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Keys for Healthy Eating for People with Diabetes

Written by: David A. Zora, R.Ph. Rite Aid Pharmacist and Diabetes Care Specialist and Kara Anthony, CDE, RD, LDN at Rite Aid Store 2482 in Elizabeth, PA.

One of the challenges for a person with diabetes you must be extra vigilant of all the foods you eat due to the nature of this disease. By definition, people with diabetes do not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy. This lack or improper use of insulin by the body can cause you to experience high blood sugar levels, among other symptoms. Since most people with diabetes also have other risk factors such as heart disease or high cholesterol, learning to eat right is critical to staying health.

As a person with diabetes, it is important that you eat a variety of foods to get the vitamins and minerals you need. A typical diet for a person with diabetes should include foods from these food groups: starches, vegetables, fruit, meat and meat substitutes, and milk and yogurt. How much you choose will depend on how many calories you need each day. People with diabetes should also limit the amounts of fats and sweets in their diet, since these products carry calories but not much nutrition.

Although a person with diabetes must control the timing and portion of carbohydrates in their diet, they cannot be completely eliminated. Multiple sources of fruits, some vegetables (i.e. sweet corn, sweet peas, candied yams, potatoes), pastas, rice, breads, milk products (especially those still containing cream), soda and sweetened drinks, and some dessert items contain carbohydrates. The brain and other body tissues require carbohydrates to function properly. Too little or no carbohydrates in the diet can cause headache, blurred vision, hunger, shaking, dizziness, rapid heart beat, fatigue, or "passing out" which are all possible signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). A typical diet for a person with diabetes should contain a carbohydrate portion roughly every 4 hours, depending on specific metabolic and medical needs.

By educating yourself about carbohydrate or calorie counting, portion control, timing of meals, exercise, and medical nutritional requirements through diabetes self management education programs available at physician/dietician offices, hospitals, and select Rite Aid Pharmacies, these skills can be learned, practiced and mastered. Information on the basics of healthy eating can also be found at websites like ours, through the American Diabetes Association (ADA) www.diabetes.org, and multiple ADA endorsed diet books. Some examples of these books include:

1. "Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking" by Margaret Powers and Joyce L. Hendley. American Diabetes Association; 2000.
2. "Desserts for Diabetics: Over 200 Recipes for Delicious Traditional Desserts Adapted for Diabetic Diets" by Mabel Cavaiani and Anne K. Blocker. Perigree; 2002.
3. "1,001 Low-Carb Recipes for Life" by Sue Spitler and Linda R. Yoakam. Surrey Books; 2004.

Remember that "fad" or "trend" diets may not be suitable for a person with diabetes. With persistence and knowledge people with diabetes can choose to eat from a varied and wide selection of foods. You can incorporate almost any food, sometimes in very limited quantities, so you may enjoy holiday and family functions while maintaining recommended blood sugar control necessary for good health and limiting diabetic risks.

Please talk with your diabetes educator and/or physician to make a meal plan that fits the way you usually eat, your daily routine, and your diabetes medicines.

References

1. Anonymous. Definition of Diabetes. http://www.regranex.com/ living/living_index.htm. Accessed 11/17/04.
2. Anonymous. National Diabetes Facts Sheet. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/ pubs/general.htm. Last reviewed 7/12/04. Accessed 11/17/04.
3. Anonymous. What I need to know about eating and diabetes. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/ dm/pubs/eating_ez/index.htm. Accessed 11/17/04.
4. Novo Nordisk. Keeping Well With Diabetes; Carb counting and Exchange List. Princeton, NJ; Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals; 2004.

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