Dietary Guidelines

Dietary Guidelines :-

• Daily energy intake must be estimated after considering such as age, sex, actual weight in relation to desirable weight, activity, and occupation.
• The patient should maintain body weight 10% lower than ideal/ desirable body weight.
• The total intake of calories is more important for a diabetic than the exact proportions of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in the diet.
• A diabetic should be 60-70 percent from carbohydrates, 15-20 percent from protein and 15-25 percent from fat. 
• high protein intake helps to increase insulin production and pulses are rich in protein and fibre.
• Vitamins and minerals are supplemented if needed. 
• Complex carbohydrates and fibre should be included in the diet. 25-40 g of dietary fibre can be included for each 1000 kcal consumed.
• Patients should avoid fasting and feasting.
• Sodium intake is to be no more than 6g daily. Sodium is restricted to 3 g in hypertensive diabetic diets.
• Hypoglycaemic foods like fenugreek can be included in the diet.
• Junk food should be avoided.

  

Foods to be avoided	Eaten in moderation	Foods permitted
Simple sugars (glucose, honey, syrup, sweets, dried fruits, cake, candy, fried foods, alcohol, nuts, jaggery, sweetened, juices.)	Fats, cereal, pulses, egg, nuts, roots, artificial sweetener.	Green leafy vegetables, fruits, fruits except banana, lemon, clear soups, onion, mint, spices, salads, plain coffee or tea, skimmed and butter milk.

Diabetes Nutrition

• Nutrition is crucial in managing blood sugar levels Nutrition is a critical part of diabetes care. 
• Balancing the right amount of carbohydrates, fat, protein along with fibre, vitamins and minerals helps us to maintain a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Nutritional Requirements for Diabetics

Carbohydrates - 

• High carbohydrate and high fiber diet improve insulin binding and increase in monocyte insulin receptor binding. 
• High carbohydrate diet is likely to elevate serum triglyceride levels). Hence carbohydrate is maintained to about 50% of total calories. Most carbohydrates should be in form of polysaccharides such as bread, cereals, beans, etc. 
• Rapidly absorbed mono and disaccharides such as sweets, chocolates and sweetened drink should be avoided.
• According to the American Diabetes Association, "Foods that contain carbohydrates raise blood glucose. "However, a diabetic patient is not necessarily restricted from any type of carbohydrates as long as it conforms to the accepted daily intake level. 
• Carbohydrate counting is a technique for estimating the required daily intake of glucose-containing foods such as rice, bread, cereal, pasta and starchy foods.
• Carbohydrate management also includes diets with low glycemic index such as whole oats, whole grains and beans.

Proteins - 

• A diet high in protein is good for the health of diabetics because it supplies the essential amino acids needed for tissue repair.  
• Protein does not raise blood sugar during absorption as do carbohydrates and it does not supply as much calories as fat.  
• Protein-rich foods help replenish the loss of nitrogen in the body.. Proteins do not directly affect the cause of diabetes but could trigger the release of insulin.

Fats -

• Fat content in the diet should be 15-25% of total calories and higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids. 
• Fat intake for diabetics is regulated by preparing unsaturated-fat and fiber-rich foods with olive oil, canola oil and low-fat dressings. 
• The aim is to maintain high-density lipoproteins, or the so-called "good cholesterol" that comes from unsaturated fatty acids in foods. 
• Properly regulated fats help in maintaining a healthy body weight by increasing satiety and preventing the risk for heart diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Dietary Fiber - 

• Diets high in carbohydrate and fiber improve glucose metabolism without increasing insulin secretion. 
• They lower fasting serum and peripheral insulin concentrations in response to oral glucose administration in both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals.
• Fenugreek seeds which contain high fiber are useful to diabetics.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Fruits and vegetables are heavily emphasized for diabetics because they provide fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to a healthy diet. 
• According to the National Diabetes Education Program, diabetics consuming 2,000 calories per day should consume two cups of fruit daily.
• Dark green vegetables, such as  broccoli and spinach, as well as orange vegetables, including sweet potatoes, pumpkins and carrots, are also important sources of vitamins. 
• Beans and peas also have a prominent place in a diabetes diet.

Type 2 Diabetes

People with this disease don't produce enough insulin

Four dietary changes can have a big impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes..

1. Choose whole grains and whole grain products over highly processed carbohydrates.

2.  Skip the sugary drinks.

3   Choose good fats instead of bad fats.:----The types of fats in your diet can also affect the development of diabetes. Good fats, such as the polyunsaturated fats found in liquid vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds can help ward off type 2 diabetes.

4.Limit red meat and avoid processed meat. :----People who regularly eat red meat have roughly a 20 percent greater risk of type 2 diabetes than people who rarely or never eat red meat. (35) It may be that the high iron content of red meat diminishes insulin’s effectiveness or damages the cells that produce insulin. Eating lots of processed meat can also increase your diabetes risk. So skip the steak, bologna, and ham. Nuts, seeds, beans, tofu, or poultry are much more healthful protein choices.