Diabetes & Portion Control - Why It's Important to Type 2 Diabetics

Diet plays an important role in controlling Type 2 diabetes. Eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet helps to control blood sugar levels, and in combination with regular exercise, can make it easier to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Diabetics need to watch what they eat, when they eat, and also how much. Diabetes & portion control go hand-in-hand to manage the signs of diabetes and prevent additional complications.

The Importance of Portion Control

• Weight management. Eating a variety of healthy food is great for the body. But all foods, healthy or not, have those pesky calories. If you consume more calories than you use up, you'll gain weight. From a "weight" point of view, it doesn't matter whether those calories are from cakes and cookies and pies, or whether they're from fresh veggies and whole grains (although diabetics -- and everyone, for that matter! - need to focus on healthy foods and try to avoid refined and processed foods). Eating a few less calories per meal can help you lose weight safely, if need be.

• Avoid hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. Blood glucose levels need to be carefully controlled in diabetics. Eating a large quantity of food in one meal can raise blood sugar quickly, leading to hyperglycemia. These "spikes" in blood sugar should be avoided. It's easier to prevent them, then to try to correct it after it's already happened.

• Portion control makes it easier to stick with an overall diabetes treatment plan. Without watching portions, it's easy to take too much, particularly when something looks especially delicious. When you eat more than usual in one meal and less than usual in another, it's hard to control blood sugar -- especially if you are on medication or insulin, since you won't know how much to take. Once you get into the habit of watching portions it becomes easier to manage meals and snacks.

Figuring Out Portion Sizes

Here are some easy ways to remember portion sizes:

A dietitian can help you develop an individualized eating plan that includes many of your favorite foods. For people with diabetes, portion control is a part of this eating plan. Stick to the plan and discuss any changes with a dietitian. There are many cookbooks of diabetic recipes that break down the nutrients in the meal and can help you with planning.