The word “diet” means the sum of food consumed. It often implies and used to describe specific nutrition plans in specific health conditions or for weight management.
The word “diet” means the sum of food consumed. It often implies and used to describe specific nutrition plans in specific health conditions or for weight management. Diabetes is one such condition where diet plays an important role in the management.
Relation between Food and Blood Sugar
The type and the amount of the food consumed matters most in diabetics as the main pathology in diabetics revolves around the calorie intake. It is essential for each patient to learn about nutritional value of food and basics of meal planning. This marks the important attainable and to be attained milestone in management of diabetes along with exercise.
Foods consumed have a direct relation with the blood glucose level. A proper diabetic diet along with right exercise will not only help one in keeping blood glucose in control, but also would delay the onset of diabetes related complications.
It is essential to evoke general awareness about what to eat and how much to eat for patients with diabetes. Diet being a very important factor in patients with diabetes, any modification on the diet plan has to be done only with the instruction of a dietician or doctor.
What should I Eat?
- Foods that can be used liberally
Vegetables
(Including green leafy vegetables), high fibre foods, spices
- Foods to be used in moderate amounts
Nuts, cereals, roots, tubers, pulses, fruits , apple, guava, pear, etc.), milk products, meat products, eggs, and fats.
- Foods to be avoided
Sugar, sweets, honey, jam & jellies, cakes & pastries, sweetened juices & soft drinks
How much should I eat?
Total daily requirement of calories (a unit to measure energy) for an individual depends on the nature of physical activity, desirable body weight and dietary history.
Below are the simple steps to know your total daily calorie requirement, which decides how much you should eat.
Step 1:
Measure body weight, height and then calculate body mass index (BMI) using below chart
Or BMI can be calculated with the below simple formula
Step 2:
Based on BMI of the person, determine the weight category from Chart 2
Example: If the BMI of a person is 27.9 kg/m2, according to BMI chars the person will be categorized as being obese
Step 3:
Know your activity level:
Sedentary activity: A person is considered to be having sedentary activity if he/she has:
- 8 hours of desk work as occupational work (sitting continuously without any significant physical activity)
- 8 hours of non-occupational work (common household work)
- 8 hours of sleep. Examples include- Office job, watching television etc.
Moderate activity: A person is considered to be having moderate activity if he/she has:
- At least 4 hours (out of 8 hours of occupational work) of physical activity (significant physical activity like handling weights or carrying weights from one place to another, playing games, etc.)
- 8 hours of non-occupational work (common household work)
- 8 hours of sleep.
Examples include: Agricultural labour, playing games (including a whole day of game), doing physical work whole day, weighing heavy weights intermittently with considerable gap (porters carrying weights in railway and bus stations), etc.
Step 4:
Know your calorie requirement (kcal/kg body weight/day):
The table below explains the recommended calorie intake (kcal/kg body weight/ay) for diabetes patients based on body weight/BMI and activity level.
Value in the table will provide your calorie requirement/kg/day against the category that you fall and your activity level.
Step 5:
Know your total calorie requirement/day
Total calorie required per day = weight ´ step 4 value (your calorie requirement/kg/day)
Example: What will be the daily calorie requirement in a moderately active diabetes patient weighing 80 kg with BMI of 30 kg/m2?
Step 1:
Know your BMI: 30 kg/m2
Step 2:
Know your category based on BMI: obese (Overweight or obese / ideal weight / underweight)
Step 3:
Know your activity level: Moderate activity (Sedentary / moderate)
Step 4:
Know your calorie requirement / kg body weight / day: 25 kcal (Value in the table 1 which match the category and activity level)
Step 5:
Total calorie required per day = weight ´ step 4 value = 80 ´ 25 = 2000 kcal
Few more points to consider while designing a custom diet:
- Protein content: 15–20% of total calories
- Fat content: 15% of total calories
- Fibre: 25 g/day
- One peek at below pyramid while choosing the food items
For more personalized answer, please ask a doctor at HealthCareMagic.com
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