Diabetes Diet Create your Plan for Healthier Eating

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your doctor likely will recommend that you see a dietitian to develop an eating plan to control your blood sugar, manage your weight and control risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and high blood fats. Here are some things to think about, from meal planning to exchange lists and counting carbohydrates.

A diabetes diet is a healthy-eating plan that’s naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories. Key elements are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In fact, a diabetes diet is the best eating plan for most everyone.

There are few different approaches to creating a diabetes diet to help you keep your blood glucose level within a normal range. With a dietitian’s help, you may find one or a combination of the following methods works for you:

Counting carbohydrates

Because carbohydrates break down into glucose, they have the greatest impact on your blood glucose level. To help control your blood sugar, eat about the same amount of carbohydrates each day, at regular intervals, especially if you take diabetes medications or insulin.

The exchange lists system

A dietitian may recommend using food exchange lists to help you plan meals and snacks. The lists are organized by categories, such as carbohydrates, protein sources and fats.

Glycemic index

Some people who have diabetes use the glycemic index to select foods, especially carbohydrates. This method ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on their effect on blood glucose levels. Talk with your dietitian about whether this method might work for you.

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Foods to avoid

Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke by accelerating the development of clogged and hardened arteries. Foods containing the following can work against your goal of a heart-healthy diet.

Saturated fats: High-fat dairy products and animal proteins such as beef, hot dogs, sausage and bacon contain saturated fats.

Avoid fried fish and fish with high levels of mercury, such as tilefish, swordfish and king mackerel.

Trans fats: These types of fats are found in processed snacks, baked goods, shortening and stick margarines. Avoid these items.

Cholesterol: Sources of cholesterol include high-fat dairy products and high-fat animal proteins, egg yolks, liver, and other organ meats. Aim for no more than 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day.

Sodium: Aim for less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. However, if you also have hypertension, you should aim for less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day.

Now You can Translate your A1C into your average Daily Number

ADA is recommending the use of a new term in diabetes management, estimated average glucose, or eAG. Health care providers can now report A1C results to patients using the same units (mg/dl or mmol/l) that patients see routinely in blood glucose measurements. The calculator and information below describe the ADAG Study that defined the relationship between A1C and eAG and how eAG can be used to help improve the discussion of glucose control with patients. The Average BG to A1C conversion equation is not perfect.

Formula = The relationship between A1C and eAG is described by the formula 28.7 X A1C – 46.7 = eAG.

Example Your A1C = 7.5 7.5x 28.7-46.7 = 168.55 www.livingwellmagazine.netNovember 2018 9