Diabetic Cookbook

By Adam Garcia

Composition of the Nutrients – Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats

The amounts of the nutrients are of more concern rather than the actual foods that are included in a diabetes meal plan. Diabetic people must be more concerned of nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, but other aspects such as total fiber amount are also of great importance. Let us discuss how to handle these aspects in diabetes meal planning.

Carbohydrates And The Diabetes Meal

Carbohydrates are directly important to a diabetic person. There are two – sugar is a carbohydrate and starch is the other form of carbohydrates. The total amount of carbohydrates that is consumed per day by a diabetic person is of grave concern. That is because, if the amount of carbohydrates is too high, then the blood sugar level increases; and if it is too low, then the blood sugar level decreases.

At the same time, there is a lot of dispute about the exact amount of carbohydrates that a diabetic person must consume. There is wide speculation about how much is better – should 40% of the total calorie intake be in the form of carbohydrates, or is 75% a better option? The American Diet Association suggests an amount between 60 and 70%. In reality, the amount of carbohydrate will depend on the insulin dosage that the diabetic person gets. If the person is on a high insulin dose, then more carbohydrates can be metabolized in the body. A concept of carbohydrate counting, where people are actually advised to calculate the amounts in grams of carbohydrates they are taking per day, is usually advised by diabetic meal planners. This enables people to consume any carbohydrate food, provided they do not exceed the carbohydrate limit per day that is assigned to them based on their insulin dosage.

There are some suggestions that can be considered universal in diabetes meal planning. The strongest of them is that carbohydrate foods must always be taken in small quantities, and they should be distributed throughout the day, to allow for metabolism. Ideally, 60% of the carbohydrate quantities must be divided between lunch and dinner, 30% must be kept for breakfast and 10% must be kept in reserve for some carbohydrate product taken during the day, such as milk.

Protein And The Diabetes Meal

Enough medical literature exists to suggest that proteins are probably the best macronutrient for the diabetic population. Protein is the second major nutrient we all need for building muscle and an overall healthy metabolism, but in the United States we consume more protein each day than we need. Protein should make up 10 to 20 percent of total daily calories. While up to 10 percent of the protein eaten may be converted into blood sugar, most of it is not.

Proteins are the natural choice of the body when faced with diabetes. In uncontrolled diabetes, muscle protein is broken down into amino acids to be converted into glucose by the liver. If left to fend for itself, this can create turmoil within the body. Proteins have to supply enough energy to substitute for carbohydrates and proteins are broken down faster than they are made. The body eventually ends up with a protein insufficiency, a situation with subtle, yet far-reaching effects on normal body functions. Importantly, for diabetics, a protein deficit has been shown to impair resistance to infections. Replenishing the depleting protein stores is a vital requirement of all diabetic meal plans.

The importance of proteins in a diabetic has been well documented. The American Associations of Clinical Endocrinologists have made it clear that not much evidence exists to indicate that diabetic people need to reduce their intake of dietary proteins. It is in fact believed that this is one nutrient that does not increase blood glucose levels in both diabetics and healthy subjects.

Fats And The Diabetes Meal

Fat is the third necessary nutrient needed for good health, but should not exceed 30 percent of total daily calories. The caloric density of fat is important to remember. Like protein, very little dietary fat can be converted into sugar by the body, but the calories themselves get turned into excess body weight if you’re not burning off those extra calories with regular exercise. The amount of fats that diabetic people consume in a day becomes important, because weight is an important concern.

Ideally, the diabetes diet must contain fats only in low amounts, and where they are needed for cooking other foods. Eggs and meat are permissible to an extent, but the most acceptable fatty foods are fishes like salmon, which contain a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The total amount of fats in the diabetes meal plan must not go beyond 150 grams in a day.

A high level of fats in the diabetes meal will cause problems such as obesity, which could bring on many other complications of its own. As is well-known, obesity and diabetes make a fatal combination. In addition, fats when increased beyond limits in a diabetic diet will cause problems such as heart attacks, strokes and blindness.

Diabetes Meal Planning – Vegan Diets

Vegan diets are receiving a lot of publicity in controlling diabetes, but as expected, they are meeting with their own share of skepticism. Vegan diets are being considered especially beneficial in the control of Type 2 Diabetes. However, people who are adhering to vegan diets must make sure that they are meeting their protein requirements with the right kinds of vegan foods.

You and your dietitian should work together to design a diabetic meal plan that’s right for you and includes foods that you enjoy. Otherwise, it is possible that the diabetic person will come to abhor the diabetic menu and foods altogether, which is actually less beneficial to a diabetic person. A diabetes meal plan is a guide that tells you how much and what kinds of food you can choose to eat at meals and snack times. A good diabetic menu should fit in with your schedule and eating habits. The right menu will also help keep your weight where it should be. Whether you need to lose weight, gain weight, or stay where you are, your diabetic meal plan can help.

Next time we will be discussing sample menus and calorie intakes. Again, you can leave a question or comment below or if you wish to discuss this subject further email us at diabeticcookbook@gmail.com.