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Karla Robinson, MD
1) Eat, Eat, Eat! Ok, there is one stipulation…. you have to eat the RIGHT things. We will discuss what the “right” things are, but you HAVE to keep your body nourished with nutrients it can use. Many diabetics are told to lose weight in an effort to control their symptoms. This is actually great advice, but most are then left to figure out how to do it on their own. The first thought is generally “I just won’t eat as much.” This may or may not be the problem. Perhaps the food choices just aren’t the best ones, and there isn’t an “overeating” problem at all.
The thought that you can lose weight by depriving yourself of food is generally a faulty one. If you don’t eat enough throughout the day, you can actually hinder weight loss. Yes, you have to EAT to lose weight. I know it seems counterintuitive, but if your body is deprived of food, it will go into a “starvation” mode and begin holding on to every calorie it receives and storing it away as fat to be used in case of another starvation episode. We are intricately designed to survive! The take-home point here is to eat several small meals throughout the day to keep your body metabolism high.
Ok, so what do I eat?
The main culprit in blood sugar spikes after meals is the carbohydrate we consume. Carbohydrates are the nutrients used by our bodies to make glucose- the fuel for our bodies. As diabetics, that glucose is not utilized correctly and remains at high levels circulating in the blood. Just about everything is broken down into glucose eventually. For diabetics, the key is to keep carbohydrates to a minimum.
Some argue no more than 45 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Consult with your physician and nutritionist to determine a goal that is appropriate for you.
2) Read your labels. There are so many hidden calories and sugars in foods that we have no idea we are consuming. You have to be aware and read every label on everything you eat. If you are one who dines out a lot, ask for the nutritional values of each of the dishes.
The most important value to look at as a diabetic is the Total Carbohydrate (Carb) content. Remember this is written per serving. Make sure you know just how many servings you are having to know the correct amount of carbs. Each label will state the serving size for that particular food item. It does vary!
You might be surprised to find out that the “healthy salad” you ordered is laden with sugar in the salad dressing, “candied” walnuts, and the “sweet bread” croutons. Some salads with the dressings can be more than 60 grams of carbohydrates! It can’t be stressed enough, know what you are eating!
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