. . . as devised by my health care team

Factors to consider in determining a diabetic food list

The dietitians at the Diabetes Education Center of my local hospital devised a meal plan for me that is based on and built around the amount of carbohydrates they believe should be in my daily diabetic food list. And that, together with the necessary background, is what I would like to share with you, knowing that we are all different but the methods and factors leading to establishing the diet should be similar for most individuals. But first, some general information about foods and nutrient categories.

Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats

The nutrients in the foods we eat, and need to eat to keep us alive, are proteins, carbohydrates and fats. We also need water, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. But it is the major nutrient categories that we are concerned with here and the ratios of those nutrients that go to make up our daily food list.

Carbohydrates are the major source of energy needed by all the cells of the body to function and perform their myriad and constant chemical activities. Sources of carbohydrates are breads, pastas, grains, puddings, sweets and deserts – and those are not always the best sources to include in the diabetic food list. For breads choose the whole grain versions. Other carbohydrate sources include vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and low-fat dairy products

Proteins are needed for growth and maintenance of muscles, organs, and body tissues among other things and the main sources of proteins in our foods are from beef, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, seeds, and nuts.

Fats, also a source of energy, are needed to assist in the functioning of the body. Dietary fat provides essential fatty acids that our bodies do not manufacture. Fats are an important component of a healthy diet.

Although we are all different in body shape and size, most of us maintain our weight within a narrow range of a few pounds through eating similar amounts and types of meals each day. The foods we consume provide the energy needed to sustain life and the amounts of energy provided by the various foods are measured in units called calories.

About food and calories

Any of the calories of energy obtained from our food intake that is not immediately needed by the cells of our body is stored for later use in the body’s fat cells. It is the continued accumulation of that excess energy obtained from the foods we eat that results in us becoming fatter. So to avoid gaining weight, don’t eat more calories than you need each day, but that leads to another topic for discussion elsewhere.

Different categories of food provide different amounts of calories. Food amounts can be measured in grams or ounces, in North America the gram weights are more usual. For each one gram of weight, carbohydrates and proteins provide 4 calories and fats provide 9 calories.

To maintain current weight

The body needs a supply of energy all the time, whether we are active or not. The total number of calories required by an individual each day in order to supply their energy needs, and maintain their current weight, depends on several factors and can easily be calculated. Those are, mainly, current weight, height, gender, and level of physical activity, where the more active and strenuous work and life-style demands will require more calories for their support.

As a general guideline, the American Heart Association answers the question; “How many calories should you eat each day?” by offering a chart showing gender, age, activity levels (sedentary, moderate, active) but does not take into account height and weight. From this chart it can be seen that a moderately active female between 30 and 50 years of age requires 2000 calories per day compared with a male of the same age and activity level who would require 2400 to 2600 calories per day. Those amounts will be too high for people of generally smaller stature.

But there are Calorie Calculators available on the internet that can be a little more precise. I favor the one at Freedieting.com that requires the following input and provides an estimate of calories needed to support them. You will note the appropriate activity level must be enetered.

Maintenance:    XXXX Calories/day

Fat Loss:         XXXX Calories/day

Extreme Fat Loss:     XXXX Calories/day

Using the above calculator, I have determined that my own calorie intake should be about 2000 calories per day, a lot lower than the 2400 to 2600 given by the American Heart Association chart but I am older, perhaps less active too.

Looking further, I see that for a moderate diet it is suggested that the daily food list it should be comprised of 45% carbohydrates – 900 calories, 30% protein – 600 calories, and 25% fat – 500 calories.

That is a lower percentage of carbohydrates than is suggested by the American Diabetes Association, and a higher percentage than is suggested by the doctors who advocate the Low Carbohydrate approach to treating diabetes.

Caution:
Please keep in mind, that the above charts and tables are meant for the healthy non-diabetic person and we diabetics should consider them only for comparison while we continue to seek advise from the medical professionals who are treating us for diabetes.

But now, let us see the percentages of carbohydrates in the diabetic food plan devised for me by my local Diabetes Education Center. To do this go to: My Own Diabetic Food Plan Part 2.

Return to Introduction Page and Articles List

This blog is called Diabetic Food List + Plus

Our objective is to provide information regarding a wide range of foods and how they can fit into a diabetic meal plan and a diabetic lifestyle. And the Plus in the title indicates that our intention is to cover not only foods that apply to an appropriate diabetic food list but to also discuss other topics that are  relevant to us and our life-styles as diabetics. Those topics will include, weight-loss, exercise, symptoms and types of diabetes and the complications that can occur in some cases if and when the disease advances, especially if not properly controlled and managed.

Articles on this site, click to access:

Posted to date, 2011

Chocolate! Is This Good News forf the Diabetic or What?

A Sort of  Salsa Recipe, Now On My Diabetic Menu

Salsa, An Addition to the Diabetic Food List to treat the Pain of Neuropathy

Tumeric, An Age-Old Food to Add to the Diabetic Food List

Vinegar — An Addition for the Diabetic Food List?

Pecans — More Nuts for the Diabetic Food List with Reference to Fats and Vitamin E

Brazil Nuts and Selenium, Additions to the Diabetic Food List, and a Note On Cancer

Soy Milk for the Diabetic Food List

Oatmeal and the diabetic menu

Additions to the Diabetic Food List – Part 1 of 4, Alpha-lipoic Acid

Additions to the Diabetic Food List – Part 2 of 4, Gymnema Sylvestre

Posted October and November, 2010:

Dietary Fiber for the Diabetic Food List

Episodes of Low Blood Sugars

Previous articles:

How to Manage the Diabetic Condition For the Newly Diagnosed Diabetic  – Read this First

About Foods and Diabetic Food Lists

Establishing Food Plans – Considerations

Diabetes, the Diagnosis and After

About Diabetes, A Simple Explanation

The Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load

Low Carb Foods

Diabetes Juicer Recipes for Managing Blood Sugars

My Diabetic Food Plan – Part 1

My Diabetic Food Plan – Part 2

My Diabetic Food Plan – Part 3

Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart

Men . . . Listen Up,  and Take Warning

Some Non-regular Items for Your Diabetic Food List

ALMONDS in the control of Diabetes and High Cholesterol

Other supplementary food items to consider

Cinnamon – Does It Help Combat Diabetes?

Flaxseed Chia Hempseed Fenugreek Flavinoids

Omega-3′s Onions-and-Garlic Vinegars Mulberry-Leaf

Discussing more than just food We are not limiting ourselves to the discussion of diabetic foods and diabetic food lists as was originally intended. We also want to provide more general information on the entire subject of diabetes, including links to our other diabetes sites where more than food is discussed. We do this because it can be useful, especially to the newly diagnosed diabetic who may have questions about the disease and uncertainties regarding what they will now be facing. And that will certainly include matters relating to food, exercise, perhaps weight loss and perhaps medications, topics that we have written about and are linked to this site. I am a type-2  diabetic myself, for more than 20 years now, so I can anticipate many of the questions and topics that are of interest.

Caution: If you are a diabetic you must be under the care of a physician. Your doctor and health care team will monitor the progress of your diabetes and advise you on what must be done to control and manage the condition. But the day-to-day management is in your own hands and the actions you take may affect the outcome, beneficially or otherwise.

For those newly diagnosed, here is an introduction to being Diabetic. And for a description of how it works, see About Diabetes.

Before discussing Diabetic Foods and Diabetic Food Lists, a general comment: There are several factors we might consider, including selection of food items and their preparation for consumption that meet the individual’s personal tastes and preferences, most of us have grown up with family meals reflecting regional, and perhaps cultural influences, foods that are commonly available in one area may not be so elsewhere, those who live in towns near the sea are likely to favor fish more so perhaps than those growing up in farm country. Otherwise, in the matter of foods for diabetics, the general approach is to select foods with  properties that as much as possible do not add to the problems of high blood sugars that are always with us. There are abundant nutritious and varied food items that meet that requirement, no foods are “off-limits” but portion size and frequency may need to be restricted for good blood sugar control.

Go to our post for a Food List with nutritional and other information. In an accompanying post on this site, there is reference to dietary approaches recommended by: The ADA (American Diabetes Association)  – a high carbohydrate version. The anti-ADA approach  – a low carbohydrate version. and brief references to the Vegetarian and Vegan versions. Check out the  Vegetarian Approach to a Diabetic Menu for more details.

Other articles and topics to consider: Special requirements concerning the need to lose weight that will require dealing with total calories and some reference to weight loss strategies and exercise – and let’s add cholesterol and cardio-vascular references too. On this site we will also make reference to  Supplements, Vitamins and Minerals and to food items that have properties that are said, by some, to be beneficial to diabetics, we will refer to and describe those items, and give some reference sources, with links if possible, for such things as: Flaxseed, Cinnamon, Mulberry leaf, Fenugreek, Bilberry, Onions and Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Flavinoids + others and to Minerals such as Chromium, Co-Q10, Magnesium, + others.