Diabetic diet is extremely important in all diabetes types and it must be respected regardless the medical treatment followed. In order to be efficient, diet for diabetes must be personalized according to age, sex, physical activity, alimentary preferences, and according to other complementary diseases as well (obesity, high blood pressure, kidney problems etc.).

Here are, for the beginning, some general recommendations concerning a diet for diabetes:

• Calories: a diabetic person having normal weight needs the same caloric values as a healthy person, but calories come from different proportions of lipids, sugars, proteins. Overweight people will follow a diet for diabetes with low number of calories, whereas underweight people will follow a diet based on high number of calories.
• sugars: 50-55% of the calories content (about 300g/day) avoiding simple sugars, with rapid absorption and refined products like sugar and sugar based food;
• Proteins: 12-15% of calories (about 1g/kg/day); in the case of kidney problems, you won’t exceed 0.8g/kg/day;
• Lipids: 30-35% of calories (about 125g/day);
• Alimentary fibers: 30-35 g. /day taken from vegetables, fruit, cereals;
• Salt amount: less than 7 g/day and people who suffer from high blood pressure won’t exceed 3 g.

Food permitted to a diabetic patient:

• Tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms, cucumbers, cabbage, egg plants, leek, lettuce, carrots, celery, beetroot, onion, garlic;
• Watermelon, lemons, strawberries, cherries, black currants, nuts;
• Meat, fish and food based on them;
• Milk and dairy products (cheese, cream, butter);
• Eggs;
• Soft drinks sugar free.

Food containing much sugar, prohibited to diabetic people:

• Sugar, honey;
• Biscuits, cakes made with sugar, candies, chocolate;
• Figs, raisins, dates, dried plums, grapes, jams, marmalade;

Food which has to be weighed before consumption:

• White bread;
• Graham bread;
• Potatoes, beans, peas;
• Rice.

For a young adult 170 cm tall, having a weight of 70 kg, who performs average physical activity (energy consumption 40cal/kg/day) an example of diet for diabetes can be the following:
Morning: white coffee (250 gr.), bread (60 gr.) light cheese (100 gr.) and green pepper
Snack: bread (40 gr.) and butter (20 gr.) and some sausage, low in fats (100 gr.), fruit (100 gr.)
Lunch: vegetable soup with croutons (bread 100 gr.), vegetables and mashed potatoes (150 gr.)
lettuce, bread (60 gr.), compote (100 gr. fruit)
Snack: salty cheese (50 gr.) tomatoes and bread (40 gr.), fruit (100 gr.)
Dinner: salad, bread (40 gr.), rice and meat pudding, custard (a cup)
Supper: milk (250 ml.) and bread (20 gr.)
Total calories: 2800/day

You can alternate these foods, with yogurt, tomatoes soup, cabbage salad, fruit jelly, fish, carrots, apples or semolina pudding.

Information about a Diet for Diabetes
For the type 1 and type 2 diabetic the importance of a diet for diabetes cannot be overstated. Used in conjunction with drug therapy a proper diet is considered the single most important part of managing this deadly disease. Those who are newly diagnosed need to be properly educated with regards to diet, exercise, and medication to help avoid and minimize the complications that diabetes creates.

The doctor will be the primary point of information and reference for their diabetes care and management. A good doctor will also be able to refer their diabetic patients to a licensed nutritionist who is skilled at helping create a diet for diabetes that is individualized to each of their clients.

The most important aspect of this type of diet is controlling blood glucose (sugar) levels. This can be hard for people who have an inherent sweet tooth but avoiding foods and snacks with large amounts of sugar is a basic necessity for the diabetic. The good news is that there is no shortage of foods available that the diabetic can eat along with plenty of recipes to help prepare tasty meals.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has a website full of dietary information for the diabetic. They also have information about the latest treatments and medical research that those with diabetes need to stay current with. You will also find the Diabetic Food Pyramid on the ADA site. The food pyramid for diabetes is much like the regular food pyramid most people are familiar with except that it breaks down the food groups based on which are the better choices and the daily amounts a diabetic should be eating.

Because diabetes is becoming such a serious and growing health issue for an estimated 17 million people in the United States the food industry in this country has created a large array of food items aimed at people with diabetes. The situation is only going to get worse because the obesity epidemic will continue to create type 2 diabetics at an alarmingly growing rate into the future. A diet for diabetes is a drastic change for most people diagnosed with this disease, but if they are to successfully manage and live with their condition it is something they must do. Having the support and understanding of family and friends during this transition to a dietary change is also important and will help more quickly deal with their diabetes and the complications it can cause.