Diabetes Diet

A good diabetes diet plan is essential to managing your blood glucose levels. Diet and exercise can help reduce the risk of developing complications that are related to diabetes. What you eat, along with proper exercise, are the two most important aspects of managing your diabetes naturally.

"You are what you eat!" If you study the eating habits of most diabetics, you will usually find high carbohydrate foods, high processed foods and few minerals and vitamins. With this in mind, you may need to completely change your diet. You can start with avoiding all processed foods which include fast foods, canned foods, and most boxed foods.

A diet that is high in fiber, especially soluble fiber, and low in saturated fat is recommended.

Everyone, not just diabetics, needs to eat a variety of foods that contain the proper amounts of Carbohydrate, Protein, Fat, Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber and Water. Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fat supply energy. Insulin utilizes this energy - Your pancreas makes insulin. If you have diabetes, either your pancreas is not producing insulin or your body can't utilize the insulin it is making. This causes abnormal blood sugar levels.

Click here to see a great Diabetic Food List that will help you get started with your diabetes diet!

You will need to find a diet plan that you can stay on for the rest of your life. You should never begin any diet without first consulting with your health care provider. Your diet will need to help you lose/control your weight, help control your blood glucose, as well as lower your blood fats.

Fat cells can become resistant to insulin, causing your glucose levels to rise. If you can lose weight and then maintain your recommended weight, you may be able to stop taking diabetic medicine!

The diabetes diet should consist of 50%-55% carbohydrates, 30% fats and 10%-15% proteins.

Carbohydrates - Make your blood glucose levels rise. When you eat carbohydrates, they convert to glucose and travel throughout your bloodstream. The key to keeping your blood glucose levels where you need them, is to balance your food intake with physical activity and medications. The more carbohydrates that you eat, the higher your blood glucose levels will be. If you eat fewer carbohydrates, your glucose levels will be lower.

The most important carbohydrates that you will want to reduce are the carbs with a high glycemic index. Eating the same amount of carbs at meals and snacks will help control your blood sugar levels.

If you have hypoglycemia, you will need to have food or drink that can raise blood sugar quickly, and then eat a long-acting carbohydrate to prevent risk of more hypoglycemia. With the diabetes diet, finding the right balance is important. Once you find it, you will feel better and be able to live the lifestyle you want to!

The three different types of carbohydrates are: Starch, Sugar and Dietary Fiber. Starch and sugar raise blood glucose levels so you need to include both types in your diet.

Following is a list of the foods that have carbohydrates:

* Beans peas and lentils, soy products
* Grains (rice, wheat, barley, bread, pasta, cereal etc.) and starchy vegetables (potatoes, carrots, corn, etc.)
* Fruit and fruit juice
* Dairy products - milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
* Snack foods (candy, cookies, chips, cake, soda, etc.)

Click here to learn easy Diabetic Meal Planning methods!

Protein - Protein can be found in meats, poultry, fish, milk and other dairy products, eggs, beans, peas and lentils. Starches and vegetables have small amounts of protein. The body uses protein for growth, maintenance and energy. Your body must have insulin to utilize the protein you eat.

<<>> Fat - Research has shown that it is quite healthy for the body to consume certain types of fats - even with a diabetes diet. Fat is found in margarine, butter, oils, salad dressings, nuts, seeds, milk, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, and ice-cream. The Three types of fat are: Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated and Saturated.

Everyone needs fat in their diet - however you should eat less saturated fats because they can raise your cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are found in meats, dairy products, shortening (where the source is animal), coconut, palm and palm kernel oil.

Monounsaturated fats are good fats. They can be found in canola oil, olive oil, nuts, and avocado.

The polyunsaturated fats found in corn oil, soybean oil, or sunflower oil are also good fats. Fat travels throughout your bloodstream, and insulin helps your body to store fat in your cells. Then your body uses that fat for energy.

Click here for tons of easy and delicious recipes for your diabetes diet!

If you have a sweet tooth, you may want to look at the artificial sweetener, Stevia. Studies show promising results with it's use in the diabetes diet. Click here to learn more about diabetes and Stevia.

* Sugar-free doesn't necessarily mean carb-free
* "No sugar added" is no guarantee. These types of foods may still be high in carbohydrates, so be sure to check the label.
* Fat-free isn't always better. Fat-free foods can be higher in carbohydrates and contain almost the same amount of calories as the foods they replace. Again, read the label carefully.

Your body is littered with toxins, cholesterol, plaque, radicals. Fortunately, water is the answer for that! It is very important that you drink at least 64 ounces of water per day!

Losing weight is a special challenge for anyone who has diabetes. But remember, the benefits of losing the excess weight far outweigh the risks of living the rest of your life with diabetes!