There are two aspects to planning a healthy diet: learn what foods to avoid, and learn what foods or supplements you should make sure to include. The funny thing about a healthy diet for a pre-diabetic or diabetic individual is that it is also a healthy diet for a non-diabetic individual. One aspect of complimentary and alternative health planning is that it is completely natural and is geared toward restoring the equilibrium that all healthy individuals enjoy. Certain foods that all individuals should avoid in excess include alcohol, raw sugars, and particular types of fats such as cholesterol. Most diet items can be enjoyed in moderation. For instance, it has been shown that a single glass of red wine can have beneficial effects. Likewise, it is sometimes difficult to avoid eating foods that are prepared without raw sugars. Strategies for avoiding raw sugar involve knowing what foods contain raw sugars.

Did you know that raw fruit is an excellent source of fiber and vitamins? Anyone who watches TV or reads a newspaper probably would say “yes.” Most raw fruit is relatively low in sugar, despite how sweet it might taste. Let’s look at apples. Raw apples have about 10 grams of sugar in a 100 gram serving. However, processed into jams or jellies, apples can have 4 times as much sugar. That is fairly intuitive; jams and jellies are supposed to be sweet. What might not make as much sense is how much sugar is in dried apples (like you might find in a “healthy” trail mix). The answer: dried apples have nearly six times as much sugar as raw apples. This is partly due to the fact that the water has been removed, but notice that this is not a diet food, it is an energy food. It is sometimes difficult to understand the difference between health foods and energy foods. Energy foods, such as “Power Drinks” seem to convey athleticism, but they would certainly not be advised for the diabetic or pre-diabetic. Another shocker: “healthy” gourmet foods might not be what they seem. While raw tomatoes have only about 3% sugar, sun-dried tomatoes are over 1/3 sugar by weight (about ten times as much!). This is due to processing them to make them taste better. Sugar is a common “cheat” that processors of food use to make you think their food tastes good. If you would like to learn more about sugar and your diet, click here.

For an example of  carbohydrate levels in some common foods, see the table below. Data source of carbohydrate content in foods: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20 (2008). NOTE: Carbohydrate content is not a strict guide to healthy foods. Some of the lower-carbohydrate foods have very high fat and or salt content. You should also consider the nutritional value of vitamins and minerals found in different foods. For complete nutritional counseling, contact one of our nutritional specialists here.