A diabetic diet can not only help lessen the effects of diabetes, but in some cases can reverse the disease. If you’re a diabetic then it’s wise to cut the amount of fats and carbohydrates you consume.

Before discussing the diabetic diet it’s important to understand the two types of diabetes. In general there are two types of this disease – type I diabetes which is generally diagnosed in children and young adults and was previously called juvenile diabetes, and type II diabetes which is a more common form of diabetes. With type I diabetes the body produces overly low levels of insulin, while with type II the problem is with cells that don’t absorb insulin. Both forms of the disease respond well to a diabetic diet, although it is more likely that type II diabetes can actually be avoided or reversed in early stages.

In general the diabetic diet is geared towards attaining ideal body weight for controlling and managing diabetes. It’s easy to calculate ideal body weight for men or women. In females it starts with 100 pounds at five feet, then adds five pounds for every inch over and subtracts five pounds for every inch under five feet. Here’s a quick example – a woman who is 5’4” tall ideally should be 100 20 pounds, in other words 120 pounds. Men add 6 pounds to 106 for every inch over 5 feet tall. A 5’11” man would ideally weigh 172 pounds.

Many people have different opinions on the perfect diabetic diet, however some general elements are in common. A type I diabetic should ideally consume 16 calories per pound of their weight. Therefore a 150 pound person could eat as many as 2400 calories in a day. Type II diabetes requires approximately 1500 to 1800 calories per day for loss, then differing amounts of calories to maintain ideal body weight.

For a diabetic diet carbs are about 50% of daily calories. Some people consume less carbohydrates, but then they tend to eat more fat. But if saturated fats are avoided, a little more fat in the diet is OK.

For a diabetic a diabetic diet is very important to managing their condition, and in some cases even working towards reversing it. If you’re a diabetic then it’s wise to cut the amount of fats and carbohydrates you consume.

Before discussing the diabetic diet it’s important to understand the two types of diabetes. There is the more common type II, or adult onset diabetes, as well as Type I or juvenile diabetes. Type I diabetics suffer because their bodies don’t produce insulin, while Type II diabetics suffer because their cells don’t absorb insulin. A diabetic diet addresses both types, but type II can actually be avoided or reversed with the proper diet.

The diabetic diet revolves around maintaining an ideal body weight. There is a simple rule of thumb to establish this ideal body weight. In women add five pounds to 100 for every inch above five feet, and subtract five pounds from 100 for every inch under five feet. At 5’6” a woman’s ideal body weight is 130. Men add 6 pounds to 106 for every inch over 5 feet tall. So for a 6 foot tall man ideal weight would be 178 pounds.

The ideal formula for a diabetic diet varies, but there are some common basics. For type I diabetics, the ideal diet includes about 16 calories per pound. As an example, someone who weighs 170 pounds would eat 2720 calories daily. Type II people should lose weight by eating as little as 1500 calories daily, then refer to the type I formula to maintain ideal weight.

Carbohydrates account for about 50% of the calories consumed in a diabetic diet. It is often believed that even lower card-levels are healthier for Diabetic patients, but higher percentages of fat in the diet has its own problems. Sometimes this can be offset by substituting mono unsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats in the place of saturated fats.