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HEALTHY EATING FOR DIABETES
Food, Glorious Food!
Food is important to all of us! We all need to eat. Food gives
us life and much time and thought is devoted to the subject of
eating. Talking about food brings many images to mind. You may
think of the taste of food or the event at which it is eaten.
You may think of the people with whom you share your meals. You
may think of grocery shopping and reading food labels. Whichever
it is, hopefully your thoughts are pleasant!
The guidelines for healthy eating are based on the fact that
nutrition recommendations for people with diabetes are generally
the same as for people without diabetes. The general principles
of Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating are:
- Enjoy a variety of foods.
- Emphasize cereals, breads and other whole grain products,
vegetable and fruits.
- Choose lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats, and food prepared
with little or no fat.
- Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying regular
physical activity and healthy eating.
- Limit salt, alcohol and caffeine.
Food
and Diabetes
Food is the most important part of your diabetes management.
People with diabetes need to understand how food affects the
body’s metabolism. What you need to know:
- Healthy Eating for Diabetes
- The Diabetes Food Guide for Healthy Eating
- Nutrients needing special consideration
- Sweeteners
- Label reading
- Eating out
- Carbohydrate Counting
- Glycemic Index
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The Building Blocks of Food
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FOOD
NUTRIENTS
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Food
is made up of many nutrients that are essential for body
functioning.
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Protein – Protein is important for building and
repairing tissue, and is a major part of the body’s
millions of cells.
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Fat – Fats,
or lipids, are an important component of our diet,
and at least a minimum intake is essential.
An excessive intake of fat is associated with many health
problems.
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Carbohydrate – Carbohydrate
is the main fuel
of the body. The body breaks down carbohydrate into glucose, which is used
for energy.
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Vitamins – Vitamins
are essential to the normal functioning of our body,
and for the most part, must
be supplied by the food we eat.
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Minerals – Minerals
are building blocks of the bones, teeth, muscle, blood
and nerve cells. They are
also needed for many biological reactions within the
body.
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Water - Water is often not thought of as a nutrient,
but it is essential to our body on a daily basis. Water
is found in most of the food that we eat. There is no strict
recommendation of the amount of water to consume daily.
Some sources encourage 6 to 8 glasses of water per day.
If you obey your thirst and are producing urine of a normal
yellow color, this should mean that you are drinking enough
water.
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The
Diabetes Food Guide for Healthy Eating |
| It is important to learn which foods to eat, how much to eat
and when to eat. The Diabetes Food Guide is based on the Canada’s
Food Guide, but is especially designed for people with diabetes.
Foods are grouped according to the nutrients they contain, as well
as how they will affect the blood glucose level. |
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Flash Player required to view the animation |
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Click on the image above to open an interactive Diabetes Food Guide in a larger window |
In the Diabetes Food Guide, foods are divided into 6 groups:
- Starch (yellow)
- Green vegetables (green)
- Fruits & Sweet vegetables (orange)
- Milk Products (blue)
- Protein foods (pink)
- Fats, sweets and alcohol (white)
The groups are arranged in a rainbow shape, with the largest number of food choices coming from the starch group and vegetable and fruit, and a smaller number of choices from the milk group and protein group. It is important to limit choices from the fats, sweets, and alcohol group. |
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