What diet is recommended for people with diabetes?
The following information is provided by Diabetes UK, the UK's leading charity working for people with diabetes. For more information and advice, log on to their website www.diabetes.org.uk or call their lo-cost Careline on 0845 120 2960.
1. Eat three regular meals a day. Avoid skipping meals and spread your breakfast, lunch and evening meal over the day. This will not only help control your appetite but also help in controlling your blood glucose levels.
2. At each meal include starchy carbohydrate foods such as bread, pasta, chapattis, potatoes, yam, noodles, rice and cereals. The amount of carbohydrate you eat is important to control your blood glucose levels. All varieties are fine but try to include those that are more slowly absorbed (have a lower glycaemic index) as these won't affect your blood glucose levels as much. Better choices include:
- Pasta
- Basmati or easy cook rice
- Grainy breads such as granary, pumpernickel and rye
- New potatoes, sweet potato and yam
- Porridge oats, All Bran and natural muesli.
The high fibre varieties of starchy foods will also help to maintain the health of your digestive system and prevent problems such as constipation.
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John Allan, over 2 years
It has taken me this long to realise that as a diabetic. I don’t have a problem with fat, protein, salt etc. but I most certainly do have a problem with carbohydrate. For me there is no such thing as “good carbohydrate” All carbohydrate affects my condition adversely as with most diabetics. I have been mislead by the so called “healthcare professionals”, I am at long last learning to control my diabetes, by virtualy ignoring all of their advice. Regards John Allan
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Tamra, 4 months
I completely agree with you John. Having being diabetic for 12 years now I can honestly say the healthiest I have ever felt and been is when I excluded all carbs from my diet (except in low starch veg). I have found the pyramid etc an excuse to get obsessed with food which I believe is just over complicating eating, a natural process. I arrived in the USA only needing 3 units of my short acting insulin per day. Doctors laughed at me saying I couldn't survive on that. The thing is I had been for a year and not only did my whole body change (for the better - healthier, leaner and very physically strong with lots of energy) but my diabetes improved thus having less complications or general diabetic nuisances such as feeling lethargic. I managed to speak to some very highly certified docs in the US and even argued points like the diabetic inhaler with him. I explained the seemingly obvious complications such as if you had respiritory problems etc and you did want to eat 10g units of carbs every time you ate. Anotehr doctor suggested I use the insulin box. I can't imagine anything worse. I am a healthy 27 year old woman - why would I want to walk around with an external pancreas just because I thought it would be easier than injecting. The thought still makes me feel ill as I think 70% of type 1 over there have these boxes permenantly attached. EWwww Several English doctor's have also told me very incorrect information and literally through trial and error over time I have now learnt the truth for myself and I nolonger feel bad justifying what Im eating. For example my manager the other day got annoyed when someone offered me a piece of chocolate which I excepted. He said I shouldnt be having that because of the sugar rush... I was so annoyed as this clearly shows ignorance, so I simply emailed him a copy of the glycocemic index and wrote 'I may seem aloof at times however take my diabetes very seriously.' I highlighted the bit about chocolate which actually is a LOW GI food, slowly releasing energy. I think for every diabtic there are vast differences in what they can manage to eat. Like yourself I find a lot of carbs hard to handle. For example bread - I enjoy it but for the next couple of hours I feel bloated and lethargic, however with rice or potatoes I feel good afterwards. This could be yeast or other allergies possibly. I think fundamentally though we are starining our organs by not producing insuling, thus other organs down the line have to work harder, so my conclusion to eating healthily and happily is eat foods that are simple. Meats, vegtables, salads lighter cheeses, seeds etc. Drink diet squash (no gas etc) or water (tad dull unless its like Evian!!). Finally who ever said diabetics shouldnt drink??? What a load of rubbish! Ok so don't drink coke or really syrupy coctails, but I have found just like any human drink in moderation and you'll be fine. I also remember someone saying to me when I was younger 'your not very fat for a diabetic?!' -horrible ignorant woman (actually a nurse would you believe). A way of proving this is Steve Redgrave - diabtic yet olympic medalist.... John I think like us he worked it out for himself! It is a disease that takes time and is complicated but you can live very very well with it. So please the next time you jump to a 'diabetics shouldnt do this or eat that' get of the ignorant stool and encourage them to work out their own balance. There is no such thing as a diabetic cannot eat this or that -moderation my dear Watson. Much love Tamra
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