Foods for Diabetics: Leptin Diet

Leptin is a hormone believed to help regulate metabolism, hunger, satiety and storage of body fat. Studies with mice revealed it also plays a role in decreasing insulin resistance. Though the leptin diet developed by Byron J. Richards has largely disappeared from popular culture, it remains of interest to diabetics because it largely overlaps with their existing dietary needs. Because leptin is produced in the same ratio as a person's body fat, it's believed that obese individuals produce large amounts of leptin and develop a resistance that makes it difficult for them to know when to stop eating.

The Five Rules of the Leptin Diet

The leptin diet is based on five rules, three of which have particular relevance to diabetics. These are, eat a breakfast containing protein, reduce the amount of carbohydrates eaten and do not eat large meals. Diabetics are already instructed to reduce their consumption of total carbohydrates and limit their intake to whole grains. High-protein foods are perfect for diabetics because they have little or no impact on blood sugar levels. The other two rules of the leptin diet are never eat after dinner and eat only three meals per day without snacks.

Breakfast

The idea behind eating a breakfast with protein, in the leptin diet, is that doing so will increase your metabolism early in the day. Ideal breakfasts for diabetics on the leptin diet include eggs and/or breakfast meats, plus a serving of fruit. The general guideline for the leptin diet is that half of any meal should be protein and the other half carbohydrates. Or, if preferred, there should be equal-sized portions of protein and carbohydrates and the rest of the meal should be vegetables. Diabetics will want to limit their carbohydrate intake to only whole grains.

Snacking

A major challenge to diabetics on the leptin diet will be the prohibition against snacking. As with the leptin diet, diabetics are advised to avoid eating large meals. But the American Diabetes Association recommends what it calls "grazing," or eating small snacks every three hours, for people with diabetes because it helps to maintain steady blood sugar levels and avoid cravings. The leptin diet forbids snacking under the belief that eating too frequently interferes with the leptin signals. If weight loss is a goal of a diabetic, then adhering to the leptin strategy will probably be more effective provided they make smart food choices when they do eat.