What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease that causes your blood glucose, or blood sugar, to rise because your body either does not make enough insulin or no longer knows how to use it properly. Insulin is a hormone your body uses to get glucose into your cells so it can be transformed into the body’s main source of energy. When insulin and glucose are not working together correctly, the sugar levels in your body get too high and can cause damage to your kidneys, heart, nerves, and eyes.
Diabetes and Food: Carbohydrates are key!
The best diet for diabetes is a balanced diet paying close attention to carbohydrates, also called carbs. Healthy eating is a nice balance of protein, fat, and carbs. Carbohydrates break down into that glucose your body needs for energy. Too many carbs will cause blood sugar levels to be too high (hyperglycemia) and too few carbs might cause them to be too low (hypoglycemia). This means you can and should eat carbs, but balance is key!
Carbohydrates come in the form of starches, sugar, and fiber.
Starches – Find these carbs in bread, tortillas, cereal, pasta, rice, potatoes, and corn.
Sugar – It is added to foods such as candy, desserts, juices, and other sugary drinks (regular sodas, sweet tea, lemonade). It is also naturally found in fruits, some vegetables, and milk.
Fiber – This is a great carb that can help you feel full longer. It is found in fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
Which carbs do I choose?
Now that you know what carbohydrates are, I am sure you are wondering: What should I eat? Focus mostly on non-starchy vegetables, eat some whole grain foods and lots of fiber, but try to avoid foods with lots of added sugars.
Non-starchy vegetables – eat these the most and fill up half your plate with them. A few examples are:
Broccoli
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Green beans
Cauliflower
Bell Peppers
Zucchini
Starches, fruits, and beans – eat these sometimes and don’t let them take up more than a quarter of your plate. Good choices include:
Apples, blueberries, and strawberries
Brown rice
Whole grain pasta or bread
Sweet potatoes
Green peas
Black beans
Sugars and highly processed carbohydrates – eat these the least often and in small amounts.
Soda, sweet tea, lemonade, and juice
White bread
White rice
Sugary cereal
Sweets and snacks (cake, cookies, candy and chips)
Summary
When putting together a meal plan for your diabetes, choosing the right carbohydrates is the key to keeping your sugar levels under control. Your body needs carbohydrates for energy but excessive amounts will cause your glucose to be out of control and this can end up causing damage to your body.
References
Diabetes & Food: Understanding Carbs. American Diabetes Association. https://diabetes.org/food-nutrition/understanding-carbs
Carb Counting. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well/diabetes-and-carbohydrates.html
Carbohydrates: Also Called Carbs. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/carbohydrates.html
Healthy Living with Diabetes. NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/healthy-living-with-diabetes
What Is Diabetes? NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes
What is Diabetes? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html