Common Myths about Diabetic Diet Debunked!

When one hears the phrase ‘diabetic diet,’ one would think of a complicated and strict diet which absolutely restricts sugar intake, sweets, and most favorite foods. But just what exactly are myths and what are facts?

Too much sugar intake causes diabetes. Some people believe that eating too much sugar can cause diabetes. The truth is that diabetes occurs when something disrupts your body’s natural ability to convert the food you eat into energy.

A diabetic diet is complicated. Sure, you will have to plan your meals and choose what you eat carefully. However, the main goal is to eat the right type of foods that will work well with your activities and medications in order to maintain a normal blood sugar level. It’s as simple as that.

Carbohydrates are bad. Proteins are good. A diabetic diet usually limits carbohydrates intake, but this doesn’t mean it’s totally bad. Carbohydrates are part of what makes up a balanced diet, so it is also beneficial for diabetics when consumed in moderation. They contain many vitamins and minerals that can benefit the body. The trick is to choose quality carbohydrates.

Another myth is that protein is better than carbohydrates. The problem with eating too many proteins though, is that it may be filled with saturated fat and could raise your risk of heart disease. A balanced diet of the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats is recommended.

Eat all you want. Adjust medicine doses later. If you’re using insulin to treat diabetes, you might learn how to adjust the doses of insulin according to the amount of food you consume. But this doesn’t mean that you can let go of your diet and eat whatever you want, then use the drugs later on to stabilize your glucose level.

Say goodbye to sweets. No, you don’t have to say goodbye to sweets and your favorite desserts. You can have your cake and eat it too by using artificial sweeteners, or using nutritious ingredients like fresh fruit, whole grains, and vegetable oil. You may also cut back on your regular servings, and even use the dessert as a reward to motivate you in sticking to your diabetic diet plan.

A Quick Guide on How Diabetics Count Calories

Having diabetes would mean having to watch what you eat. That’s why most diabetics count their calorie intake and have a diabetic calorie diet.

In order to establish a diabetic calorie diet, you first have to see a dietitian or doctor to find out how many calories you need to consume in a day in order to lose or maintain weight. You can also arrive at an approximate number by solving for 16 calories for every pound of body weight.

If you need to lose weight, your next step would be to cut down on calories. Usually, this is important for individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes. For them, a diabetic calorie diet of about 1800 calories for men and 1500 calories for women is recommended to help them stay stabilized while they lose weight.

In order to start counting calories, you would need a list or a chart that covers all food groups and their caloric content. It should include everything from pasta to cereal grains, and fast food to alcoholic beverages. A clear breakdown of foods should also be presented according to their caloric content, and variations (if example, frozen, fresh, or canned). You can acquire this list from your nutritionist or dietitian, as well as your doctor. There are also other resources like books and websites.

As a diabetic, you might also want to pay more attention to restricting your calorie intake from carbohydrates. This is because carbohydrates have an almost immediate effect on glucose, which could become an issue for diabetic individuals. One gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, same with one gram of protein, while fat has 9 calories for every gram.

Always read the labels of the food products you’re getting. Pay attention to serving size. Calories on labels are based on serving size, which is not necessarily the whole package. Sometimes, you would have to multiply the calorie per serving according to the serving size for the whole package to get the total amount of calories.

These are some tips on how diabetics count calories. Because it is extremely important for diabetics to control their food intake, having a diabetic calorie diet will go a long way.

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Meal Plans and Food to Eat with Type 2 Diabetes

What you eat is very important especially if you have diabetes. If you have diabetes type 1, your goal is to balance what you eat with the right amount of insulin in order to help use up the glucose in your blood. To help you find out the amount of insulin you need, you would need the advice of a dietitian or a CDE (certified diabetes educator). If you have diabetes type 2, then oral medications help in maintaining normal blood glucose levels. Both types require a diet and exercise plan, among others. Below you will learn more about the Diabetes Type 2 diet.

One of the food groups you have to watch out for when you have diabetes is carbohydrates. Almost immediately after eating carbohydrates, your blood glucose gets affected. The key in Diabetes Type 2 diet is limiting your intake of carbohydrates.

There are three major meal plans for a Diabetes Type 2 diet, and this usually involves keeping track of your carbohydrates intake.

If you don’t want to eat the same food every day, you still have options. The exchange meal plan provides you with the choice of trading one food for another. Even though it’s a different food, it still contains more or less the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein and fats. For example, you can exchange half an English muffin for a ¾ cup of cold cereal. You can find an exchange food list from your dietitian, or in books and the Internet.

The next food plan entails you to count carbohydrates and adjust your insulin dosage based on the amount of carbohydrates intake. This is more flexible as you can eat almost anything, provided that you correctly count the carbohydrates and adjust your dosage based on that amount. Ask your doctor or dietitian for the unit of insulin for every gram of carbs consumed, basing on your body’s response to carbohydrates.

The constant carbohydrate food plan is also another option for Diabetes Type 2 diet. It is often the first choice for people who are starting out, as it is easy and simple to follow. Your doctor or dietitian would provide you with a constant amount of carbohydrates you should eat every day, together with insulin doses. You then eat a meal that corresponds to the constant amount.

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