If someone has been diagnosed with diabetes, then he or she is most likely also be aware of the diabetic food list. That is one the first thing any doctor explains to a new patient. Diabetes is a disease that demands some serious dietary and lifestyle modifications. Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you won’t be able to eat anything or everything like you did earlier. You will need to understand how different food products behave after they enter the body and the blood stream.
One of the most important aspects you will need to consider will be the glycemic index of the food items concerned. Glycemic index of any food depends upon how quickly the glucose of the consumed food is released into the blood stream. If it causes a spike in the blood sugar level of a person, then the food item is considered to have a high glycemic index which is not recommended. People with diabetes are advised to consume foods with low glycemic index.
Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs in Diabetic Food List
As we all know already, food items can be classified into various classes such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Most food items contain a mix of all the classes. The most important class of food items to pay attention to when planning a diabetic food list is carbohydrates. White polished rice and white bread are not very good options while wheat and oats are beneficial. Oats are especially beneficial for people with diabetes since its glycemic index is low and it enters the blood stream of a person slowly and steadily instead of speedily. Potatoes are not considered good carbohydrates since they have a high GI.
The Plate Method
The American Diabetes Association recommends the ‘Plate method’ while planning your meals after you’ve been diagnosed with the disease. The main emphasis in the ‘plate method’ is to eat controlled portions of different food items. Eating small meals is a far more healthy choice than eating large portions of healthy food items. Whatever we consume, after it gets processed in the body, it eventually turns into glucose. Eating small portions is one of the best things one can do to improve one’s health whether one is healthy or has diabetes.
It is also recommended as one of the best ways of losing weight. You could draw imaginary or real lines on your plate to control and monitor your portion sizes to start with. Once your portion sizes are under control, you could restrict starchy food items and replace them with non-starchy ones.
Foods To Be Included in Diabetic Food List
Consuming more vegetables, raw as well as cooked and less carbohydrates is a good thing to do for people with diabetes. Since red meat is not a good dietary option, replace that with lean chicken, fish or tofu as per your preference. The idea is to increase fiber, vegetables and fruits and to limit the intake of carbohydrates and fats. One very important aspect of the “plate method”, however, is its emphasis on a balanced diet which means including all food groups in one’s diet and not leaving any food group out completely.
After one meal like the one stated above, the next small meal could include milk and fruit. Low-fat skimmed milk is a better option than the creamy high fat one. In fruits, bananas, mangoes and grapes are not considered as good options since they contain too much sugar. Guava, papaya and apples are better options.
The Most Beneficial Foods for Diabetics
Here are some more food items that are considered as diabetes super foods due to the benefit they give to the body:
Beans – they come in various forms like kidney beans and black beans and they are one of the best sources of fiber in the human body. They are also rich in protein and unlike other sources of protein like meat products and dairy don’t contain any saturated fat. Consuming fresh beans is a lot better than consuming canned beans. If you must use canned beans, use them after washing them thoroughly to drain them of sodium and other preservatives.
Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are high in vitamin C as well as fiber which are both known to be beneficial for the human body.
Nuts – Though high in fat, nuts are rich in protein as well anti-oxidants. They also have a lot of fiber which is highly beneficial for the body. Walnuts and flax seeds are especially good for the body.
Tomatoes – Tomatoes are rich in vitamin c, iron and vitamin E besides also containing several other vitamins and minerals in small amounts.
The food items specified above are great for anyone to consume whether s/he has diabetes or not. One of the important things to keep in mind for diabetics is the total amount of carbohydrates they consume per day since carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels when compared to the other food groups.
Here is a list of some of the best carbohydrates that diabetics can consume:
Whole wheat
Brown unpolished rice
Whole grain flour
Corn tortillas
In the other food category, vegetables, all vegetables (except potato and corn) are good and should ideally be consumed after slightly cooking them. Cucumbers or coleslaw can be consumed fresh without any cooking. Fruits are great choices for diabetics when consumed fresh and untreated. Eating fruit jams is not at all a good choice while eating fresh fruit is great.
Proteins
The next category in food groups is proteins. Here too you should look for anything that is “light”. Whatever contains less fat is good and this is why fish and lean chicken are good choices. Red meat contains saturated fat which is not healthy for the body. Beans are good sources of protein and don’t contain saturated fat either making them a recommended food item for diabetics.
It is important to remember that diabetics don’t have to live on any specific diet that others cannot follow. Dishes that are good for diabetics are also good for anyone who don’t have diabetes so its not as if diabetics eat foods that others cannot eat. You could use the diabetic food list to cook the same meal for the entire family and enjoy wholesome and nutritious food that is good for the human body in general.