Diet and diabetes

Taking control of diabetes

Have you recently been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes? Or has your doctor warned you that you're at risk? It can be scary to hear that your health's on the line, especially if you feel helpless to do anything about it.

Here's a scenario that may sound familiar: your doctor's telling you how important it is to lose weight and transform your eating habits, but you're already discouraged. After all, you've tried dieting in the past without success. And counting calories, measuring portion sizes, and following complicated food charts sounds like way too much work.

Small changes equal big results

Whether you're trying to prevent or control diabetes, there is some good news. You can make a big difference with healthy lifestyle changes. The most important thing you can do for your health is to lose weight—and you don't have to lose all your extra pounds to reap the benefits. Experts say that losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight can help you lower your blood sugar considerably, as well as lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It's not too late to make a positive change, even if you've already developed diabetes. The bottom line is that you have more control over your health than you think.

Eat a balanced diet

By choosing to eat a healthy balanced diet you'll already have started to manage diabetes by helping to control your blood glucose levels, blood fats and blood pressure. It will also help to regulate your weight. If you're overweight it's especially important to try and achieve and maintain a lower weight. Even small weight losses lead to surprisingly big reductions in the risk of diabetes and will also reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Finding the balance between the amount of carbohydrates and fat is important. Cut down on the amount of fat you eat - particularly saturated (animal) fats, as this type of fat is linked to heart disease. Choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil and rapeseed oil. Aim to eat a portion of oily fish at least twice a week.

Eat regular meals based on starchy carbohydrate foods - such as bread, pasta, chapattis, potatoes, yam, noodles, rice and cereals. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Whether diabetic or not, an adult needs daily:

• Two servings of protein foods eg lean meat, fish, eggs or pulses (eg lentils)
• At least five servings of starchy carbohydrate foods
• At least five servings of fruit and vegetables
• Three servings of low-fat dairy foods

What you need to know about diabetes and diet

Eating right is vital if you're trying to prevent or control diabetes. While exercise is also important, what you eat has the biggest impact when it comes to weight loss. But what does eating right for diabetes mean? You may be surprised to hear that your nutritional needs are virtually the same everyone else: no special foods or complicated diets are necessary.

A diabetes diet is simply a healthy eating plan that is high in nutrients, low in fat, and moderate in calories. It is a healthy diet for anyone! The only difference is that you need to pay more attention to some of your food choices—most notably the carbohydrates you eat.

Tricks for cutting down on sugar

• Reduce how much soda and juice you drink. If you miss your carbonation kick, try sparkling water either plain or with a little juice mixed in.
• Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes by ¼ to ⅓. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, for example, use ⅔ or ¾ cup instead. You can also boost sweetness with cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract.
• Find healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead of ice cream, blend up frozen bananas for a creamy, frozen treat. Or enjoy a small chunk of dark chocolate, rather than your usual milk chocolate bar.
• Start with half of the dessert you normally eat, and replace the other half with fruit.