Tips for Eating Healthy with Diabetes.
The most important thing about diabetes is changing your eating habits. A good diet is your best tool to fight the disease. The content, portion size and timing of meals become more and more important. The tips in this article are going to help you eat and manage your diabetes well.
For starters, watch your sugar intake. This can be tough, because sugar hides where you least expect it. For instance, fruit juice often has high fructose corn syrup inside it. Alcohol is recognized by the body as pure sugar. You need to eliminate the obvious and hidden sources of sugar if you want to keep your disease under control.
Choose complex carbs over simple carbs. This can be one of the most important decisions you ever make in regards to how you eat. Complex carbs like whole grain breads take a longer time to process than regular carbohydrates, resulting in a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. Complex carbs typically have more fiber, so that is helpful to the body as well.
When you eat carbs, eat them with a protein. Proteins are the hardest for your body to break down, so when you pair protein with carb, it becomes difficult for your blood sugar levels to spike. Every time you have a carbohydrate, it is smart for you pair it with a protein so your blood sugar levels remain stable.
Try to eat about the same amount of calories on a daily basis. This works more in terms of your medication. When your medication is in place, it helps address your blood glucose levels at certain levels. It helps if you’re able to keep your calorie intake regular so that your medication can work as effectively each day.
Be aware of portion size. You also need to pay attention to how much weight you are gaining. Small portion sizes can make sure that you don’t overeat, which could cause major problems with your body’s ability to handle your disease.
Start your meal by eating vegetables. Vegetables provide carbs to the body, which are necessary, but they are low in sugar content. They can also be filling, and therefore satiate your appetite in addition to handling your diabetes well.
Keep track of what you eat. For at least the first month or so, keep a food journal. That way, you can keep track of what you are eating, and how your body is reacting to it. When you pair that journal with the log of your blood sugar levels from day to day, you’ll be able to get a routine that keeps you functioning best.
Eating in a healthy way is arguably the best thing you can do to keep your diabetes all the time. You may have diabetes for the rest of your life, but these eating habits will serve you well. Don’t forget to try the tips here, so that you can better cope with your diabetes through a good diet and a sense of commitment to that diet.