Nutrition and Diabetes

The material contained in this video presentation provides general information on the management of diabetes. This information is for reference purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. For specific information and recommendations based on your health condition, please consult your medical provider.

Hello, my name is Annette McClenaghan, registered nurse and certified Diabetes care and education specialist here with Lee Health, and I'm here to talk to you about nutrition and diabetes, nutrition and meal planning.

People with diabetes can eat most any food as long as they use all foods in moderation. Some of the basics are to eat less processed food, aim for smaller portions, and increase the intake of plant-based foods by eating more vegetables.

We have three main or macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Some of our carbohydrate sources can be things like bread, pasta, or rice. Proteins can be our meat and fish or soy products or nuts, and fats can be things like oil and butter. Many foods can be a mixture of all three.

How the foods we eat affect our blood sugar: food, particularly carbohydrates when digested, provide energy for the body. So when you eat a carbohydrate, the body starts to break that down and turn it into blood sugar or blood glucose, and that glucose is the body's main form of energy.

Eating too many carbs can make the blood sugar go too high. We must space those carbs out evenly throughout the day, and even healthy carbs such as fruits can cause the blood sugar to rise if you eat too much at one time.

Some plant sources of carbohydrate contain naturally occurring sugar, such as fruit. Fruit contains fructose, which breaks down into glucose. Some plant sources contain starch, such as some of our starchy vegetables like corn, peas, some of our grains like rice, pasta, bread, tortillas, beans, potatoes, and that will also break down into glucose. Most dairy products also have a carbohydrate called lactose, and lactose will also break down into glucose. Lactose is in milk, yogurt, and other dairy products.

Processed foods contain simple sugars and unhealthy fat and very little fiber, so some of our sweets and treats don't have much nutritional value and can have a big impact on the blood glucose levels.

A great way to start your meal planning is to use something called the plate method. If we take a smaller eight to 10-inch plate and fill half of that with your non-starchy vegetables, and then use one quarter of that plate for your carbohydrate source and the last quarter for your heart-healthy lean protein.

Some common carbohydrates that you would fill a quarter of your plate with can be rice or pasta, cereal, potato, corn, peas, bread, fruit, beans. Whenever possible, we always want to choose a whole grain or whole wheat, higher fiber source of carbohydrate for that portion of your plate. That will also equal better blood sugar stability.

Estimating portion sizes: Remember, a portion is the amount of food you choose to eat at any one time. The size of an average fist equals about one cup of a carbohydrate food such as pasta, potato, rice. When it comes to fruit, things like a banana, we know that a half of banana is one serving versus something like an apple or an orange. One serving is about the size of a baseball. Remember that milk is a carbohydrate source and one serving of milk is eight ounces versus one serving of juice is typically four ounces.

Choose three ounces of lean protein. Three ounces of lean protein is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of an average hand. Some lean protein sources could be lean beef, lean pork, fish, skinless poultry such as chicken and Turkey, eggs, nuts, and tofu. Again, this should be about 25% of your plate, and we want to keep these heart-healthy, so we want it baked, broiled, or grilled and avoid fried whenever possible.

Examples of non-starchy vegetables: Remember we want to fill half of that plate with our non-starchy vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables are high in fiber, low in calories, and help fill you up. They're also full of good, healthy nutrients and vitamins. Some examples that you can see on the screen such as green beans, carrots, broccoli, and more.

Avoid carbohydrate-containing beverages. Things such as fruit juices, soda, and sweetened beverages, all will have an impact on the blood glucose levels. Even though fruit juices are natural, they are still a form of simple carbohydrate and will spike the blood glucose levels rapidly. We also have to be careful of things like smoothies, although there may be many healthy ingredients in there. They can be very high in carbohydrates depending on what is in them.

Choose zero-calorie beverages. Water is best. You may also use unsweetened tea, coffee, or seltzers. Non-calorie sweeteners may also be used in moderation.

This video provided a brief overview of nutrition and meal planning for diabetes. To obtain more support and education, please reach out to a certified diabetes care and education specialist. Thank you.