Diabetes is a world spread disease. It is a state in which a person’s body is not able to produce enough insulin hormones as required or can’t make proper use of body insulin. The high blood sugar level further leads to the mal-functioning of eyes, heart, kidneys and nerves. Though, diabetes has grown as a chronic problem in most of the people around the world yet it can be controlled and cured with proper diet and healthy nutrition.

Diabetes can be categorized in two different types. Type 1 is insulin dependent diabetes in which the pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin in body. Type 2 is on-insulin diabetes in which the insulin is produced but it doesn’t work properly. Most of the people are affected by type 2 diabetes.

Recent studies have concluded that proper nutrition plays a crucial role in regulating diabetes. What you eat, how much you eat and what time you eat influences the level of sugar in your blood. The simple guideline for managing diabetes is to consume high fiber foods with limited carbohydrates and low fat diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Though, there is not a specific diet chart for a diabetic patient. It depends on the age, weight, work efficiency and blood sugar level of the person. But, overall a healthy diet for a diabetic should consists of 40 – 60% of calories from carbos, 20% from proteins and less than 30% from fats.

Carbohydrates- For the adequate amount of carbohydrates in the diet, consume fresh fruits, green vegetables, beans and whole grains. It will provide you with the sufficient calories and regulate the blood sugar level in your body. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be included in the diet daily as they have low fat and calories and are good source of fiber which helps in managing the blood sugar level in diabetes.

Proteins- A protein rich diet is recommended for the patients suffering from diabetes. It can be found in meat, fish, poultry, beans and dairy products. When consuming these high protein foods, prefer poultry to red meat and non-fat dairy products like yogurts and cheese.

Fats- The dairy and meat products and oils are sources of fat in food. It is recommended that a nutritive diet rich in mono and polyunsaturated fats are good choices to lower the risk of diabetes. Avoid fried foods and high fat containing products in diabetes as they may increase the risk of heart diseases in the patient. Nuts, canola oil and olive oil are good options to maintain a healthy diet chart for the diabetics.

Fiber- Fiber or roughage is very helpful in maintaining blood sugar level and hence lower the risk of diabetes. It is easily found in beans, nuts, whole grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

Interesting news to the diabetic person is that he can enjoy his favorite sweets or treats if he plans it as a part of his nutritious diet. For example, try out sparkling water instead of soda or substitute a bowl of frozen fruit for ice cream or a big cheese piece instead of cake.

Try to establish regular eating habits. Neither over-eat nor skip the meal. Also try to control the portion size of your daily meal. In this way, a proper diet rich in all the essential nutrition will surely maintains the blood sugar and minimize the risk of diabetes in people.