The Diabetes Food Pyramid is a diabetic meal planning technique. It groups foods based on their carbohydrate and protein content. The portion sizes suggested by the pyramid are made so that each serving has the same carbohydrate content in each serving. Nutritionists and doctors look up to the Food Pyramid in order to create diabetic diet plans. Following the minimum number of servings provides 1600 calories, while eating at the upper end of the range would be approximately 2800 calories.

The Diabetes Food Pyramid looks similar to the regular Food Pyramid, however; the former is grouped on the basis of their nutrient content that affect blood sugar levels most specifically, the carbohydrates and proteins, rather than their food groups.

Grains and More (6-11 servings)

Choose whole-grain foods that are nutritious and high in fiber, such as whole grain bread or crackers, bran cereal and brown rice. Beans can be another good source of fiber. Don’t use white flour when cooking, instead, look for whole wheat or whole grain alternatives.

Examples of a serving size are: 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup cooked cereal or 1/3 cup rice.

The suggested daily serving recommendation is 6 to 11 servings, with most people choosing towards the lower end of the range. However, it all depends on what you and your nutritionist has decided.

Vegetables (3-5 servings)

Try to get fresh or frozen vegetables rather than canned vegetables because they have fats and salt added. Vegetables that should be at the top of your food list should be dark green and deep yellow vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce, carrots, chilies and peppers.

A serving is:

1 cup raw
½ cup cooked

Fruits (2-4 servings)

Most dietitians recommend consuming whole fruits rather than juices because of the fiber contained. Be careful to select fruits and fruit juices that don’t have any sweeteners or syrups added. Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruit and tangerines, should be an essential part of your fruit intake.

A serving is:

½ cup canned fruit
1 small fresh fruit
2 tbps dried fruit
1 cup of melon or raspberries
1 ¼ cup of whole strawberries

Meat (2-3 servings)

Nutritionists usually recommend choosing fish and poultry over red meat, because it’s less fatty. When you’re preparing chicken or turkey, it’s a good idea to remove the skin, which is where most of the fat comes from. Select lean cuts of beef, veal or pork. Always try to trim away visible fat from the meat before cooking it. Baking, roasting or grilling is preferable than frying.

Equal to 1 oz of meat:
¼ cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 Tbsp peanut butter
½ cup tofu

Milk (2-3 servings)

When looking at milk or yogurt, try to choose low-fat or nonfat milk products. Yogurt contains its own natural sweeteners, and may have additional sugar or artificial sweeteners added, so read the labels thoroughly when choosing yogurt.

A serving is:

1 cup non-fat or low-fat milk
1 cup of yogurt

Fats and Sweets

Diabetics should eat less from this group. Saturated fats found in animal products such as hamburger, cheese, bacon and butter should especially be avoided. When you eat sweets, such as ice cream or muffin, make them apart of your healthy diabetic diet, not as an extra.

½ cup ice cream
1 small cupcake or muffin
2 small cookies

The diabetic food pyramid works just like a normal food pyramid with foods listed at the top that should only be eaten rarely and in moderation; foods that are sweet to taste and the fatty foods. The further down the pyramid you go the more you can partake without the problems of sugar imbalance.

So which foods can you have a little indulgence with and not come to harm? You can drink milk up to 3 glasses a day (non fat milk of course) and you can have 2 to 3 standard serves of meat a day with emphasis on chicken and fish.

Despite multiple researches on the importance of nutritional supplements on health, some people still raise question “it is necessary to take nutritional supplements to balance my diet?” The answer is direct and simple, yes; along with your diet, you need food supplements for your body to have enough nutrients it needs to function properly. In addition, you need to consume daily a variety of fruits and cruciferous vegetables (steam cooked is recommended).

Why you need to take food supplements?

Whether you are rich or poor, living in a developing or developed country, it is difficult to intake the amount of nutrients needed from a regular meal. Even healthy eaters cannot get the daily amount of vitamins and minerals recommended. The reason of this malnutrition can be either a lack of time or lack of knowledge about nutrition. The small minority who know how and what to eat do not have enough time to do so; they find it hard to sit down to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. A multi vitamin supplement is a better way to balance your diet.

Vitamins are nutrients essential for proper functioning of your body; a deficiency can lead to serious health problems. For example, B12 reduces the chance of pernicious anemia; Folic acid participates in the formation of cells and prevention of cardiovascular disease by eliminating extra homocysteine in your body. In addition, Folic Acid reduces the risk of birth defect in pregnant women. It is recommended to take a food supplement especially if you:

• Are constantly subjected to stress and fatigue,
• Do not eat a well balanced diet
• Live in a large metropolitan and are exposed to toxins daily
• Skip meal all the time
• Are exposed to poor quality air
• Are a smoker
• Are a heavy alcohol consumer
• Suffer from frequent colds and flu
• live in a tobacco smoke environment
• burn a lot of energy or workout vigorously
• Excessive amount of caffeinated drinks,
• Have a family history of cardiovascular disease or cancer;

The need of your body in vitamins and certain minerals are constant. To stay or become healthy, you need a sufficient and regular supply of vitamins and minerals to supplement your foods. Increase in your diet vitamin C and B complex (B1, B2, B3, ..), minerals (zinc, … , etc..), essential fatty acids (EFAs), especially Omega3.

Although these symptoms may vary from one person to another, deficiency in vitamins and minerals can cause serious abnormalities such as fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating and irritability, disturbed sleep, hair loss, heart palpitations / arrhythmias, skin disorders, teeth and gum problems, and much more.

If you experience any of these symptoms before taking drugs that may complicate the situation, try to balance your diet with a natural food supplement. In most cases, taking a nutritional supplement cannot only make you feel good, but also eliminate other health problems that were asymptomatically developing in your body. At foodssupplements.com, you can find a variety of natural supplements for your health at low prices; visit foodssupplements.com, or click on the link in the resource box below.