Roadside Dietitian

by Pam Whitfield, MS, RD and Don Jacobson

Balance is key in diabetic diet

The Diabetic Diet is all about monitoring carbohydrate intake. You count your carb servings (15 g of carbohydrate per serving) to gain better control of your blood sugar. Most doctors recommend around four-to-five carb servings per meal.

People with diabetes should eat regularly.

That means three meals each day, one meal every four to five hours. One giant meal at day's end is not going to work, guys. It's blood sugar hell waiting to happen!
     When we eat, blood sugar goes up. The more we eat, the higher it goes. High blood sugar is called hyperglycemia. Healthy blood sugar meters at about 140 after eating.  People with diabetes often chart numbers into the 300s or 400s.
     The opposite happens when we don't eat for many hours. Blood sugar starts falling. When it drops to about 70, symptoms of hypoglycemia–low blood sugar–start to show up. You get shaky, sweaty and feel like you could pass out. Not the best idea when you are navigating 80,000 pounds down the superslab.
The Diabetic Diet is easy to follow. (Visit roadcookin.com for sample meal plans.) You need to eat three meals a day. You count carbohydrate servings at every meal.
     Build treats into your meal plan. If you deny yourself foods that you really enjoy, you won't stick with this meal plan. But watch the portion sizes and don't go overboard. And above all, be sure to count the carbohydrates in the treats. Everything counts!
     For more information, visit the American Diabetes Association Web site diabetes.org.
Pam Whitfield and Don Jacobson are the authors of
Roadcookin’: A long haul driver’s guide to healthy eating (2008).

Pam Whitfield and Don Jacobson are the authors of Roadcookin’:  A long haul driver’s guide to healthy eating.  They can be reached at their website www.roadcookin.com or on Twitter at Roadcookin.