Determining Your Ideal Daily Calorie Allowance
Calculate your ideal body weight (IBW). Your IBW is obtained from standard height and weight charts, which are different for men and women. However, you can get a rough estimate in kilograms by subtracting 100 from your height in centimeters. For example, if you are 5'10 (approximately 179 centimeters), your ideal body weight is 179 minus 100, or 79 kilograms.
Find your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI denotes whether you are obese, normal, or underweight. You can determine your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square value of your height in meters. If your weight is 85 kilograms, and your height is 5'10 (1.78 meters), your BMI is 85 divided by 1.78 squared, or 26.8. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 indicates normal weight. A value less than 18.5 indicates that you are underweight; a value more than 24.9 indicates that you are overweight. If your BMI is over 30, you are obese.
Determine your calorie factor (CF). Your calorie factor is a measure of how many calories you should consume per kilogram of body weight. It is calculated considering your level of activity and current BMI. For obese people, the CF is 20-25 for a sedentary worker, 25-30 for a moderately active worker, and 30-35 for a heavy worker. For people in a normal weight range, the CF is 30 for a sedentary worker, 35 for a moderately active worker, and 40 for a heavy worker. For underweight people, the CF is 35 for a sedentary worker, 40 for a moderately active worker, and 45 for a heavy worker.
Calculate your daily calorie allowance. Once you've done all of these calculations, you can determine how many calories you should be consuming each day under normal circumstances. To figure this out, multiply your ideal body weight by your calorie factor. For example, if your IBW is 80 kilograms, and your CF is 25 (you are obese and moderately active), you would multiply 80 by 25 to get 2000. You should aim to consume 2000 calories per day.
Changing Your Diet
Distribute your meals evenly throughout the day. Your total daily food intake should be distributed uniformly throughout the day, especially where carbohydrates are concerned. This is because your body can control a steady glucose level much more efficiently than a fluctuating glucose level. Aim to eat six times a day. Have three major meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and three snacks (mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and bedtime). If you are obese, it may be better to skip the snacks. Talk to a doctor or nutritionist. Try to eat consistently from day to day. If you eat on time, your body will become ready to handle the intake at a particular time every day.
Divide your calories carefully among carbohydrates, protein, and fat. When you are trying to avoid diabetes, it helps to be mindful about where you spend your calories. In general: 50-60% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates, which are the most available and convenient source of energy. In other words, if you eat 2000 calories a day, 1000-1200 of them should come from carbohydrates. 10-20% of your total calories should come from protein, which is required to build muscle and other body tissues and breaks down to provide energy only when carbohydrates and fats are depleted. If you eat 2000 calories a day, 200-400 of them should come from protein sources. 30% of your total calories should come from fat, which is the most energy dense substance we consume. On a 2000-calorie diet, then, about 600 of them should come from fat. Make sure that you're choosing the right carbs! Try to eat carbohydrates from things that are fresh, like fruits and veggies.
Limit your intake of foods that are rich in sugar and fat. Eating foods that contain high amounts of sugar and fat can cause your cholesterol and fat deposit levels to get higher. When this happens, your chances of developing type 2 diabetes increases. This is because fats and cholesterol affect insulin action, which can lead to insulin resistance, which is when your body produces insulin but can’t use it effectively. Avoid foods like: Processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, and salami. Fried foods and fast food. Commercialized juices from concentrate. Commercially-baked cakes, cookies, and crackers.
Avoid sugary drinks. Some drinks have very high sugar levels that can lead to weight gain. Being overweight is one of the risk factors that can lead to developing diabetes. Because of this, you should try to avoid drinks like: Sodas. Commercialized fruit juices. Sweetened iced teas. Sports drinks. Energy drinks.
Try to eat less white breads and pasta, and more whole grain products.‘White’ products are grain products that are made with wheat berry flour. Wheat berries are made up of three parts: the bran (the outer layer of the wheat), germ (the inner layers of the wheat) and endosperm (the starchy part of the wheat berry). White breads and pasta are only made with the endosperm, while whole grain (or whole wheat) breads and pastas use all three parts of the wheat berry, making them more nutritional. White bread can cause your sugar levels to spike. White products: White bread, regular pasta, and white rice. Whole grain products: Whole grain pasta, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and oatmeal.
Get plenty of protein. Protein should be taken during your main meals -- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Animal proteins like eggs, meat, milk, and fish are first-class proteins that provide essential amino acids. Aim to get at least 2 or 3 servings a day. Plant proteins are considered "second-class" proteins. Individually, they do not provide all of the essential amino acids. However, when they are combined, the quality improves. Examples include dry beans, cereals, and nuts. These protein sources are lower in fat than animal proteins, but you should avoid them if you have chronic kidney disease.
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Sugar found in fresh fruits and vegetables is a natural sugar that is easily absorbed and processed by your body. Both fruits and veggies have enzymes that can increase your metabolism and insulin production. You should try to eat 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (which equals 2 ½ to 6 ½ cups each day). Low sugar vegetables include Broccoli, asparagus, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. Low sugar fruits include berries, peaches, plums, apples, and pears.
Eat high-fiber foods. Fiber-rich foods are easily digested because they go through your digestive system in small amounts and do not cause your blood sugar levels to increase. You should try to eat at least 5 grams (0.18 oz) of fiber a day. You can take a supplement if you do not eat enough fiber each day. Fiber is mostly found in complex carbohydrates like: Brown rice. Oats. Soy products. Whole grain products.
Choose the right fats. Excessive fat consumption can lead to obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease, and too much fatty tissue impairs the ability of insulin to exert its action. However, fat is essential to your diet. For the best results, reduce your intake of saturated fats, which increase LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, placing you at increased risk of diabetes. Replace these with healthier fats. Foods to avoid because of high levels of saturated and trans fats include fried and processed foods, butter, margarine, cakes, dark chocolates, dairy products, ice cream, chips, sausages, cheese, and lard. Any fat that is solid at room temperature is probably saturated. As such, trim any visible fat from your meat. Instead, choose poultry, fish, olive oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, avocado, walnuts, and other nuts. These fats increase your HDL cholesterol, which is good for your overall health. They scavenge bad cholesterol from peripheral tissues of the body to be used in the liver. Instead of frying, boil, roast, bake, or stew. Frying converts good cholesterols into bad ones (unsaturated to saturated).
Try to eat more foods with omega-3 fatty acids. Eating more omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce insulin resistance (a condition wherein the body is able to produce insulin but it is not use effectively), thereby reducing your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. If healthy omega-3 fats are deposited in the cells layers, insulin will easily attach to them and help your body use energy well. Omega 3 fatty acids include: Fish like salmon and sardines. Flaxseeds. Olive oil. Soy beans, navy beans, or kidney beans. Walnuts. Winter squash.
Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is bad for almost every organ in your body, including your heart and liver. It also carries a risk of delayed hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) in people who take insulin or oral secretagogue. Alcohol is toxic to the pancreas, which secrete insulin; in fact, excessive alcohol intake is the primary cause of chronic pancreatitis in many patients. Chronic pancreatitis is associated with diabetes because insulin secreting cells get damaged in the inflammation process. If you drink, limit alcohol intake to one drink per day if you are female and two drinks per day if you are male. One drink equals 15 grams of ethanol. Note than ethanol concentration varies in different drinks. For example: beer, 4%; wine, 9-16%; sake, 15%; liqueur, 15-55%; vodka, 35-50%; rum, 37-80%; gin, 40-50%; whiskey, 40-60%.
Limit salt. Some salt is necessary to maintain the electrolyte balance in your body, but excess salt is bad for your health, causing water retention and aggravating hypertension. Although there is no direct relationship between diabetes and salt intake, avoiding salt will decrease the likelihood that you develop hypertension and lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, eye disease, and kidney disease. Limit your salt intake to less than 6 grams per day. If you already have hypertension, kidney disease, or liver disease, your doctor may recommend that you limit your intake even further.
Create a meal plan based on your current food preferences. It's important to preserve the pleasure of eating, even when you are trying to avoid diabetes. You should not and need not sacrifice the taste of food to develop a healthier diet. Don't begin with dramatic changes; this may lead to a loss of appetite or make it impossible for you to stick to your new program. Consider contacting a dietician or nutritionist to formulate a diet plan based on your preferences. This may involve reducing certain foods and including certain other foods.
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