Amounts of foods for your diabetes diet

Diet gurus often restrict the amount of any particular food a person should eat — usually to a specific number of calories

But not everyone eats the same amount. For example, a smaller person will eat less than a tall one and a child will eat a different amount from an adult. Thus laying down specific total amounts can be misleading and potentially damaging.

Taking this into consideration, let me put it another way, and suggest that you eat as much as will satisfy you while aiming for the ratios on the next page.

The major consideration is that you are satisfied. It is important that do not go hungry because, if you are hungry, you will eat more — and probably of the wrong things because they are convenient.

Having said that, there are practical limits on certain foodstuffs above which blood glucose lavels are likely to be adversely affected.

Fats

As we saw earlier, dietary fats do not contribute to body fat or to raised blood glucose or insulin levels. Thus there is no limit on the amount of fat that can be eaten.

Carbs

Carbs, the major cause of obesity, diabetes and the complications associated with these conditions, MUST be limited. Research has shown that a limit of about 10% of calorie intake is safe. For all practical purposes this is some 30 to 50 grams spread among the day's meals.

Prevention of diabetes
If you are not diabetic, the carb limitation can be relaxed somwhat. But even then there is a limit of some 60-70 grams if you don't want to become diabetic.

Protein

Because people have been taught to be afraid of fat, it is common for some to increase protein too much for an energy source. This must not happen. There is an excellent article on the second-opinions website that explains why it is not a good idea to increase protein too much.