Well, I guess I have got behind with all the things that I needed to do over Christmas and the blog was pushed to the bottom of my list. I know that as a Diabetic things tend to lapse at this time of year and cheating becomes a byword. Well cheating may be OK just a little as long as we all remember that we need to remain focused on our problem. Getting focused again is very important and I cannot stress its importance enough. Back to a little discipline, so here we go.
HEALTHIER EATING GUIDELINES
Foods and Their Glycemic Index (GI)
Try to choose foods with a GI of 55 or less. These include whole grain foods, fruits and
vegetables. Hint: Try to eat as “close to the farm” as possible; the less processed is best!
A. Low GI Foods (55 or less) Choose Most Often
B. Medium GI Foods (56-69) Choose Occasionally
C. High GI Foods (70+) Choose Less Often
A.
Whole grain breads
Oatmeal (slow cook oats)
All-Bran cereal
Converted or Parboiled rice
Brown rice
Pumpernickel bread
Al dente (firm) pasta
All beans, peas and lentils
Apple, orange, tomato juice
Sweet potato
Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower
Apples, peaches, pears
Grapefruits, oranges
Sweet corn
Dark leafy vegetables
Popcorn
Marmalade, jams – small amount
Skim or 1% milk
Low fat, yogurt
Soy beverage
B.
Couscous
Basmati rice
Shredded wheat cereal
Pita bread
Rye bread
High fiber crackers
Baked snack foods (not fried)
White bread
Whole wheat pretzels
Cantaloupe
Pineapple
Raisins
Fruit cocktails
New potatoes
Beets
Cranberry juice
Ice cream – vanilla or low sugar
C.
Instant mashed potatoes
Baked white potatoes, red potatoes
Parsnips
Rutabaga
Instant rice
Corn Flakes
Rice Crispies
Refined cereals
Bagels
Waffles/pancakes
Pretzels
Soda crackers, rice crackers
French fries
Digestive cookies, graham crackers
Dried dates, figs
Fruit bars
Sports drinks
Sweetened soft drinks
Glucose
High protein foods (ie. meat, poultry, fish, eggs, peanut butter, nuts) have a low GI; choose
low fat/lean protein foods.
It is our recommendation that you eat more whole grain products, vegetables and fruit, and
less fat, salt, alcohol, and caffeine. The Guidelines encourage the choice of lower fat dairy
foods, leaner meat, and foods prepared with little or no added fat.
Sugar and Refined Foods – 1 teaspoon = 5g sugar
• The more sugar you eat, the higher your blood sugar will be! Always read food labels
carefully.
• Limit sugars within your diet! These include sweets, candy, sugar, jam, honey, syrup,
regular soft drinks and sweetened fruit drinks.
• Avoid foods that contain a lot of sugar such as cakes, pies, cookies and many prepackaged
foods.
• Avoid adding sugar during cooking.
• Avoid refined (“white”) foods such as white sugar, white flour, white bread, pastries etc.
These have a high glycemic index and will cause your blood sugar levels to spike.
The sugar content on the food label should be less than 10 grams per serving. When
reading “carbohydrates” on the food label, remember that whole grains are best. Always
see the fibre content, which should be subtracted from the total “carbs” as fibre is not
digested.
General Healthier Eating Guidelines (To Avoid Complications With Diabetes)
• Your breakfast plate should be 1/3 fruit, 1/3 starchy fibre foods (multigrain bread and
cereal products) and 1/3 protein (nuts, eggs, tofu, beans, lentils, low-fat dairy products).
Your lunch and dinner plates should be 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 starchy fibre foods and 1/4
protein.
• Choose whole grains, such as whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread and brown rice to
increase fibre intake. Most of these are low in fat.
•Choose only lean meat and poultry. Remove skin and trim fat before cooking. Your meat
portion should be about the size of a deck of cards (50-100g or 2-4oz).
•See the milk fat (MF) of all dairy products. Use skim or 1% milk products and low-fat
cheese (less than 20% MF), or choose fortified soy products.
•Reduce your total fat intake (less than 25%-35% of your daily calories). To achieve this,
always try to choose low fat foods and avoid fried foods. Read labels!
•Limit saturated and trans fats to less than 10% of your daily calories. Try to always
choose unsaturated fats such as olive and canola oils and non-hydrogenated margarine
(in moderation). Saturated and trans fats raise blood cholesterol levels, while unsaturated
fats lower blood cholesterol. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are usually
of animal origin. They are found in meats, whole milk, dairy products, butter and hard
margarines. Trans fats are found in baked and pre-packaged foods. Hydrogenation is a
process that changes liquid vegetable oil into a solid fat such as hard margarine. The
hydrogenation process changes some of the good fats into cholesterol-raising saturated
and trans fats. (People with diabetes are at a greater risk of developing or have already
high levels of fats in their heart and blood vessels.)
•Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon, trout,
sardines and tuna, and in flaxseeds (2 tbsp per day, freshly ground). Three to four
servings of fish per week is recommended as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Omegaenriched
foods are also available in supermarkets such as omega-3 eggs and omega-3
enriched dairy products.
•Omega-3 supplements: always look for the active ingredients DHA and EPA.
Recommendations are 600-900mg/day. Always check with your doctor or registered
dietitian before taking any supplements.
Food Labels
• Read food labels carefully. Try to reduce your fat intake and your sugar intake.
• Remember that labels list ingredients in descending order by weight.
• Avoid products listing enriched wheat (white) flour, sugar, glucose, fructose or any other
form of sugar as one of the first 3 ingredients.
Fibre
• Increase fibre in your diet by eating more whole grain foods, vegetables, fruits and
legumes. These foods also contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and have a lower
glycemic index. Low glycemic index foods will help to keep your blood sugar levels in the
target range. They will also make you feel fuller faster and longer and will help to lower
cholesterol levels.
Salt – Tips to reduce salt (“Sodium”) in your diet
High blood pressure may also be present with your diabetes. Limiting how much salt you
eat can help keep your blood pressure low.
• Decrease the amount of salt you add during cooking and reduce salt in recipes.
• Before adding salt at the table, taste first.
•Try seasoning your food with (salt-free) herbs, spices and garlic. Lemon juice brings out
the natural saltiness of foods.
• Avoid processed foods that are high in salt (sodium chloride) such as canned or
packaged foods and condiments such as mustard.
• Watch for “Na” (sodium) on food labels. Chips, pretzels, and other such snacks are very
high in salt.
• Avoid cured meats such as ham, bacon, bologna and salami.
• Check with your physician before using salt substitutes.
Alcohol
• Limit alcohol to less than 2 drinks per day (1 drink=12 oz beer=1.5 oz liquor=4oz wine)
• Drinking alcohol is not recommended if you:
-have high triglycerides (blood fats)
- have high blood pressure
- have liver problems
- are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• If you choose to drink alcohol, remember:
-to drink with your meal or snack (not on an empty stomach!)
-to drink slowly or dilute with water or diet soda
-that liqueurs, sweet wines and dessert wines have a lot of sugar
-to wear your MedicAlert (Alcohol can cause hypoglycemia/low blood glucose)
Reducing alcohol can promote weight loss and help you lower your blood pressure.
Caffeine
•
Drink no more than four (4) cups of coffee or caffeine-containing beverages per day.
Supplements – Ask your Doctor or Registered Dietitian before taking
Recommendations:
• Heart healthy mixture = 1/3 ground flax, 1/3 oat bran and 1/3 psyllium – take 2 tbsp/day
Food Preparation
• Avoid adding sugar during cooking. Use Splenda (sucralose) instead of sugar if baking or
cooking.
• Use low-fat and low sugar sauces and marinades.
• Use reduced-fat cooking methods such as barbecuing, broiling, roasting and steaming.
• Avoid frying and deep-fat frying.
Exercise
• Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by exercising daily and eating healthy
• Aim to be active for 150 minutes per week. Start with brisk walking for 10 minutes a few
times per day and increase gradually from there. Endurance exercise will help to increase
your heart and lung capacity.
• Also include flexibility exercises (gentle stretching) to keep your muscles and joints
relaxed. Aim for at least 4 stretching sessions per week.
• You can also do strength exercises 2-4 times per week to strengthen muscles and help
your bones.
• Remember to start slowly and consult your physician before engaging in a new exercise
program!
• Also, remember to measure your blood sugar levels before and after exercise.
• Bring some food (a fruit or high fibre breakfast bar) or glucose tablets with you while
exercising in case your blood sugar drops too low. Stop if you feel tired or pain. Keeping
active can lower your blood sugar, lower your blood pressure, help you lose weight, help
you feel better, reduce the amount of medication you need, relieve tension or stress,
improve your heart and lung function and improve your muscle tone! Look at all those
benefits!
To help reduce your weight:
• Eat smaller portions of foods and remember that your lunch and dinner plate should be
1/4 protein, 1/4 starch (including potatoes) and 1/2 vegetables.
• Eat 3 balanced meals per day (no more than 6 hours apart), and don’t skip meals; snack
with fruit between meals.
• Choose foods lower in FAT and SUGAR; choose LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX foods
whenever possible; avoid “white” foods (white flour and white sugar).
• Aim for a maximum weight loss goal of 1-2 lb (0.5-1 kg) per week.
MORE ABOUT DIETS FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES
Choose Low Glycemic Index Foods Whenever Possible!
FOODS TO ALWAYS CHOOSE
Whole Grain Products
• Whole and multi grain breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice
• Low-fat and multigrain crackers
• Low-sugar, whole-grain cereals
• Oatmeal, bran, bulgur, buckwheat
• Low-fat, whole grain baked goods with added bran or oat bran
Vegetables and Fruits – with lots of colour!
• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Eat an abundance fresh/frozen vegetables
• Unsweetened, fresh, frozen or canned fruits
FOODS TO AVOID
• White breads, croissants, sweet rolls, high-fat white crackers, waffles
• Short-grain and minute rice – white rice
• Sweetened refined cereals
• Commercial muffins, cakes, doughnuts, Danish pastries, high-fat cookies
• Avoid “white” foods (white flour, white sugar)
• Parsnip, pumpkin, white potatoes (high GI)
• Dried fruits and fruits in heavy syrup
• Sweetened fruit juices
Milk/Dairy Products
• Dairy products with less than 1% fat • Milk products higher than 1% fat
• Cheese should be 10-20% MF • Cheese higher than 21% MF and creams
Meat and Alternatives
• Fish (canned in water, fresh, frozen), seafood
• Skinless chicken and turkey
• Lean meats with fat trimmed, wild game
• Lean cold cuts (but watch the salt content)
• Legumes, tofu
• Eggs (up to eight per week)
• Fish with butter or breading
• Fried chicken, poultry with skin, wings
• Fatty marbled meats, ribs, regular ground meats, organ meats
• High fat processed and canned meats: bacon, sausages, patés, bologna, salami, wieners
Other Foods and Fats
• Olive, canola, soybean, sesame, sunflower oils (3 tsp or less per day)
• Non-hydrogenated soft margarines
• Low-calorie dressings and mayonnaise
• Light peanut butter, nuts (watch salt and calories)
• Unsalted seeds: flax, pumpkin, sunflower
• De-fatted gravy and low-sugar condiments
• Cocoa powder or a small piece of dark chocolate
• Hydrogenated oils, coconut and palm oils
• Shortening, butter, lard, hard margarines
• Peanut butter with palm or hydrogenated fat
• No more than 1/4 cup nuts per day (high calories)
• Heavy gravy, cream sauces, high-sugar condiments
• Chocolate and carob
Sweets (in very small amounts)
• Sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners, low sugar
• Sugar and regular jams, jellies, syrups, candies, jams/jellies/syrups gelatins, gum, honey
• Sugar-free candies, gelatins, gum
• Regular cakes, pies, cookies
• Low-sugar and high fiber baked goods
• No “white” foods (white flour, white sugar)
• Low-fat and low-sugar frozen dessert
• Regular frozen desserts
Snack Foods
• Popcorn without salt, butter, or hydrogenated oils • Regular popcorn, chips, pretzels,
cheesies, corn chips
• Choose low fat, low sugar snack foods
DIABETES GUIDELINES
It is our recommendation that, when choosing carbohydrate-rich foods (or “carbs”), try to
choose foods with a Low GI.
(Examples of carbohydrate-rich foods are starchy foods such as cereals, breads, pasta,
rice, legumes, fruits, sweet vegetables and dairy products. Always choose whole grains
and lots of fibre.)
Blood Sugar Target Ranges
Fasting: First thing in the morning and before each meal as long as no food has been
taken for 3 hours. Range = 4.0-7.0 2 Hour PC: 2 hours after a meal. These will be higher:
Range = close to 10.0
Portions to Live By !
ProteinFruitStarchyFibre
Breakfast Plate Lunch and Dinner Plates
• Your breakfast plate should be 1/3 fruit, • Your lunch and dinner plates should be ½ 1/3
starchy fibre foods and 1/3 protein. vegetables, 1/4 starchy fibre foods and 1/4 protein.
Other Diet Sheets Available:
• Diet for Congestive Heart Failure
• Diet for High Cholesterol
• Diet for Hypertension
• Potassium Replacement Diet
• Weight Management
I hope this gives you all a little to think about and remember these ideas are not just for Diabetics but for the good of general health also.
I would like to take this opportuity of wishing you a very Happy New Year.
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Garth Tuxford
Editor
