Diabetic Menu Guide

For a person with diabetes, the foods on their diabetic menu have a major impact on how they can manage and control their diabetic condition. The need is to keep blood sugar levels to within as safe a range as possible to avoid the several health complications that are associated with diabetes.

The sugars in the blood are derived from the foods eaten throughout the day and most diabetic persons have been informed by their health care providers of the need to establish a diabetic menu that avoids, as much as possible, the foods that contribute the highest amounts of sugar in the fastest time to the body, typically simple carbohydrates, sugary foods and beverages.

Oatmeal for breakfast, start the day right!
A breakfast of whole-grain high-fiber food, such as cooked oatmeal, is a good way to start the day for anyone, but especially for the person with diabetes who needs to moderate the usual rise in blood sugars that occur after a meal. The soluble fiber in oatmeal slows down the digestion process to achieve that. Oatmeal is a good source of protein and has plenty of other nutrients — including vitamin E, zinc, copper, iron, selenium,  magnesium, and manganese.

The usual serving is one cupful or three quarters of a cup — the diabetic meal plan suggested by my dietician calls for a one cup amount — to which I add a few berries, blueberries or raspberries, and a plentiful amount of vanilla flavoured soymilk. The breakfast meal is not limited to just the bowl of oatmeal, I often add a slice of whole grain toast, sometimes with peanut butter, maybe some fruit and defiinitely a cup of tea, what ever food items that provide the calories I  need.

Processed Oats
Oatmeal is made from any of several types of processed oats, the most often recommended being the 100% whole grain steel cut oats that require about 30 minutes of cooking in water. Other types of oats, rolled oats, require less time to cook because they have passed through an extra manufacturing process and some are even described as being “instant”. All are good sources of fiber anyway but the steel cut oats are usually the most favored.

Prepare ahead of time
Easy to prepare, the oatmeal is made ahead of time, cooked in a large pot to provide several day’s supply and in the following days the individual breakfast amount is reheated in the microwave for about two minutes or so. For an added flavor, a few dates or raisins can be added before cooking, and I enjoy added cranberries — that might be working a little against avoiding sweet foods of course.

There are other health benefits to eating oatmeal
The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published results of a 19-year study, involving almost 10,000 Americans, confirming that eating high fiber foods such as oats can help prevent heart disease. That’s very important for the person with diabetes and another good reason why oatmeal should be part of a diabetic diet.

Heart disease is the major cause of death in the American adult population and for many years diabetics have been the major segment of the population recorded as dying from heart disease.

Oatmeal shown to helps lower risk of developing type-2 diabetes
It appears also that oatmeal, when eaten regularly by people who do not suffer from diabetes – yet — helps prevent the onset of type-2 diabetes. The American Journal of Public Health reported a 10-year study of eating oatmeal that showed one cup of cooked oatmeal eaten 2 to 4 times per week provided a 16% reduction in the risk of developing type-2 diabetes and an increased consumption of 5 to 6 times per week resulted in a 39% reduction.

The FDA (Federal Drug Administration) in 1999, issued an endorsement of oats that allowed companies to promote the benefits of whole grains in relation to heart disease and certain cancers. This being based on the indication that diets rich in whole grains, such as oats, may reduce the risk of these conditions.

For more on  fiber, check out Diabetes and Dietary Fiber. For further views about other food items appropriate for the diabetic menu, please see Diabetic Meal Planning.

Meanwhile, Oatmeal, a good way to start the day right.

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