The Best Diet for Diabetics: a Low Glycemic Diet

If you or someone you know has type 2 diabetes, here's some helpful eating advice. Especially for those who thought they had to kiss carbs goodbye forever.

As it turns out, the best diet for diabetics and others with lifestyle-related blood sugar disorders (metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance) doesn't outlaw carbs and fats. If you follow a low glycemic diet, you can get more normal blood sugar level readings and eat a wide range of delicious foods.

Why? Because a low glycemic diet considers how foods-especially carbs-affect blood sugar levels. So you can eat with greater confidenceand enjoyment.

Get to Know Carbs

Despite what you may have heard, your body doesn't respond the same way to all carbohydrates. Our bodies need carbohydrates, which break down into sugars for the body to store strategically for conversion into energy later. Carbs are what keeps us moving and functioning properly.

But some carbs may cause a spike in blood sugar that can create trouble for some people over time. Excess sugar gets stored as fat and may contribute to insulin-related  or alter normal function.

If you're a diabetic, it's crucial to know the "good" carbs from the "bad."

The Glycemic Index (GI)

The glycemic index is a helpful indicator of carb quality. The glycemic index measures how much of an increase in blood sugar levels a 50 g portion of a given carbohydrate causes when you eat it. Each food is rated on a scale from 1-100. Sugary snacks and low fiber foods often have a higher GI and contain rapidly digested simple sugars. Foods below 55 are low GI foods-the ones that will cause slower surges in blood sugar and are healthier in a food plan for diabetic people.

The Glycemic Load (GL)

Knowing the glycemic load of foods is also crucial. The GL takes the GI a step further by incorporating the carb quantity of an average serving size. Foods with more complex sugars and starches as well as proteins and healthy fats and oils have a lower GL.

And even better news: Some foods with a higher glycemic index, such as strawberries and watermelon, actually have a low glycemic load (when combined with a protein and eaten in moderation). So you can enjoy more of the foods you love more often.

Making the Switch is Easy

In planning menus, knowing the glycemic values (GI/GL) of foods will help you more easily choose substitutes for "bad" carbs that can help you better manage your blood sugar levels. And planning meals with a range of foods-proteins, fats, and carbs-also helps prevent blood sugar spikes. Here are a few tips: 

• Look for whole grain versions of breads and pasta and eat smaller portions-just one slice of hearty bread or a smaller portion of brown rice pasta mixed with lots of veggies
• Eat the fruit you love (lower GI/GL) rather than drink fruit juice (higher GI/GL)
• Combine moderate GI/GL foods with low GI/GL foods-try half an apple with a few teaspoons of natural peanut butter, or a small serving of organic fat-free yogurt with a sprinkle of blueberries and walnuts and cinnamon

Look for Improvements

A low glycemic diet isn't just a plan for diabetics-it's great for everybody! Low glycemic diets emphasize the wholesome, good foods that can help anyone stay healthyin lots of ways besides supporting normal blood sugar levels.

If you're on medication for blood sugar when you start to make these changes, be sure to work with your doctor on adjusting your dosages and monitoring your blood sugar levels carefully.

Contact my office so we can help you get started on enjoying a low-glycemic lifestyle right away!