Diet

Find all our diet-related posts here! Read about topics on proper eating patterns, meal tips and recipes, and choosing the right foods to control Type 2 diabetes.

Glucocil: What’s It All About?

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Glucocil is an over-the-counter dietary supplement that calls itself to be the “total blood sugar optimizer.” If you have Type 2 diabetes then you may have heard of Glucocil and its claims to control blood sugar.

But what exactly is it? And how does it work? We take a quick look at Glucocil and why people use it to treat diabetes.

What Glucocil Claims To Do

Made by Neuliven Health, Glucocil is marketed as the “total blood sugar optimizer.” It’s a dietary supplement for adults over 18 but not recommended if you’re pregnant or nursing.

According to Glucocil.com, it targets “3 essentials for normal blood sugar:” reducing sugar from being absorbed, reducing the liver’s sugar production, and increasing the use of sugar for energy.

It also boasts benefits of:

  • Promoting healthy blood sugar levels
  • Promotes heart, blood vessel & circulatory health
  • Promotes healthy weight loss
  • Reduces absorption of sugars and other carbohydrates
  • Promotes healthy energy

Glucocil Ingredients

Glucocil contains 14 ingredients including vitamins and minerals that you’ve heard of like D3, B1, B6, B12 and Chromium picolinate.

It also has a proprietary “blood glucose management blend” that includes:

  • Mulberry leaf extract
  • Phellodendron extract (Berberine)
  • Alpha lipoic acid
  • Gymnema sylvestre extract
  • Veld grape extract
  • Banaba leaf extract
  • Inlulina (cissus sicyoides leaf)
  • Cinnamon bark powder

The ingredients in their special blend have some benefits or functions in controlling blood glucose level. But two ingredients – alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and berberine – are noteworthy compounds that we take a closer look at.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

ALA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in foods and created by the body. It’s an antioxidant that helps regulate or control “free radicals.”

When cells create energy from glucose and oxygen, a byproduct is created called reactive oxygen species or “free radicals.”

These free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause oxidative stress and can lead to cell damage.

ALA is known to be a powerful antioxidant that can counter many free radicals. And ALA can even create other antioxidant substances like Vitamin C and E.

ALA and insulin sensitivity

Because antioxidants help prevent cell damage, ALA and its antioxidant properties have been shown to reverse nerve damage.

Nerve damage (neuropathy) is a microvascular disease that is commonly associated with diabetes.

Chronically high blood glucose levels – a main factor for being diagnosed with diabetes – can lead to poor blood circulation and eventually damage blood vessels.

Examples includes diabetic eye disease and kidney disease which occur due the small blood vessels to these organs being damaged due to high blood sugar levels.

ALA can also improve weight

Studies have also shown that ALA can also help with weight loss. This review of clinical trials of ALA supplementing found decreases in body weight and this review saw reductions in weight and BMI.

The reason for this could be because ALA is known to increase AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) activity. AMPK is an enzyme that acts like a fuel sensor and is activated when cells need more energy.

Similarly, increased AMPK activity by ALA can also increase insulin sensitivity according to this study.

Phellodendron extract (Berberine)

Phellodendron is a type of plant and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Berberine – one chemical found in Phellondendron – is known as a potent supplement to reduce blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes.

This study on berberine treatment found significant reductions in Hemoglobin A1C, fasting blood glucose and post-meal blood sugar. In fact the study saw that the berberine was just as effective as metformin, which is a common and effective medication prescribed for people with diabetes.

Other Key Glucocil Ingredients

Banaba Leaf Extract

The banaba plant is found in Southeast Asia. It’s been used as a natural treatment for diabetes for years because of its hypoglycemic effects.

Banaba leaf contains corosolic acid, which has been credited for the blood sugar lowering effects of taking Banaba leaf extract.

Specifically, corosolic acid has been shown to lower blood sugar levels within 60 minutes of consumption and has antioxidant properties.

Mulberry Leaf Extract

Mulberry leaves contain many beneficial vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And it’s why mulberry leaves have been used in natural remedies across the world for centuries.

Mulberry leaves can also help with healthier blood sugar levels. A study had participants take mulberry leaf extract with meals and saw a reduction in blood sugar increases.

This suggests that mulberry leaf extract could be a helpful mealtime supplement by minimizing blood sugar spikes.

Chromium Picolonate

Chromium is a naturally occurring earth mineral and comes in different forms.

Some forms are used in industry (like hexavalent chromium) and can be carcinogenic. And other forms – specifically trivalent chromium – is found in very small amounts in our bodies and is considered essential.

Chromium picolonate is the supplement version and is easier for the body to absorb.

While some studies have shown improved insulin sensitivity with chromium supplementing, other studies have shown no long term improvement or inconsistent results.

Fish Oil

fish oil capsule

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil is an essential nutrient and has many benefits for heart health. It’s long been established that Omega-3 can help prevent or manage heart disease, lower blood pressure and lower triglycerides.

Cissus Sicyoides

Cissus Sicyoides (princess vine) is another leaf extract and is a popular natural medicine for diabetes in Brazil.

This study found cissus sicyoides showed hypoglycemic effects on diabetic rats. However, data on its effectiveness on treating diabetes condition seem limited.

Side Effects

Every supplement and medication can have side effects. Individually, the 14 ingredients in Glucocil generally seem to be well tolerated and are likely safe for adults when taken as instructed.

But each of those ingredients can react to other medications, which is why you should talk to your doctor before taking any supplement or medication.

Summary: Does Glucocil Work?

Many of the individual ingredients in Glucocil’s proprietary blend has shown benefits for people with Type 2 diabetes – especially alpha lipoic acid and berberine.

These ingredients can help better regulate blood sugars, improve insulin sensitivity and/or have antioxidant properties to prevent nerve damage.

Some of the ingredients have also shown weight loss benefits but don’t expect it to be a weight loss diet pill.

It’s important to note that Glucocil is a dietary supplement and not an FDA-approved treatment for diabetes. There’s also very little clinical studies or Glucocil medical reviews on the products claims and effectiveness.

The product has been available for years so take the time to research customer reviews and experiences. And more importantly talk with your doctor and see if Glucocil is an option for you.

Gestational Diabetes FAQ

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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a health condition caused by high blood sugar levels during pregnancy.  If you’ve been recently diagnosed with GDM or know someone who is, there’s a lot to know about the condition and how to manage it.  We answer common questions on GDM to help find the answers you need.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes occurs when the mother has very high blood glucose levels during pregnancy.  It’s one type of diabetes that can lead to problems for the mother and the baby. But GDM can be managed in most cases and blood sugar levels will usually return to normal levels after birth.

What Causes GDM?

Gestational diabetes is due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, typically in the second or third trimester, that reduces the mother’s ability to use insulin efficiently. This is called insulin resistance.

Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas that absorbs sugar (glucose) in the blood to use for energy (or stored for later use). Insulin resistance means the body can’t absorb as much glucose leading to high blood glucose levels.

Insulin resistance during pregnancy is actually common as the mother’s body tries to reserve glucose for the develop fetus.1 But when too much glucose is in the blood (hyperglycemia), then GDM can occur.

How is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed?

The American Diabetes Association recommends different screening methods depending on the mother’s risk for diabetes.2

If the mother is at risk for diabetes, screening for GDM may happen before 15 weeks of pregnancy. This usually includes checking blood glucose levels to see if it exceeds fasting glucose of 110–125 mg/dL or A1C 5.9–6.4% (41–47 mmol/mol).

If the mother isn’t at risk of diabetes, GDM is usually screened at 24 – 28 weeks of pregnancy using the oral glucose tolerance test. This test involves drinking a special sugar solution followed by a blood test to see how much the blood sugar increases and decreases over certain times.

What Are Symptoms of GDM?

Gestational doesn’t show many obvious symptoms, which is why screening during pregnancy is important.  More frequent urination can be a symptom of GDM but it can also just be part of the pregnancy.

What Happens if GDM is not Controlled?

The baby becomes exposed to high levels of glucose, which increases the chances of the baby having an above average birth weight. And during childhood, these kids can have reduced insulin sensitivity and are more likely to have impaired glucose tolerance.3

The mother also has a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. Studies have shown that women with GDM have are 10x more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women without GDM.

How Common is Gestational Diabetes?

GDM affects up to 10% of pregnancies in the U.S. every year. And GDM rates are rising due to higher rates of obesity, which is a risk factor of diabetes.

How do I Prevent GDM?

You can reduce the chances of GDM by keeping your blood sugar levels within normal range. But keep in mind there’s a higher chance of GDM if you have prediabetes, are overweight or have other risk factors for diabetes.

How do I manage GDM?

Similar to Type 2 diabetes, diet plays a big role in managing GDM. Generally, you want to limit your carb intake and avoid sugary foods and  highly refined carbs.

Exercise and staying active burns glucose and helps lower blood glucose levels. Exercising during pregnancy can be hard but even regular walking can help control GDM, especially walking after meals.

Insulin can also be prescribed to reach blood sugar targets, which is generally safe for the mother and baby.

What Can I Eat with GDM?

You can eat the same foods as before but will need to limit the amount of carbs you eat per meal and spread out those carbs throughout the day. The goal is to keep your blood glucose at a steady level – not too high and not too low.

So a typical day would include eating 3 meals a day with 1-2 servings of carbs. And 3 snacks between those meals with 1 service of carbs. Each serving of carbs should be no more than 15 grams.

Review: Portions Master Portion Control Plate

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Portion control is a great way to lose weight and help people with diabetes manage blood sugar levels. But we know it’s not easy because of the extra time to measure food or count calories. Well, Portions Master’s Portion Plate tool is designed to portion your meals and is claimed to make weight loss “easy as 1-2-3.” We did an in-depth review and looked at convenience, durability, and cost to see if it actually lives up to its claim.

Editor’s note: this article is not sponsored but includes links from our affiliates. Read our advertising policy here.

Portions Master Portion Plate

Pros

  • Easy way to portion control
  • Lightweight and portable
  • Easy to clean
  • No need to buy new plates

Cons

  • Some foods don’t fit well

Product Description

The Portion Plate by Portions Master (PM) is a portion control tool with compartments for vegetables, protein and carbohydrates. To use, simply put it on your plate and place food in the compartment.

The default portion sizes will fill half your plate with vegetables, and about a quarter of your plate each with carbohydrate and protein. Turning the dial makes the compartments smaller if you want to eat fewer calories, which you can set to ‘goal weights’ listed on the tool. But no matter if you adjust down or up, the vegetables section is always the large portion which helps with healthy eating.

It’s made of two-pieces of lightweight plastic. The blue piece has the portion sections and the gray piece is what turns to make the portion sizes smaller or bigger. And the two pieces are attached in the middle and come apart easily.

Portion Control and Weight Loss

So why do you need a tool to help portion meals? To put simply, weight loss is about creating a calorie deficit: eat less calories than your body needs, and the body starts using fat for energy. The idea behind portion control is to limit the amount of calories you eat so you create a calorie deficit that leads to weight loss.

Portion control is effective because most people eat more food than they actually need. The standard American meal is full of high-calorie processed ingredients with a large serving size.

But portion control can be hard to do. It often means measuring food, using a food scale, reading nutrition labels or calorie counting. The PM portion control tool is meant to solve all this by making portion control simple.

Our Experience with the Portion Plate

The DiaBettr team tested the Portions Master’s portion control plate with a few different dishes.

We wanted to see how the portion control tool worked with common ingredients and dishes that are easy to make. So we made baked chicken thigh for the protein section, white rice and corn for carbs, and steamed broccoli and cauliflower for vegetables.

What We Like

The first thing we really liked is that that the tool’s food group portion sizes match closely to the plate method for people with diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association recommended plate method for people with diabetes is to fill a 9-inch plate with 50% vegetables, 25% carbs and 25% protein. This is almost identical to the portion sizes used by PM portion control tool. And it even measures just at 9-inches just like the plate method.

Planning meals that work for diabetic meal patterns can be very hard. Not only do people with type 2 diabetes have to limit carbs but also have to limit calories because obesity is common with diabetes.

This tool is a great option for people with diabetes because it gives a healthy portion of veggies, carbs and protein, while keeping the carbs low to help lower or manage blood sugar levels.

Lightweight and Portable

The product is made of lightweight, BPA free plastic. It does feel slightly flimsy but we weren’t worried about it breaking. It has enough flex to help prevent it from cracking easily or breaking if you drop it on the floor (which we tried).

And because it’s lightweight, you can take it with you to restaurants or even vacations where it’s easy to overeat. This may sound a bit silly but if you’re serious about weight loss, bringing this portion control tool will help you stay on track wherever you go.

Easy to Use and Clean

The PM tool is very easy to use and clean. Each compartment is clearly labeled with each food group. The instructions on the packaging are easy to understand, though you don’t really need to read them because the product is so simple to use.

Cleaning is also super simple. It’s dishwasher safe and the compartments are big enough to clean by hand with no problem.

Use for Meal Planning

The PM plate is also great for prepping dishes ahead of time. For people with diabetes, meal planning is a great life hack to control carb intake for each meal.

Prepare a large batch of vegetables, protein and carbs, use the PM tool for proper food portions, then store. You can have pre-made meals for days, not worry about portion size, and save time during your week.

What We Don’t Like

One thing to be aware of is it may take extra time or prep to completely fit food in the portion sizes. You’ll likely have to slice or dice certain foods in order to fit into the physical dividers and make sure you’re getting the right amount of food.

For example, we made baked chicken thigh for our protein source but didn’t fit. The thigh didn’t fit not because the piece was too big but because the chicken bone was too long. So we had to de-bone the chicken thigh to make it fit.

Another example is with corn on the cob. We cut a piece to fit into the carb section but realized that we didn’t top the section with all corn, which means you’re getting less calories. So in this case we scraped off the corn until the compartment was full (see images below).

This not a huge problem but it does add time. Some foods will need to be cut in order to plate your food and you may have to plan dishes a bit more. It’s a little extra hassle but we didn’t expect PM to design their product to fit every type of food.

Portion Plate Competitors?

The PM Portion Plate seems to be a one-of-a-kind product. We searched online for a portion control tool, that’s adjustable, and can be used on any plate. But we couldn’t find a true competitor!

However, what you will find are portion control plates or divided plates with fixed compartments for carbs, vegetables and proteins (like the one’s below). These are fairly common, budget friendly, and made in plastic, ceramic and other materials.

But the downside is finding a portion control plate or divided plate with the portion sizes you want. Especially if you’re doing the diabetes plate method, the plate needs the correct portion sizes and has to be 9-inches. You’ll have to spend some time to find the right plate. And there’s also a chance of not finding the right plate and have to settle with the closest thing.

We also found that most portion plates simply don’t look very nice. These remind us of the plates in elementary school or plates for toddlers, something you wouldn’t want to use when eating with others.

Our Verdict

We give the Portions Master Portion Plate a score of 9/10! They claim it makes losing weight “as easy as 1-2-3” – and we mostly agree.

Counting calories, measuring or weighing food – all the hard things about portion control, the PM portion control plate tool makes easier. Simply place it on top of any plate, fill with food, and you’re done. You get the right portion sizes to lose weight and it promotes healthy eating habits. The price is also reasonable at just under $30. You can find fixed portion control plates at lower prices but none of those are adjustable and you’ll probably need to buy more than one plate.

The one downside with this portion control plate tool is it may take some extra prep time to make foods fit in the compartments. Be sure to factor in a few minutes extra to cut or dice up foods so you can fill the compartments fully.

Overall, we think the PM Portion Plate is a great tool to start working on your weight. You should still prep meals with healthy, minimally processed foods to see even better results. But just getting the right-sized portions on your plate is big step in the right direction that this tool makes super easy!

Using the Diabetes Plate Method

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The diabetes plate method is an easy way to control your calories and should play a big part of your diabetes self care. Being overweight is a common risk factor for people with type 2 diabetes and if left unchecked, will only make your condition worse. We know portion control is not easy, which is why this plating method is the best option if you want something that’s simple and works!

The Plate Method Explained

The plate method is a visual way to control meal portions. You start with a 9-inch dinner plate, then fill the plate with certain amounts (usually a %) of vegetables, proteins, and carbohydrate foods.

For example, the plate below is made up of 30% vegetables, 30% carbs, and 40% proteins.

You can always change the portion % to match your dieting goals but the key is to use 9-inch plate. It’s also ideal to make vegetables at least half your plate but at minimum, vegetables should be no smaller than portions for carb and protein foods.

Why You Should Use the Plate Method

Easy Meal Planning

For most people, using this method will be the easiest way to meal plan in a way that controls calories. There’s no calorie counting, no measuring or weighing, and something you can even do at restaurants.

Portion Control Is Great for Weight Loss

Obesity is one of the most common risk factors for people with diabetes. In fact the CDC estimates that nearly 90% of people diagnosed with diabetes are overweight or obese. Portion control can be an effective way to lose weight and reduce the risk of heart disease, while improving type 2 diabetes. Chances are the portion sizes of your current meals are too big, giving you more calories than you actually need. Controlling portion size is a sure way to lower your calorie intake, causing your body to use fat and lose weight.

Diabetes Plate Method

For people with diabetes, the plating method not only helps with losing weight but can also lower carbohydrate foods to lower blood sugar levels. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends to fill half your plate with non starchy vegetables (50%), a quarter of your plate with lean protein (25%), and another quarter of your plate with carbohydrate foods (25%).

The ADA also recommends water or a zero-calorie drink with meals. This is very important because a lot of flavored drinks are packed with sugar (sodas, fruit juice, sports drinks, iced tea, etc.), making it too easy to gain weight and spike your blood glucose.

Watch Out for Carbs

The ADA’s diabetes plating method is a good start to lowering calories and controlling blood sugar levels. However, a problem we have with this method is that the carb portion includes grains, legumes and fruit. Examples of carbohydrate foods the ADA gives include:

  • Whole grains such as brown rice, oats/oatmeal, and whole grain products (whole grain bread, pasta)
  • Starchy vegetables such as winter squash, plantain, potato, and sweet potatoes
  • Beans such as black, pinto, and garbanzo
  • Fruits and dried fruit
  • Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and milk substitutes (i.e. soy milk)

Many of the carbs include food with high sugar content (especially bread, potatoes, and fruit). Dealing with carbs is already difficult for people with diabetes so your meal plan shouldn’t make it harder to lower blood sugar levels.

Modified Diabetes Plate Method

At DiaBettr, we recommend a modified diabetes plating method made up of 50% nonstarchy vegetables, 35% proteins, and 15% carbs. We believe that this modified version can help lower blood sugar levels faster, while still having different foods to choose from.

Higher Protein, Lower Carbs

A key difference with our modified method is that we lower the carb portion (15%) while increasing proteins (35%). Remember that protein foods, especially animal-based protein sources more so than plant-based, contain many essential amino acids. Animal-based protein is also more satisfying and make your feel more full than carbs which is ideal for lowering calories.

Limits the Grains and Fruit

Another difference is that we don’t recommend grains and fruit for your carb portion. Instead, our modified plate method replaces those with starchy vegetables, legumes or beans. These foods generally fall into the complex carbohydrate food group that take longer to digest and thus, don’t cause as high a blood sugar spike. So starchy vegetables, legumes and beans are “OK” options – not as low carb as non-starchy vegetables but a much better option than grains and sugary fruit.

How to Make the Plate Method Easier

We know diabetes self care can be a lot of work and meal planning can add more to your plate (pardon the pun). Here are some tips to make it even easier to practice the diabetes plating method.

Use a disposable plate as a guide

The plating method relies on a 9-inch plate but you may not have a plate of that exact size. Using a larger or smaller plate can affect how well you reach your diet goals so you want to be as close to 9-inches as possible. So what if you don’t have any plates that are 9-inches? One trick is to use a disposable plate as a measuring guide.

A lot of the disposable plates will say the size on its label. Once you have the right size (or close), place the disposable plate over your regular plate to see the difference in size. This visualizes what 9-inches should look like and you’ll memorize over time how big your plate should be.

If you already have disposable plates but are too big, just cut it down to 9-inches. Measure from the back of the plate, cut down to 9-inches, and place over your regular plate (see image above). Now you basically have a 9-inch template.

Use Plate with Set Portions

If you don’t mind buying new plates, find ones that have the portions built in. A quick search for “portion control plates” on Amazon or Google Shopping and you’ll get tons of options. They have plastic and ceramic plates, different portion sizes and combinations, and even plates with pictures of food groups.

One problem you may run into is not being able to find the exact portion for the plate method. Also, many of these portioned plates don’t look appealing (maybe even cheap) and something you want not want to use with guests.

Use a Portion Control Tool

If you don’t want to buy new plates, the Portions Master’s Portion Plate is a one-of-a-kind gadget that makes it easy to portion meals on any plate. The Portion Plate has adjustable portions for your greens, proteins and carbs. Simply place it on top of your plate, fill each section with the matching food group and you’re done.

What’s great is that Portion Plate sections closely match the diabetes plating method portions of 50% vegetables, 25% protein and 25% carbs. And the Portion Plate is adjustable so you can set the portions to match your dieting goals.

Summary

The diabetes plate method is one of the easiest ways to eat balanced meals that will help you lose weight and control type 2 diabetes. Obesity is commonly associated with type 2 diabetes and can often make diabetes-related conditions even worse. Portion control is an effective way to lose weight because the size of our meals often give us more calories we actually need.

The plate method is a simple way to portion control – no calorie counting or measuring. Just a simple formula: 9-inch plate with 50% non starchy vegetables, 25% protein and 25% carbs (or our modified version of 50% non starchy vegetables, 35% protein and 15% carb). And we know diabetes self care can be hard so make the plate method more convenient by using Portions Master Portion Plate or other tips we mentioned above.

Fiber and Blood Sugar

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Dietary fiber is associated with improving heart disease, lower blood cholesterol and protecting against other cardiovascular risk factors. But did you know fiber is also helpful for people with Type 2 diabetes. Dietary fibers can help minimize blood sugar spikes and are a part of a healthy diet to help control blood glucose levels. But how much fiber do people with diabetes actually need? And what are the best sources of fiber for controlling blood sugar? We answer these and other questions and tell all you need to know about fiber and Type 2 diabetes.

What is Fiber

Dietary fiber is the portion of plant foods that can’t be fully digested the body. Fibers are complex carbohydrates, such as polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, but don’t cause blood sugar increases since the fiber can’t be absorbed by the body.

Fibers is commonly categorized as either soluble or insoluble fiber.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble or viscous fiber absorbs or binds with water to form a gel-like substance during digestion. This then slows the absorption of food and ferments in the colon.

Common sources of soluble fiber include oat bran, beans and seeds as well as certain fruit. (We go over more fiber foods further below)

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fibers don’t dissolve in water and adds bulk in the colon. This bulk helps prevent constipation and increase bowel movements by pushing things through the stomach and intestines.

Common sources of insoluble fiber include many leafy green raw vegetables, wheat bran and other whole grains. (We go over more fiber foods further below)

Health Benefits of Fiber

Cardiovascular Health

Several studies have shown that having a higher dietary fiber intake is correlated with lower rates of coronary heart disease, vascular disease and stroke.

More studies are needed to document the exact cause and effect of fiber intake and reduced heart disease. However, it’s understood that fiber helps reduce heart disease risk through different ways such as improving blood lipids, lowering blood pressure and improving insulin sensitivity.

Cholesterol and Fat

Soluble fiber can also lower cholesterol levels by a modest amount. The viscous, gel-like substance that forms from soluble fiber binds to fat and cholesterol, and carries them through the digestive system.

This analysis of 67 studies found that various soluble fibers had reduced total cholesterol and LDL by small amounts.

Gut Health

Certain kinds of fiber are prebiotic which ferment in the digestive tract and feed the good bacteria the gut. Prebiotic and probiotic foods increases the diversity of the gut microbiome which can decrease inflammatory conditions.

Studies have linked dietary fiber intake to preventing colorectal cancer and tumors.

Fiber and Blood Glucose

Dietary fiber can improve key health markers for people with diabetes. Soluble fiber turns into a gel-like substance which slows digestion of food including absorption of carbs.

This has the effect of flattening after-meal blood sugar increases and helps keep Hemoglobin A1C (A1C) levels under control.

And while fiber is technically a carb, it’s not digested by the body. So dietary fiber doesn’t raise blood sugar levels like simple carbs do.

How Much Fiber do People with Diabetes Need?

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that the regular fiber intake goal set by the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is sufficient for people with diabetes.

Based on the 2020-2025 DGA, the minimum daily fiber intake goal is 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed. For adults 18 and over, this would be between 22 – 34 grams of fiber per day.

But what about a high fiber diet?

Studies on high fiber diets and blood sugar control have shown only modest results.

This 2012 analysis reviewed 15 studies involving people with diabetes and dietary fiber intake. The participants consumed between 4 to 40 grams of fiber and on average, A1C was reduced only by -0.26%.

Also, this randomized control study had participants with Type 2 diabetes consume either a low glycemic index (GI) legume diet or whole wheat products for three months. The low-GI legume diet reduced A1c by −0.5% and the high wheat fiber diet reduced A1C by −0.3%.

Given these modest reductions, high fiber intake alone likely won’t get your blood sugar levels within normal range. Plus you run the risk of bloating, gas and upset stomach from eating too much fiber.

Getting you daily fiber intake

We know that soluble fiber can help with blood sugar control. But the best sources of soluble fiber should be from whole foods and minimally processed whole grains.

Whole foods not only contain fiber but other important vitamins and minerals. Also, you want to choose lower carb sources of fiber to minimize blood sugar spikes.

Below are some lower carb options and their fiber content (grams of dietary fiber per 1 cup servings) based on the USDA food database.

Vegetables

  • Brussel sprouts: 4g / 11g total carbs
  • Collard greens: 8g / 11g total carbs
  • Acorn squash: 9g / 30g total carbs
  • Artichoke: 10g / 20g total carbs
  • Butternut squash: 6.5g / 21g total carbs

Fruit

  • Raspberries: 8g / 15g total carb
  • Guava: 9g / 24g total carb
  • Avocados: 15g / 20g total carbs
  • Passion fruit (granadilla): 25g / 55g total carbs
Legumes, Seeds and Nuts
  • Hazelnuts: 13g / 23g total carbs
  • Almonds: 18g / 31g total carbs
  • Red kidney beans: 16g / 39g total carbs
  • Lentils: 16g / 38g total carbs
  • Navy beans: 19g / 47g total carbs
  • Flaxseeds: 45g / 49g total carbs
  • Chia seeds*: 34g / 42g total carbs (*per 100g serving)
Whole Grains
  • Wild rice: 3g / 35g total carbs
  • Oat bran : 6g / 25g total carbs
  • Quinoa: 5g / 39g total carbs
  • Pearled barley: 6g / 44g total carbs

Supplementing with Fiber

Getting your regular fiber intake from whole foods is ideal but we know that’s not always possible. Taking fiber supplements is one way to increase your dietary fiber when you don’t have access to the right foods.

A fiber supplement can be a pill, capsule, powder or even a chewable tablet. And they can be made from different sources with the most common from psyllium husk, inulin, and methylcellulose.

Fiber supplements are generally safe but remember that too much fiber consumption can cause bloating, gas or other side effects. Be sure to follow usage instructions and drink plenty of liquids when supplementing with fiber.

Summary

The health benefits of fiber are well known including for people with Type 2 diabetes. Having fiber daily should be part of your diabetes care since it can slow absorption of carbs and there are many low-carb fiber options. Plus high fiber foods can help prevent cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol, and benefits gut health.

But be careful about eating too much fiber (e.g. over 50 g per day). Increasing fiber intake may not lower your blood sugar as much as you think. And you run the risk of bloating, gas or upset stomach.

Remember, healthy living and diabetes care doesn’t have to be complicated. Focus on eating whole foods and you’re likely to get enough daily fiber. And if you remember to stay active and exercise regularly, you’ll make big gains when it comes to taking control of Type 2 diabetes, naturally.

What the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet Gets Wrong

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The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet comes from a trusted source but may not be the best for your diabetes

If you have Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), you may have heard of the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet. The Mayo Clinic is a trusted name so it’s easy to think the Diet works. But we found problems with the Diet and show why it may actually work against your goal of taking control of T2DM.

The Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet

If you searched searched online for ‘best diets for diabetes,’ one that pops up is the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet. The Mayo Clinic is a respected name with their award winning hospitals, doctors, and medical education and research centers. Here’s the basics of the Diet:

  • Healthy Carbohydrates: including fruits, vegetables, legumes. These same foods are recommended under fiber-rich foods.
  • Heart-healthy fish: those with high omega-3 fatty acid.
  • Good fats: sources with high monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) such as avocados, nuts and oils like canola, olive and peanut.

Foods to Avoid

  • Saturated Fats: certain dairy and animal proteins including hot dogs and sausages.
  • Trans fat: in processed snacks and baked goods.
  • Cholesterol: including high-fat dairy and animal proteins.

To put it all together they recommend to develop meal plans such as the ADA plate method (for portion sizes) or carb counting.

What the Mayo Clinic Diet Gets Wrong

So now we know the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet recommends “healthy” carbohydrates and “good” fats. Great! That sounds like healthy eating and good nutrition. And since it’s for diabetes it should help with blood glucose and weight loss, right?

But taking a closer look and we see a diet that can actually make it harder to control T2DM. We find 4 things the Mayo Clinic gets wrong.

The Staple Foods Are Mostly Carbs

The first problem with the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet is that the staple foods are whole grains, fruits and legumes (such as beans). But these include many foods high in carbohydrates!

We took their sample menu and used nutritiondata.self.com to calculate the amount of carbohydrates and glycemic load (GL) of the staple foods. Here are the results:

  • Breakfast: 285 calories (cal.) with 242 of those from carbs and a total 31 on GL. This is the whole wheat bread, jelly, shredded wheat cereal and fruit (orange).
  • Lunch: 328 cal. with 182 from carbs and total 15 GL. This is the sandwich bread and medium apple.
  • Dinner: 244 cal. with 205 from carbs and 27 GL. This is the small baked potato, green beans and medium white dinner roll.
  • Snack: 75 cal. with 63 from carbs and 7.5 GL from the popcorn.

That totals to 932 calories with 692 coming from carbs and a total GL of 80. That’s at least 74% of your energy coming from carbs in one day. And note that food with a glycemic index of 70 or higher is considered bad according to Healthline.

You’re Likely to Overeat Carbs

The second problem with the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet is that you’ll end up overeating. And most likely on carbohydrates which is terrible for your diabetes.

Their sample menu is for 1,200 to 1,600 cal. in a day. However, that’s actually on the low-end for calories needed for the average person.

You can find daily caloric needs by using online calculators like this. For a 5’10” male, age 55, 230 pounds with a sedentary activity level, 2,750 cals. are needed per day.

Eating meals that only give you 1,600 cals. is clearly not enough. Thus, this will cause you to increase your meal sizes to get needed energy but the staple foods are still high in carbs!

The primary goal for patients with Type 2 diabetes is to lower blood sugar levels. And weight loss is just as important with doctors likely to recommend as a primary treatment goal for diabetes, based on recent studies.

But the meals under this Diet end up working against your goals. You’ll have to exercise more to lose or maintain weight. Or you’ll try to find for more “healthy” recipes when your glucose doesn’t improve.

This can all get tiring, fatigue kicks in and eventually people lose motivation.

Recommends Oils High in Omega-6

The Mayo Clinic recommends eating “good fats” that contain monounsaturated (MUFA) and poly unsaturated (PUFA) fats. We don’t disagree that MUFA/PUFA are healthy and studies show they can improve key markers for Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Care Journal published this review of studies comparing diets high in MUFA to ones with high carbohydrates. They found benefits of the MUFA diet over the high-carb diet including significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, body weight and blood pressure.

However the problem is that the “good fats” include seed oils that have high omega-6 fatty acid content.

While there’s nothing wrong with omega-6 per se, there’s a desired ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 to maintain overall health. This study in PubMed.gov showed the importance of consuming a low ratio of omega-6/omega-3 (roughly 2:1) in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases.

Peanut oil has a 32:1 omega-6/omega-3 ratio! Making it very easy to exceed the ideal ratio.

Mischaracterizes Animal Protein

Finally, the Diet recommends avoiding animal proteins and lumps in highly processed meat like hot dogs, sausages and bacon. This is misleading because processed meat is clearly different from minimally processed meat such as a steak with salt and pepper.

We can all agree that processed food is poor nutrition and bad for health. Highly processed foods are stripped from vital nutrients, include chemical stabilizers and most have added sugar. No doubt people with diabetes should avoid these and stick to minimally processed foods and recipes.

Yet this mischaracterization of animal protein has been done for years by mainstream health authorities. We often see studies trying to link overall poor health and nutrition with eating red meats.

Take this recent research published in JAMA looking at associations of animal protein intake with certain diseases. They concluded that eating over two servings of red meat, processed meat or poultry is linked to a 3% to 7% increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The percentage increase is quite small but note the “or” used to lump in processed meat with red meat and poultry.

And the actual results show a clear distinction between the two meats. The study found that the 30-year absolute risk for CVD was much higher for processed meat (at 1.74%) than red meat (at 0.62%). More than double, actually.

Summary

The Mayo Clinic is known for medical education and research so it’s easy to assume their Diet is good for health, nutrition and improving Type 2 diabetes. But the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Diet has problems that we think will make it harder to lower blood sugar and lose weight.

The diet includes many carb-heavy foods and can leave you hungry, causing overeating with more carbs. The diet also recommends seed oil but doesn’t caution again their high omega-6 content. And the Mayo Clinic lumps in hot dogs and sausage with minimally processed animal proteins, despite the clear differences in nutrition.

Bottom Line

We think this diet will make you work harder to control Type 2 diabetes naturally. A meal with carb-heavy foods makes it harder to lower blood sugar. And you’ll likely overeat, which results in excess calories and will require more exercise to lose weight.

Ultimately, frustration kicks in when you don’t see results and it’s easy to lose motivation.

So what diet should I eat?  Stay tuned, we’ll be posting a separate article going in depth on this issue since there’s a lot of important context and information. But for now, you can get a preview of our preferred diet in our post on meal planning hacks for diabetics.

Meal Planning Hacks

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Meal planning is important for managing diabetes but can be a lot of work. These simple hacks will help Type 2 diabetics make meal planning more convenient and time saving, without limiting too variety.

Stock up on essential spices and herbs

Since every good meal starts with the right seasonings, stock up your pantry with essential spices and herbs. This gives you more options for recipes so that meal planning doesn’t get boring.  Also, most spices and herbs are fairly inexpensive and can last months so buy the larger sizes, when you can.

But what are the “essentials”? You can always stock up on your favorites (they should be low sugar) but below are seasonings we see used in many popular recipes.

  • Powders: garlic, onion, chili, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and chili flakes.
  • Herbs: bay leaves, basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme.

Bonus tip: make your own seasoning blends and store in containers.  You’ll save time with meal prep plus you can make low-sugar or low-salt versions of popular blends.

For example, BBQ seasoning is usually salt, pepper, garlic, onion, chili, paprika and cayenne along with brown sugar.  Just remove the brown sugar (or limit to a small amount) and now you have a BBQ rub that’s better suited for your diet.

Quick note on Oils

You’ll want to have oils in stock and we suggest olive, coconut, or avocado oils. Clarified butter is also a good option and is easy to make at home (CulinaryHill.com has a quick tutorial).

We suggest avoiding vegetable and seed oils (like canola, corn, etc.) because of the high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids. Eating more omega-6 makes it easier to exceed the desired ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which helps reduce risks of chronic diseases, based on this summary from PubMed.gov.

Buy proteins in bulk, portion and freeze

Go to your local wholesale club store and buy a variety of poultry, meat and fish. Portion them to freeze using plastic storage bags or wrap.  We suggest portions of at least 4 servings, which should cover meals for most the week.  Just anticipate giving a day and a half to set out to defrost.

Added tip: when using the oven, cook two (or three) proteins together even if they’re for different dishes.  A lot of recipes actually say to cook meat or poultry at around 350 degrees but differ in cook times.

Cooking different proteins together is a simple meal planning hack that can double the number of meals you can make with little added time.

Our opinion on proteins

Proteins are important for a balanced diet. And they typically have lower glycemic loads than carbohydrates, which is important for keeping your hemoglobin A1C in range.

In fact a study published by the American Diabetes Association showed that dietary proteins had a small contribution to endogenous glucose production. In other words the proteins resulted only in a small increase in blood sugar, which is a key goal for keeping your A1C within range.

We also suggest animal-based protein over plant-based. And we prefer proteins with moderate amounts of fat such as pork shoulder, chicken thighs (skin on) or beef chuck. This is because they generally have higher energy density per serving, giving you more energy with less volume consumed.

Animal-based protein also contain many essential amino acids, which are at the core of many vital processes (per Healthline). For example, the nutrition data of just 6 oz. of chicken breast contains all 9 essential amino acids.

But mod- to high-fat proteins should not be paired with refined or starchy carbohydrates like grains, corn or white potatoes. Doing so creates a meal with high calorie, high glycemic load. Something to avoid since it will spike your A1C and create excess calories, which can then turn into body fat.

Use appliances to make things efficient

Investing in a slow-cooker or pressure cooker is a popular meal planning hack.  You can make large portions and the timed cooking is very convenient. And they can save you money by being able to cook tougher cuts of meat, which tend to cost less (especially if you buy in bulk). Making hearty stews and soups are perfect for these cookers – just toss all the ingredients together and set it aside to cook.

You should also invest in food storage containers of different sizes. You’ll be cooking a lot of food so you’ll want to store them into portions for a single meal, family servings or snack sizes. And look into containers with dividers inside to help take a lot of the guesswork out of portioning meals.

Summary

Planning meals is important for managing Type 2 diabetes. But we know it can take a lot effort.  With these meal planning hacks, you can make a variety of tasty dishes while saving some time and effort.

And if you still feel overwhelmed to start meal planning, just keep it simple! There’s already a lot to do for proper diabetes self-care (which we wrote about here) and why keeping it simple is all you need to get started.