Diabetes
29 million people in the United States live with diabetes, which can make everyday life slightly more difficult, especially when trying to lose weight and create a healthy lifestyle. If you have diabetes, whether it be Type I or Type II, there are some important aspects you want to remember when beginning a weight-loss program.
Diabetics need protein, high-fiber, and healthy fats in order to balance out blood sugar levels. Fiber rich foods include leafy green vegetables, celery, nuts, and seeds. Healthy fats that are helpful for regulating blood glucose levels are coconut oil and ghee. It is also important to have regulated chromium and magnesium levels. Chromium helps with the insulin signaling pathways that allow the body to control sugar that is taken in through food and to balance blood glucose levels. Broccoli is a good source that can provide this stable energy. Magnesium also aids in regulating blood sugar levels, which can be found in grass-fed beef, spinach, swiss chard, almonds, and cashews. Fiber can also be found in more carbohydrate dense foods, such as figs, pears, or raspberries; these foods would be perfect to consume immediately post-workout.
For diabetics, it is important to eat every 4-6 hours in order to keep energy levels up. Regularly timed meals allows for better use of the insulin the body produces or the insulin from medication. It is crucial to make sure that meals are consistent in size. You don’t want to skip breakfast and then compensate by eating a large dinner as this can affect blood sugar levels.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and diabetic ketoacidosis (resulting in overproduction of ketones) are a risk when intermittent fasting for diabetics. It is important for diabetics to maintain regularly timed and portioned meals which can be difficult during intermittent fasting. You absolutely do not want to skip breakfast due to the rise in blood sugar in the morning. If done correctly, intermittent fasting can be beneficial for diabetics by reducing insulin levels around 20%-30%.
Pregnancy
When pregnant and diabetic, an increase in folic acid is needed which can be found in leafy greens, avocado, and nuts. Citrus fruits are also a great folic acid source for post-workout meals. Iron is also an important nutrient that is found in spinach, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, grass-fed beef, and pistachios.
Athletes
For athletes, hypoglycemia is the main concern so it is important to eat carbohydrate dense meals one to three hours prior to intense exercise or games. If events are all day long, it is ideal to eat six small meals throughout the day that are void of high-sugar and high-fat. This may include fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries.
Carbohydrate intake is important so the blood glucose levels remain level. Ideally you would want 25-30% of carb intake immediately post-workout, then 25-30% with an evening meal. About 20-35% of your diet should be fats, and you want to stick to foods such as fish, nuts, and avocado. Protein should be about 15-20% of your diet that should mostly consist of leaner meats, such as chicken or turkey breast.