Good nutrition and regular exercise are important elements of a healthy lifestyle for someone managing diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes who lose a moderate amount of weight have been shown to increase their insulin sensitivity, improve their glucose levels and lipids (fat in the blood), and improve their blood pressure (1,2). In fact, even a modest weight loss of 5-10% can improve diabetes complications such as hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (high levels of fats in the blood) and fatty liver (2).

Dietary treatment of diabetes, also known as Nutritional Therapy, includes personalized meal planning based on your age, gender, diabetes type, and dosage of medication or insulin. It also takes into account your physical activity, daily schedule, family eating habits, personal preferences and willingness to make a lifestyle change.

Becoming more active and changing your eating patterns can seem challenging at first, but if you start with small changes, and get the support of your family, friends and health care team to set your personal goals it will become easier. Below are some of the goals you should be looking at:

  • Weight loss and maintenance
  • Balance ranges of blood glucose levels, blood lipids, blood pressure values
  • Understanding your personal nutritional needs
  • Preserving the pleasure of eating
  • Develop practical tools for maintaining healthy eating patterns (2)

In order to tailor a personalized diet with your dietitian, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the three main types of nutrients: carbohydrate, protein and fats.

Carbohydrates – carbohydrates turn into glucose in your body, and because of this they affect your blood sugar levels more than any other food type. You need to track the amount of carbohydrates you eat and understand the right amount to consume to maintain your blood sugar balance.

It is important to be aware of the different kinds of carbohydrate you can find in your diet, and how to choose healthy carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils as part of your meal plan.

What are the most important points about carbohydrates?

  • Learn which foods have carbohydrates
  • Count the amount of carbohydrates eaten in a meal, and the total for the day
  • Understand the different types of sweeteners, natural and artificial
  • Read the nutrition labels, and learn to estimate the number of grams of carbohydrate in the food you eat

Protein – protein has a slight effect on blood glucose levels, but more importantly, it stimulates insulin secretion and keeps your muscles healthy. Meat, fish, nuts, and eggs are high in protein. It is recommended that the protein you eat comes from low fat foods like lean beef, turkey, chicken and fish.

Fats – fats provide energy and assist in absorbing important vitamins and nutrients from food. Fats are necessary in a healthy balanced diet but should be eaten sparingly. Fats in food are divided into four main groups:

  • Saturated fats found in animal fat.
  • Monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, canola oil, avocado, tahini, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, and fish.
  • Polyunsaturated fats found in fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, walnuts, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil.
  • Trans fat which is dangerous to health and is found in hard margarine, baked goods, bakery products, frozen dough products and fried foods.

Nutritional Therapy is an important and significant component of all types of diabetes. Training should be provided by a dietitian who is an expert in diabetes, and in order to be effective it must be tailored to your personal needs and goals. (3)

Dario will help you find the right way for you to maintain proper nutrition, introduce you to different diets known to treat diabetes and allow you to choose the right one for you along with your dietician.

1 American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes- 2019 Diabetes Care

2 “Complete nurse’s guide to Diabetes care” Belinda P. Childs et al, American Diabetes Association 2017.

3 Nutrition Therapy Recommendations for the Management of Adults with Diabetes Position Statement, Diabetes Care Volume 37, Supplement 1, January 2014. S120-s143

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