Watching Carbs Helps Control Diabetes

People with diabetes are often told to watch their diet as a way to help control their blood sugar.

But what does watching your diet mean?  Should you be watching how many calories you consume, or is it fat, or carbs?

Carbohydrates have the greatest effect on your blood sugar, so you need to be aware of which foods contain carbs and how to track them.  By keeping track of your carbs, you’ll still be able to eat your favorite foods – you’ll just have to watch how much you eat if your favorite foods are high in carbs.

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Diabetic Meal Plans

Meal planning when you’re diabetic is more difficult because you need to stay away from certain foods, and watch how much you eat of others in order to maintain both your blood sugar and in many cases your weight.

The American Diabetes Association has created a diabetes food pyramid to help you make healthier food choices.

The Diabetes Food Pyramid is a little different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid because it groups foods based on their carbohydrate and protein content instead of their classification as a food.

The Diabetes Food Pyramid divides food into six groups, with the largest group — grains, beans, and starchy vegetables — on the bottom and the smallest group — fats, sweets, and alcohol — at the top of the pyramid.  The idea is to eat the most foods from the largest group and the least from the smallest group for a healthy diet.

Creating a diabetic meal plan from the diabetes food pyramid makes it much easier to figure out what you can and can’t eat.  You should work with a dietitian to determine the best meal plan for your health needs.