Diabetes 2 Diet

People who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are not going to be sentenced to a life-long diet that restricts them beyond measure, but in order to bring your diabetes under control, you will have to make some changes in your eating habits. Type 2 diabetics are usually on a treatment plan that includes medical nutrition therapy along with a diet that is aimed toward losing weight. By losing weight, you will not only lower your risk of heart disease and other weight-related problems, your insulin-resistance level will decrease as well.

Fruits and Vegetables

• All diabetics should have a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. These gems are low in calories and provide soluble fiber, which is especially good for the diabetic patient because they slow down the absorption of glucose in your intestines. Choose a fresh piece of fruit for your snacks, and avoid fruits that are laden with syrup. Because your goal is to eat healthily and lose weight as you work at managing your blood sugar, you will benefit the most from eating fresh vegetables daily. Use a variety of vegetables in a salad daily, and do not drown your vegetables in butter or rich sauces that are laden with trans fats.

Carbohydrates

• The daily carbohydrate intake may be the trickiest part of the diabetic's diet. Carbohydrates come in complex and simple forms and break down into sugar in our bodies. Different foods have different effects on our blood sugar because the body breaks food down at different rates. Carbohydrates, whether it is a potato or a candy bar, take anywhere from five minutes to three hours to digest. It takes three to six hours for protein to digest and as much as eight hours for fat to digest, so it is important to keep track of the amount of carbohydrates you are eating at each meal. Your carbohydrate intake should be uniformly spread throughout the day. Many dietitians recommend that you keep a journal of the times you eat and the type of food you eat throughout the day.

Diabetes Food Pyramid

• According to the American Diabetes Association, you should include six or more servings of grains, beans and starchy vegetables in your daily diet. This would include foods like bread, beans, rice and pasta. These foods are high in protein, vitamins, minerals and good carbohydrates. You should include three to five servings of vegetables each day and two to four servings of fruits each day. They are rich in fiber and other important vitamins and a very important part of the diabetic's diet. Consume two to three servings of milk and milk products every day, and eat two to three servings of meat and fish. Finally, it is very important to limit your intake of sweets, which are filled with sugar and fats. Your fat intake should be limited to the bit of olive oil you use to prepare foods or the trans fat-free butter that you use on your bread and other foods throughout the day.