Diabetes is a disease that is managed in three different ways: diet, physical activity and pharmacological treatment.http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/foodnut/09334.html A diabetes diet is not just about the limiting of carbohydrate intake. According to report in Reuters Health, most diabetics in the United States fall short of a healthy dietary habit because they consume excess levels of sodium and fat. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_89185.html

It is well known that excess sodium intake increases the risk of elevated blood pressure, heart disease and renal failure in diabetics, and excess fat intake also contributes to heart disease. This guide on the diabetes diet includes recommendations on sodium and fat intakes for diabetes, as well as the other recommended guidelines that help normalize blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of associated disorders in diabetics. A featured video covers foods to avoid and discusses the potential for reversing type II diabetes with dietary changes.

Here are the recommended guidelines for a diabetes diet:

1. Have several small meals during the day and establish a routine.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00027
2. Moderate your alcohol intake - light-to-moderate amounts can decrease the risk of heart disease according to The American Diabetes Association http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/HealthIssues/1104370191.html
3. Reduce sweets - simple carbohydrates cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. Eat foods that have more complex carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables to help moderate fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Some fruits can cause rapid rises of blood sugar. From 50 to 60% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates and 12 to 20% from protein.http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/noninsulin-diabetes/diet.htm
4. Limit your total daily sodium chloride intake to 2400-6000 mg of sodium chloride (salt) per dayhttp://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-cholesterol/faqs-sodium.jsp
5. Reduce fat intake so that the caloric contribution of fats is no more than 30% of your diet.http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/noninsulin-diabetes/diet.htm
6. Eat foods with more fiber to lower blood sugar, such as beans, fruits, vegetables, peas, seeds, nuts and whole-grain breads and cereals. Both soluble and insoluble fiber intake should be increased.http://www.well-connected.com/rreports/doc42full.html
7. Choose a diet that uses exchange lists. These type of diets offer more choices than pre-printed diets.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00077
8. Choose low fat dairy products to limit your fat intake.
9. Model your diet after the Mediterranean diet. In a long term study, it helped a significant percentage of study participants to control their diabetes without pharmaceutics.http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20090831/mediterranean-diet-helps-control-diabetes

• Diabetes type 1 - an autoimmune disease where the pancreas produces no insulin.

• Diabetes type 2 - most common form (about 90% or more of the diabetes cases) insulin resistance, iinsulin production decreases over time.

• Gestational diabetes - occurs during pregnancy, and may develop into type 2 later in life.

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a physician about a diabetic diet.