Nutrition for Diabetics

Nutrition is the foundation of managing diabetes. What you eat, when you eat and the amount you eat are important factors toward living a healthy life as a diabetic. Creating a nutrition plan or meal plan can make things easier. And learning your nutritional needs will be essential to managing your diabetes with success.

What You Can Eat

• Managing diabetes doesn't require a strict diet. It requires educated choices about nutrition. With that knowledge you can create a meal plan that meets your nutrition needs and fits your taste buds. Planning your meals correctly will help improve your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and even improve your weight. Your meal plan should involve three small meals and snacks. You should select healthy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry, lean meats, beans and non-fat dairy products. When selecting these foods pick the foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

  It's important to talk to your doctor or nutritionist when creating your meal plan. Your plan will need to work with any medications you're taking and your exercise plan. The most strict factor about managing diabetes will be the scheduled times you'll need to eat to keep your glucose levels from dropping or spiking.

Favorite Foods

• You can still eat many of your favorite foods. All you need to do is substitute some of the ingredients and change how you prepare your foods. For example, part of your meal plan is to eat non-dairy products, so use low-fat dairy or fat-free dairy. When it comes to meats, poultry and fish, instead of frying those foods either bake or grill them. And for your sweet tooth, eat it with your meal, not on any empty stomach. Reduce the amount of carbohydrate with the meal to include the sugary food you want to eat.

Carbohydrate Levels

• Carbohydrates decrease and increase in blood sugar levels. But carbohydrates also provide the body with the energy it needs to function properly. So, it's important that those with diabetes count carbs to be certain they don't experience a dangerous drop or spike in their blood sugar levels.

  Carbohydrates are divided into low-glycemic and high-glycemic sugars. Those with diabetes should eat low-glycemic carbohydrate foods such as whole fruits, oats, bran, brown rice, barley, couscous, beans and whole-grain cereals. Also, balance the carbohydrates you eat with the amount of proteins you eat. If you reduce the amount of processed foods you eat and increase the protein, you can improve your "good" cholesterol and blood triglycerides. Instead of getting your protein from red meat, try soy-based foods, such as soybeans, tofu, soy-based oatmeal, chili, milk and other soy-based foods. Eat between two and four servings of soy each week. As for carbohydrates, the American Diabetes Association recommends you eat about 45 to 60 g of carbohydrates with each meal. The amount eaten with each meal will depend on how you manage your diabetes throughout the day.