Brief Answer:
Diabetes

Detailed Answer:
HEALTHFUL EATING (also called MNT = Medical Nutrition Therapy) in diabetes has proven to reduce HbA1c.

Please see a DIETITIAN at least once to get an Individualized plan based on your nutrition needs, personal and cultural preferences, health literacy and access to healthful foods

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

1 Eat a variety of NUTRIENT dense foods in appropriate PORTION sizes, in order to achieve and maintain the following 4 goals:

Discuss your TARGET 1 body weight, 2 blood glucose, 3 blood pressure and 4 cholesterol, with your doctor


It is important to maintain the pleasure of eating while making practical food choices.

2 Try to REPLACE refined carbohydrates (like muffins, pastries, cookies, sugary cereals) and added sugars with
Whole grains like whole wheat bread and brown rice
Legumes
Vegetables and
Fruits

3 AVOID sugar sweetened beverages (ie pepsi, coke, thums up, fanta, limca etc ) and sucrose (table sugar) containing foods (examples are frosted cornflakes, chocolate milk, sweetened fruit juice s and drinks, sweetened yoghurt and ice cream, popular dessert items like chocolate mousse)

Learn from a dietitan how to include Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs) and long chain omega 3 fatty acids (fatty fish, nuts and seeds) in your daily intake.

Alcohol is best avoided but if you must, then moderation is key. (one drink per day for women)

Sodium is to restricted to less than 2300 mg a day and even less if you have high blood pressure

Vitamins , minerals , herbs, spices, anti oxidant (vitamin E and C and carotene) or omega 3 dietary supplements have shown no benefit.

if you have high cholesterol levels in your blood (HYPERLIPIDEMIA or DYSLIPIDEMIA), ask the Dietitian how to reduce
SATURATED FAT (BEEF, MUTTON, LAMB, PORK, CHICKEN WITH SKIN, WHOLE MILK, CREAM, BUTTER, CHEESE, ICE CREAM, FRIED AND BAKED FOODS), TRANS FAT ( Doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies and cakes ) and CHOLESTEROL
And increase
Omega 3 fatty acids (NUTS, SEEDS AND Oily fish LIKE salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and trout ),
viscous fiber (BLACK BEANS, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, apricots, mangoes, oranges, legumes and oat bran)

and plant stanols/sterols (grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds)

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