Diabetes Diet: Healthy Diet Basics

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no "diabetes diet," per se -- and that's good news! The foods recommended for a diabetes diet to control blood glucose are good for those with diabetes ... and for everyone else. This means that you and your family can eat the same healthy foods at mealtime. However, for people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition -- carbohydrates, fats, and proteins -- carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels. People with diabetes should also monitor total fat consumption and protein intake.

To keep your blood glucose levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, and take the medicines your health care provider prescribes. A dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education to help you develop a personalized meal plan that fits your lifestyle and activity level, and meets your medical needs.

Diabetes' Glycemic Index: Good Carbs/Bad Carbs

For years, researchers have tried to determine what causes blood glucose levels to soar too high. Potential culprits have included sugar, carbohydrates, and starches, among other foods. The glycemic index is one attempt to measure the influence that each particular food has on blood glucose levels.

Foods that are low on the glycemic index appear to have less of an impact on blood glucose levels. People who eat a lot of low glycemic index foods tend to have less body fat. High glycemic index foods generally make blood glucose levels higher. People who eat a lot of high glycemic index foods often have higher levels of body fat.

Talk to your doctor, a registered dietitian, or a diabetes educator and ask if using glycemic index in your diabetes diet might help you gain better control of your blood glucose levels.

For more detail, see WebMD's article Glycemic Index: Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs.