Author: Thamin Abdul

Much the same as fiber, eating quality protein with your snacks and meals can have a positive affect on your blood sugar levels. By combining protein and carbohydrates you will slow the digestions of the carbohydrates in your body. This slowing down will prevent your blood sugar from spiking as the result of too many carbohydrates in your system.

This does not mean that you should eat more protein than is recommended in one meal. Doing so can lead to other problems down the road. But if you are a diabetic, skipping protein in your diet is not a good idea. For diabetics who are vegetarians or that don’t eat a lot of any protein it is important to find a source that can be consumed on a regular basis.

There are many other sources of high-quality protein that does not include animal meats. Other protein sources can include:

• Tofu is a source of protein that can be prepared in a variety of ways including dessert tofu
• Nuts are an excellent source of protein but can be high in fat too. Read nutrition labels and enjoy in moderation
• Seeds such as flax, pumpkin, and sunflower can be eaten as a source of protein
• Beans and other members of the legume family. There are many ways to prepare beans from chili to cold salads
• Protein powders are available to sprinkle on cereals or to make into shakes for drinking
• Fish sources – be aware that large fish contain high levels of mercury and should only be eaten once or twice per week

When making protein choices, go for a lean cut whenever possible. Even though protein has a positive affect on blood sugars excessive fat can cancel out the benefit and turn it into a health risk. Enjoy high-fat meats or heavily processed meats on rare occasions and eat a wide variety of proteins.

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Life sometimes doesn’t seem fair – you love sweets and are known for your sweet tooth but now that you have been diagnosed with diabetes you are afraid you can’t have them anymore. This isn’t entirely true. Yes, if you previously indulged in many sweets you can no longer do that (and it may be a contributing factor to way you have type 2 diabetes). But there are ways that you can satisfy your sweet tooth and stick to your diabetic diet.

Even though sugar isn’t the only reason blood sugars raise the combination of a high- sugar item and carbohydrates are. There are many sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners that are available to purchase on their own or in sweets such as chocolate and hard candies.

Another way to add sweets into your diet is to substitute them for other carbohydrates in a meal. If you were planning on having a tuna salad sandwich for lunch instead of having the bread try eating the tuna on its own and use the saved carbohydrates on a cookie or two (depending on size and serving information). This can be done with many different variations, but should be done in moderation – your body really will function better on those two pieces of whole wheat bread than it will on two chocolate chip cookies.

Speak with your dietician too. A dietician is full of ideas and suggestion on how to improve your diabetic diet. He or she may have suggestions on snacks or meals that you would not have considered to be sweet but can certainly satisfy your sweet tooth. Such as eating a banana to satisfy a chocolate craving. As time goes on you will begin to appreciate the natural sweet things in life too – such as a juicy apple or a fresh orange.

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You can be diagnosed with pre-diabetes before you actually get diabetes. In pre-diabetes you have higher than normal blood sugars but they are not at the level that they would need to be in order to be considered diabetic. If you are obese or severely overweight and pre-diabetic there are steps you can take to put off the actual diagnosis of diabetes or prevent it.

The same test is used for pre-diabetes as it is for diabetes. Once you find out that you have pre-diabetes you can make a plan with your doctor to prevent the onset of the disease. By losing weight and either adding or increasing your level of physical activity you can delay diabetes for quite sometime. There have been people who have gone on to maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise and have remained in the pre- diabetic phase for their lives.

If you are not able to get down to your goal weight, just losing a small amount can be beneficial. It takes an additional strain off of your body by lessening the need of the amount of insulin that is produced. There are many other benefits that you will also get by reducing your body weight including increased energy and cardiovascular health.

Most times, doctors do not test for diabetes unless there are risk factors present including age (over 45 years old). But if you are considered obese, your doctor will probably order the appropriate glucose test each year at your physical examination to check for pre- diabetes and diabetes.

There are not always symptoms present when you have pre diabetes. But if you are experiencing any of the signs that could signal the full disease such as an increased thirst and need to urinate, make an appointment with your doctor for a check-up.

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Even before you are diagnosed with diabetes, if you are obese, your blood sugars are most likely elevated. High blood sugar levels in a body over a prolonged period of time can have devastating affects on your body. You may not be showing symptoms of high blood sugars but your doctor will most likely do a routine blood test if you are obese to check for pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

People can go for years or even decades with undiagnosed pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Over this time, their blood glucose will be at above average range and this can due internal damage. Once you find out that you are pre diabetic it is wise to change your lifestyle and eating habits to prevent the onset of diabetes. For people who have already been diagnosed with diabetes, they can still experience damage from hyperglycemia if they are not controlling their diabetes effectively.

Hyperglycemia that goes unchecked for a long period of time can cause kidney damage up to the point of kidney failure that will require dialysis or a transplant. It also causes nerve damage, particularly to feet and the lower legs. People suffering from hyperglycemia will heal slowly and will have intestinal problems including diarrhea and can have eye difficulties leading to eyesight problems.

As soon as you find out that you are diabetic, test your blood glucose regularly to keep an eye on your levels. You will need to work closely with your health care team to bring your blood sugars under control. You can lessen the effects of prolonged hyperglycemia by keeping your diabetes under control. If you have not yet been diagnosed with diabetes but have been told you are pre-diabetic follow a healthy eating plan including plenty of physical activity to get healthier and keep your blood glucose levels in check.

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The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet was developed with more than diabetics in mind. It is a diet that is recommended to people with high cholesterol, heart or other cardiovascular diseases and those that have been diagnosed with diabetes.

This diet consists of a set of guidelines that provide percentage ranges of what a patient should eat from each food group. The aim is to provide flexibility in choices while ensuring that the choices made are helpful to the condition that is being treated. In the beginning it is a good idea to partner with a dietician to ensure the calculations that you are making are accurate and that you are making the best food choice decisions.

The TLC diet provides the following eating guidelines:

• The total amount of fat that is eaten in a day should add up to less than 25-35% of the calories that are consumed
• Of the 25-35% fat intake it should be broken down into the following categories: saturated less than 7%; monounsaturated less than 20%; polyunsaturated 10%
• 50-60% of a day’s worth of calories should be derived from carbohydrates
• Eat at least 20-30 grams of high-quality fiber each day
• The protein consumed should equal 15-20% of the calories for the day
• Cholesterol should be limited and kept under 200mg per day

As the diet is a set of guidelines that do not include the calculations necessary to determine if you are meeting the requirements you should book an appointment with a dietician to understand what you need to do. Once you have been shown how to make the calculations and have been given a sample meal plan you can use those as a template to create many variations of the TLC diet. You can also glean much of this information by reading the food labels on packages.

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On all packaged food that you buy, there is a food label that includes important information to a diabetic. You need to learn how to read them properly and know what the different numbers and percentages mean to you and your diabetic diet. Below is an overview of the basic information you need to know about food labels.

Whether you are counting carbohydrates, are following the exchange diet, or you are on the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet you can increase your chances for success by reading your food labels and understanding what they mean.

The ingredient list is a good place to start before looking at the numbers in the food label. Where is sugar on the ingredient list? The closer it is to the beginning of the list the more of it is present in the food. That goes the same for all ingredients; manufacturers list the ingredients in order of the amount that is in the product. If there are things in your food that do not work well for your blood sugar on the list it should be avoided or eaten in moderation.

Look at the serving size and compare that to the number of carbohydrates is in a serving. Most servings of carbohydrates for a diabetic are 15 grams. If one serving is higher than 15 grams you will have to eat less than the suggested serving size to stay on track with your meal plan.

Sugar-free foods may grab your attention as something safe and yummy to add to your shopping cart. But look at the carbohydrate count first. Most foods that are made sugar- free using artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes have higher carbohydrate counts.

Check the fat content too, look for a low percent of your daily intake and ideally it will be monounsaturated as opposed to polyunsaturated or saturated fats.

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Everyone needs a little help now and then and shouldn’t be afraid to ask for it. A newly diagnosed diabetic may feel overwhelmed with the restrictions that they are faced with and not knowing how to plan meals. The support that is needed is from a dietician or nutritionist. Depending on your goals and weight a dietician can provide you with a meal plan that will meat the criteria of a healthy diabetic diet and help you lose weight.

In the beginning, the concern with a diabetic diet is to make sure you are getting enough food so your blood sugar does not drop too low. You will also want to monitor your levels to look for any spikes in your readings too. A dietician can work with you on this. If you are eating the recommended diet plan and it is not working, you are feeling hungry afterwards or your blood sugar is too high – call your dietician. He or she can work with you over the phone to make immediate changes and schedule an appointment to rework your plan.

Your dietician can also make recommendations on substitutions for your favorite foods that you were afraid you could never eat again. They will educate you on portion sizes too. There really isn’t too much that you can’t have as a diabetic as long as you are planning your meals out, getting exercise and eating in moderation.

Food guides change and your dietician or nutritionist will have the most up to date version. Try and follow it and combine foods as you have been taught by your support team. If you are unsure if something is allowable on your diabetic diet, call your dietician for advice and if you can’t reach them leave a message and hold off until you hear back from them.

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The role of fiber in healthy diets is very important – it aids in digestion and keep your colon and other organs healthy and functioning properly. It is also a wonder element that should be a large part of any diabetic’s diet. You will reap many benefits from including fiber in your diet. If you are pre-diabetic it can assist in delaying the diagnosis of diabetes or if you are already diabetic it can help keep your blood glucose under control.

Fiber will keep you feeling fuller longer – it slows the conversion of carbohydrates in your body which in turn can keep your blood sugars stable. The type of fiber that a diabetic needs to eat to gain these benefits is soluble fiber (dissolves in water). Some good sources of soluble fiber include:

• Choosing whole grain or whole wheat products instead of white (flour, breads, and cereals)
• Eating fresh fruit and vegetables instead of processed or drinking them in liquid form
• Beans, use dried beans in your favorite recipes like chili for a wholesome, high-fiber meal

To ensure that you are getting the most benefit from eating increased amount of fiber, make sure that you are drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Remember, this fiber dissolves in water and you need to stay hydrated for it to work properly.

If you are on a carbohydrate counting diet and are using 15 grams of carbohydrates for one serving you can increase the amount you are eating if that item has high-fiber content. You can subtract the number of grams of fiber in a serving from the number of carbohydrates. For instance if you are eating an item that has 20 grams of carbohydrates (over the one serving limit) but it has five grams of fiber you can subtract the five from the twenty and it is now only a 15 gram serving.

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There are two kinds of diabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The first type is also known as juvenile diabetes and is usually diagnosed in childhood. It is the body’s cells and the pancreas’ inability to produce enough insulin. In type 2 diabetes there is not enough insulin produced for the body or the body is not making proper use of the insulin that is available.

Many studies and doctors have linked an increasing number of people being diagnosed with diabetes to obesity. When a person is obese or very over weight they are overtaxing their pancreas (the organ that produces insulin) and this can lead to type 2 diabetes. Being obese is a risk factor for diabetes but it does not mean you will develop the disease if you are obese. By losing weight and leading a healthier lifestyle you can gain control of this risk factor either by reducing it or eliminating it altogether.

There are other risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes including age and race but of course there is no control over these factors. Studies have shown that over half of the people diagnosed with diabetes are considered clinically obese. People who are obese and work hard to lose weight can better manage their diabetes through diet or oral medications instead of insulin injections. Incorporating a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity will also help to manage the disease.

In addition to being at a higher risk for developing diabetes people who are obese are at an increased risk for other life-threatening diseases too. Namely heart and cardiovascular diseases, it is in an individual’s best interest to maintain a healthy weight for their body type and health in order to reduce the risks to their health. Medical support is available through your health care provider if needed.

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Everyone has their favorite dishes, ones that mom or grandma used to make or new ones that you have discovered on your own. Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you may feel that you can never enjoy these dishes again (or not without harming your health). But there are ways that you can change old family favorites keeping the flavor but reducing or eliminating the amount of sugar or carbohydrates they contain.

For most substitutions that you are going to make to your recipes, you are looking for ways to reduce the fat content. Here are some standards that you can use. When your recipe calls for:

• Whole milk try substituting with 2% or 1% instead
• Whole eggs try substituting with an egg substitute or use 2 egg whites for every whole egg called for in the recipe
• Sour cream use low fat sour cream or plan yogurt
• Baking chocolate try using cocoa powder mixed with vegetable oil (3 tablespoons with 1 tablespoon of oil will equal 1 ounce of chocolate)

In addition to the above suggestions, always use light or lower fat versions of ingredients. Sometimes trial and error is necessary to get the recipe just right, but do keep trying the end result will be worth it when you create a cake or other dessert that you love and is diabetic friendly.

Alternately, you can purchase a diabetic cook book that is full of desserts to make that will work with your diet. This way you can create new favorites for you and your family to fall in love with. Don’t feel that just because you are a diabetic you cannot enjoy variety in your foods. Keep trying new things while keeping a close eye on your blood sugar levels to add new foods to your growing repertoire.

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