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Diabetic Diet Plan

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A diabetic diet plan is not easy to plan, as it must avoid the double pitfalls of providing the dieter with enough nutrients to subsist on while at the same time avoiding any foods that will cause the dieter's blood sugar to spike or drop. Many diabetic diet plans are high in fiber, but low in fat.

One of the first versions of a diabetic diet plan was called the Exchange Scheme. This diabetic diet plan lets the dieter exchange one food for another that has a similar nutritional value, such as proteins or carbohydrates. The exchange scheme has been updated at least three times so far. However, it has not been recommended by specialists in diabetic diet plans. In fact, diet planners for diabetics are more likely to recommend a diet low in sugar and fat, and high in fiber, focusing on fruits and vegetables.

According to the American Diabetic Association, a carbohydrate-intensive diabetic diet plan is optimal. The recommended percentage, though, varies. Figures quoted range from 40 percent up to 75 percent. Sweets should either be avoided, or taken with insulin. This is very similar to the Whole Foods diet theory, which prescribes eating whole foods, instead of unprocessed foods such as white flour and white sugar, which have had the nutrients processed out of them. Whole grains have been demonstrated to be healthier than even "enriched" grains, which have been sprayed with vitamins and minerals to regain some of their healthfulness.

Another integral part of a diabetic diet plan is when the dieter eats. The insulin shots taken should be balanced according to the time lapsed after the previous meal or before the next one, and also needs to be gauged according to the amount of glucose and other sugars will be present at the meal. In addition, a diabetic should check his or her insulin levels before going to bed, and select either an insulin shot or a long-acting carbohydrate. In short, a lot of planning needs to go into planning a diabetic diet plan in order to avoid hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.

Some diabetic diet plans contain instructions to take specially formulated diabetic diet foods. However, these have been condemned on the basis that they are expensive, contain high levels of fat, and do not seem to provide any special advantage to dieting diabetics.

Always check with your doctor or physician before starting any nutrition or Diabetic Diet Plan.