The Diabetics Food Pyramid
By Jhenalyn So
As previously mentioned, following a healthy diet is one key to being in control of your diabetes. To help you prepare your meal every day, let’s take a look at the Diabetics Food Pyramid (based on USDA).
A warning though, you might get disappointed as you will discover how different the serving sizes are compared to our personal serving sizes whenever we eat.
Samples of serving sizes will be given, too but please take note that the actual number of servings per group always depends on your goals. Normally, diabetics would prefer to have the least amount of serving sizes instead of the maximum. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor or dietician about it.
Image Source: American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org)
In the figure above, the bottom and the largest area consists of grains and starchy foods. Aside from rice and bread, starchy foods include your starchy vegetables like potatoes and squash. If you love mashed potatoes you are probably thinking, “Now why do we need to include the potatoes as replacement for rice?” This is simply because the amount of carbohydrates that you can get from your starchy vegetables is almost the same amount as the carbohydrates you can get from your slice of bread or cup of rice.
Normally, 6-11 servings should be enough for a day. Examples of serving sizes for this group are 1/3 cup of rice or pasta, 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup of potato or beans and 1/2 cup of cooked cereal. I can hear you. My father used to eat more than 2 cups of rice in one meal and changing that to this suggested amount felt like torture for him during the first few weeks. Believe me, that feeling will soon pass.
The 2nd to the bottom level is divided into two – fruits and vegetables (do not include anymore the starchy vegetables in this group). As doctors always say, eating fruits and vegetables is a key to good health. And they are correct. These two are rich in vitamins and minerals without the guilt of too much fat.
Recommended servings are 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruits in a day. Examples of serving sizes are 1 cup of raw vegetables, 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables, 1/2 cup of canned fruit and 1 small fresh fruit.
In the 3rd level, you can see a small portion (about 2-3 servings per day) for milk and dairy products. Milk is a good source of protein but full-cream milk has fats, too. So choose either non-fat or low-fat dairy products.
Opposite milk and dairy products, you can see a portion (4-6 oz per day) for meat and meat substitutes. Remember, 3 oz of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. Examples of serving sizes compared to 1 oz of meat are 1 egg and 1/2 cup of tofu.
I thought of the top-most level as the weirdest but considering that it’s for diabetics, it does make sense to remind us of what’s not.
Top-most level, which is also the smallest portion (so small they are to be saved for special treat!) includes fats, sweets, and alcohol. This group is NOT even NECESSARY to be part of your meal but if you will just have to kill your cravings, you may help yourself indulge into 1/2 cup of regular ice cream or 2 small cookies.
Remember, there are now sugar-free ice cream and cookies available in the market. Always go for the better options so you can enjoy more without the guilt.
I won’t say how much alcohol is in 1 serving for you since you’re not even supposed to think about that.
Hope this discussion gives you an idea on how to prepare that life-saving meal next time.
Aside from the ideas presented above, there are other natural ways of fighting diabetes. Ampalaya is well-known for its benefits when it comes to combating diabetes. You may not always enjoy ampalaya as part of your dish so it’s good to know that it’s available in supplement form.
Ampalaya Plus is a supplement that contains ampalaya extracts that help in the alleviation and treatment of diabetes. It is now available in all leading drugstores and in authorized outlets all over the Philippines.
Ampalaya Plus Capsule and Tea is a unique proprietary blend of Ampalaya Plus, banaba (Lagerstroenii speciosa), and turmeric or luyang dilaw (Curcuma longa). It can help prevent and control diabetes, cholesterol, high blood, pimples and acne.
For more information on the many health benefits of Ampalaya Plus, visit this blog regularly.
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