Diet for people with diabetes

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:57:50 +0000

The eating habits of people with diabetes play a major role in controlling their condition. The principles of the dietary recommendations for the treatment of diabetes mellitus are as follows. When giving dietary advice to patients, assessment of willingness to change should be considered. A suitable energy intake is required to meet energy demands and to achieve a reasonable weight for height and age. All adults with diabetes should aim to optimise body weight. Ideal body mass index (BMI) is 20-25kg/m2. Carbohydrate should make up 45-60% of dietary energy intake, the majority of this coming from complex sources, preferably foods naturally high in dietary fibre, e.g. wholegrain bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, jacket potato, pulses, vegetables and fruit. Carbohydrates like sugar, sweets, chocolate, jam, honey, syrup, sugary drinks, sweet puddings, biscuits, cakes and pastries should be minimised in the overweight and advice given about when this can be consumed. The fat intake should be reduced to less than 35% of energy intake with no more than 10% from saturated fat and trans fatty acids (mainly from animal sources e.g. dairy produce, fatty meats and meat products and bakery goods) and the rest from mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly from plant sources e.g. olive, soya, corn and sunflower oils and also from oily fish such as sardines and mackerel). People should be encouraged to eat at least 5 portions of vegetables or fruit per day to ensure a plentiful intake of vitamins and anti-oxidants. Protein intake should be no greater than 1g/kg ideal body weight and will provide the remaining 10-15% of energy. Ideally from fish, lean meats, beans, pulses & poultry. It is recommended that salt should be limited to 6g per day. Up to 10% energy from added sugar over the course of a day is acceptable, provided it is eaten in the context of a healthy diet i.e. part of a low fat and high fibre diet.

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Diet for people with diabetes