Discuss the dietary management of diabetes mellitus and plan a day's diet for an adult with diabetes.

1. 1 · Open in two lines. Diet is the base of diabetes treatment. It controls weight, blood sugar and blood lipids, alone or with drugs and insulin.
2. 2 · Aims. Near-normal blood sugar, healthy weight, normal lipids and BP, prevention of hypoglycaemia and complications.
3. 3 · Diet principles.
   • Energy by kcal/kg IBW; carbohydrate 50-60%, complex and low-GI.
   • Protein 15-20%; fat 20-30%, low saturated; fibre 25-40 g; salt under 5 g.
   • 3 meals and 2-3 snacks at fixed times.
4. 4 · Calculate the diet. IBW, energy, grams of protein, fat and carbohydrate, then exchanges (show the working).
5. 5 · Draw the distribution table. [Table: meal times × exchanges × example foods × carbohydrate in grams]
6. 6 · Diet with insulin. Match meal timing to insulin type; bedtime snack with NPH; never skip meals; carry sugar.
7. 7 · Foods to prefer and limit. Millets, whole grains, pulses, greens, low-GI fruits; avoid sugar, sweets, juices, maida, fried foods.
8. 8 · Close in one line. A planned, regular diet keeps blood sugar steady and prevents complications.

Scoring tip: Always show a calculation and a meal-wise table; a diabetic diet answer without numbers rarely gets full marks.