Everything you need to know about a diabetic diet

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar (or glucose) is at elevated levels because the body does not produce or properly use the hormone that helps cells transform glucose into energy; this hormone is called insulin.In Mexico, diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of death, and while there is no specific diet beyond what a doctor recommends, the foods you choose can play an important role in the prevention and control of diabetes.The food you consume will not only make a difference in how you manage diabetes but also in how well you feel and how much energy you have. Additionally, an adequate meal plan will help you achieve a healthier weight, maintain blood sugar levels within a target range, and may reduce the risks of complications such as nerve damage, heart disease, and strokes.A healthy diet is about variety and choosing different foods from each of the main food groups every day, and when dealing with diabetes, it is important to choose a diet that includes nutrient-rich foods, which help provide the fiber, vitamins, and minerals that the body needs.Including a variety of healthy fats for the heart, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, can also help lower cholesterol levels to support heart health, while eating plenty of high-fiber foods can improve blood sugar control, as well as help with feelings of fullness for longer, helping to avoid eating when not hungry.The most important aspect of following a diabetic diet is that it must be sustainable and easy to follow, as diet plans that are too restrictive or do not fit one's lifestyle can be much harder to stick to in the long term.Among the nutritious foods that a diabetic diet should include, we can mention:fruits such as apples, oranges, berries, melons, pears, and peachesvegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cucumbers, zucchinilegumes such as beans, lentils, and chickpeasnuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, cashewsseeds such as chia, pumpkin, flax, or hemp seedsprotein-rich foods like skinless poultry, seafood, lean cuts of red meat, or tofuheart-healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, canola oil, or sesame oilbeverages like water, black coffee, unsweetened tea, or vegetable juiceOn the other hand, it is recommended to avoid or limit the consumption of foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars, in order to better control blood sugar levels and prevent health complications related to diabetes.According to clinical nutritionist Jennifer Asencio, the first thing that should be eliminated in a diabetic diet is high glycemic index foods.“The glycemic index is the speed at which a food raises glucose after consumption; there are things that taste sweet but are not high glycemic index, while there are others, like rice, that do not taste sweet but are very high glycemic index, this also happens with pasta soup, granola, oatmeal, and potatoes,” says the nutritionist about what should be removed first.“Everything that contains wheat and fruits like dried blueberries, dates, prunes, papaya, all types of bananas, raisins should be removed from the diet,” regarding beverages, Jennifer Asencio recommends eliminating anything that contains sugar, from juices, natural juices, or flavored waters that do contain sugar.Finally, the nutritionist who specializes in diabetes and patients with kidney diseases emphasizes that diets should always be personalized, “that is, knowing whether the patient injects insulin, what type of medications they take, whether they are male or female; whether they are a child or an adult; their height; whether they exercise or not. Depending on how much overweight they have, the diet is adjusted according to each person, their habits, their work.”