American Diet And Diabetes Management For The Elderly
Healthy eating habits and attention to nutrition is important for everyone, however it is even more important for the elderly that have diabetes. Millcreek Home Health and Hospice understands that you or a loved one might not know what the ADA diet is about, so here is more information on what food groups a diabetic can choose from for a healthy diet. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends an ADA diet that is suitable for diabetics. The ADA diet provides a nutrition guideline to help a diabetic person eat vitamin and mineral rich foods that a healthy body needs.
The ADA recommends the following diet guidelines for a diabetic person:
Food Group One: Proteins, which include meats, eggs, fish, poultry, nuts and dried beans
Food Group Two: Dairy products like skim milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and low fat milk
Food Group Three: Cereals, whole grains and breads
Food Group Four: Vegetables and fruits
By following the ADA diet guidelines, your body should receive all of the nutrients it needs in order to function well. The ADA diet includes the necessary building blocks a healthy body needs: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Carbohydrates are used to create energy for your body. But you should identify what “good carbs” are and what carbohydrates to limit or avoid. Good carbohydrates come from foods such as: whole grains, cereals, beans and lentils. When the body breaks these good carbohydrates down, sugar is produced; so diabetics should take this into consideration as they calculate their carbohydrate intake.
Proteins are another source of energy for the body and are a critical part of the body’s growth. Proteins can help maintain steady blood glucose levels. When diabetics have low blood glucose level, eating a carbohydrate and a protein is recommended. The carbohydrate gives the body with the sugar which raises the blood glucose level. The protein will help maintain a steady blood sugar level. So carbohydrates and proteins work together in the ADA diet for diabetics.
The ADA diet also encourages a diet that has high fiber, low glycemic index foods. High fiber foods includes: beans, whole grains, etc. High fiber foods can help reduce high blood glucose as well as high blood-fat.
The ADA diet does have healthy fat as part of their diet, however keep in mind that there are healthy fats. Fats of any kind should be included in a person’s diet in the right proportions. The ADA diet recommends that lean cuts of meat, flax seed oil or olive oil can be used as examples of healthy fats.
Here are other tips from the ADA diet guidelines that diabetics should follow:
- When cooking chicken, remove the skin.
- Drink skim or low-fat milk
- Choose low sodium content foods
- Check food nutrition labels for fat, sodium and carbohydrate amounts
- Eliminate foods high in refined sugars such as sugar coated cereals, canned soda & alcoholic beverages
By following the ADA diet, senior citizens with diabetes can create meal plans that focus on good nutrition. If you have questions about the ADA diet for an elderly member of your family who has diabetes, please feel free to contact Millcreek Home Health and Hospice.
Want to find out more about caring for the elderly, home health or hospice care by visiting Millcreek Home Health and Hospice.
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