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The Mediterranean Diet IS a Diabetic Diet!
Over the years there have been a number of different strategies for diabetic diets. For a long time diabetics were taught to use exchange lists. That method worked well but was cumbersome for a lot of folks. More recently the training has focused on counting carbohydrates at each meal or snack. For diabetics who take insulin being careful with regulating when and what they eat is key and counting carbs works well for them.
The majority of diabetics, however, have Type 2 diabetes and don’t take insulin. For these folks simply following a healthy diet is the best choice.
Multiple studies show that diet can have as powerful an effect on controlling cholesterol as medications. We know that a Mediterranean style diet can help folks lose weight, prevent high blood pressure and avoid diabetes. But, can it also treat diabetes? A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine says yes (Ann Intern Med. 2009;151:306-314). A resounding yes!
The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables and whole grains, low in red meat, and higher in poultry and fish. Calories were restricted to 1500 per day for women and 1800 per day for men. The diet had 30% or more calories from fat, with the main source of added fat as olive oil. The low-fat diet was based on American Heart Association guidelines, being rich in whole grains with a restriction of additional fats, sweets, and high-fat snacks. Calories were the same as for the Mediterranean diet, with the target of less than 30% of calories from fat.
First posted: September 14, 2009
Updated; March 26, 2024
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