How Nutrition Can Aid in Type 2 Diabetes
What You’ll Find
1. What type 2 diabetes is
2. How to nutritionally manage a type 2 diabetes diagnosis
3. Mock Grocery List
4. Sample Nutrition Plan
5. How we can help
What Is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes that affects over 34 million Americans and the number is continuing to grow every day. It is an insulin resistant disease which means that people's bodies make insulin, but their cells aren’t properly using it. As a result of this their body, specifically the pancreas, tries to make up for what the cells aren’t getting and continues making glucose. This creates an excess and a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Some causes of this can be and are not limited to a genetic predisposition, excess weight, bad communication between the cells, metabolic syndrome, and the combination of an improper diet and lack of exercise. To diagnose one of three tests are given:
1. A1c – The average of your blood glucose level over a period
2. Fasting plasma glucose – Measures your blood on an empty stomach
3. Oral glucose tolerance test – Tests your glucose levels before you eat something sweet and 2 hours after
Weight Goals & Objectives for Pre- & Diabetic People
Losing weight and changing one’s relationship with food is key to managing type 2 diabetes diagnosis and overall longevity. The goal is to bring one’s sugars back to pre-diabetic levels by minimizing the intake of sugars and carbohydrates. This is done not by extreme dieting and cutting out the things you love but by recreating them into a better version of it. All the substituting in the world is nothing without portion control and learning to read labels. Unfortunately, things that seem “healthy” aren’t always the case. Start slowly by checking the grams of sugar and carbohydrates on the back of the labels. Anything with a serving size that includes over 12-19 g of sugar or carbs should be avoided. Eating what’s in season can drastically help reduce inflammation and aid in digestion. A happy gut is important for overall health.
Fall Grocery List For Type 2 Diabetes
Tomato
Avocado
Peppers (red, yellow, orange)
Butternut squash
Zucchini
Pumpkin
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Spinach
Apples
Cranberries
Cauliflower
Strawberries
Tuna Fish in water
Blueberries
Garlic
Herbs
Cabbage
Apricots
Black berries
Lemon
Sweet potato
Chicken
Beef
Pork
Salmon
White Fish
Ground turkey
Shellfish
Steel-cut oats
Eggs
Oils (EVOO, avocado, coconut, sesame oil)
Whole fat Greek yogurt
Turkey Bacon
Local organic honey
Food Substitutions for Diabetics
Being open to substitutions is important on this journey. Some examples of substitutions can be as followed:
What Should I Eat for Type 2 Diabetes?
To produce the results, it’s important to avoid all white products such as breads, rice, and potatoes. Processed foods should also be avoided. This included chips, most cereals, any premade or microwavable meals, cold cuts, and lunch meats. More things to avoid include ice cream, dried fruits, flavored nuts, flavored creamers and coffees, and granola bars. Though there’s things that you need to avoid, there’s plenty of things to enjoy as well. These include:
Nuts and seeds
Fresh or frozen fruit blended or whole
Baked veggie fries or chips
Nut butters
100% dark chocolate
1 tbsp of local organic honey per day
Healthy fats such as EVOO, avocados, coconut oil
Black coffee
Green tea
Meal Plan Example:
How Eastern Acupuncture & Wellness Can Help
With a team of highly trained Acupuncture physicians and an in-house dietitian Eacuwell is equipped with the tools to help you overcome even the scariest of diagnoses. Type 2 diabetes is completely manageable when keeping nutrition at the forefront of healing.
Our team is happy to collaborate and consult with your western care provider on your journey to give you the best care possible. When changing the way you eat you can expect to see not only a decrease in weight, but an increase in energy, decrease in pain, and of course lower glucose levels. Give us a call to book your consultation.