- We will learn everything about diabetes mellitus diet in this article in detail,with custom made flowcharts.
- When a person is diagnosed to be diabetic the doctor tells to follow proper diabetes mellitus diet and do proper exercise and might tell the patient to meet a dietitian.
- A healthy diet can help prevent, reverse, or manage diabetes.
- Patient with diabetes mellitus should work in combination with diabetes mellitus diet plan, diabetes medication and exercise to control their sugar and to prevent the diabetes mellitus related complications.
- Nutrition and physical activity are important parts of a healthy lifestyle when you have diabetes.
- Along with other benefits, following a healthy meal plan and being active can help you keep your blood glucose level, also called blood sugar, in target range.
- Starchy or sugary foods cause the blood sugar levels to rise rapidly as compared to protein and fat which rises the blood sugar levels gradually.
- Getting the right balance of protein, fat, and carbs can help you control your blood sugar.
- Following a meal plan will help you manage your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol
- Choose fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, chicken or turkey without the skin, fish, lean meats, and nonfat or low-fat milk and
- Avoid high-sugar foods that provide empty calories, or calories that do not have other nutritional benefits, such as sweetened sodas, fried foods, and high-sugar desserts.
- Making changes in your meal plan and following it can seem very difficult at first. so take help from your family and friends and start with small changes in the meal.
HOW TO MANAGE DIABETES MELLITUS
- If you are overweightor have obesity, work with your health care team to create a weight-loss plan.
- To lose weight, you need to eat less calories and replace less healthy foods with foods lower in calories, fat, and sugar.
- Depending on your diabetes medicines or type of insulin, you may need to eat the same amount of carbohydrates at the same time each day.
- If you use certain diabetes medicines or insulin and you skip or delay a meal, your blood glucose level can drop too low which is also called as hypoglycaemia.
- Here are some tables which contains the food that can be eaten and the food that has to be avoided in diabetes:
Diabetes mellitus-STARCH
FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO BE AVOIDED |
STARCH | |
ü Whole grains, such as: · brown or wild rice · barley · quinoa · oatmeal · amaranth · millet ü high-fiber cereals that contain at least 5 g of fiber per serving ü whole-grain sprouted bread that contains at least 3 g of fiber per serving ü Baked sweet potato
| û Processed grains, such as white rice or white flour û Cereals with little whole grains and lots of sugar û White bread û white rice û white pasta û French fries û Fried white-flour tortillas û white bread, û bagels û tortillas, û cakes, û muffins, û baked goods containing white flour û cereals, crackers, and pretzels that contain added sugar and no whole grains
|

Diabetes mellitus diet-PROTEIN
FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO BE AVOIDED |
PROTEIN | |
ü Plant-based proteins such as: · beans · lentils · nuts · seeds · soy products · tofu ü Fish ü seafood ü poultry without the skin ü eggs ü low-fat dairy products
| û red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb û Fried meats û Higher-fat cuts of meat, such as ribs û processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats û Poultry with skin û Deep-fried fish û breaded, fried, and high-sodium meats û Deep-fried tofu û Beans prepared with lard û Regular cheeses
|

Diabetes mellitus diet-FAT
FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO BE AVOIDED |
FAT | |
ü unsaturated oils, such as: · olive oil · sunflower oil · canola oil · grapeseed oil ü reduced-fat dressings or dips ü salmon and other fatty fish ü Natural sources of vegetable fats, such as: · Nuts · Seeds · avocados ü Foods with omega-3 fatty acid, such as: · salmon · tuna · mackerel ü Plant-based oils, such as canola, , or olive oils NOTE: Above food items contain healthful fats, which makes them better options, but people should always consume fats in moderation.
| û saturated fats, which mainly come from animal products such as: · butter · lard û certain oils, such as: coconut oil palm oil û cream-based dressings or dips û full-fat mayonnaise û French fries û breaded and battered foods û potato chips û many premade meals û burgers and most fast foods û many salad dressings û Anything with trans fat in it. Check the ingredient list for anything that’s “partially hydrogenated,” even if the label says it has 0 grams of trans fat.
|

VEGETABLES
FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO BE AVOIDED |
VEGETABLES | |
ü Fresh veggies, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled, or roasted. ü Plain frozen vegetables, lightly steamed. ü Greens such as kale, spinach, and arugula. ü Low sodium or unsalted canned vegetables
| û Veggies cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce û Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium û Pickles, if you need to limit sodium. û Sauerkraut, if you need to limit sodium. û canned vegetables with added sodium
|

Diabetes mellitus diet-FRUITS
FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO BE AVOIDED |
FRUITS | |
ü fresh, whole fruit ü frozen fruit with no added sugar ü Sugar-free or low-sugar jam or preserves ü canned fruit without added sugar ü unsweetened applesauce
| û dried fruit with added sugar û Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks û jam, jelly, and other preserves with added sugar û canned fruit with sugar syrup û sweetened applesauce
|

Diabetes mellitus diet-DAIRY
FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO BE AVOIDED | |
DAIRY | ||
ü 1%, 2%, or skim milk ü Low-fat yogurt ü Low-fat cottage cheese ü Low-fat or nonfat sour cream ü Dairy alternatives, such as: · Soy milk · nut milk o Note: please check the label before buying or consuming these products, as some brands contain added sugar.
| û whole milk û full-fat yogurt û full-fat cottage cheese û full-fat cheese û full-fat sour cream û full-fat ice cream û Regular cottage cheese û Regular sour cream û Regular ice cream û Regular half-and-half û sweetened yogurts
|

Diabetes mellitus diet-DRINKS
FOOD TO EAT | FOOD TO BE AVOIDED |
DRINKS | |
ü unflavoured, plain, or sparkling water ü Unsweetened tea ü Light beer ü small amounts of wine ü non-fruity mixed drinks ü Coffee, black or with added low-fat milk and sugar substitute ü flavoured water without added sugar or artificial sweetener
| û Regular sodas û Sweetened tea û Regular beer û dessert wines û fruity mixed drinks û Coffee with sugar and cream û Flavoured coffees and chocolate drinks û Energy drinks û milk-based drinks with added sugar û whole fruits for mixers, especially apples, oranges, pears, or berries
|

EXERCISE FOR DIABETES MELLITUS
- Before performing any type of exercise please consult your physician.
- Your physician can help you decide the best time of day for you to do physical activity based on your daily schedule, meal plan, and diabetes medicines.
- Perform atleast 30 minutes exercise a day on at least 5 days of the week, such as of walking, aerobics, riding a bike, or swimming.
- Sometimes even small amounts of exercise can help.
- Recognizing signs of low blood sugar when exercising, including dizziness, confusion, weakness, and profuse sweating.
- take steps to reduce their body mass index (BMI), which can help some people with type 2 diabetes manage the condition without medication.
- Stay well hydrate, drink water before, during, and after exercise
- If you take insulin, you need to balance the activity that you do with your insulin doses and meals so you don’t get low blood glucose, also called hypoglycemia.
- Hypoglycemia also can occur after a long intense workout or if you have skipped a meal before being active.
- Hypoglycemia can even happen during or up to 24 hours after physical activity.
- Hypoglycemia can be prevented by planning your physical activities according to your meal plan and the medicine that you take.`
Benefits of exercise
- lowers blood glucose levels
- improves blood circulation
- burns extra calories and helps in weight reduction
- helps in blood pressure regulation
- improves your mood
- may help you sleep better
- helps in better digestion of food
Exercises which can be done
- walking briskly or hiking
- climbing stairs
- riding a bicycle or a stationary bicycle
- taking an exercise class
- swimming or a water-aerobics class
- zumba or dancing
- playing outdoor sports like basketball, tennis, etc.
- Running
If you are less active or may be have to sit at a place for long time at work then these exercises came be done for 3 minutes or more every half hour
- leg lifts or extensions
- desk chair swivels
- overhead arm stretches
- torso twists
- walking in place
- side lunges
- chair yoga
You can even incorporate mild activities in your daily life by:
- Do your house chores like cleaning the house
- Walk while talking on the floor
- Take stairs instead of elevator whenever possible
- Go walking to short distance places eg. Like going to nearby market or a shop etc
- Wash your vehicle
- Clean the garden and water the plants
Stretching is also an alternative for those who require light physical activity
You can choose from many different stretches after discussing with your physician, and your physical trainer.
Stretching makes the muscle flexible, and prevents muscle soreness.
Yoga is a type of stretching exercise which focuses on your breathing and helps you relax
More articles on diabetes-types of diabetes mellitus,diabetes insipidus & brittle diabetes
More articles on diabetes-types of diabetes mellitus,diabetes insipidus & brittle diabetes