Diabetes Nutrition | Destination Diabetes

Welcome to DIY (Do It Yourself) Diabetes with Marci Page Sloane

Diabetes Nutrition
Marci's DIY nutrition guidelines

The most important nutrition message to take away from this material is to consume wholesome, slow-digesting, high fiber carbohydrates in combination with healthy choices of protein and fat.

My Do-It-Yourself diabetes nutrition guidelines will assist you in avoiding fluctuations in blood sugar and the highs and lows that are dangerous to you and result in low energy levels.

"Carbs"

Carbs, short for Carbohydrates, are starch (including vegetables), fruit, milk and sweets that turn 100% into sugar within 1 to 2 hours (except for the fiber part). They have the greatest impact on your blood sugar.

"Blasters"

Blasters are quick-digesting or high glycemic carbohydrates that BLAST sugar into your bloodstream. Blasters make your blood sugar spike. Blasters make your insulin work harder to bring the sugar from the bloodstream into the body’s cells like the brain, muscles, organs and tissues so the body can have energy to live and function.

"Tricklers"

Tricklers are slow-digesting foods or low glycemic carbohydrates that TRICKLE sugar into your bloodstream. Tricklers make your blood sugar level out. Tricklers make your insulin work much easier to bring the sugar (energy) from the bloodstream into the body’s cells.

Blasters Quick-digesting foods Examples are:	Tricklers Slow-digesting foods Examples are:
Starches: bread, cereal, crackers Starchy vegetables: potatoes, corn, peas Fruits: oranges, pineapple, grapefruit, watermelon (especially juicier fruits) Milk: yogurt, milk Sweets: cookies, candy, sugar or sucrose	Starches with higher fiber: beans, sweet potatoes, high fiber bread, high fiber cereal Non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, zucchini, green beans, cabbage Protein: fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese Fat: nuts, nut butters, oils, avocado Sugar free or no sugar added carbohydrates with sugar alcohols: sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, etc.

Equation for Best Blood Sugar Control

Here is my equation for controlling your blood sugar. It will also help with weight loss and reduced hunger!

HIGH FIBER CARBS
+ LEAN PROTEIN
+ UNSATURATED FATS
= CONTROLLED BLOOD SUGAR

Protein contains little or no carbohydrates, however due to the processing, 50% turns into sugar within several hours. Therefore, the impact on your blood glucose is minimal. In fact, the slow digestion of protein (like eggs, cheese, poultry, meat, fish, shellfish), when combined with carbohydrates, will help to level out your blood sugar, thus, reducing fluctuations.
Fat contains no carbohydrates, however, 10% turns into sugar within several hours. Therefore, fat (like protein) has minimal effect on blood glucose and will help to slow digestion of the carbohydrates it is mixed with.

Printer-friendly version

About the Contributor

Marci Sloane, MS, RD, LD/N, CDE, is a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist and certified diabetes educator with a degree in Nutrition and Physiology from Teachers College at Columbia University. Marci is the author of The Diet Game: Playing for Life! More about Marci Sloane

The goal of Destination Diabetes is to be a useful and credible resource for the more than 20 million children and adults who have diabetes in the U.S. and their families. Destination Diabetes provides information on a wide range of diabetes health and wellness topics. Articles are written or reviewed by diabetes advisors who have experience in diabetes education.