peaks in blood sugar. With a diet high in fibre (slowing absorption of sugar in the blood), low in saturated (usually animal) fat and hydrogenated fat recommended.

Take most care with the bulk carbohydrate sources such as Sugar, Bread, Grains and Potatoes as they can have a quick conversion to blood sugar and in diabetic's they can cause the highest peaks in blood sugar levels.

Look for alternatives that are either higher in fibre or less processed.

Diabetic's also have an increased risk of heart disease. We need to make sure that we get the dietary health benefits that fruit and vegetables give. Which means a varied diet with at least 5 portions of vegetables or fruit every day.

One portion: is roughly 80g (3oz) or about 3 heaped tablespoons. All five of those portions of 'quick' rated fruits and root vegetables may not be desirable though.

Dried Fruits can also be included in this total as can beans (including canned baked beans) and peas even mushrooms but do not include potatoes.