Most diabetic patients are unaware of the extent the nutrition taken benefits or creates side effect for them. Therefore there is a need to ensure all nutritional supplements are taken with the approval of the consulting physician.
Nutrition
It is hoped that with the correct nutritional recommendation the patient will be able to attain and maintain optimal metabolic rates thus regulating the blood glucose levels to a normal range or at least to a more acceptable level.
These will the help to prevent or possibly reduce the risk of other related complication that diabetes bring on. Proper nutrition regiments for diabetes is also intended to ensure a lipid and lipoprotein profile is maintained to reduce the risk of macro vascular disease.
The nutrition choice is also designed to help create optimum blood pressure levels that will in turn help to reduce the risks of vascular diseases.
Nutrition regiments are also expected to help prevent and treat the chronic complications of the diabetic patient. The nutritional recommendations are modified to ensure a better lifestyle so that the diabetic patient can avoid possible obesity, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and nephropathy. The nutritional intake would also require the patient to have an adequate amount of physical activity incorporated in to the lifestyle to ensure there is no possibility of the nutrient being retained in the system and build up to cause more problems.
It should be noted that there are several different categories and levels of diabetic problems, and as such each case may differ from the next. This would mean any nutrition diet plan prescribed has to be custom fitted to the individual patient’s needs.
Your Diabetes Nutrition & Meal Plan
Although a diabetes food plan can be quite challenging to plan it does not have to be boring or tasteless, with at little guidance a diet plan that is both appetizing and nutritional can be drawn up.
Diet Planning
A dietetic diet plan should ensure all the carbohydrates eaten during a daily diet is well spread out so as not to overwhelm the body’s system. This is important as it helps to ensure the blood sugar levels are kept in control, therefore the need to keep track of what is being consumed.
The amount of carbs taken can also be regulated with the use of insulin and through exercise. Most diabetes also have to be concerned about the sodium content of the foods they consume as it can be have negative effects on the high blood pressure already present in most diabetic patients.
Therefore those with the added medical condition of hypertension would be weary of the sodium intake. For the diabetic with high levels of lipids the consumption of saturated fats, cholesterol and trans fats would be kept monitored.
When attempting to design a meal plan for a diabetic some points should be taken into consideration. These may include ensuring the calories intake is kept to about 10% to 20% from a protein source.
Meats such as chicken and beef should be considered over other choices. About 25% to 30% of the calories should come from fats however foods with saturated and trans fats should either be avoided or eaten in moderation. 50% to 60% of calories should come from
carbohydrates. Eating lots of green and orange vegetables will help to keep the balance, and these would include carrots and broccoli. Eating brown rice or sweet potatoes instead of opting for white rice and regular potatoes is also recommended as a more nutritional choice.
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