What is Diabetes and How To Manage It

Diabetes might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post, we break down what diabetes really is, how it affects your everyday life, and share simple tips to manage it without all the medical jargon. Whether you’re navigating your own journey or supporting someone else, discover the key strategies for managing diabetes with confidence and living your best life!

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
– World Health Organization

Insulin is a hormone that helps keep your blood sugar levels in balance, but when diabetes goes unmanaged, it can unleash a cascade of serious complications. Imagine facing heart disease (heart attacks and strokes), kidney disease, eye issues (may result in blindness), and even the risk of lower limb amputation. Taking control of your diabetes is essential for protecting your long-term health and well-being.

Types of Diabetes

Understanding the different types of diabetes is key to effective management and prevention.

Type 1 Diabetes

Requires daily insulin due to the body’s inability to produce it. Affects around 9 million people, mainly in high-income countries, with no known cause or prevention.

Type 2 Diabetes

Impairs insulin use, leading to high blood sugar. Often preventable and linked to obesity and inactivity. Early diagnosis is vital, as symptoms may be subtle. Over 95% of diabetes cases are Type 2, now increasingly seen in children.

Gestational Diabetes

Elevated blood glucose during pregnancy, diagnosed through prenatal screening. It can cause pregnancy complications and increase future type 2 diabetes risk.

What Can We Do?

Eat Good to Feel Good
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. No matter what type of food you love to eat, a few simple swaps can make a big difference.

– American Diabetes Association

Making healthier choices can be simple and rewarding. Here’s how to build a balanced plate:

• Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables
  They’re low in calories and high in nutrients. Keeping you satisfied longer while delivering essential nutrients. Examples include broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.
• Add lean and plant-based proteins
  These should cover one-quarter of your plate. Examples are fish, lean meats like chicken, pork, turkey, beans, hummus, lentils and legumes.
• Include quality carbohydrates
  Think starchy vegetables, fruits and whole grains for the remaining quarter. They offer essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Don’t forget healthy fats
  Healthy fats are olive oil, nuts, avocados, and certain fish. Making these smart swaps can help reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Stay hydrated
  Stay refreshed, drink plenty of water all day long

By making these easy adjustments, you can take control of your health and enjoy a more balanced lifestyle.

Other Steps to Manage Diabetes

Systematic review highlights the following:

1. Weight Management
   Systematic reviews support weight management for diabetes, noting that excess energy storage and age contribute to type 2 diabetes onset. Weight loss, especially through low-energy diets, can reduce blood glucose and improve cardiometabolic risk factors, potentially leading to remission.
   Intensive lifestyle interventions combining diet and physical activity benefit weight loss and reduce complications.
2. Carbohydrate Intake
   Individuals with diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, or impaired fasting glucose should aim for at least 35 grams of fiber per day, though lower amounts can also be beneficial.
   Carbohydrate quality, particularly dietary fiber, has been shown to improve blood glucose, cholesterol, and overall diabetes management.
   Low-glycemic index diets and reduced intake of added sugars are advised to manage glycemic levels and reduce cardiometabolic risks. Carbohydrate counting can be useful for adjusting insulin doses. Extreme low-carbohydrate diets are not recommended due to potential safety issues and lack of long-term benefit.
3. Fat Intake
   Saturated fat intake should be below 10% of total energy due to its link with elevated LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
   Trans fat intake should be under 1% of total energy due to potential risks, even though ruminant trans fats may have less impact. Replacing these fats with plant-based unsaturated fats improves blood lipids and can benefit diabetes management.
   Nuts and fatty fish may offer additional cardiovascular benefits, but n-3 supplements show limited benefit.
   Reducing saturated fats without replacement can also aid weight management in those who are overweight or obese.
4. Protein Intake
   Moderate protein consumption, typically 10-20% of total energy.
   Low protein intake (<10% of total energy) may lead to deficiencies, particularly in older adults who may need ≥15% for muscle maintenance. High-protein diets can aid in weight loss and improve blood pressure and glucose levels. Good protein sources include dairy, legumes, eggs, fish, poultry, and lean meat. There is no clear advantage of animal over plant protein, though plant-based proteins may be preferable due to lower saturated fat content.

What Can I eat?

Discover how choosing the right foods can enhance your diabetes management and overall well-being.

Traditional Dietary Pattern

Recommendations for traditional dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean, Nordic, and vegetarian diets, are based on extensive systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

• Mediterranean Diet
  Emphasizes vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and olive oil, with moderate fish and wine, and low red meat and processed foods. Research shows benefits like reduced fasting glucose, body weight, LDL-cholesterol, and cardiovascular events.
• Nordic Diet
  Focuses on whole grains, berries, root vegetables, legumes, fish, nuts, and rapeseed oil. It has been linked to lower LDL-cholesterol, body weight, and reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• Vegetarian Diet
  Excludes animal foods and includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Evidence suggests it can lower HbA1c, fasting glucose, LDL-cholesterol, and body weight, and reduce cardiovascular risk.

Dietary Tips

To better manage your blood sugar, consider these dietary tips:

1. Priorize whole, unprocessed foods over processed options.
2. Choose non-starchy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers instead of starchy ones such as potatoes and corn.
3. Limit or avoid foods with added sugars and refined grains, including sweets and baked goods.
4. Drink water instead of sugary beverages and 100% fruit juice.
5. Find a sustainable diet that suits your body and helps manage blood sugar levels.
6. If you’re overweight, aim to lose at least five percent of your current weight.

Do I need to follow a low carb diet?

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recognizes low-carbohydrate and very-low-carbohydrate diets as effective for managing type 2 diabetes (T2D). According to their 2021 Standards of Medical Care, these diets can lower Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) and reduce the need for glucose-lowering medications. These findings are supported by international organizations, including the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and Diabetes Canada.

Dietary carbohydrate reduction can be implemented through various approaches:

1. Very Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic (VLCK)
   Limits to 30 g or less of carbohydrates per day, guided by satiety rather than caloric intake.
2. Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic (LCK)
   Recommends 30–50 g of carbohydrates per day, sometimes using “net carbs” (total carbs minus fiber), without calorie restrictions.
3. Reduced-Carbohydrate (RC)
   Suggests 50–130 g of carbohydrates per day, which is lower than general dietary guidelines but higher than VLCK and LCK plans, with optional calorie restrictions.
4. Moderate-Carbohydrate Calorie-Restricted (MCCR)
   Includes over 130 g of carbohydrates per day, making up 45–65% of daily calories, usually with calorie restrictions to support weight loss.

The term “low-carbohydrate diet” (LCD) typically encompasses diets with fewer than 130 g of carbohydrates per day.

Very low-calorie diets or intermittent fasting may also reduce carbohydrate intake as part of overall calorie reduction.

Immediate adjustments to diabetes and blood pressure medications are common in treatments involving significant dietary changes, such as in gastric bypass or very low-calorie protocols, with careful monitoring of glucose and blood pressure.

Examples of foods that are low-carb include but are not limited to eggs, nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese, lean proteins, cheese (string is a great on-the-go option), fiber-rich foods (fruits, non-starchy veggies, legumes, and whole grains).

Watch out for added sugars, fats, and sodium (check food label). Water is the best way to hydrate (no added sugars). Add whole foods instead of highly processed foods to your diet. 

Current evidence supports the short-term metabolic benefits of low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs), but their long-term effectiveness and safety are less clear. Caloric restriction, though challenging, offers a flexible, potentially sustainable alternative with broader dietary options and fewer risks.

Long-term success in dietary interventions relies on practical, enjoyable, and individualized plans. Large-scale, well-designed studies are needed to refine our dietary strategies and improve long-term outcomes.

Know your Sugars and Alternatives

In today’s health-conscious world, understanding the spectrum of sugars and their alternatives is more important than ever. With a myriad of options available, from natural sweeteners to synthetic substitutes, it can be challenging to make informed choices about what you consume.

By understanding the effects of these sweeteners on your body and how they fit into a balanced diet, you can make smarter decisions that support your health goals and enhance your overall well-being.

This guide will explore popular sugar alternatives, examining their benefits and potential drawbacks.

• Exploring the Benefits of Xylitol
• What is Erythritol | Uses and Substitutions
• Monk Fruit – Possibly Your New Favorite Sweetener
• Your Guide to Allulose | A Low Carb Sweetener

FAQS

What snacks are low carb?

The key to managing your diabetes is consuming snacks that are rich in fiber, high in protein and healthy fats.

Yogurt with berries, handful of almonds, sliced apples/celery sticks with peanut butter, or veggies with hummus are a few easy ideas for low-carb snacks for people with diabetes that you can make at home during rush hour before work.

If you would like you can also purchase packaged snacks if you do not feel like cooking. 

Can I eat a snack before bed if I have diabetes? 

Yes, you can eat a low-carb snack before bed.

According to a study, in the short-term, a low-carbohydrate bedtime snack (egg) can lower fasting glucose and improve insulin sensitivity. 

The findings suggest that peanuts as a nighttime snack can improve dietary quality without adverse effects on FPG.