If you have diabetes, 80% of the management has to be done through diet. Watching your food and raising the nutrition quotient is the primary objective of self-management. Follow this diet for diabetes to stay healthy!
Well-controlled target for good glycemic control:
- Between 70 and 130 mg/dl before meals
- Less than 180 two hours after starting a meal
- With glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) level less than 7 percent
Meal planning is the first objective of diabetes diet therapy. This includes:
1. Understanding your portion sizes
2. Maintaining timings of eating
3. Reaching out for good choices of foods
Important Tips to Follow in Diet for Diabetes
Portion control is best explained as – one serving will be the amount that would fit in a fist/open palm. It is advised to eat small portions at a time to allow the stomach to digest and utilise the nutrition efficiently.
The Diabetes Plate Method
It is a convenient approach to eye ball one’s portion sizes. It is advised to use a 9 inch dinner plate. The ideal way to begin is to fill half the plate with non-starchy vegetables like lady fingers, cauliflower, spinach; ¼ of the plate with protein foods like curd or cottage cheese or egg, and the last ¼ of the plate with carbohydrate foods like chapati or brown rice or pasta.
Taking the assistance of a dietitian to understand the food groups and best diet ingredients for diabetes creates an impactful meal plan.
As informed by most diabetes educators, it is best to eat every two hours to maintain a good glycemic index.Coordinating the meals and snacks with the medications and insulin (type 1 diabetes) is very important to avoid hypoglycemia.
Read More: 7 Ways to Build a Healthy & Sustainable Diet for Diabetics
Choice of foods available for diabetes control are plenty and delicious. It is not advised to limit your palette to a particular food or starve. Explore new healthy choices and try our new cuisines, as long as one follows the basic concept of a moderate carbohydrate, high fiber, moderate protein and low fat diet.
Meal patterns can be wide and select from a wonderful range of Asian Indian, Mediterranean, Vegan, DASH diets. It is best to avoid fad diets and Keto diets. Zero-carb, cabbage soup or GM diets are not suggestive plans in case of diabetes as these have maximum implications of causing hypoglycemia. Good Glycemic Control is achievable with guidance, monitoring and support. The team at BeatO is dedicated to helping all individuals with diabetes achieve this through encouragement, engagement and knowledge enrichment.
Content support by Tina Khanna, Certified Diabetes Educator.
