What Should I Eat

 If you take insulin or diabetes tablets, you may need to have between meal snacks. Discuss this with your doctor, dietitian or Credentialled Diabetes Educator. All carbohydrate foods are digested to produce glucose but they do so at different rates - some slow, some fast. The glycemic index or GI is a way of describing how quickly a carbohydrate food is digested and enters the blood stream. Low GI carbohydrate foods enter the blood stream slowly. Have less of an impact on blood glucose levels. Examples of low GI foods include traditional rolled oats, dense wholegrain breads, lentils and legumes, sweet potato, milk, yoghurt, pasta and most types of fresh fruit. The type of carbohydrate you eat is very important as some can cause higher blood glucose after eating. The best combination is to eat moderate amounts of high fibre low GI carbohydrates. A healthy eating plan for diabetes can include some sugar. It is ok to have a sprinkle of sugar on porridge or a scrape of jam on some low GI high fibre bread.

Limit foods high in energy such as take away foods, sweet biscuits, cakes, sugar sweetened drinks and fruit juice, lollies, chocolate and savoury snacks. Some people have a healthy diet but eat too much. Reducing your portion size is one way to decrease the amount of energy you eat. Being active has many benefits. Along with healthy eating, regular physical activity can help you to manage your blood glucose levels, reduce your blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) and maintain a healthy weight. Learn more about exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight. Fats have the highest energy (kilojoule or calorie) content of all foods. Eating too much fat can make you put on weight, which may make it more difficult to manage blood glucose levels. Our bodies need some fat for good health but the type of fat you choose is important. It is important to limit saturated fat because it raises your LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is found in animal foods like fatty meat, milk, butter and cheese.

Most carbohydrate containing foods are also very good sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals which keep our body and bowels healthy. Of the three key nutrients in our food - fat, protein and carbohydrate, carbohydrate is the nutrient that will have the biggest impact on your blood glucose levels. Everyone’s carbohydrate needs are different depending on your gender, how active you are, your age and your body weight. Anyone with diabetes should see an Accredited Practising Dietitian to work out the amount of carbohydrate to eat at each meal and snack. For some people, a lower carbohydrate diet may help with diabetes management. If you are considering reducing the carbohydrate content of your diet, consult your healthcare team for individualised advice. You can read our position statement on low carbohydrate eating for people with type 2 diabetes here. If you eat regular meals and spread your carbohydrate foods evenly throughout the day, you will help maintain your energy levels without causing large rises in your blood glucose levels.

One part of living with diabetes everyone has to think about is what they eat. We believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to food and diabetes and that’s why people should talk to a qualified health professional to develop an approach that suits them. Eating the recommended amount of food from the five food groups, including lots of fruit and vegetables, will provide you with the nutrients you need to live a healthy life. The Australian Dietary Guidelines are a good starting point for basic health advice. It is important to recognise that everyone’s needs are different. All people with diabetes should see an Accredited Practising Dietitian in conjunction with their diabetes team for individualised advice. Matching the amount of food you eat with the amount of energy you burn through activity and exercise is important. Putting too much fuel in your body can lead to weight gain. Being overweight or obese can make it difficult to manage your diabetes and can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

However, foods that are high in added sugars and poor sources of other nutrients should be consumed sparingly. In particular, limit high energy foods such as sweets, lollies and standard soft drinks. Some sugar may also be used in cooking and many recipes can be modified to use less than the amount stated or substituted with an alternative sweetener. Select recipes that are low in fat (particularly saturated fat) and contain some fibre. As mentioned above small amounts of sugar as part of a balanced meal plan shouldn’t have a large effect on blood glucose levels. However sweeteners such as Equal, Stevia, Sugarine and Splenda can be used in place of sugar especially if they are replacing large amounts of sugar. Foods and drinks that have been sweetened with an alternative sweetener, such as diet soft drinks and cordials, sugar-free lollies etc., are also best enjoyed occasionally, as they do not have any nutritional benefit and may often take the place of more nutritious foods and drinks, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts and water. Protein foods are needed by the body for growth and repair. Protein does not break down into glucose, so it does not directly raise blood glucose levels. There are some protein foods which also contain carbohydrate such as milk, yoghurt, lentils and legumes which will have an effect on blood glucose levels but these should still be included as part of a healthy diet. Water is needed for most of the body’s functions. The body needs to be kept hydrated every day. Water is the best drink to have because it contains no extra kilojoules. Won’t have an effect on your blood glucose levels.

Fats are metabolised slower than sugar, which extends the perception of satiety - vastly different than the sugar roller coaster. Dr. William Davis wrote a popular book series. Blog dedicated to spreading the message about how grains are a problematic caloric source. William Davis wrote a popular book series and blog dedicated to spreading the message about how grains are a problematic caloric source. If you stay away from fast food & do not have fast carbs in your house, you can't eat them. One source of fatigue from altering one's diet is trying to cut out too many favorite foods at once. You can develop a taste for healthier foods and lose your sugar cravings, but it's not going to happen overnight. While it might be tempting to raid the pantry and throw out everything that's bad for you, that's not the way to create lasting habits. Instead, slowly cut out one bad food at a time as you introduce new, healthier options into your lifestyle.