Ask Dr. Gourmet

Do you have diet plans for those with Type 2 diabetes?

Are there any particular diet plans or guidelines in your diets that would acommodate a medicine-controlled Type 2 female diabetic aged 66, 5'3" and 185 lbs.

Dr. Gourmet Says...

Diet is one of the cornerstones of treating diabetes. For diabetics that don't make any insulin (juvenile or Type I diabetics) eating similar meals at similar times of day is important because they are working to time insulin release to their eating habits.

For Type II diabetics diet is key because very often it is being overweight that causes the diabetes, so timing of meals is not as crucial (it is still important). It is the number of calories and working on slow steady weight loss that is of tremendous benefit. Many times getting back to a normal weight will control the diabetes without needing medicine.

In both cases the recommendations for diet are founded in the research that we have on Mediterranean style diet. You can find more info on that here:

http://www.drgourmet.com/mediterraneandiet/index.shtml

This emphasizes fresh foods, more fish, fruits and nuts, whole grains and leaner meats. The diet recommendations of the American Diabetic Association are along these lines and all of the meals and menus on the Dr. Gourmet web site follow these guidelines. We know that taking this a step further and choosing ingredients that have a low Glycemic Index can also be a big help in controlling blood sugar. Here's information about this: http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Based on your information it would be a great idea for you to chat with your doctor about seeing a Diabetic Nurse Educator and a Dietitian. They can help you create a plan that will probably work great to help control your diabetes. We know for a fact that this sort of education leads to weight loss, better control of diabetes, reduced risk of complications, and longer life.

Timothy S. Harlan MD, FACP, CCMS
Dr. Gourmet