Hi there
I'm not a doctor, but I've worked in Diabetic Clinics (installing a
computer system that monitored peoples diets and sugar levels), I've
shared accomodation with Diabetics, and I have friends who have
Diabetes. The people who left comments were right - you should consult
a doctor. But here is a run down of good practice (This information is
not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. I cannot take any
liability for the decisions you make based on this information)
The way to view your diet is to look at the food groups you are
allowed to eat from, and the amounts you can have in a day from each
group. This makes for a more varied diet, and stops you getting bored
with eating the same things.
(The food group guide for diabetes is slightly different from the food
guide pyramid for people who do not have diabetes. A few vegetables,
such as potatoes and corn, are listed with the bread, cereal, rice,
and pasta group because they have more carbohydrate than other
vegetables. Likewise, cheese is not in the milk group because its
carbohydrate is removed during processing. )
The six food groups you're allowed each day, with examples, are listed
below. The amount of food that counts as 1 serving is also listed. If
you eat a larger portion, count it as more than 1 serving.
Breads, cereal, rice, and pasta - Eat 6 or more servings from this
group each day.
- 1 slice bread (1 ounce)
- 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal (check the box label for the amount
equal to 1 ounce)
- ½ cup of cooked cereal, pasta, rice, or other cooked grain
- ½ cup cooked dry beans, lentils, dry peas, or corn
- 1 small potato
- ½ cup sweet potato or yam
- ¾ cup winter squash
Vegetables - Eat 3 to 5 servings from this group each day.
- 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage etc
- ½ cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw such as carrot,
celery, green beans etc
- ¾ cup vegetable juice
Fruits - Eat 3 to 4 servings from this group each day.
- 1 medium apple, banana, or orange
- ½ cup chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
- ½ cup juice
- ¼ cup dried fruit
Milk and yogurt - Eat or drink 3 to 4 servings (4 servings if you are
pregnant) from this group each day.
- 1 cup (8 ounces) milk or yogurt (added sugar needs to be counted
separately)
Meat and meat alternatives - Eat 2 to 3 servings from this group each
day. (A serving is 2 to 3 ounces about the size and thickness of a
deck of cards.)
- Cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish.
The following can be counted as equal to 1 ounce of meat so you can
have 2-3 servings per day of either:
- ½ cup cooked dry beans (also need to count carbohydrates in beans)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 ounce cheese
- ¼ cup cottage cheese
Fats, sweets, and alcohol
- 1/8 of an avocado
- 1 tablespoon of cream cheese or salad dressing
- 1 teaspoon butter, margarine, oil, or mayonnaise
- 10 peanuts
- ½ cup ice cream
- 1 small cupcake or muffin
- 2 small cookies
- 12 fl oz of beer
- 5 fl oz of wine
- 1.5 fl oz of hard liquor
Thus is summarised in the picture at (
http://www.callineb.com/diabetes_food_guide_pyramid.htm )
Here is some diabetes eating advice from a Diabetic Clinic on using
the list above and looking after yourself
- Eat at least 3 meals a day to spread your intake of food throughout
the day.
- Plan several meals at a time and make up sample menus
- Make a list of the menus on the menu ideas form and post it on your
refrigerator. Plan to double some recipes and freeze the leftovers to
use for other meals.
- Make a grocery list of what you need to buy to prepare the meals.
Don't forget to include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also, add any
staples (such as salt, bread, or milk) that are getting low to your
list. Buy only the items on your list.
- Reuse menu plans. The rewards of menu planning are worth it and you
will become more skilled at planning meals with practice. If you save
some of your menus and grocery lists, you can use them again.
- Become familiar with the different food groups. Post a copy of the
food groups in a guide for diabetes in a convenient place and plan
meals to include the food from the groups. You should consult a
registered dietitian who can help you plan the food groups to include
in each meal and snack.
- Diabetic's breakfasts usually do not contain a meat or a vegetable
serving. However, they do contain foods from the remaining food groups
(milk, fruit, and grains).
- Lunches and dinners usually include foods from all food groups.
- Snacks may contain only 1 or 2 food groups (usually a fruit or
bread).
- Milk is a separate group and if you don't like or can't drink milk,
you may need to find a way to get more calcium in your diet. If you
are pregnant, you will need extra calcium and may need to take a
calcium supplement.
- Eat standard portions. Sometimes, what you may consider a serving is
much larger than the recommended serving size. For example, if you eat
a plateful of spaghetti (about 2 cups), you have eaten 4 servings from
the grain group in a food guide. You can see that it is easy to eat
more servings from a food group than are recommended for a balanced
diet. You don't always need to measure and weigh the food you eat;
however, it may be helpful when you are first learning what makes a
standard portion.
- If you drink alcohol, limit your alcohol intake to no more than 1
drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men. If you are pregnant,
no amount of alcohol is safe to drink.
- Eat less fat, especially saturated fat (fat that is solid at room
temperature). Saturated fat usually is found in meat, cheese, and
butter.
- Don't eat sweets in addition to your regular diet. Sweets are high
in fat and sugar.
Other tips you should be following in your diabetic regime
- Check your blood sugar level. If you check your blood sugar 1 hour
after a meal, you will be able to see how the food you eat affects
your blood sugar level.
- Pay attention to the way you feel after a meal, especially if you
don't routinely check your blood sugar level.
- Record what you eat on a food record form. You need to see a health
care professional to review your record with a diabetes specialist at
regular visits and whenever you think your diet plan needs adjusting.
Most of the above information came from the Healthwise site for
Diabetic Food Groups(
http://www.healthwise.org/kbase_hosp/kbase/as/aa16467/how.htm )
As I said earlier, you need to see a medical practitioner who will put
you in touch with a dietician to set up a plan that fits your needs.
And most of all, take care of yourself.
Here's a great site with a lot of info on Diabetes in general
Diabetes Basics
http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/diabetes/about-diabetes.asp
Google Search Strategy
://www.google.com/search?q=Diabetes+%22food+groups%22 |
