Summary for HealthiNation’s Diabetes & Nutrition

Hosted by Sharon Richter, Registered Dietician

The key to managing diabetes is keeping your blood sugar level well-controlled throughout the day. Here are some guidelines to help you eat a nutritious, balanced diet that will help you better control your diabetes.

Sugar in the Diet

Learn about the amount of sugar in your diet. Here are some examples of how much sugar can be found in common foods:

• One slice of bread has 3 teaspoons of sugar
• A cup of cereal has 3 teaspoons
• One cup of milk has 4 teaspoons
• One cup of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar

Carbohydrates

Work with your dietician and your physician to figure out how much sugar in the form of carbohydrates should be in your diet. Choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbs, because complex carbs get broken down more slowly by the body and thereby limiting the rise in blood sugar.

• Grains
  • Whole grain bread vs. white bread
  • Brown rice vs. white rice
  • Plain cereal vs. sugar-coated cereal
• Fruits and Vegetables
  • All fruits and vegetables should be incorporated into your diet because they are nutrient-rich. Just watch out for dried fruit such as apricots and raisins. They’re loaded with sugar and thus, will raise your blood sugar level very quickly, so use them only in that emergency situation when your blood sugar levels are very low.

Protein

Protein is an important part of the diet, but portion control is key:

• Examples of protein-rich foods include eggs, chicken, and fish.A simple way to select the right portion size for different kinds of meat is to use the palm of your hand.
• Choose red meat to be about the size of your palm, chicken to the first digit and fish for the entire size of your hand.

Fat

Fat is necessary in the diet, but try to control how much of it you eat:

• Stay away from butter and margarine and instead choose olive oil.
• Other sources of fat are nuts, seeds, avocados, cheese and dairy.

HealthiNation offers health information for educational purposes only; this information is not meant as medical advice. Always consult your doctor about your specific health condition.