Diabetes and Diet - Does One Really Affect The Other?

How are diabetes and diet related?  Well, the short answer would be ... in virtually every way.  The long answer would give a little more detail and explain how each affects the other.  So here are some things to consider.

Eat Less More Often

The amount of food you eat causes your blood sugar levels to rise or fall accordingly.  So if you eat a lot at one setting your levels will increase.  The opposite is also true in that if you go for long periods of time without eating, your blood sugar levels will drop.

So the best way to keep your glucose level more level is to eat smaller meals but to eat more often.  Many weight loss experts also advocate this eating style because you never overload your system by eating too much at one time and you never deprive your system by starving it.  Whether you are trying to lose weight or not, this is good advice for diabetics also.

Eat A Balanced Diet

According to the Mayo Clinic, a balanced diabetes diet should include -

Carbohydrates: 45%-65% of your daily calories
Proteins: 15%-20% of your daily calories
Fats: 20%-35% of your daily calories

Now on the surface, that may look like you should eat a lot of bread and starchy foods.  Any diabetic would know this is not the case.  Fruits and vegetables fall under the category of carbohydrates and that is where the bulk of your carbohydrates should come from.

You can eat starchy foods in moderation and small amounts, eat a good amount of fruit, but most of your carbohydrates should be vegetables.  Veggies are better for you in every way and are a natural way to add fiber to your diet.

So do your diabetes and diet work together ... or against each other?  Your diet from the past likely contributed to your developing diabetes and therefore your diet of the present can help to stabilize or improve your diabetes of today.

Make sure you do everything you can to help your diabetes and diet work together instead of against each other.