The dietary recommendations suggested for people with diabetes are very similar to those for people without it.
Do you skip breakfast? You are not alone! Skipping breakfast is common for many people. However, adding food into the start of your daily schedule benefits you in many ways.
Eating breakfast does not have to mean eating typical foods like cereal and toast. Would you prefer to eat a piece of pizza, leftovers from supper, or a sandwich? Anything goes, as long as your choices are healthy and you have a reasonable portion size. Whatever you choose, include foods from three of the four food groups from Canada’s Food Guide.
If you find fitting in a sit-down breakfast tough, try some of these quick ‘on-the-go’ meals.
Most of these quick meals only provide two out of the four food groups. They are not fully balanced in providing the variety of vitamins and minerals that a meal containing three or four food groups might. However, eating something as you start your day and making healthy choices is most important. You can make up the missing food group by adding a beverage to the meal, or having a mid-morning snack.
For people with diabetes, ‘sugar-free’ foods may help reduce the total amount of carbohydrate (sugar) eaten. Such foods include diet pop, sugar-free candies and chocolates, and diet yogurt, gelatin and pudding. Some of these foods may not add any sugar (or carbohydrate) to affect your blood glucose.
Foods marked ‘sugar-free’ may not have added sugar, but still contain a natural sugar source that changes blood glucose. Other products are just reduced in total carbohydrate in comparison to the regular version. Both of these can impact your blood glucose levels.
Diabetic foods are similar to sugar-free foods. They have been changed so that they do not contain as much added sugar, or have a different form of sweetener. Sugar alcohols like mannitol, xylitol, lactilol, and sorbitol are often the sweetener used. While this sweetener does not affect blood glucose as much as white or brown sugar, it still increases it. Diabetic food items can often be more expensive to buy and may cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea if eaten in too large a quantity.
Some sugar-free or diabetic products can be good choices as part of a diabetes meal plan. However, it is a mistake to think that they are a ‘free’ food that does not affect blood glucose. If you choose to use these items, remember that a carbohydrate (sugar) is a carbohydrate is a carbohydrate. The total amount of sugar coming from your meal is the key factor in your blood glucose control, not just the source of the sugar.
Most of the foods we eat break down into sugar. This includes breads, cereals, fruits, some vegetables, milk and yogurt. Including these foods every day gives your body the nutrients to stay healthy and function properly. The portions you eat at any one time will make the most difference to the rise in your blood glucose one to two hours later.
Less healthy, sugary or non-nutritious foods can be a part of your diet. However, be sure you are building a strong foundation with the nutritious foods from Canada’s Food Guide. Enjoy the others as an occasional treat.
Once breakfast is taken care of, look at your other eating habits through the day. Decide which habits are positive ones that you should continue. Think about what changes might improve your blood glucose control. These questions can help you assess your current eating habits.
If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are on the right track to control your diabetes with healthy eating. If you answered no to two or more of the questions, you know where to start making changes to your daily routine.
Set two or three small, realistic, and achievable goals that you can work on for one month. After that month, evaluate how you have done with the goals you set for yourself. Decide whether they are now newly established habits. If you feel you need to focus on the same goals for a longer time, do so. If you are ready to tackle one to three small new goals, then decide what they will be and get to work on them.
Everyone has some good dietary habits and some that are not so healthy. Try to build on your foundation of good habits, rather than focusing on what you are not doing right. Remember, we all have good and bad days. Stay positive! Keep moving forward with your lifestyle and dietary improvements.
What and how much you eat affects your blood glucose, so make good dietary choices and educate yourself on healthy eating. Find out if there are diabetes educators in your area, and make an appointment. An educator can talk with you about the importance of healthy eating, regular exercise and blood glucose goals. This will give you a better understanding of what affects your diabetes. Remember, you are the one in charge of the daily habits that affect your health! Make it a habit to see your health care team, and discuss your SMART goals for better diabetes control.