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Here is the American
Diabetes
Association Diet
Healthy foods that are recommended as part
of the American Diabetic Association diet are discussed in this article.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that people who suffer
from diabetes symptoms eat foods
daily from each of the 4 major food groups, which are:
-
Vegetables and fruits including berries, apples, spinach,
green beans, etc (see glycemic index list
for lots more ideas).
-
Whole grains, breads and cereals
like barley, bran, oats, wheat, and brown rice.
-
Dairy products
like skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, and low-fat cottage cheese.
-
Proteins
including fish, poultry, meats, eggs, nuts, and dried beans.
According to the American Diabetes Association, your diet should
include foods from each of these 4 groups every day in order to be sure you
receive all the nutrients you need.
The main nutrients found in foods we eat are carbohydrates, proteins,
fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Carbohydrates offer
energy for your body. Good healthy carbohydrate food options
recommended in the diet are peas, beans, lentils, fruits, whole grain
breads, whole grain cereals and vegetables.
The American Diabetic Association diet includes proteins
which are very important to help in your body’s growth and can help
with the body’s energy supplies. The diet includes proteins such as
low-fat dairy products, fish, and poultry.
High-fiber foods
like beans, peas, whole grains, bran cereals, vegetables, and low
glycemic index fruits
are very healthy for diabetics and definitely recommended as part of
the American Diabetic Association diet. This is chiefly because foods
high in fiber may help lower blood glucose and blood-fat levels.
The American Diabetes Association
Does Not Recommend the Following
Unhealthy Foods
Although this diet includes some fat, excessive
fat is not a good idea. There are several healthy
fats that should be included in your diet including flax
seed oil, olive oil and fish oil (found in wild
caught salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies).
Most other fats, especially animal fats should be
limited because increased fat and cholesterol in the diet
can result in a higher likelihood of heart disease or hardening of the arteries or both.
Suggestions for cutting down on fat include:
-
Pick
lean meats rather than fatty meats and be sure to cut away extra fat.
Eat less meat and more fish and poultry.
-
With poultry be sure to remove the skin before eating
and focus on the lower fat breast rather than legs and thighs.
-
The ADA diet suggests margarine instead of butter (note,
newer margarines do not have hydrogenated fat in them (check for this
on the label), so are OK, butter in small amounts is probably OK as
well).
-
The American Diabetes Association diet proposes skim or low-fat milk
rather than whole milk.
-
Eat only up to 3
or 4 eggs per week and occasionally have some liver. Note:
It is possible today to get eggs with omega-3 fat in them (chickens
are fed flax seed), these are probably the best choice for diabetics.
Salt can be a problem as it can make a high blood pressure
condition worse. Besides the obvious sources of
salt, there are hidden sources of salt in foods such as
canned soups, salad dressings, and cheeses.
As part of the American Diabetic Association diet, sugar intake should be reduced
(again we disagree, we believe you should cut out all
sugar from your diet in any of its forms including honey
and maple syrup). Pies, frosted cakes, table sugar,
honey, and breakfast cereals with sugar coating have a
high amount of sugar in them. Did you know that
a 12-ounce can of Coke has about 9 teaspoons of sugar?
Stay away from alcohol and ask your dietician for advice
if you decide on a drink or two. Alcohol acts like
sugar in your blood stream so it’s not a good idea for
people with diabetes to drink it.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that you
create a personalized diet by working with your dietician to design a meal plan that’s
effective for you and includes enjoyable foods.
Your regular eating habits and schedule should be a fit
with this diet while you retain a steady weight.
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