Did you know there’s a new “diabetic diet” these days? But guess what? It’s not really a diet at all. That’s because there is not a single diet plan that is right for every person with diabetes.

It turns out simply making healthy eating choices is the real secret to reducing your blood sugar and to better managing your diabetes. In fact, the newest guidelines from the American Diabetes Association suggest that a variety of eating plans may be appropriate for the control of diabetes.

Still, there are some things you need to monitor in your diet when you have diabetes. These include:

1. Carbohydrates
   Foods containing carbohydrates have the most significant effect on blood sugar. The first step in learning to control your blood glucose levels through diet is to focus on the amount and consistency of carbohydrates you eat. The type of food is not as important as the total amount of carbohydrates consumed.
2. Portion size
   Most often, the key to controlling blood glucose levels is learning the appropriate portion sizes of various foods. People with diabetes can include almost any food in a healthy diet if they use correct serving sizes. To help with portion control, read food labels and use measuring spoons and measuring cups to check your portion sizes.
3. Fat
   Limiting fat intake is important for people with diabetes for three reasons. First, fat is a very concentrated form of calories. So limiting fat in your diet can help with weight loss or weight maintenance, which in turn can positively impact your diabetes and overall health. Second, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. By decreasing the amount of fat in your diet, you will help to decrease your long-term risk of heart disease. Finally, although fat does not significantly elevate blood glucose levels, a meal high in fat can keep your glucose levels elevated for a longer period of time, making it difficult to maintain tight control.

At Draelos Metabolic Center, our goal is to help you get answers to your questions and to help you meet the challenges you face by coming up with realistic solutions. Find out how our team can help you. Schedule an appointment with a member of our diabetes care team to learn more about how to maximize your diabetes treatment plan.