Just because the sugar and sweets ban has been lifted doesn’t mean it’s time for a daily sugar free-for-all. Yes, you can include a reasonable sized serving of your favorite dessert in your meal plan from time to time. But too many sugars and sweets are unhealthy for everyone. They are high in calories but low in nutrients. Plus, sweets, such as cheesecake and regular ice cream, are high in fat too. Find out from your RD how many servings of sugars and sweets are OK for you based on your weight, blood glucose control, and blood fat and diabetes goals. Remember, eat sugar and sweets in moderation.
Dietary fiber
Examples of foods with fiber are whole wheat bread, bran cereal peas, and lentils. The recommendation for everyone is 20-35g of dietary fiber each day. The problem is that most Americans eat only about 10-13g each day. You can get about 5g of dietary fiber from a serving of a whole-grain cereal, a third of a cantaloupe, or 1/2 cup of cooked lentils. Your digestion works better, and you are healthier when you include fiber in your diet.
Sodium
The recommendation for sodium is between 2400 and 3000mg per day. Most Americans consume an average of 4000-6000mg per day. For people with high blood pressure, the recommendation is 2400mg or less per day. To help you picture how much that is, 1/4 teaspoon of salt has 450mg of sodium, 1oz processed American cheese has 400mg, and 8oz of milk has 120mg.
Alcohol
No more than 1 drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men should be consumed. For everyone, with or without diabetes, drinking too much alcohol can be both a health and a safety hazard. Alcohol adds many calories – 1 1/2oz (a jigger) of whiskey or vodka contains 100 calories but few nutrients. It can raise triglycerides and is the cause of many car accidents. For people with diabetes taking insulin or certain diabetes pills, alcohol can lower blood glucose, sometimes dangerously so. If you take Glucophage, a diabetes pill, talk to your health care provider about drinking.
Vitamins and minerals
If you eat a variety of foods chosen mostly from the bottom two levels of the pyramid (at least 1200 calories) and your blood glucose is controlled, you probably don’t need vitamin and mineral supplements. However, there’s no harm in building in a bit of security with a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that offers 100% of the Daily Values. Your health care provider may recommend supplements if you have difficulty getting all you need from foods. For instance, you might need them if you are a strict vegetarian, are on a weight-reducing meal plan that is 1200 calories or less per day, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have certain short- or long-term illnesses. Ask your health care team any questions you may have about vitamin and mineral supplements.
Credit: Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy 2nd Edition, Hope S. Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE.
