Low Sodium Diabetic Diet

Upon being diagnosed with diabetes, one of the main concerns is probably how you’ll control your carbs intake. However, there is another nutrient that every type 2 diabetes patient should take into consideration: sodium.

What is the relationship between diabetes and sodium?

Sodium is an important electrolyte that helps regulate fluid balance in the body and ensure proper nerve and muscle function. However, data from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) shows that 89% of adults are getting too much salt.

When the body is unable to get rid of the excess salt, it can lead to various complications including high blood pressure, one of the main risk factors for heart disease.

Diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Statistics linking heart disease and diabetes are enough to motivate you to limit your sodium intake. According to the AHA (American Heart Association), diabetes patients are 4 times more likely to suffer from heart disease compared to people who don’t have the disease.

This can be attributed to the fact that type 2 diabetes patients are typically more prone to heart disease due to risk factors such as having “bad” or LDL cholesterol, living a sedentary lifestyle, carrying excess weight, and having high blood pressure.

How much salt should you eat when you have diabetes?

Salt contains 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Therefore, limiting your salt intake plays a big role in lowering your sodium intake and thus your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends diabetes patients limit their intake of sodium to 2,300 mg (1 teaspoon of salt) daily.

Lowering your intake even further to just 1,000 mg per day helps blood pressure. However, recommendations may vary per person and it’s therefore important to consult your physician to find out which sodium intake limit would work best for you.

According to a study published in the Journal Circulation in May 2017, 70% of sodium is found in processed and restaurant food. Therefore, the best way to cut back on sodium intake is to avoid processed food and limit the number of times you dine out each week.

Shopping can be daunting at first. However, after the first few visits spent making comparisons, it will be a breeze. It is particularly important to keep in mind that sodium can hide in surprising places, such as packaged oatmeal, bread, and certain condiments. Therefore, your dietitian or doctor may ask you to avoid or limit high salt foods such as:

Salt seasonings (seasoned salt)
Canned meats
Processed or cured foods
Boxed mixes of pasta, rice or potatoes
Canned vegetables and soups (with sodium)
Salad dressing, mustard, ketchup, canned sauces, and other spreads
Pickled foods
Packaged gravies, sauces, or soups
Salty snack foods
Olives
Processed meats: sausage, ham, bacon, and lunch meat.
Steak and soy sauces
MSG (monosodium glutamate) which is commonly found in Chinese food

Tips for low sodium diabetes diet

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, these low-salt cooking tips will help you limit your sodium intake:

Go for fresh foods or ingredients with no added salt
Try pineapple or orange juice as the main base for marinades
For favorite recipes, decrease or delete the salt you normally add or simply use other ingredients.
Avoid canned vegetables, soups, and entrees; rice and pasta mixes; instant cereal; frozen dinners; and gravy, sauces, and pudding mixes.
Use frozen entrees that contain less than 600mg of sodium per serving. Be sure to check nutrition fact labels on packages for sodium content.
Use frozen, fresh, or canned vegetables with no added salt.
Opt for canned soups with low sodium content.
Avoid spice blends and mixed seasonings that contain garlic salt and other salts.

The body adjusts fast and after about 2 weeks you’ll not miss added salt in your food.

Which seasonings can you use to replace salt?

Some of the spices and herbs you can use to improve natural flavors in your diet include:

Cinnamon
Basil
Chives
Cumin
Celery seeds
Cocoa powder
Chili powder
Garlic and garlic powder
Dill
Flavoring extracts (almond, vanilla, etc.)
Curry
Lime or lemon juice
Mint
Nutmeg
Marjoram
Paprika
Onion powder
No-salt seasoning blends
Pepper
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
parsley
Pimiento
Savory
Paprika

According to research published in the October 2014 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, people with type 2 diabetes who had the highest intake of salt increased their risk of heart disease by up to 200% compared with patients who consumed the lowest amount.

The researchers concluded that limiting sodium intake goes a long way in preventing the complications of type 2 diabetes.

2200 Calorie Diabetic Diet

Healthy eating is vital for the management of diabetes and can make a difference in controlling blood sugar levels and preventing the long-term effects of the condition.

A 2,200-calorie diabetic diet refers to eating a maximum of 2,200 calories per day. This diet is commonly used by diabetes patients to lose weight, control blood glucose, or lower the risk of developing complications such as heart problems.

Blood sugar refers to the amount of simple sugar (glucose) in the blood. Glucose mainly comes from carbohydrates and it mainly provides energy in the body.
Most diabetic diets are designed to limit the number of carbohydrates, protein, and fat you eat. A 2,200-calorie diet is significantly low in fat and calories.

Importance of a Healthy Diet for Diabetes

The food in your diabetes meal plan provides the nutrients and calories you need to give the body energy and manage your blood glucose for healthy living. Consult your physician about the meal plan that is right for your specific condition and needs.

In order to lose weight, your body needs to use up more calories through activity or you may need to eat fewer calories. To gain weight, you need to supply your body with more calories than it uses up.

A comprehensive diabetes care team (dietitian, physician, and registered nurse) will help you create a meal plan that provides your body with the right amount of calories it needs each day as well as the level of activity needed, depending on your goals.

After creating your diabetes meal plan, always check the number of calories in the foods you eat. Calorie counts can be found on Nutritional Facts labels or you can check them online. Remember, you want to strike a balance between medication, activity, and the foods you eat.

Read about the best Diabetic Carb counter apps HERE!

Exchange list for diabetes

The exchange list provides a large variety of foods carefully grouped together based on their nutritional content. Each serving has approximately the same calories, fat, carbohydrate, and protein as other foods on that list. Therefore, you can exchange any food for another food within the same list.

Meal

Exchanges (Meal Pattern)

Sample (Meal Example)

Breakfast

(1^st meal)

1 fruit

1 meat (lean)

1 milk

1 fat

2 starch

1 cup honeydew melon

1 oz Canadian melon

1 cup milk (fat-free)

1 tsp margarine or butter

1 English muffin

Mid-morning Snack

(2^nd meal)

1 starch and 1 fat

1 milk

¼ cup granola

6 oz (2/3) low-fat plain yogurt

Lunch

(3^rd meal)

2 meat (lean)

2 starch

1 fruit

1 vegetable

Free food

2 fat

½ cup egg (scrambled)

2 corn tortillas (approx. 6 inches across)

½ cup mango

½ cup sautéed veggies (such as mushrooms, onion and pepper)

salsa

2 tsp. margarine or oil

Mid-afternoon snack

Fruit smoothie

(4^th meal)

1 starch

1 fruit

1 milk

3 tsp. wheat germ

1 cup frozen fruit

2/3 cup vanilla yogurt

Dinner

(5^th meal)

2 fat

3 starch

3 meat (medium fat)

2 vegetable

1 fruit

1 vegetable

2 tsp. olive oil

1 cup pasta, cooked (whole meal)

3 oz lean meatballs

½ cup spaghetti sauce (homemade)

½ large pear

½ cup sautéed green beans

Bedtime snack

(6^th meal)

1 milk

1 meat (high fat)

1 starch

1 cup (8 oz) skim milk

1 oz cheese

4-6 crackers

This 2,200 calories meal plan contains healthy and delicious diabetes-friendly food items that make it easy to control your blood sugar. Snacks and meals contain fiber-rich complex carbs (such as vegetables, fruits, and grains), healthy fats, and lean protein. They also limit refined carbohydrates (like added sugars, white rice, and white bread), sodium, and saturated fats – a recommendation highly recommended for diabetics.

Furthermore, the carbohydrates are well-balanced, with meals containing 60-75g of carbohydrates (4-5 carb servings) each and snacks containing 15 – 30g of carbohydrates (1-2 carb servings) each.

Whether you use this plan to create your own diabetes meal plan or follow it exactly as it is, you’ll realize that diabetes meal plans don’t need to be complicated or restrictive. This 2,200-calorie diabetes meal plan proves that people with diabetes can still incorporate delicious foods into their meal plans while still keeping their blood glucose levels under control.

Diabetes Tips and Guidelines

Choose healthy foods including green vegetables, low-fat meals, fish, fruits, whole grain cereals, skinless poultry, and low-fat dairy products.
Avoid food selections that are high in fat and calories like pastries, bars, pies, candies, etc.
Store-bought bread can contain varying amounts of fiber and carbohydrates. Therefore, you should aim for bread that delivers around 15g of carbs (1 carbohydrate serving) and at least 20% of the daily fiber value for one slice.
Beans offer a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber that help keep blood glucose under control while helping you feel satisfied throughout the day.
Rather than buying flavored sugary yogurt, add maple syrup or honey to plain yogurt in order to control the total amount of sugar you get. Alternatively, you can go with light options made using “zero-calorie” sweeteners.
Pairing fiber and protein with carbohydrates helps slow down absorption and digestion, helping keep your blood glucose from rising too fast.
Oats are a great option especially for breakfast because they are high in fiber. Less processed oats are higher in fiber content. Try steel-cut, old-fashioned, or rolled oats.
While whole grains such as brown rice are a healthy option for diabetics, cauliflower rice is a great low-carbohydrate option.

The bottom line

Eat a schedule of 3 meals and 3 snacks per day on your 2,200-calorie diabetic diet. Eating small meals at regular intervals aids in controlling blood sugar levels and ensures the body gets all the nutrients it needs for your day-to-day activities while remaining strong and healthy.

Be sure to monitor the amount of protein and carbohydrates in each snack and meal. Carbohydrates affect blood glucose, therefore eating a specified amount is vital for blood glucose control.

The 2,200 calories diabetic diet restricts calorie intake to 2,200 calories per day, which helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels while minimizing the deposition of fats in the body.

Therefore, following this comprehensive diet plan helps in managing blood glucose levels without hampering the body’s dietary requirements.

Diabetic Diet Facts

The food you choose to eat, can be powerfully important for your overall health and well being.Your diet can make an enormous difference to cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

The diabetic meal plan is designed to help control blood sugar levels, the less fluctuation, especially rapid release of glucose in the blood is an important aspect of blood sugar control in patients with diabetes mellitus.

It was once thought that the diabetes diet was focused mainly around just cutting out sugar from your diet. However more recently it seems the recommendations for a good diabetic diet focus on a more healthy eating plan high in fibre and low in saturated fats, including a moderate amount of whole grain carbohydrates.

Moreover, a small amount of sugar isn’t a problem, as we now understand that the foods rich in starchy carbohydrates cause more of an increase in blood sugar levels than does sugar.

Some Interesting FACTS to help with Diabetic Meal Planning

1. A good diabetic diet should be a balanced meal plan tailored to your needs, tastes, lifestyles and activity level while aiming to provide all the diabetic needs while keeping the blood sugar as near normal as possible.

2. Not all so called “sugar free” foods are calorie free. There really is a lot of ‘marketing gimmicks’ out there. Some food products that are labeled sugar free, also contain carbohydrates which is in the form of starch. This will certainly increase your blood glucose levels. Choose starchy foods such as whole grains, as they are high in fibre.

3. Fat Facts! Fat doesn’t directly impact blood glucose levels, however if your meal does contain a large amount of fat, this can certainly cause the stomach to empty at a much slower rate and slow down the digestion of carbohydrates. Your blood glucose levels will stay higher for longer, which in turn makes it more difficult to keep your levels within the desired range.

4. When you are experiencing a Hypoglycemia episode, don’t treat that as a good excuse to just go eating your favorite sweet treats uncontrollably. This will cause your blood glucose levels to spike.

If you experience Hypoglycemia, it should be treated with approximately 15-20 g of carbohydrates (This would be for a reading of <4.9 mmol/L. Best to choose a fast acting carb – for instance jellied sweets, soda or juice.

5. Can I eat more protein, but cut down on carbohydrate? If you eat an excessive amount of anything, ie protein, you will also increase the level of fat that you consume and undoubtedly gain weight.

6. Diabetics should certainly eat fruits. Fruits are very good sources of fibre, antioxident vitamins and minerals, although they do contain carbohydrates. Aim for just 2 pieces of fresh fruit per day. (not canned)

Remember that a key objective of a diabetic diet is to reduce weight and keep it off, so a well planned diet is vital for the treatment of diabetes. Moreover, losing weight may not cure your diabetes, but will certainly help to control your levels which will improve your insulin resistance.

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Carbohydrate Diabetic Diet

Importance of a Low Carbohydrate Diabetic Diet

Being diabetic can be a tough thing to do and once you hear those dreaded words telling you that you are diabetic, it seems as if your world starts crashing down. A Carbohydrate Diabetic Diet really in all reality, isn’t a bad practice for any of us.

Most of us these days seem to eat way too many carbohydrates which can add on those extra pounds and cause us many more medical problems versus the standard and traditional just not eating well.

Carbohydrates are hard to breakdown which adds to those extra pounds and makes it harder for us to lose in the long run. A lower carbohydrate diabetic diet is really a major part in being able to properly maintain and safely manage a healthy blood glucose level. The main reason that a low carbohydrate diet for diabetes works is because if you have lots of carbohydrates in your diet then your body can’t breakdown the carbohydrates or sugars.

With less insulin or sugar added to your diet you can rest assured knowing that your body will start eating or breaking down the sugars or fats that your body already has stored, meaning that your fats that you eat will be metabolized instead of stored which causes those extra unwanted pounds. In other terms, the carbohydrates that you eat will either be peed away, breathed away or as we like to call it, melt away!

A carb controlled diabetic diet is a very key and essential thing to being a diabetic because without closely monitoring your carbohydrate intake you will end up being overweight, having high blood glucose readings and other medical problems to go along with it.

A carbohydrate diabetic diet is the key

and a very essential part to being able to safely manage and maintain your diabetes. For more info on healthy diabetic diet plans and pre-packaged dinners, read on!

1200 calorie diabetic plan

What is a good 1200 calorie diabetic plan? For diabetics a good diet means everything to them. If they eat wrong types of food their blood sugar explodes. If they eat too little food they can suffer hypoglycemia. So the right diabetic diet is everything.

Diabetes is a condition where the body produces too little of a chemical called insulin. (The pancreas organ is responsible) They chemical called insulin is responsible for changing the blood sugar in your blood into fuel that the body can use.

When too little of the insulin is in the blood the blood glucose levels begin to rise. Once they reach a certain high level they begin to cause severe damage to some of the body’s main components. The common damage that is done includes heart damage, nerve damage, kidney damage, and eye damage. This makes doing a 1200 calorie diabetic plan a must.

When the diabetics body has to little of the insulin it needs to consume foods that are low in sugar. First talk to your doctor and see what the kind of calorie diabetic plan he gives you. He may be able to give you a very good diabetic diet plan. Then talk to others who diabetics and see what their suggestions they can make. The main diabetic diet of a diabetic should consist of low sugar foods.

This means no large amounts of fruit or candy and the like. Also it should consist of high dietary fiber foods. Also when you talk to your doctor ask about some exercise. Exercise is needed when it comes to helping maintain a proper blood sugar. But only do as your doctor says it may become very dangerous if you over do it. So see about a 1200 calorie diabetic plan and what will fit your lifestyle and make controlling your diabetes better.