Why? Remember the good-old food pyramid you learned about back in school? A balanced diet includes a variety of foods: carbohydrates (starches), fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy, meat, poultry, fish, and healthy fats. Eating a balanced diet helps you keep your glucose within target levels, control your weight, and reduce the risk of complications like neuropathy, heart disease, and stroke.
The goal. Step out of any food ruts you're in. Try new foods, and include all of the major food groups in your diabetes diet.
How? The shape of your diet will depend on how active you are, whether you're a man or a woman, and whether you're trying to lose weight. The American Diabetes Association offers these general guidelines, but check with your doctor to fine-tune your specific plan:
- Choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages among the basic food groups.
- Balance calories from foods and beverages with physical activity to manage body weight.
- Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often.
- Eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables daily (for someone eating 2,000 calories)
- Make at least half the grains you eat whole grains.
- Decrease saturated fats and trans fatty acids by choosing lean meats and poultry, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
- Substitute monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils) for saturated and trans fat fats.
- Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners.
- Eat less than 2,300 mg per day of sodium.
- Limit alcohol to no more than 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men.
- Regular physical activity of at least 30 minutes a day for adults and 60 minutes for children.
No comments:
Post a Comment