Managing Type 2 Diabetes With A Well-Balanced Diet

I became interested in diabetes when I came to the United States because I did not have much exposure to this disease in Ukraine. It was not prevalent in the small town I grew up in. When a family member was diagnosed a few years ago, this disease became very familiar to me. Managing life with type 2 diabetes can seem overwhelming, but the good news is that a healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to manage this disease. In this post we will explore what a well-balanced diet looks like for this disease.

First, let’s begin with some background and statistics.

More than 30 million Americans have diabetes and 95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows sugar inside the cells of the body. When the cells are damaged the pancreas tries to make more insulin to get sugar inside the cells of the body. When the cells do not respond, it is called insulin resistance.

This results in sugar floating in the blood instead of the cells.

Insulin in the pancreas

High blood sugar is damaging to the body and can cause serious health problems such as heart and kidney disease, vascular damage, and blindness. The key to managing diabetes is to manage the sugar that is floating in the blood to prevent harmful damage to the body. You may be able to manage diabetes with a healthy lifestyle alone without medications. (Please consult your doctor first). Isn’t that amazing news??! This is where a well-balanced diet becomes extremely important. Although it takes some planning and dedication, it can be done. Let’s explore what I mean by a well-balanced diet.

I have to emphasize the “well-balanced” diet because of misconceptions about sugar and carbohydrates in type 2 diabetes. It is a myth that people with type 2 diabetes should not eat carbohydrates at all or eat very little to control their blood sugar levels.

Eating few or no carbs is dangerous because it can cause your blood sugar to drop too low which is called hypoglycemia. Carbohydrates must be consumed because they are the main source of energy for the body. The key to diabetes management is to consume consistent amounts of carbohydrates in your meals. There is no “size fits all” when it comes to the amount of carbohydrates for people with diabetes. You should work with your doctor and dietitian or diabetes educator to see what amount of carbohydrates work best for your for blood sugar management. A well-balanced diet includes all food groups. It is important to include carbohydrates, fats, and protein into your diet when managing type 2 diabetes.

Next, let’s look at some good options for each food groups.

CARBOHYDRATES: What matters most is the type of carbohydrate is consumed. It is best to choose carbohydrates that give you the most bang for your buck. The best choice of carbs are those lower in sugar, rich in vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. On average people with diabetes need 3-4 servings of carbs per meal (45-60 grams).

Tips:

● Choose whole grain products (whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice)

● Eat plenty of vegetable that have carbohydrates in them like corn, potatoes, peas, etc.

● Select naturally occurring sugar that is found in fruit and milk

● Avoid refined, processed grains and sugar- they tend to raise blood sugar quickly and have little nutritional value

PROTEIN: This is an important food group for people with diabetes because protein helps to keep leveled blood sugars. The recommendation for consumption is about 15% of total daily calories.

Generally most people need 6 to 8 ounces per day.

(3 oz is about the size of a deck of cards).

Your dietitian/ diabetes educator will help you

come up with a daily protein goal that is best fitted for you.

Tips:

● Choose lean meats for protein (chicken, turkey, fish)

● Eat plenty of plant - based protein like beans, quinoa, and nuts

● Limit consumption or red meats to once per week or less

● Cook meats using low-fat cooking methods like baking, broiling and roasting

FATS: You need a small amount of fats in your diabetes management plan, only about 10% of your total daily calories since fats provide a lot of calories. To keep it simple, there is healthy fat and fat that is not so healthy. People with diabetes are at a higher risk for developing heart disease so it is really critical to limit unhealthy fat as much as possible.

Tips:

● Choose healthy fats which are found in: avocados, fish like salmon and sardines, olive oil, and low-fat dairy products, and nuts

● Limit unhealthy fat which often found in processed foods like sweets and fast food, fatty meats, butter, and whole-fat milk products

● Always read food labels which will tell you the amount of total fat and saturated fat

In conclusion, managing diabetes with a well-balanced diet takes planning. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. You will need to work with your medical team to fine tune a diet that works best for you and fits your lifestyle. I hope this post has provided you with an idea where to start! In my next post we will discuss facts and fiction about heart disease.