managing diabetes with diet
What is diabetes?
If you have diabetes, your glucose or blood sugar levels are too high. Glucose comes from the food you eat. The cells in your body need glucose for energy. A hormone called insulin helps get glucose into your cells.
With type 1 diabetes, your body doesn't make insulin. With type 2 diabetes, your body doesn't make or use insulin properly. Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in your blood and causes high blood glucose levels.
Prediabetes means your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes. If you have prediabetes, you're more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.How do the foods I eat affect my blood glucose levels?
The glucose in your blood comes from certain foods called carbohydrates, or "carbs." Foods that are high in carbs include candy and sweets, sodas, breads, tortillas, and white rice. The more carbs you eat, the higher your blood glucose level will be.
Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, making the right food choices is an important way to keep your blood glucose at a level that is healthy for you. When you control your blood glucose, you lower your chance of having serious health problems from diabetes, such as vision loss and heart problems.
And if you have prediabetes or are at risk for diabetes, eating foods that keep your blood glucose levels healthy may help prevent type 2 diabetes later on.
What's the best diet for diabetes?
There isn't a specific diet or meal plan that works for everybody. Your health care provider may have you see a registered dietician (RD) or a diabetes educator who can help design the best eating plan for you. The plan will consider:
- Any medicines that you take
- Your weight
- Any other health conditions you have
- Your lifestyle and tastes
- Your goals
All eating plans for diabetes have a few things in common, including eating the right foods in the right amounts at the right times.
What foods should I eat if I have diabetes?
Eating the right foods for diabetes means eating a variety of healthy foods from all the food groups:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains, such as whole wheat, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and oats
- Proteins, such as lean meats, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, lentils, and tofu
- Nonfat or low-fat dairy, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
What foods should I limit to control my blood glucose?
To keep your blood glucose levels under control, you may need to cut back on certain foods and drinks. This doesn't mean you can never enjoy them. But you'll need to eat them less often or in smaller amounts..
- High-carb foods and drinks, such as:
- Foods that contain sugar such as candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, sweetened cereals, and canned fruits with added sugar. Beverages with added sugar, such as juice, regular soda, and regular sports or energy drinks. White rice, tortillas, bread, and pasta, especially those made with white flour. Starchy vegetables such as white potatoes, corn, and peas. Fried foods and other foods high in saturated trans fats.
- Foods high in sodium (salt).
- Alcohol. If you drink, drink in moderation. This means no more than one standard serving per day if you're a woman, or two standard servings per day if you're a man. What else do I need to know about diabetic diets?
If you have diabetes, it's important to eat the right amount of food every day. Your meal plan will include food amounts to ensure you get the right amount of carbohydrates at each meal or snack. You'll learn how to count carbohydrates and measure your food.
It's also important to eat at the right time. You'll need to plan regular, balanced meals to prevent your blood glucose levels from being too high or too low for you. Eating about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal can be beneficial.
Your meal plan will also teach you how to stick to it at home and when you eat out.
Eating healthy to control your blood glucose levels takes some effort. But the reward is the opportunity to live a healthier life with diabetes.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesStart Here
- Carb Counting
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Diabetes and Your Diet (American Heart Association)
- What is the Diabetes Plate Method? (American Diabetes Association)Also in Spanish
- Diabetes and Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know from the National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) Also in English Vegetarian Diet: Can It Help Me Manage Diabetes? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in EnglishSpecifics
- Artificial Sweeteners and Other Sugar Substitutes (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
- Diabetes and Cultural Foods (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Diabetes Meal Planning (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Fiber: The Carb that Helps You Manage Diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Healthy Living with Diabetes
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- MyFoodAdvisor (American Diabetes Association)Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetic Diet (National Institutes of Health)
- Article: An educational intervention based on the extended parallel process model improves adherence to... Article: Consumption of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) for one week is not sufficient to increase... Article: Low-glycemic index diets as an intervention in metabolic diseases: a systematic... Diet for diabetes -- see more articles
- American Diabetes Association
- Find a Nutrition Expert (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- NIDDK Information Clearinghouses and Health Information Center (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Search Diabetes Educator Directory (Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists)
- Carbohydrate Counting (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in English Type 2 Diabetes - Meal Planning (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in English Glycemic Index and Diabetes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in English Diabetes Snacks (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in English Sugar Substitutes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
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