Type 2 diabetes is two things:
- One of the most common killers in the English-Speaking world
- (Usually) the result of a poor lifestyle – both diet and exercise.
The 1800 calorie diet is pretty obvious – it’s a diet that restricts you to no more than 1800 calories a day. Being an anti-diabetic diet, it also focuses on reducing your carbohydrate intake.
Today, we’re going to talk you through the basics of the 1800 calorie diabetic diet – what it is and why/how it works.
This diet is more specific than a simple macro based diet plan. Why? Carbohydrates must be restricted and you only have a set number of calories to eat per day.
What is the 1800-Diabetic Diet?
The overall effect is a reduced blood sugar, meaning less insulin is produced. This means you can reduce insulin resistance and boost sensitivity. Simply put, less insulin will mean you become more sensitive to what you have in the bloodstream.
Calorie restriction
Reducing calories is important because insulin is released in response to food. All foods break down into glucose, which finds its way into your bloodstream and provokes insulin. So, any form of calorie surplus will spike your insulin – even if faster-absorbing nutrients are likely to cause a greater short-term peak.
Simply put, cutting your calories is going to be great for a wide variety of health markers. Diabetes and insulin resistance may be the biggest problem that this diet is aimed at, but you’re also going to lose weight, improve cell health and reduce blood pressure. Overall, it’s a good chance compared to the conventional ‘western diet’.
Carbohydrate Intake
The consumption of carbohydrates in severe excess, or as part of a calorie-surplus diet, is a risk factor for diabetes.
Fast-release carbs like sugar are the most likely to lead to problems with diabetes and pre-diabetes. They produce an intense short-term spike of insulin that you can often feel. This is a problem because having too much sugar in the bloodstream tells your body that it needs to produce insulin which causes saturation – resulting in ineffective insulin processes.
The clear solution is reducing carbohydrate intake. This counteracts any short-term insulin spiking and contributes to better endocrine health. This isn’t the only source – you can get diabetes with any excessive calorie intake – but it’s a huge risk factor.
A high-carbohydrate diet can even be issues for elite sport players. A study by Rugby Warfare showed that Carbohydrate intake was even restricted for professional Rugby players to aid with insulin sensitivity
How the 1800 Calorie Diabetic Diet can Help
Almost anyone will lose weight and stay on a calorie deficit at 1800 calories. The only exceptions are very small women – but anyone with a weight problem, or within average ranges for either gender, will be at a significant deficit here. This is enough to make positive change directly and indirectly – from bodyweight to overall glucose levels.
The carbohydrates that you find in the 1800-calorie diabetic diet are also high in fiber. This means an abundance of bran-based cereals, healthy fibrous fruit and various low-sugar, wholefood vegetable products. This added fiber slow down digestion and ensures a regular distribution of glucose into the bloodstream.
The high protein content of the diet is also beneficial. Promoting healthy, lean protein sources such as salmon or cod, it provides the necessary building blocks of muscle and other tissues. This makes it a great choice for active individuals. It also has a similar effect to fiber, retarding the digestion process and regulating overall insulin action.
Combining these different benefits, the 1800-calorie diabetic diet is going to have a significant benefit to overall metabolic health and the way that your body works.
What can we do to make it better?
The only problem with the diabetic diet as we see it is that the carbohydrates it relies on are primarily “bad” carbs.
It’s not quite as simple as good and bad, but there are some definite problems with the fast-absorbing carbs you’ll find in the 1800-calorie diabetic diet. The way that it works leans heavily on breads and other ‘starches’.
The problem is that these foods are hardly starches at all – they’re the kind of high-sugar foods that contribute to over-eating and insulin resistance in the first place. We would much rather see a higher-concentration of complex starches. This would include essential foods, including:
- Beans and pulses
- Wholegrains like oats
- Unrefined, higher-fiber forms of carbohydrate
- A greater variety of carb sources in small portions
The current choices aren’t sugars, but they do break down into sugar rapidly in the body.
We’d also like to see a greater concentration of high-volume vegetables. These are the kind that fill you up and take up a lot of space for very few calories. Some good examples – like carrots – are already included but there is definitely space for many more. As it stands, this diet is primarily reliant on fruits over vegetables – a real concern for the health-value.
A diet aimed at reducing the risks and symptoms of diabetes is going to do better with a higher concentration of vegetables to fruits. Fruits may be a natural plant-food, but choices like melon, pineapple, or mango are still high in sugar.
While they may contain a greater quantity of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber, the sugar still counts. Putting together an anti-diabetic diet requires the moderation of sugars from all sources – it all ends up as glucose in your blood.
The Verdict
Overall, this is a step in the right direction. We’re not sure that common accounts of the diabetic diet are well-structured. Putting together an effective, healthy, anti-diabetic diet should follow a few simple principles:
- Calorie restriction: eat less energy than you use
- Macro balance: high protein, high fat, lower carbohydrates
- Macro quality: slow-digesting carbs, high-quality unsaturated fats, and lean proteins
- High volume: lots of food per calorie!
- Nutrient-dense: lots of vitamins and minerals per calorie
- High fiber: lots of plant foods and wholegrains to provide fiber and regulate digestion/metabolism
The idea of an 1800-calorie anti-diabetic diet is actually very well structured. It’s probably just a case that many examples of serving sizes and food choices seen online are misinformed. It’s better to consult with your GP and/or dietitian to put together a well-planned approach.
This isn’t a diet strictly for diabetics and pre-diabetics. However, if your intention is to deal with these types of risks/symptoms, you should do so under the direction of a qualified healthcare professional.
With the tweaks mentioned above, it is definitely a much better alternative to the existing, “average” diet! Combine it with exercise and you can expect to see some very positive changes in your health, appearance, and overall wellbeing.
