Create a Healthy Diabetes Diet

It is essential to create a healthy diabetes diet if you have any chance of beating type 2 diabetes. If you are a type 1 diabetic it is also essential to maintain a healthy diet so that you can live your life relatively free from the horrible complications that are associated with this terrible disease.

If you choose the right kinds of foods and also the correct amount of foods to be eaten, throw in at least thirty minutes of exercise per day and you are on the right track to avoiding taking any medications at all, how wonderful would that be.

Following are some points to consider when you create a healthy diabetes diet:

Eat on a regular basis

Eat more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables

Change your carbohydrate intake

Reduce the amount you eat

Limit your protein intake

Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol

Reduce your salt intake

Below is a typical list of what to include in a healthy diabetes diet:

Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day, this will help you avoid dehydration

Eat 100g or more of fish at least two times a week

Eat less than 150g per serve of lean red meat or poultry (skin off) regularly

Don’t drink more than 1 to 2 standard alcoholic drinks per day

Eat more than 300g (3 cups) of vegetables each day

Use olive oil in cooking and as an additive to salads

Add legumes to your diet twice a week (this includes beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas)

When choosing dairy foods always opt for the low fat version

Eat more than 200g or two pieces of fruit each day

Eat wholegrain as well as high fibre cereals and breads, try to find the low GI version of these

Don’t cut out fats completely, but remember to keep it to a minimum

Cut down on sugar where you can, opt for sweeteners instead

Instead of using salt, try adding herbs for extra flavour

There are three reasons to eating well for good diabetes management:

What you eat

How much you eat, and

When you eat

Remember when you are creating your healthy diabetes diet, this does not mean that you have to give up all your favourite foods. It is important however to include a healthy well balanced nutritious diet into your life, at first it is hard to change to different foods, but once your body gets adjusted you will be amazed at how much better you feel and look.

You need to be aware that when you implement a new behaviour into a habit that this can take at least three months to take effect. After three months you will be very pleased and so will your body, you are definitely well on your way to managing and controlling your diabetes effectively.