Diet therapy helps diabetes patients to control blood sugar levels. It is recommended for both types of diabetes patients insulin-dependent or not.

The general principle, according to Li Guangwei of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, is to control the total quantity of heat coming from food intake, so as to both meet the demand of the body and reduce the burden on the spleen.

Li recommends coarse grain, which contains a high amount of fibre. He also advises diabetes patients to eat more chicken and fish, instead of beef, mutton and pork, which contain rather high levels of fat.

The city's more than 20 vegetarian restaurants are good choices for a healthy but tasty treat. Diabetics can also try the special sector for diabetes sufferers at specialized food shops in Beijing such as the Wangfujing Food Store located on Wangfujing Pedestrian Street. The city's famous Chinese bakery Daoxiangcun also has a sugar-free section.

One important thing for diabetics to notice is that they should control the amount of food they eat, even if it is sugar-free food, because those foods are also transformed into sugar after digestion.

Meanwhile, diabetes patients should have a balanced diet, which should comprise a high amount of carbohydrates, low fat and proper amount of protein. The food should be varied. Grains and potatoes provide carbohydrate. Fruits and vegetables provide mainly fibre. Animal products provide protein that contains necessary amino acids, and bean products provide vegetable protein.

It is best if the source of heat intake comes mainly from grain, combined with green vegetables.

But coarse grain, beans and vegetables contain a high amount of fibre and are also good.

Li suggests that diabetics should not drink alcohol and they should not take more than 10 grams of salt a day.

One last tip is that people with diabetes should have multiple meals in a day, each limited in amount. That makes things easier for the digestive system.

(China Daily 11/25/2005 page7)