Diabetes Diets - Questions and Answers

Q - How does diet affect diabetes?

A - Diabetics are placed on diabetes diets as the first line treatment. The diets are also used to prevent the development of diabetes in those with pre-diabetes. It does this by aiming for weight control, keeping blood sugar levels normal, and avoiding very high glucose peaks and troughs.

Q - For how long will I need to take a diabetic diet?

A - For best results you will have to adopt healthy eating habits. The diabetes diet is just an attempt to do just that. Those with pre diabetes can reverse insulin resistance and no longer are bound to follow the diet but are advised to continue. However in established diabetes it will be taken for life.

Q - What principles guide the diabetes diet?

A - There are 3 main principles guiding DM dieting:

1. Controlling daily calorie intake to achieve the optimal weight.
2. Spacing meals and snacks to ensure a fairly constant blood glucose level.
3. Allocating the proportions of food types that can be eaten in order to stay healthy and prevent complications.

Q - What foods should be taken?

A - It is recommended that a diabetic diet should have 50 - 60% of carbohydrates, 10 - 15% of proteins and 30% of fats. Complex carbohydrates like rice and yams are preferable to simple sugars like glucose. Fibre rich foods are also encouraged. Foods like fish which contain poly unsaturated fats are better than foods containing saturated fats.

Q - What foods should be taken less?

A - Saturated fats (like margarine) and simple sugars (like soft drinks) should be taken sparingly.

Q - Can I take sugar?

A - Yes, taking sugar in small quantities isn't harmful but you have to account for the calories. However, habits like frequent taking of sugar containing soft drinks and fruit juices are discouraged.

Q - Should I stop taking fats and oils?

A - Saturated fats like margarine should be avoided while unsaturated fats like olive oil and fish oils can be taken. It is also helpful if you learn other ways of cooking apart from frying. Suggested methods include, boiling, grilling, poaching, steaming, baking, and roasting.

Q - Can I take alcohol?

A - Alcohol should be taken with caution. Any alcoholic drink taken should be accounted for within your daily caloric allowance. If you also have some other conditions like hypertension, and obesity, it's recommended that you completely abstain from taking alcohol.

Q - What is a food guide pyramid?

A - It is a system developed by diabetic care teams to serve as a guide for diabetics to know what to eat and the right proportions to take. It is a general guide. Ask your doctor or dietician for personalized prescriptions for you.

Q - What are exchange lists?

A - The aim of the exchange list is to add variety. Like the food pyramid, it serves as a general guide, not a rigid rule. Exchange lists, contain a typical diabetic diet and a list of types and quantities of foods that you can substitute the typical diet with and still meet the requirements of the typical diet.

Q - Is there a universal food guide pyramid or exchange list that applies to all cultures?

A - NO. All are based on locally available foods so ask your doctor to recommend a dietician who you can talk to.

Q - What is glycaemic index?

A - It is a system used to measure the effects that different types of foods have on blood sugars. The lower it is the better the food for a diabetic. It is not commonly used by many centres.

Q - How will I know if my diabetes diet is working?

A - You know by monitoring your blood glucose level regularly.

Q - How can I get a good diabetes diet plan for diabetes?

A - Read our page on plans for diabetes diets to get more information.

Q - Where can I find diabetic recipes?

A - Your best source of recipes for diabetics is a local dietician because he or she will be familiar with the locally available meals. Most hospitals have them, and there is usually one on every diabetes care team. However, if you can't find any, then you could find a dietician online. Just make sure it's a registered dietician.

Created - June, 2006

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