For a diabetic a diabetic diet is very important to managing their condition, and in some cases even working towards reversing it. If you’re a diabetic then it’s wise to cut the amount of fats and carbohydrates you consume.
Both types of diabetes can benefit from the diabetic diet. Type I, called juvenile diabetes, is often diagnosed in children while type II usually starts in adulthood and is more common. Type I diabetics suffer because their bodies don’t produce insulin, while Type II diabetics suffer because their cells don’t absorb insulin. It is type II diabetes that can be reduced by a diabetic diet, although type I also responds well to the diet.
Ideal body weight is a key of the diabetic diet. There is a simple formula for calculating the estimated ideal bodyweight for any person. In women add five pounds to 100 for every inch above five feet, and subtract five pounds from 100 for every inch under five feet. At 5’6″ a woman’s ideal body weight is 130. Males begin with 106 pounds at five feet and add 6 pounds for every inch over five feet. So for a 6 foot tall man ideal weight would be 178 pounds.
Many people have different opinions on the perfect diabetic diet, however some general elements are in common. For type I diabetics, the ideal diet includes about 16 calories per pound. As an example, someone who weighs 170 pounds would eat 2720 calories daily. Type II diabetics eat about 1500 calories per day to lose weight, then differing amounts of calories to maintain ideal weight.
In a general a diabetic diet carbohydrate intake should be about 50% of the daily caloric intake. Some argue that less carbohydrates are better, but there are advantages to cutting down the fat. Sometimes this can be offset by substituting mono unsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats in the place of saturated fats.
