The Diabetic Diet
The diet recommended for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus is one that is high in dietary fibre, especially soluble fibre, but low in fat (especially saturated fat) and sugar. Patients may be encouraged to reduce their intake of carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index. However, in cases of hypoglycemia, they are advised to have food or drink that can raise blood glucose quickly, followed by a long-acting carbohydrate (such as rye bread) to prevent risk of further hypoglycaemia.
Recently, Diabetes UK have warned against purchase of products that are specially made for people with diabetes, on the grounds that:
1. They may be expensive,
2. They may contain high levels of fat and
3. They may confer no special benefits to people who suffer from diabetes.
More About The Diabetic Diet
Early history of diabetic diet
Frederick Allen, in the days before insulin was discovered,
recommended that people with diabetes ate only a low-calorie diet to
prevent ketoacidosis from killing them. This was an approach which
did not actually cure diabetes, it merely extended life by a limited
period. The first use of insulin by Frederick Banting in 1922
changed all that, and at last allowed patients more flexibility in
their eating.
Exchange scheme
In the 1950s, the American Diabetes Association, in conjunction with
the U.S. Public Health Service, brought forth the "exchange scheme".
This was a scheme that allowed people to swap foods of similar
nutritional value (e.g. carbohydrate) for another, so, for example,
if wishing to have more than normal carbohydrates for pudding, one
could cut back on potatoes in one's first course. The exchange
scheme was revised in 1976, 1986 and 1995 (Chalmers & Peterson,
1999, p85). However, not all diabetes dietitians today recommend the
exchange scheme. Instead, they are likely to recommend the same
healthy diet that is recommended for every one, that is, one that is
high in fibre, involves eating a good range of fruit and vegetables
(ideally, five portions a day) and one that is low in both sugar and
fat, especially saturated fat.
Timing of meals
For people with diabetes, healthy eating is not simply a matter of
"what one eats", but also when one eats. The question of how long
before a meal one should inject insulin is one that is asked in
Sonsken, Fox and Judd (1998). The answer is that it depends upon the
type of insulin one takes and whether it is long, medium or
quick-acting insulin. If patients check their blood glucose at
bedtime and find that it is low, it is advisable that they take some
long-acting carbohydrate before retiring to bed to prevent
night-time hypoglycemia.