Ask the Expert: How do I know what I can and can't eat?

When a person has been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes, obviously exercise and eating “right” are important. It can be challenging to know how to eat, and there are many different trains of thought as far as eating is concerned. I would like to start with some basics. Across the board, almost everyone (diabetic or not) could eat better. We each have our own opinion of what is good for us and what is best to eat, but there are a few tried and true rules that always apply.

TRIED AND TESTED DIET TIPS
• Eating fresh, non-processed foods is generally always better for us. Most processed foods have additives, extra sodium and sometimes extra fillers and calories. They are generally more expensive too.

• Always start a meal with a glass of water, this will ensure that you are eating because you are hungry, not thirsty (we actually can mistake thirst for hunger!)

• Eat at least three meals a day, and if you can do three meals and a snack mid afternoon, even better; our bodies burn more calories when they are fed regularly. If you eat only one meal a day, your body feels it is being starved and “holds on” to all the calories it can

• Remember that some foods have less nutritional value than others. Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy are the best sources of carbohydrate. These foods tend to be high in fiber and low in fat, which will not only help to keep blood sugars in good control, but will allow for weight loss and heart-health as well.

• The foods we eat play a huge role in controlling our blood sugars. Foods contain fat, protein and carbohydrate, all of which provide calories. Fat and protein will affect blood sugar over many hours, but carbohydrate affects our blood sugar almost immediately. “Counting carbohydrates” is one way to control blood sugar levels while allowing for variety in your meal plan.

• Generally speaking, a carbohydrate “budget” is in the vicinity of 45-60 grams per meal for a female and 65-90 grams of carbohydrate per meal for a male. The American Diabetes Association recommends that we eat 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories eaten. One can always assume that higher fiber foods are better for our blood sugars (fiber slows the speed of carbohydrate absorption). Therefore, a piece of fruit is a better choice than fruit juice, and fresh fruit would be a better choice than dried fruit leather.

• It is always best to eat a balanced meal. Fat and protein are absorbed at different rates than carbs. Eaten together, a person will get a less drastic rise in blood sugar post meal

• There is an awesome website available to those of us with diabetes. Excellent educators have made available some great information on carb counting. If you visit www.diabetes.org, click on the nutrition tab and then “carb counting” you get some great tips on how to count carbs and how much carb is in some of the basic foods we eat.

• There is another cool option “my food advisor” in which you can enter foods you like, see how much carb they have, and even look for healthier choices than the food you originally entered.