Diabetic Living Australia — July-August 2017

76 JULY/AUGUST 2017 diabetic living

meals and

between

6-10mmol/L

two hours after

starting meals.

According to Diabetes

NSW & ACT, if you maintain

steady BGLs, you can slow

the progression of type 2.

Controlling your BGLs can

further reduce your risk of

developing diabetes-related

complications such as heart,

eye and kidney disease,

regardless of whether you

have type 1 or type 2.

Be carb smart

It’s easier to manage your

BGLs if you understand

how carbohydrates affect

them, as well as how to

best incorporate carbs

into your eating plan.

Carbs, made up of mainly

starches and sugars, are found

in bread, cereal, legumes,

fruit, pasta, rice, grains,

potato and sweet potato,

corn, some dairy foods

(including milk and yoghurt),

sugary drinks and lollies.

Within about two hours of

eating carbs, they break down

into glucose. You then need

insulin to move it through

your bloodstream and into

the muscles and cells. For

a person with diabetes, it’s

important to eat enough

carbs and not skip meals

as a lack of carbs can lead to

a hypoglycaemic event.

If you’re managing your

diabetes with insulin, it’s

essential to get advice from

an accredited practising

dietitian about the

amount of carbs

you can eat, and

how to match

them with your

medications.

“If you have type 2 and

don’t need insulin or other

medications, it’s still

important for you to learn

how to space your

consumption of carbs

throughout each day,”

recommends DL diabetes

educator Dr Kate Marsh.

Head to the Med

People with diabetes are

advised where possible to

choose carbohydrates with

a low glycaemic index (GI).

Why? Because they’re

digested and absorbed slowly

and are less likely to cause

a spike in your BGLs.

Adopting a Mediterranean-

style diet is a good place to

start. This nutrient-rich

cuisine is filled with low-GI

staples like whole grains and

legumes (lentils, chickpeas

and dried or canned beans),

plenty of fruit and veg, plus

healthy fats such as olive oil,

avocado, nuts and seeds.

“This diet encourages the

consumption of plant foods

and is lower in animal fat and

protein – a combination that

has been found to help in the

prevention and management

of type 2 and to reduce the

risk of heart disease and

cancer,” Dr Marsh says. Not

to mention it’s delicious!

To feel full, curb cravings,

maintain energy and avoid

weight gain, make friends

with these winners

WISE

CHOICES

VEGETABLES

Full of fibre,

vitamins and

minerals,

make vegies

the star of your

daily menu!

FRUIT Need a sweet

fix? Head to the

fruit bowl, or dish

up baked apples

or stewed pears

with a dollop of

low-fat custard.

LEGUMES Add these

little gems to soups,

casseroles and salads.

They’re filling, high

in fibre, low GI,

and easy on

your budget.

WHOLE GRAINS Oats,

barley, cracked wheat

and quinoa are

low GI and great

sources

of fibre.

Oil up

LEAN PROTEIN Choose

seafood, cuts of red

meat with the excess

fat removed,

skinless

chicken

and eggs.