Maintaining a Healthy Diet When You Have Diabetes

An important component of managing diabetes is maintaining a healthy diet in order to keep your blood sugar levels within the recommended goals set by the American Diabetes Association. Blood sugar level goals are:

• Less than 130 before eating.
• Less than 180 one to two hours after eating.

Blood sugar is affected by diet, exercise and blood glucose-lowering medication. An excellent way to help manage blood sugar levels is to engage in regular physical activity. Any activity you do is helpful. You should warm up, stretch and cool down to prevent injuries. If you are not active right now, you should start slowly.

To maintain a healthy diet and to control blood sugars, it is most important to pay attention to your intake of all carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are made up of starches and sugars that are both natural and artificial.

A high fiber diet can also help with better blood sugar control and even help prevent heart disease, diabetes and promote weight loss. So how much fiber do we need? The American Dietetic Association says we should consume between 20 to 35 grams of total fiber daily.

To get a more personalized meal plan, consider seeing a registered dietitian. Getting individual attention and advice can make a big difference in your management of diabetes. Talk to your primary care provider to receive a referral to meet one-on-one with a registered dietitian.