The diabetic diet is not a specific diet, but a set of eating guidelines designed to help diabetics manage their insulin levels and blood sugar. Different doctors recommend varying types of diabetic diets, but some aspects of the diet are consistent across a wide range of different plans.
The goal of the diabetic diet is to customize carb intake to the individual, and to manage insulin levels as much as possible without the use of insulin injections. Another goal is to attain the ABCs of diabetes. The A stands for the A1c or hemoglobin A1c test, which measures average blood sugar over the previous three months. B is for blood pressure, and C is for cholesterol. People with diabetes should attain as near as normal blood sugar control (HbA1c), blood pressure, and healthy cholesterol levels.
There is a handful of ways to keep track of your carb intake. Before you start a diabetes diet, get the facts. Many people believe that having diabetes means you must avoid sugar and carbs at all cost and prepare special diabetic meals apart from the family's meals. Not true! Most individuals with diabetes can continue to enjoy their favorite foods, including desserts, as long as they monitor the calories, carbs, and other key dietary components and keep a regular check on their blood glucose levels. The following are the two main kinds of diabetic diets:
1. The glycemic index (GI): This is a ranking that attempts to measure the influence that each particular food has on blood sugar levels. It takes into account the type of carbs in a meal and its effect on blood sugar.
2. Carbohydrate count: Carb counting is a way of better understanding carbs and how they affect your blood sugar, medication requirement and insulin requirement. Carb counting has a different role for people with diabetes who use insulin and those that don’t. For people with type 1 diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes who require insulin, carb counting is a way of matching insulin requirements with the amount of carb you eat or drink. For people with type 2 diabetes who don’t require insulin, carb counting is a way of regulating the amount of carb you consume and monitoring how this affects your blood glucose control, weight management and medication intake.
In recent years, straight carb counting has become more popular than the dietary exchange system and GI, but both can be effective ways to manage carbs for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
In summary, there is no such thing as a single diabetes diet. Patients should meet with a professional clinical dietitian to plan a customized diet within the general guidelines that takes into consideration their own health needs.
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