A healthy diet should be a part and parcel of everyone’s life especially in the wake of ever rising incidences of lifestyle diseases. While a healthy person can get away with a few let – offs on healthy food here and there, it is not so for someone suffering from type 2 diabetes. Such a person will have to come up with and adhere to a healthy type 2 diabetes diet in order to avoid making the condition worse or developing further complications. A healthy type 2 diabetes diet could be the difference between life and death in someone suffering from diabetes.
What exactly is a healthy type 2 diabetes diet and what does it entail; you may ask. This is simply a right meal plan containing healthy foods with all the essential nutrients and avoiding foods that could be detrimental to the health of a type 2 diabetic. This article sheds light on some of the food groups that make up a healthy diet plan for a type two diabetic.
One of the most important food groups in a type 2 diabetes diet is carbohydrates. Generally, there are two types of carbohydrates which are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are sugars while complex carbohydrates are starches and they are considered healthier in a diabetic diet as they contain a substantial amount of fiber. Carbohydrates have the biggest effect in a diabetes diet as they raise blood sugar directly after they are digested. As such, they should be tracked and controlled carefully in this kind of diet.
Carbohydrate counting is a technique used to control carbohydrate intake in a type 2 diabetes diet. It involves monitoring the amount of carbohydrates that are taken in daily. The carbohydrate intake will depend on the blood sugar level before the meal. As such, the diabetic person will need to measure their blood sugar to determine how much carbohydrate to be taken in the meal. Failure to do this might result in taking very little carbohydrates and blood sugar falling too low or taking too much and the blood sugar going too high.
Fiber is also very important in a type 2 diabetes diet. Fiber delays absorption of sugar controlling blood sugar level. It also promotes weight loss in diabetes reducing the risk of complications. Healthy fiber such as fresh vegetable and fruits, brown rice, bran products and whole grain cereals and breads should be plenty in a diabetic diet.
Fat should be kept at a minimum level in a type 2 diabetes diet. Excess fat intake on its own will predispose one to heart disease and the risk is even greater in a diabetic. Saturated fats and Trans fats especially should be the minimum possible or none. This can be done by avoiding saturated cooking fat or oil, selecting only lean meats, going for low fat dairy products and avoiding use of excess oil or fat during food preparation. Salt should also be used minimally as it increases the risk of blood pressure. This can be done by using the least possible amount of salt when cooking and avoiding processed foods that are high in sodium.