Protein Restricted Diet for a Diabetic

According to information from the medical website Medline Plus, diabetes occurs when the body can no longer produce or utilize insulin, a storage hormone that is responsible for managing blood sugar levels. This necessitates a twofold approach to diabetes management: dietary restrictions (limiting the quantity and quality of carbs consumed) and prescription medications to increase insulin sensitivity. When diabetes is combined with another condition such as renal failure, a low-protein diabetic diet might be the recommended approach.

Protein-Restricted Diabetic Diet

• Consume a low-protein, carb-controlled diet to cope with your condition. According to information from Medline Plus, the body requires a minimal level of protein consumption to ensure normal functioning, so you should make it a point to provide it with around 40 to 60 grams per day (0.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight), ideally spread out evenly across all of your meals. Buttress this with consumption of only slow-digesting complex carbohydrates and healthy fat sources. Examples of permitted carbs on this dietary approach include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Examples of healthy fat items include nuts, avocados, coconuts, cooking oils (fish, flax, olive, etc.) and seeds.

Protein-Restricted Tips

• Keep a food log detailing the number of grams of protein you consume each day to ensure that you remain under your protein ceiling. Remember that many foods contain trace amounts (several grams) of protein per serving, even fruits and vegetables. Therefore, check nutritional information either on the package or online to ensure that you are not accidentally straying above your protein limit. To accomplish your low-protein goal quickly and easily, change your thinking; whereas you would normally consider meat and other high-protein foods as a main course, relegate them to the status of a side dish. A healthy meal while on a low-protein diabetic diet might include a large spinach and tomato salad with olive oil dressing and a small amount of diced grilled chicken--a meal based around complex carbs and healthy fats but containing a nominal amount of protein to help fulfill your body's daily requirements.