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Medical Nutrition Therapy for Diabetes

Being diagnosed with diabetes can be the ultimate incentive to finally take control of your life nutritionally. Effective nutrition management for individuals with diabetes involves an intimate knowledge of the effects of food on the body, forcing constant compliance with an intelligent eating plan in order to manage this disease.

  1. Diabetes

    • According to information from the medical website Medline Plus, diabetes is a condition which develops where the body is unable to properly manage blood sugar levels through improper use of the hormone insulin. Rising blood sugar levels are accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, blurred vision, chronic thirst and weight loss.

    Diabetes Theory

    • Understanding how diabetes affects the body can help to instruct as to what must be done to neutralize this condition. As blood sugar levels rise, the body produces insulin to remove the sugar from the bloodstream. In diabetics, this process is impaired as the body has become unable to produce or properly utilize insulin. Thus, the gravamen of effective diabetes nutrition involves managing blood sugar levels by controlling carbohydrate intake (as carbs are the macronutrient which most affect blood sugar).

    Diabetes Diet Types

    • According to the American Diabetics Association, there are a number of different ways to control carb intake. These include carb counting (setting a ceiling for the number of carbs eaten in a day) and using the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a scale that shows how significantly any ingested type of carb will influence blood sugar levels. The ADA recommends a combination of these two methods to manage diabetes---setting a daily carb limit of around 100 to 150 grams while attempting to eat only low-GI carbs is a good start towards managing diabetes.

    Low GI Foods

    • Foods which are low on the glycemic index scale are generally fruits and vegetables, with some whole grains having a relatively negligible effect on blood sugar. Sample foods which are relatively low on the glycemic index include quinoa, buckwheat, barley, rye, wheat, cherries, apples, grapefruits, spinach, broccoli, lettuce, mushrooms and tomatoes.

    Foods to Avoid

    • Foods which have an abnormally high impact on the body's blood sugar level include the following categories: processed foods, sugars, and refined (white) flour items. These foods include items such as pastries, donuts, cookies, candies, ice cream, white bread, white rice, pizzas and flour pasta, so make it a point to avoid these foods items to avoid inadvertently spiking blood sugar levels.

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