PEOPLE with diabetes need to watch their diet carefully. Poor glucose control may lead to serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage.
The good thing is, diabetes can be controlled primarily with medication but a proper diet is also crucial in managing the condition.
What should diabetics know about the food they eat?
> Keep a balanced diet
If you have diabetes, it is imperative that you have a balanced intake of nutrients (such as carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals) just like everyone else. Being a diabetic does not mean that you should avoid carbohydrates. You still need your carbohydrate and protein as well as fats, only that the amount has to be balanced as opposed to having too much of one.
> Spread your carbohydrate intake
Eat different carbohydrate-rich food at each meal. Bread and cereals for breakfast, noodles for lunch and rice at dinnertime. For snacks (in between main meals), go for wholemeal crackers with a glass of low-fat milk.
> Go for complex carbs
Rice, bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals and tubers are all good sources of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrate-rich foods tend to take longer to digest and do not cause your blood sugar to rise quickly as opposed to simple carbohydrate-rich foods like cakes and sugar-laden stuff which immediately elevate your blood sugar.
> Choose the high-fibre varieties
Since diabetics are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, it is best for them to choose a diet made up of high-fibre, low-fat foods. Opt for wholemeal bread and unpolished (brown) rice rather than white bread or plain rice.
> Avoid overeating
Eating beyond what your body needs leads to unhealthy weight gain which not only worsens diabetes but leads to other lifestyle diseases like hypertension and heart problems. Overeating also increases the tendency to consume more fats than necessary.
> Eat smaller, more frequent meals
Your body can only handle so much glucose at a time. So spread out your food intake so that your glucose levels are consistent and your body need not have to adjust to different blood glucose levels.
> Track and adjust
As a diabetic, constantly monitoring your blood glucose levels is mandatory. If your level is high, it may well be that the food you are eating is too high in carbohydrate content or sugar, and conversely, if your blood sugar reading is low, you need to increase your carbohydrate intake. (However, for any insulin adjustment, seek professional help first.)
> Sweet safety
With or without diabetes, everyone is advised to cut down on his or her sugar intake as it offers just calories with no health values. Opt for substitute sweeteners or simply go sugar free. It is highly recommended that you check the nutritional values in so-called sugar-free items as they may contain increased amounts of carbohydrate to compensate for the lack of sweetness.
While diabetes requires you to stay in control of your diet, it would not do to always be rigid about it. Let loose and allow yourself to savour those sugary delights every now and then. Work with your dietitian for a sensible diet plan.
The National Diabetes Institute, in collaboration with the Health Ministry, Nutrition Society of Malaysia, Malaysian Dietitians’ Association and the Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity, has initiated a Fight Against Diabetes educational programme.
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/134125
