Fruit and Vegetables for a Balanced Diet

The Diabetic diet is very important for any person with diabetes. While there are different philosophies concerning which the best diet is, there is generally a standard go between. This article will show you a little on what I know of the recommended diabetic diet from the caretaking of family members with diabetes – however, when you’re planning your diabetic diet, be sure to speak with a health professional.

In my experience, patients with Type 1 diabetes should have a diet that has 16 calories per pound of body weight per day. Patients with Type 2 diabetes generally have a fifteen to eighteen hundred calorie diet per day to promote weight loss and then to maintain their ideal body weight. This may change depending on the person’s age, weight, sex, activity level, current weight and body style. For example, a more obese person may need a higher calorie diabetic diet so that they can maintain a healthy weight loss – something like a fifteen hundred calorie a day weight loss regimen may be horrible for their health and do them more harm than good.

Also, carbohydrates should make up about fifty percent of the daily calorie intake of the diabetic diet. Generally speaking, lower carbohydrate intake is associated with low blood sugar levels. The benefits of this can be cancelled out by the higher fat diet taken in to compensate for the amount of carbs. Therefore, make sure the daily carbohydrate calorie percentages are between forty to sixty percent of total calories.
Most people with diabetes find that it is quite helpful to sit down with a dietician or nutritionist for a consult about what is the best diet for them and how many daily calories they need. It is quite important for diabetics to understand the principles of carbohydrate counting and how to help control blood sugar levels through proper diet. Below are some general principles about the diabetic diet.

Food is made up of three basic elements – fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the food that can be broken down into sugar; therefore the diabetic diet needs to watch them carefully as they make your blood glucose level rise. Carbs usually come from starches, fruits and vegetables, and milk.

The amount of food you can eat is related to blood sugar levels. If you eat more food than is recommended on your meal plan, your blood sugar will go up. While carbs have the most impact on blood sugars, all the calories you take in will affect your blood sugar.

Carbs can be counted in grams or as exchanges. For example, one carb equals 15 grams of carbohydrates. You will need to follow your doctor’s instructions on how many carbs or carb grams you can intake, and how the exchange relates to you. However, there are a number of ‘free’ foods – ones that you can eat without counting carbs. If a food contains less than 20 calories and less than 5g of carbs, it’s considered a ‘free’ food.

Being a diabetic is difficult, and maintaining a diet can be even more difficult after going most of your adult life without it. By following the diabetic diet, you’ll save yourself countless aches and pains associated with diabetes, all the while treating your body properly!

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I have lived with type 2 diabetes for over ten years with the help of Metformin and several other drugs, in the belief that it is irreversible, but the latest  2013 research has show that with serious weight loss and a  carefully balanced diet, you can start to reverse the effects of diabetes. The NHS (and Diabetes UK) recommend a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat, sugar and salt and contain a high level of fresh fruit and vegetables. For help in preparing a healthy diet plan visit http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/nhs-diet-advice.html the information is first class, and totally free.