If you know what your body needs, you know what to eat. And if you choose the right things, your life can be better. A few simple changes to what you eat will make your life with dialysis and diabetes easier and let you enjoy life to the full.
The main function of carbohydrates is to store energy in your body. Some, like those found in sugar, are absorbed quickly, other more complex carbohydrates take longer to break down, and provide energy over a longer period of time. All carbohydrate containing foods (e.g. bread, cereal, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables, fruits, juices and many sugar-free desserts) increase your blood glucose levels, so it’s important to manage your intake carefully. Try to eat about every three hours during the day (meals and snacks). A bedtime snack (with protein) will help stabilise night-time blood sugar!
As a diabetic it is important to learn to recognise which foods contain carbohydrates and be able to estimate quantities. By doing so, the total amount of carbohydrates you eat will be balanced with your medicines and level of physical activity. Your dietician may have taught you a system called carbohydrate counting to keep your carbohydrate intake under control.
Click here to read more.