Diabetes Diet
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Diabetes Diet Tips to Help Manage Diabetes Nerve Pain Complication
If you have diabetes, you already know the drill. What you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat can send your blood sugar skyrocketing -- or make it plummet. For better or worse, "diet and diabetes" go together like salt and pepper.
One of most complication attack diabetes people are damage nerve systems, diabetes people at high risk of the nerve pain and damage called diabetic neuropathy. What can start as a little tingling or numbness in your feet can turn into major problems with walking, working, and leading an active lifestyle. Diabetic neuropathy can also wreak havoc with your digestion, your sexual response, and make it hard to feel normal body sensations - like the signs of high blood sugar or a heart attack. Fortunately, a balanced diet that helps treat nerve pain.
Good glucose control can protect the health of your nerves - and may even help prevent diabetic neuropathy. Following the rules of diabetes diet tips below :
Tip 1. Eat a Balanced Diet.
Learn more diabetes food pyramidal, A balanced diet includes a variety of
foods: carbohydrates (starches), fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy,
meat, poultry, fish, and healthy fats. Eating a balanced diet helps you
keep your glucose within target levels, control your weight, and reduce
the risk of complications like neuropathy, heart disease, and stroke.
The shape of your diet will depend on how active you are, whether
you're a man or a woman, and whether you're trying to lose weight. The
American Diabetes Association offers these general guidelines, but check
with your doctor to fine-tune your specific plan:
6 - 10 servings of complex carbohydrates a day
2 servings of non-fat or low-fat milk or yogurt
3 - 4 servings of vegetables
2 - 4 servings of fruits
3 - 5 servings of fats and oils
4 - 7 ounces of meat, poultry, fish, or other proteins like eggs and cheese
Tip 2. Spread Your Meals Throughout the Day.
Skipping meals and overeating can send
your blood sugar plunging - and then through the roof. Since diabetic
nerve damage and pain can decrease appetite and make it harder to digest
food, several smaller meals may work better for you. Plus, some diabetes
medications work their best when you're taking them in concert with
regularly scheduled meals.
The goal. Find a workable schedule for meals and snacks that fits your
real lifestyle - not one you wish you had. Be realistic about planning
your diabetes diet around your work, driving time, feeding kids, and
other commitments.
Tip 3. Go for Complex "Carbs."
Carbohydrates digest more slowly and
don't "spike" your blood sugar the way sugars do. They also fill you up
faster, so you're less likely to overeat, and they give you more
vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
The goal. Most of what you eat should be healthy carbohydrates. Include
whole-grains, fruits, vegetables and low fat milk. Whole grain breads
and cereals, brown rice, beans, lentils, potatoes, and corn tortillas
are good choices.
Tip 4. Forget "Super-Sizing"
Most people are shocked to realize how small "official" serving sizes are. A serving of carbs? Only 1 slice of whole-grain bread or 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal. A serving of dry cereal? Only 3/4 of a cup - that's smaller than your average cup of coffee. Meat, fish, or poultry? A mere 3 ounces is a serving - that's about the size of a cassette tape - once it's cooked. Go for that 16-ounce porterhouse and you've just eaten nearly 6 dinners-worth of protein.
Split entrees or dinner-size salads when you eat out, or have a small salad and appetizer instead of an entree. Keep a good diabetes diet book on hand to find portion sizes for fresh foods like fruits and vegetables. Buy a new set of measuring cups and spoons and keep them out on the counter, so you're more motivated to measure servings.
Tip 5. Jump on the Wagon.
Alcohol is toxic to nerves, says the
ADA. Your liver has two main jobs: to clear toxins like alcohol from
your body, and to convert carbohydrate into blood glucose your body can
use. But drinking sidetracks your liver; it won't start working to level
out blood sugar until it "sweeps" the alcohol from your bloodstream, so
blood sugar swings can result. And if you have diabetic neuropathy,
drinking may spur on pain, tingling, and other symptoms, says the ADA.
Try a variety of mineral waters with a fresh slice of lemon, lime, or orange for flavor. Make a "Virgin Mary": spice up tomato juice with a splash of hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, dried herbs, and a stalk of fresh celery - but hold the liquor.
Tip 6. Eat Less Fat.
Nearly 9 out of 10 adults with type 2
diabetes are overweight, says the ADA. Losing weight can lower blood
glucose, give you more energy, lighten the load on feet already sore
from nerve pain, and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
These days, "low-fat" is everywhere. But
read food labels carefully. "Lite" doesn't always mean "low-fat." Find
out how many grams of fat are in each serving of the foods you enjoy.
No matter how rushed you feel, avoid grabbing fast foods on the go. A single fast-food meal could cost you a week's worth of fat servings.
Fill up on low-fat soups, salads with low-fat dressing, and raw veggies that satisfy your taste buds with a variety of flavors and textures.
And remember to relax and enjoy your meals. That way, you're less likely to overeat from stress, and more likely to savor the flavor of foods. Your nerves will be glad you did.
