Diabetes is the most common disorder of the endocrine system that can be broken up into two different types; Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to create insulin and Type 2 Diabetes occurs when the body does not properly respond to the effects of Insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is produces to allows our bodies to use sugar for energy and it also helps keep our blood sugar levels within normal limits.

If someone suffers from either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, they would need to make a complete lifestyle change especially in their diet. But what diet is best for someone who has either Type 1 of Type 2 Diabetes? Which diet is the best to help not only provide nutritional value but delicious value as well? When someone says “diet”, they automatically think, low calorie, bland foods, salads and small portions but that’s not always the case. So which diet is the best to assist with Diabetes? Below, we will discuss two different types and which is most effective.

Best Types of diets for Diabetics

Due to the fact that Diabetics are either unable to create Insulin or properly use Insulin, is it vitally important to have a diet that caters to both conditions. There are only some diets that can do both in which we will discuss furthermore within this article.

• Mediterranean Diet: The Mediterranean diet is a heart healthy diet that is based on foods and recipes of the Mediterranean region. In the Mediterranean diet, they highly utilize Olive Oil which is a healthy fat, a lot of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. And for their protein source, they limit the consumption of red meats to a few times a month and highly utilize fish and poultry within their diet at least twice a week. Research has shown that the Mediterranean Diet help reduce the risk of heart disease and decrease cholesterol as well as lowering the risk of cardiovascular problems.
• DASH Diet: DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. With the DASH diet, their goal is to lower blood pressure and is emphasized around portion sizes. The DASH diet has been praised to for its nutritional completeness and encourages the decrease in sodium consumption as well as eating more variety of nutrient rich foods that lower blood pressure such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. The DASH diet is almost as similar to the Mediterranean diet because it also includes eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables fish, and poultry. The main difference is that with the Mediterranean diet, you are limited to how often you can or should consume red meats where as with the DASH diet, you are not limited to how many times you can consume red meats but primarily only have it within small amounts.

Mediterranean Diet vs. DASH Diet

We have discussed both diets and their benefits and either diet is great for Diabetics. They both consists of whole grains, more fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry. They both have significant health benefits such as lower high blood pressure, decreasing bad cholesterol, and decreasing the risk of heart disease. But to truly get the best advice on which diet is best for you, is to see a physician that specializes in Healthy Weight Management in Santa Monica so that they can do a full evaluation as well as a full blood panel to see if there are any other deficiencies that you may have. When seeing a physician that specializes in Healthy Weight Management, they may be able to not only create a customized plan of care for you but they can find out if there are any other underlying issues that can be addressed and adjust either the Mediterranean Diet or DASH diet to help cater to your work schedule and lifestyle.