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Type 2 Diabetes Diet

Maintaining a healthy diet is important to everyone, but it is especially important to people who have diabetes. Type two diabetics who follow a good meal plan find that it makes a difference if you have difficulty maintaining your appropriate blood sugar levels. By having a good knowledge of what to eat as well as how much to eat are very important steps to healthy living. Your doctor might advise you to seek the advice of a good dietician to advice you on what you should do about diabetes and nutrition.

Carbohydrates is one of the major food categories of a diet for a person with type 2 diabetes. Carbs provide glucose which is what fuels the body. Glucose is the main means of energy for the cells in the body.

Carbohydrates are classified in two ways, simple and complex. Simple carbs are just simply sugars such as glucose, sucrose, lactose and fructose. They can be found in refined sugars and in fruits we eat. Complex carbs contain the starches, which in fact are simple sugars that are bonded together by chemicals. They can be found in such foods as nuts, beans, whole grains and vegetables. Moreover, complex carbs are considered to be healthier for you because the body digests them slowly, which provides a good source of energy. These carbs also contain fibre which is very important in your diet. It is carbs as opposed to fats or proteins that have the most effect on the blood sugar since they get broken down right into the blood stream during digestion. The right amount of carbs should be eaten with each meal in addition to protein and fat. Carbs are found mainly in fruits, milk and yogurt, breads, cereals, rice and pasta.

A simple way of planning a meal is to keep track of your total intake of carbs for the day by simply counting them. Counting the grams of carbs and eating them evenly over the day is a good way to control your blood sugar levels. Carbohydrate counting allows you to monitor and control how much sugar and starch you consume each day. One serving of carbs is around the equivalent of 15 grams of carbohydrates.

You are able to plan your carb intake with counting. Consideration has to be made of your levels before your meal so that your intake or your insulin dose can be adjusted. Counting can also be used by anyone and not just by diabetics. By eating more carbs then the insulin can handle, this will cause a rise in blood sugar levels. Eating to little can cause the level to drop to low. These changes are able to be managed if you are aware of your carb intake.

A dietician should be able to help you to figure out a good carb counting plan that will suit your specific requirements. For adults, three or four carbs at each meal is a good plan, with one or two servings as a snack.

Carb counting is a very useful tool for diabetics who must take daily injections of insulin, who use and insulin pump, or who want the ability to make various food choices. It may not be something that is for everyone and more traditional methods might be used instead.

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