Diet Tips to Control Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

inside health

by: K. Jean Lucas, MD

This diet is encouraging you to eliminate processed foods and eat whole unrefined foods. Whole foods are vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and nuts that have not been processed to remove vitamins, minerals and fiber. These foods are digested more slowly and do not cause a great rise in insulin but result in more stable blood glucose levels and better appetite control. Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion will elevate insulin and blood sugar levels more than foods that break down slowly. Remove refined sugars from your life. Try to select your diet from the following foods.

GROUP A: NONSTARCHY VEGETABLES

Nonstarchy vegetables have little effect on insulin and blood sugar levels. Build your diet around these vegetables. Eat as many as you want.

Asparagus Cabbage Okra Lettuce

Turnips Mustard Greens Eggplant Green Beans

Carrots Onions Spinach Turnip Greens

Cucumber Snow Peas Broccoli Cauliflower

Peppers Summer Squash Zucchini Mushrooms

Water Chestnuts Brussel sprouts Tomato

Rutabagas Celery Radishes

GROUP B: MEAT AND PROTEIN

Proteins do not increase insulin or blood sugar levels. Eat a serving of protein at every meal. A serving is 3-4 ounces which is about the size of a deck of cards. Avoid fried foods. Trim visible fat from the beef and pork. Do not eat the skin of chicken, turkey or fish. Choose cheeses light yellow in color (mozzarella, provolone, parmesan) since they are usually lower in fat than dark yellow or orange cheeses such as cheddar.

Chicken, skinless Eggs Peanut Butter (1 tbsp.)

Turkey, skinless Beef, lean Fish

Ham, lean Veal Shellfish

Tofu, low fat Pork, lean Lamb

Cottage cheese, low fat Cheese, low fat

GROUP C: FRUIT

Fruit does contain carbohydrates, but the carbohydrate in fruit gives fruit a natural sweetness plus many vitamins, fiber and generally few calories. Increasing your fruit intake is a good way to help you stop eating refined sugars like cake, cookie, pie and candy. Use fruit as a dessert at a meal. A suggested serving is 1 cup. (Sweet fruits with low fiber content such as bananas, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, and raisins need to limited and eaten with a meal rather than as a snack

Apple Apricots, dried Blueberries Strawberries

Cantaloupe Honeydew Cherries Kiwi

Grapefruit Orange Pear

Peach Plum Raspberries

GROUP D: MILK

Milk is a natural source of carbohydrate in the form of a milk sugar called lactose. Even though milk has carbohydrate, two to three servings per day is suggested since milk is an excellent source of calcium and other nutrients. A serving is one cup or 8 ounces. Choose skim or 1% milk since the other milks have more fat and calories.

GROUP E: STARCH

Controlling your intake of starches is a major part of this diet because many starches are processed and provide little nutrition. Choose your starches from foods with lots of fiber and little sugar.

Serving size is ½ cup of:

Kidney Beans Pinto Beans Lentils

Black-eyed Peas Chick Peas Soybeans

Sweet Potato Navy Beans

Cereals: - Serving size as printed on the box. Cereal should have 5 or more grams of fiber per serving. Some examples are:

Uncle Sam’s Cereal Oatmeal (old-fashioned) not instant

All-Bran Bran Buds

Fiber One Kashi

Breads: – Serving size is 1 slice. Eat only breads with 3 or more grams fiber per slice.

100% Whole Wheat Bread like Nature’s Own, Country Hearth, Pepperidge Farm, Ezekiel 4:9, Food for Life 7 Sprouted Grain, and others

100% Whole Wheat English Muffins

100% Whole Wheat Tortilla

100% Whole Wheat Pita Pocket

GROUP F: FAT

Fat should be unsaturated. A suggested serving per meal is 2 teaspoons. Avoid most fat-free products since many are higher in carbohydrates.

Canola Oil Olive Oil Peanut Oil

Liquid margarine Salad dressings Nuts

Olives Sunflower Seeds Mayonnaise, low fat

GROUP G: BEVERAGES

Avoid beverages with added sugar. Fruit juice is not allowed. Any artificial sweetener can be used. You can drink as much sugar free beverage as you want. Some examples are:

Water Unsweet Tea Crystal Lite Coffee

Diet Soda Club Soda Fruit₂0

Breakfast Ideas

1. 2 tablespoons reduced fat natural peanut butter on 2 slices of 100% whole wheat toast.

2. 2 ounces low fat cheese on 2 slices of 100% whole wheat toast or 1

100% whole wheat tortilla. Top with a sliced tomato, if desired.

3. ½ cup low fat cottage cheese with 1 cup blueberries.

4. 3 slices Canadian bacon or lean ham on one 100% whole wheat English muffin

5. ½ cup cooked old-fashioned Oatmeal with 1 cup low fat milk

6. 1 egg with 1 ounce of lean ham and 2 slices of 100% whole wheat toast

7. 1 cup cooked oatmeal with low fat milk.

Lunch Ideas

Eat a sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread. For the filling choose from a thin slice of ham, lean roast beef, chicken or turkey breast, plus a slice of low fat cheese. Salmon or tuna, canned in water, or an egg is also a good choice. Add lots of vegetables to the sandwich or eat them on the side. Add salad if you need more to eat in order to get full. Finish your lunch with a piece of fresh fruit.

For additional luncheon ideas choose from:

1. Fast food grilled chicken breast sandwich with side salad and reduced fat dressing

2. Grilled chicken salad with reduced fat salad dressing

3. Cheese sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread with 1 large raw tomato

4. Turkey on 100% whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, onion and small amount of mayonnaise

5. Low fat cottage cheese with 1 cup of cantaloupe

6. 1 whole wheat pita pocket with tuna salad

7. Lean Cuisine Glazed Chicken or similar frozen meal with ≤30 grams carbohydrat

Dinner Ideas

Eat as many vegetables as you want, using a small amount of meat, chicken or fish.

Here are some dinner suggestions:

1. Broiled Lean Hamburger Patty

1 cup navy beans

1 fresh sliced tomato

1 cup string beans

1 cup cantaloupe

2. Fish, baked, broiled or grilled

1 cup green beans

1 cup pinto beans

1 apple

3. Boiled shrimp in spaghetti sauce over 3cups vegetable mix

(broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, mushrooms)

1 cup strawberries in sugar-free Jell-O

4. Taco Salad

1 cup kidney beans

3 ounces lean ground beef

1 ounce grated cheese

1 tomato

2 cups lettuce

¼ cup onion

1/3 cup Picante Sauce

2 tablespoons sour cream, optional

4 dried apricots

5. Steak, sirloin or filet mignon

1 baked sweet potato

Tossed salad with reduced fat dressing

1 pear

6. Pork Chop

1 cup black-eyed peas

1 cup collards

1 orange

7. Baked or barbeque chicken

½ cup navy beans

1 cup collards

1 baked apple

Snacks

A slice of 100% whole wheat toast

A fresh orange

A small can of baked beans

A piece of 100% whole wheat pita bread with hummus

Dried apricots

A big apple

Sunflower seeds

Nuts

Keep vegetables like celery and carrot sticks, radishes, baby tomatoes, florets of cauliflower or broccoli cleaned and ready to eat

Eating Out

In general, eating fast foods or restaurant food frequently is not recommended. Foods eaten out provide too many fat and carbohydrate calories in one meal. If you are trying to lose weight, you should avoid fast food in general. In restaurants, try ordering lean meats, vegetables, salads and avoiding pastas, potatoes, bread and desserts. If you eat a large meal, then walk for 30-60 minutes after eating it to prevent blood sugars and insulin levels from rising. If you attend a party, choose appetizers that are fresh raw vegetables. Limit alcohol and sugared drinks. Stick with flavored water or diet drinks.

Send mail to Seth.Medlin@BeachDoctor.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Send mail to Dr. Lucas lucas@BeachDoctor.com
Copyright © 1999-2013 K. Jean Lucas, MD, All Rights Reserved

Kathryn Jean Lucas, MD 611 N 35th St Morehead City, North Carolina 28557

Kathryn Jean Lucas, MD
611 N 35th St
Morehead City, North Carolina 28557