Why is good nutrition important?
Nutrition is important for everyone, with or without diabetes. But for people with diabetes, what you eat greatly affects your blood sugar levels, Time in Range, long-term health outcomes, and your potential for weight gain. Positive eating habits can help lead to positive outcomes and wellness in these areas and beyond.
What should people with diabetes eat?
There are many perspectives on nutrition. The most important part of good nutrition is finding an eating pattern that is healthy for you and that fits your needs, circumstances, and lifestyle. To help you navigate nutrition information, here is diaTribe’s advice based on both scientific research and personal experiences with diabetes:
Reduce “spiky carbs.” Spiky carbs are foods that cause blood sugar levels to quickly increase and can create unpredictable swings in your glucose levels. Some examples of spiky carbs include cookies, cakes, ice cream, candy, bread, crackers, chips, breakfast cereal, rice, pasta, soda, and fruit juice. Many of these items are processed and include added sugars – which can spike your blood sugar even more.
Spiky carbs make it much harder to manage your day-to-day blood glucose levels. In the long-term, they are linked to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) that can lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes progression as well as other health complications.
“Slow carbs,” on the other hand, are broken down more slowly in the body and have a more predictable effect on blood sugar levels. Slow carbs include veggies that grow above the ground (like leafy greens, broccoli, tomatoes, and cabbage), beans, and fruit (in moderation).
Finally, low-carb foods are those which usually have little effect on blood sugar. Foods that are low in carbs – such as nuts and dairy products – often contain protein and healthy fats. Some foods have no carbs, because they are primarily made of protein (meats, fish, or eggs) or
What about fat?
It’s okay for people with diabetes to eat fat, and to replace spiky carbs with foods that contain fat. That said, some types of fat are healthier than others. We recommend limiting saturated fats and replacing them with unsaturated fats, such as those found in the Mediterranean diet. In practice, this means eating more olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, and oily fish, and moderating the amounts of red meat and dairy.
More healthy eating tips
There are many different strategies for healthy eating. Here are some of the basics that you may find helpful.
Learn to read food nutrition labels so you know what’s in your food and how it could affect your blood sugar.
Foods high in fiber can help prevent glucose spikes. Fiber is a helpful nutrient found in plant foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains) that can slow carbohydrate digestion and help manage blood sugar levels.
Understanding portion size is important for all types of food and can help you make sure you are eating a balanced diet.
Build colorful meals to make sure you are getting a wide variety of nutrients. Filling your plate with foods of different colors means a focus on eating lots of veggies and some fruit.
Drink water to keep your body hydrated.