subject: The Diabetes Diet for Weight Loss – How It Can Help You Live A Healthier Life [print this page] The Diabetes Diet for Weight Loss How It Can Help You Live A Healthier Life
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, then it is really important that you adjust your eating habits in a way that will keep your blood sugar levels under control. While there is no "one size fits all" diet plan for every person who is a diabetic, there are some set guidelines that you can follow. The American Diabetic Diet is a popular dietary guideline that can give you a basic idea of the types of foods, and the quantity of foods you should eat to maintain good health.
When you have diabetes, you must learn to always be mindful of how many carbohydrate foods, protein foods and foods containing fat and sugar you consume. If you take the time to sit down with a dietary nutritionist, they can help create an individualized eating plan for you to follow. Or, you can go online and find a good diabetes diet for weight loss. Most diabetics can eat the same types of foods that everyone else eats.
The Diabetic Food Pyramid allows you to eat: six starches, two milks, four to six ounces of meat or meat substitutes, three vegetables, two fruits and up to three fats per day. This provides you with a range of between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day.
The good news is, you do not have to restrict yourself to special diabetic meals. You can simply pick up a recipe book that shows you how to control diabetes with diet and exercise, and make a wide variety of delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner meals.
You will have to be careful about portion sizes and make sure to not overeat any one type of food. Balancing the portions and type of food that you eat during each meal is key to managing your blood sugar levels. Also, if you are taking insulin shots or oral diabetes medication, you may need to eat at certain times of the day in order to comply with medication instructions.
One thing that you will be told by your doctor and nutritionist, is that you need to follow a regular eating schedule. Instead of eating three meals a day, you may find that you're now eating six small meals a day, plus a snack here and there. Smaller meals will help to keep your energy and sugar levels stable throughout the day. It may help for you to carry around a small notebook that reminds you of when you have to eat a meal or snack. As you get used to your new dietary routine, you'll automatically remember.
The most important foods you'll be eating during the day contain carbohydrates and protein foods. You must make sure that you eat at all times of the day, and never skip any meals. Even if you're in the process of losing weight, you do not skip a meal. Skipping meals won't help you lose the weight, and it will make it more difficult for you to manage sugar levels.
It's important for you to eat lots of carbohydrate foods during the day, and when you begin choosing from this group, take care to make healthier choices. Carbohydrates produce energy, and as you probably know, breaks down in the bloodstream as sugar. However, you do not need to eliminate them from your diet, just choose items such as brown rice, whole grain bread, yams, quinoa and rolled oats.
Protein foods are something that your body needs for general good health. Whether you are a meat eater or vegetarian, you must have protein foods in order to stay healthy. Some good protein food choices are: lean meats (chicken, turkey, beef, fish, lamb), eggs, tofu, cottage cheese and Swiss cheese.
If you are diabetic, and also need to lose a significant amount of weight, you'll be watching your fat intake. Although, there will be some fat found in the foods on the Diabetic Food Pyramid, most of those foods have natural fat that won't be harmful in small amounts. You really need to be concerned about the hidden fats that can be found in many store bought packaged foods. Be sure to read each label on packaged food items to see what the fat content is. If it is a high percentage, then put it back on the shelf. High cholesterol is a major contributor to weight gain and heart disease.
At first, you may find it hard to give up some of your favorite fat laden foods like chips, pastries, and ready to eat food. However, you can't afford to sabotage your dietary needs any longer. The same goes for fast food. If you eat that huge double patty burger laden down with cheese, bacon and fatty dressing, large fries and soda, it may taste good at the time, but ultimately, these foods will do nothing to help you drop the pounds.
Many diabetics hate the idea of giving up their favorite snacks and sweets. While you must drastically reduce the amount of sweets you eat, you don't actually have to give them up forever. You can eat treats that contain sugar every once in a while. There are also lots of sugar-free alternatives available. These alternative sweets are created especially for people on diets for cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
One way to think about your new dietary eating habits, is to understand that you are now putting your health and well being above all else. In order to enjoy life at its fullest, you need to be both happy and healthy. When you are struggling with weight issues and diabetes, your quality of life is greatly diminished. If you need motivation to help get you through some of the rough spots during this period of adjustment, look for a support group of like minded people, either in your local community, or online. There are millions of people just like yourself who are living with diabetes, and many are willing to share their experiences and give you advice.
Many people, including celebrities, are living full lives while also monitoring their diabetes. You will find that by following the recommended guidelines in the American Diabetic Diet plan, you will be able to manage your condition quite easily. Healthy food choices, exercise and a positive outlook on life are all keys to controlling diabetes.
