With the increase of obesity in North America there is also an increase in adult cases of Type 2 Diabetes. Although Diabetes must be monitored by your Doctor and controlled with insulin or other medications, it is also possible to control the negative side effects of Diabetes through diet. Healthy eating and exercise can help control the levels of glucose in the blood and may reduce the need for other medications
A Diabetic diet is mainly a well balanced diet and can also be followed by those without Diabetes but there are a few extra precautions that need to be considered with Diabetes. If you are Diabetic speak with your Doctor about the best eating plan for your specific type of Diabetes. Other factors like exercise, insulin injections and other glucose altering activities will have to be considered and discussed with your Doctor before any diet changes are made.
The diet will differ from person to person depending on lifestyle, medications, height, weight, age, sex, physical activity and nature of the Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetics need to know when insulin maxes our and how fast the body metabolizes different types of food. For Type 2 Diabetics the stress is put on weight loss so the body improves its ability to use the insulin that it produces. In both cases the aim is to control the blood glucose levels but the approach may be different.
For all Diabetics it’s important to space meals our evenly throughout the day to avoid spikes and dips in blood sugar levels. You’ll want to make sure to balance carbohydrates, proteins and fats throughout the day. Find out how much fibre your body needs and make sure you get enough through small portions of whole cooked cereals, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Avoid bakery products and fast food or anything high in fat, sugar or preservatives. To keep your blood sugar levels regular through the night, eat healthy carbohydrates 2 hours before bedtime.
As with any healthy diet the main focus is low calorie food with high nutritional value. This doesn’t mean that the food has to be bland. Research healthy recipes either online or purchase books with meal ideas specifically for Diabetics. There are plenty of appropriate cook books and recipes out there.