National Diabetes Week runs from the 14th to the 20th of July and in this month’s blog our resident nutritionist Nicky unpacks what exactly diabetes is and what the best dietary pattern is to follow!
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. The body can’t make insulin, enough insulin or is not effectively using the insulin it does make. Insulin is a hormone which helps move sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells for energy. Over time high glucose levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, resulting in long term health complications including heart, kidney, eye and foot damage. Not all people will have symptoms but they may include feeling tired, hungry or excessively thirsty and passing more urine than usual. The three main types of diabetes are type one diabetes, type two diabetes and gestational diabetes.
Does weight loss help diabetes?
Carrying excess body fat particularly around your abdomen or mid section can lead to a buildup of fat around your organs like your liver and pancreas and this can cause insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can lead to developing type two diabetes. If you have prediabetes or type two diabetes, losing 5-10% of your body weight can reverse your diabetes or significantly improve your health outcomes.
What’s the best diet for diabetes?
A variety of eating patterns with a combination of different foods or food groups have been shown to be helpful if you have been diagnosed with type two diabetes including a lower carbohydrate diet, Mediterranean diet, vegetarian diet and low-fat diets. The best eating pattern is the one you enjoy, that you can maintain and that improves your health.
The key focus should be on:
- Including a high intake of non-starchy vegetables which is generally all your vegetable and salad items excluding potato, sweet potato and corn. These are low in calories and carbohydrates, and are rich in fibre, fluid and nutrients which improve your health, keep you full and prevent your blood sugar levels from rising rapidly
- Minimising your intake of added and refined sugars from cakes, biscuits, lollies, soft drinks, energy drinks
- Minimising your intake of refined carbohydrate foods that have been heavily processed and stripped of most of their nutrients including fibre. These include things like white bread, commercially made cakes, processed breakfast cereals
- Reducing your overall carbohydrate intake for individuals with diabetes has been shown to improve blood sugar control and can be applied in a variety of eating patterns
- Including a source of protein at meals to help keep you full as well as balance your blood sugar levels. This includes things like legumes, eggs, fish and seafood, chicken, lean meat and dairy
What carbohydrates can a diabetic eat?
Carbohydrates include foods like fruit, dairy milk and yoghurt, corn, sweet potato, potato, legumes, bread, pasta, cereals, rice, quinoa, couscous, noodles and anything with large amounts of flour or sugar like cakes, biscuits, ice-cream, soft drink.
Carbohydrates are found in a variety of food and drink, and provide the body with energy. Carbohydrates break down into glucose during digestion and increase blood glucose levels.
The amount and type of carbohydrates you eat will affect your blood glucose levels. The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly or slowly a carbohydrate food is digested and increases blood glucose levels. Lower GI carbohydrates increase blood glucose levels more slowly. These are a better choice for our health, especially if you have diabetes.
There is strong evidence that low GI diets decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes and improve the management of diabetes. Examples of low GI foods include:
- Most fresh fruit
- Sweet potato and carisma potato
- Corn
- Legumes/pulses
- Sourdough or seeded breads
- Low GI wraps
- Rolled oats and natural muesli, bran flakes, porridge
- Seeded crackers
- Milk and yoghurt
- Pasta, rice vermicelli noodles, quinoa
- Brown, red or wild rice
Can diabetics eat fruit?
Contrary to popular belief, fruit is a healthy choice if you have been diagnosed with diabetes. People living with diabetes are often told they can’t eat fruit because it contains too much sugar. The sugar in whole fruit is natural sugar rather than added sugar. It is the added sugars, such as those found in chocolate and cakes that we should limit.
Fruit also generally has a low to medium glycaemic index (GI), which means they do not lead to a sharp rise in your blood sugar levels, compared to other high GI carbohydrate-rich foods such as white bread.
When it comes to fruit and the effects on your blood sugar levels, it is the portion size that plays an important role. On average, a serving of fruit contains about 15-20g of carbohydrates, which is similar to a slice of bread or a 250mL glass of milk. A standard serving of fruit is about 150g and is equivalent to 1 medium size – apple, banana, orange or pear or 2 small pieces – apricots, plums or kiwi fruits or 1 cup – diced fresh or canned fruits (drained).
The skin of the fruit is full of fibre so eating the whole fruit will maximise your fibre intake and also help with managing your blood sugar levels. Whole fruit is best either fresh or frozen. Ideally limit your consumption of fruit juices as most of the fibre has been removed, meaning it is more easily absorbed and you can consume a large quantity of carbohydrates quickly. causing a spike in your blood sugar levels. Also, be mindful of dried fruits as they can provide quite a concentrated source of sugar and when they are overeaten they may cause a spike in your blood sugar levels.
What does a diabetic friendly meal look like?
Use this guide to help you plan and prepare nutritionally balanced meals that are blood sugar friendly:
- Fill ¼ (fist size) of your plate with lower GI carbohydrates e.g. pasta, quinoa, basmati, brown or clever rice, seeded or sourdough bread, sweet potato, corn, lentils, and legumes
- Fill ¼ (palm-sized) of your plate with lean protein e.g. fish, seafood, tofu, egg, skinless chicken, lean meat
- Fill ½ of your plate with non-starchy vegetables or salad. Raw or cooked portion roughly 2 open hands. e.g. capsicum broccoli, carrot, spinach, cucumber, pumpkin, beetroot, zucchini
Have you been diagnosed with diabetes? Did you know that it is best practice to see an Accredited Practising Dietitian with experience in managing diabetes around the time of diagnosis? No referral is needed, however, if you have diabetes you may qualify for a care plan, speak to your GP or call Eatsense on 43113623 to make an appointment today!