Type 2 Diet

A type two diet, otherwise known as a diet for someone with type two diabetes, revolves around two general principles--healthy eating and carb control. According to information from the American Diabetes Association, Type II diabetes (also known as adult onset diabetes) begins where the body becomes unable to properly produce or utilize insulin, a storage hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar in the body. Although there is no cure for Type II diabetes, the condition can be managed with dietary intervention, preventing the patient from indulging in unhealthy carbs which can upset blood sugar levels.

Basics

• Begin your Type II diet with a balanced nutritional approach, basing your diet around the consumption of plenty of nutrient dense, slow-digesting carb sources that will not act to unduly imbalance blood sugar levels. According to information from the Mayo Clinic, these carb sources are generally from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. While all of those are fine to include in a Type II diet, you will want to simultaneously avoid carb sources other than those three, including sugars, refined flours, alcohol, and the like. Beyond strictly focusing on carb intake, you should aim to balance your diet with the inclusion of a moderate amount of lean protein (around 30 to 40 percent of your diet) and a small amount of healthy unsaturated fat (around 20 to 30 percent of your diet). Sample protein sources include all types of lean meat--low-fat beef, seafood, poultry, and fat-reduced dairy products. Sample healthy fat sources include items like avocados, coconuts, olives, cooking oils, nuts and seeds.

Management

• Understand that although a diabetic diet is a restricted diet, you can still enjoy many of the same foods that you did prior to developing diabetes--you will just need to be more intelligent about how you enjoy them. For example, one possible breakfast while on a type II diet might consist of whole grain pancakes or waffles with blueberries or strawberries, served with turkey sausage and a large glass of low-fat milk or orange juice. A sample lunch on the diet might consist of a large grilled chicken sub sandwich on whole wheat bread consumed with a piece of fruit. A sample dinner might consist of lemon pepper shrimp served with brown rice and a blend of vegetables. Consider purchasing a diabetic cookbook for more ideas of how to convert your favorite dishes to diabetic friendly menu items.