Hello, I am Ty Mason of thediabetescouncil.com, researcher, writer and I have type 2 diabetes.
I want to emphasize that my perspective is coming from one with Type 2 and not Type 1.
Our channel is primarily for those with Type 2 Diabetes and PreDiabetes.
Today I want to answer the question what is the best diet for prediabetes
After you watch the video today, I invite you check out the description box for my new
ebook.
This is one of the most comprehensive diabetes meal planning book you can find.
It contains diabetes friendly meals/recipes, recipes for different goals such as 800-1800
calories per day meal plan, diabetes meal planning tips and tricks.
There are also tons of diabetes friendly recipes for everyone!Despite all the publicity surrounding
new research and new nutrition guidelines, some people with diabetes still believe that
there is something called a "diabetic diet."
For some, this so-called diet consists of avoiding sugar, while others believe it to
be a strict way of eating that controls glucose.
Unfortunately, neither are quite right.
The "diabetes diet" is not something that people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should
be following.
"That just simply isn't how meal planning works today for patients with diabetes," says
Amy Campbell, MS, RD, LDN, CDE, a nutritionist at Joslin and co-author of 16 Myths of a Diabetic
Diet.
"The important message is that with proper education and within the context of healthy
eating, a person with diabetes can eat anything a person without diabetes eats," Campbell
states.
What's the truth about diabetes and diet?
We know now that it is okay for people with diabetes to substitute sugar-containing food
for other carbohydrates as part of a balanced meal plan.
Prevailing beliefs up to the mid-1990s were that people with diabetes should avoid foods
that contain so-called "simple" sugars and replace them with "complex" carbohydrates,
such as those found in potatoes and cereals.
A review of the research at that time revealed that there was relatively little scientific
evidence to support the theory that simple sugars are more rapidly digested and absorbed
than starches, and therefore more apt to produce high blood glucose levels.
Now many patients are being taught to focus on how many total grams of carbohydrate they
can eat throughout the day at each meal and snack, and still keep their blood glucose
under good control.
Well-controlled blood glucose is a top priority because other research studies have concluded
that all people with diabetes can cut their risk of developing diabetes complications
such as heart disease, stroke, kidney and eye disease, nerve damage, and more, by keeping
their blood glucose as closely controlled as possible.
What does this mean for people with diabetes?
This means that a person who has worked with a dietitian and a diabetes treatment team
to figure out how many grams of carbohydrate they can eat throughout the day can decide
at any given meal what they will eat.
Those with diabetes who are not on insulin need to focus on keeping the amount of carbohydrate
they eat consistent throughout the day.
Those on insulin can decide both what and how much to eat at a given meal (as long as
it doesn't exceed their daily allotment), and can then adjust their insulin accordingly.
"There aren't any foods that are 'off-limits,'" says Campbell.
"Rather , one just needs to learn how to spend his or her grams of carbohydrate wisely over
the course of the day."
Frequent home blood glucose monitoring is then used to keep track of the effects of
meals and activity levels on their blood glucose.
They work with their healthcare team to make adjustments in their food intake, physical
activity, and medication to keep their blood glucose as close to normal as possible.
How does carbohydrate counting work?
Most foods--except meat and fat--contain some carbohydrate, and carbohydrate increases blood
glucose faster than any other food.
The number of grams of carbohydrate that a person can eat each day or at each meal is
determined by:
- Weight and weight loss goals
- How physically active an individual is (because physical activity will lower their blood glucose)
- What diabetes medication or insulin they are taking, and when
- Other factors such as age or the presence of high blood fats (or any other medical issue,
for that matter)
For example, a 6' 2" tall man with diabetes who weighs 180 pounds and wants to maintain
his current weight might be told he could eat 350 grams of carbohydrate spread out over
the day.
His goal would be to spread those grams out over the course of the day so that he doesn't
send his blood glucose too high at any one time.
If he is taking insulin or oral diabetes medication, he might also have to manage when he eats
his carbohydrate in such a way that there is enough sugar from his meals in his bloodstream
when his medication is working its hardest.
"We now know that in general, a sugar-containing food like a brownie may have 30 grams of carbohydrate
in it, but that brownie will have the same effect on your blood glucose as 2/3 cup of
rice or one cup of applesauce, both of which have 30 grams of carbohydrate in them," says
Campbell.
"So, if this man's meal plan developed with a dietitian states that he can eat 60 grams
of carbohydrate at a meal, he can decide how he 'spends' those 60 grams.
One time he may have 2/3 cup of rice and one cup of peas.
Another time he may decide, for his carb choices, to eat a small baked potato, a cup of milk
and have the brownie for dessert."
People who develop diabetes when they are over 40 frequently develop diabetes in part
because they are overweight.
Being overweight makes it more difficult for their bodies to use insulin to convert food
into energy.
For this reason, many patients with diabetes also have weight loss as a goal.
Because each gram of fat contains 9 calories (while a gram of protein or carbohydrate contains
only 4 calories), fat gram counting as a means of losing weight becomes an additional nutritional
tool for many patients.
Frequently people with diabetes also have problems with high blood fats and/or cholesterol
levels, and will be prescribed a meal plan that is low in fat as well.
So even if they aren't overweight, some patients may be counting grams of fat eaten at each
meal or over the course of the day, as well as how many grams of carbohydrate.
There are many food lists available that show how many grams of carbohydrate and fat are
in most foods.
Also, most any food you purchase in a grocery story lists carbohydrate and fat content as
part of the food label requirements mandated by the federal government.
Not a do-it-yourself project
"Obviously using nutrition as part of an overall diabetes treatment plan is not an entirely
do-it-yourself project," notes Campbell.
It's best, she states, if you work with a dietitian to determine which type of meal
planning approach will work best for you.
"But then the rest of it is pretty much up to you," she adds.
"You get your meal plan 'budget,' and then you decide how to spend it at each meal.
And just like people without diabetes, you need to eat a variety of foods in order
to be healthy Don’t forget to get my new ebook and please,
subscribe to our channel for many more videos like this one in the future.
Thanks for watching.
I am Ty Mason.