For diabetics,portion size matters

From telling diabetics what foods to avoid,today’s nutritionist has to keep abreast of highly complex growing scientific knowledge.

Diabetics are mostly attracted to the special diabetic foods being marketed widely. Most of the time,these special foods are no different from foods for a normal individual.

A healthy meal plan for diabetics is generally the same as a healthy diet for anyone: it has to be low in fat (particularly saturated fats and trans fats) and must have moderate amounts of salt and starch.

In addition,the meals must be based on whole grains,vegetables and fruits. 

It must be emphasised that the so called ‘diabetic’ foods offer no special benefits. Rather,many of them raise blood glucose levels,are usually more expensive and can also have a laxative effect.

Going by some studies made this year,the diet worth emulating for diabetics is the Mediterranean diet. This comprises a mix of fruits,vegetables,whole grains,fish,legumes,nuts and olive oil.

It,however,needs to be understood that no diet by itself will be effective unless accompanied by certain ground rules that include eating meals on time and at regular intervals and involve controlling portion sizes.

These principles remain crucial to the management of the disease.

The injunction on being picky about portion sizes pays off not just for diabetics but for everyone. What does being picky about portion sizes mean in practical terms?

Here is what needs to be observed: divide your dinner plate into three portions by creating two equal halves and then splitting one half into two quarters. From there,fill the largest section (the one half) of the plate with vegetables,preferably at least of two kinds. One of the two quarters should be filled with protein-rich food while the other quarter should house starches and grains. A small piece of fruit and one cup (250 ml) of milk could round out the meal.

This is a general plan which has to be fine tuned and modified to suit the particular needs of individuals depending on their medical situation,age,weight,height,genetic predispositions and physical activity patterns.

One of the best ways of constructing a good and effective meal plan is to work at a one on one level with a nutritional consultant.

nsingh.rxpress@expressindia.com