November 28th, 2009 
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american diabetes association guidelines
American Diabetes Association Guidelines | Diabetic Diet |
American Diabetes Diet: Helpful Guidelines for a Stable Blood Sugar All Throughout
Every diabetic knows that proper diet is crucial to diabetes treatment to achieve and maintain a desirable weight, maintain normal blood glucose levels, and prevent heart and blood vessel diseases. The recommended American diabetes diet is a healthful and moderate amount of meals taken at regular times every day. It consists of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods.
While professionals recommend nutritious foods as part of American diabetes diet, they make sure that the diet is motivating and easy to follow. Gone are the days when diabetes diet means strict rules, no sweets, and limited food intake. However, there are still some guidelines that a diabetic should follow in order to maintain a stable level of blood sugar throughout the day and night. Here are some of those:
- Based on the American Diabetes Association, your daily caloric intake should be composed of 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 12 to 20 percent protein, and up to 30 percent of fat.
- Avoid eating heavy meals. Instead, space out your meals throughout the day—three square meals and three to four light snacks are recommended. This will prevent your blood sugar levels to fluctuate.
- When you are trying to lose weight, make it a gradual process. Do not forget to consult this with your doctor especially if you are planning to go on a strict diet.
- Reduce your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol to help lower your cholesterol.
- Use diabetes exchange lists in order to make sure that you are getting a proper mix of calories, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. In this system, foods are grouped according their nutrients. Because the foods are grouped based on their nutrients, you can exchange foods within their group and still get the same nutrient content but without the risk of affecting your blood sugar.
- Eat sweets in moderation. Use sugar substitutes like aspartame and saccharin for your desserts. These artificial sweeteners have the same sugary taste like your typical white sugar but with less calories.
The secret to managing diabetes is knowing that foods you should take, being aware as to how much of these foods should you consume in one sitting, and following a regular eating pattern that you yourself created.
Read related article: “Diabetic Diet Exchange List”
About the Author
By Jose Felipe Abrigo – Contributing writer for Diabeticdietplancenter.com – 1800 Diabetic Diet
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