Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how your body processes and uses blood sugar, which is an essential source of fuel.When you've been diagnosed with diabetes, you will need to rethink your eating habits.Monitoring your diet and lifestyle is one of the best ways of controlling your condition.Eating the right types of foods will allow you to take charge of your diabetes and keep it under control.
Step 1: You can talk to a CDE who is a registered Dietitian.
If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, it's a good idea to meet with a registered Dietitian who is also a CDE.The dietitian can teach you about diabetes, how food affects your condition and how to take your medication.They will teach you about the benefits and harms of certain foods.They can give you sample shopping lists or meal plans.If you're having trouble figuring out what to eat, talk to your dietitian.
Step 2: Eat a balanced diet.
When you have diabetes, a balanced diet is even more important.It is possible to keep your blood sugar in check by following a well-balanced diet.A balanced diet has a wide variety of foods from every food group.Measure portions as well.Eating foods in the right proportions and serving sizes is part of a balanced diet.The proportions and serving sizes of food are some of the factors that affect diabetes.If you eat too much of a certain food, you may have trouble controlling your blood sugars.
Step 3: Leaner cuts of meat are better for you.
It is important to have a balanced and healthy diet.It can be eaten without worry about your diabetes or medications.At each meal and snack, include at least a serving of lean meat.It helps keep you happy.Measure your portion sizes.A piece of the size of a deck of cards is ideal.Choose from poultry, eggs, seafood, tofu, low-fat dairy, lean beef or pork.You are more likely to have high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease if you have diabetes.Eating a lot of meat can increase your risk of heart disease.To avoid this, stick to leaner cuts of meat.
Step 4: Non-starchy vegetables are good to fill up on.
Non-starchy vegetables can be very low in carbohydrates and sometimes completely free of them.Aim for at least 3 meals a day.They are naturally low in calories, but high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.A serving or two at each meal is recommended by many health professionals.You can measure out 1 cup or 2 cups of leafy greens.Try vegetables like salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, onions or mushrooms.
Step 5: A source of healthy fats should be included every now and then.
Although there are certain types of fat you should limit, heart healthy fats can be beneficial for people with diabetes.Studies show that including 1-2 serving of healthy fat each day can help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in people with diabetes.You should include some of the heart healthy fats on a daily basis.
Step 6: You should drink an adequate amount of fluids every day.
It's important for people with diabetes to stay hydrated and drink adequate amounts of fluids.It is possible to regulate blood sugar by staying hydrated.Dehydration can be prevented by drinking adequate fluids daily.The same goes for those with diabetes, as health professionals recommend drinking 8-13 glasses of water and other hydrating fluids daily.Only sugar-free beverages are allowed.Water, sparkling water, decaf coffee and tea are things to try.
Step 7: A quarter of your plate should be made up of food.
There is a high amount of carbohydrates in starches.In order to maintain blood sugar throughout the day, you should include many sources of nutrition in your diet.Starches from foods like corn, potatoes, carrots, beans, lentils or whole grains are still good for you.Fiber, vitamins and minerals are essential to your health.If you have diabetes, you don't need to avoid these foods.Since they are high inCarbohydrates, you need to follow portion sizes and monitor how much you eat.One way to still enjoy these foods is to make a quarter of your plate of them.For the appropriate portion size, you can measure out 1/2 cup of any of these foods.
Step 8: You can enjoy a small portion of fruit.
Fruit can still be a great addition to your diet since it contains a sugar called Fructose.Fruit is thought of as an "OK" food to eat with diabetes because it offers minimal calories, high amounts of fiber and lots of vitamins.Although fruits are good for you, you still need to account for them in your daily total.Fruits with the lowest amount of sugars are berries.It is possible to have 1 cup per serving.Since it's a more concentrated source of sugar, dried fruit should be limited to 2 ounces.1/2 cup per serving is the minimum for frozen or canned fruit in it's own juice or 100% fruit juice.
Step 9: You can choose 100% whole grain food.
If you have diabetes, you don't need to avoid grains like bread, rice or pasta.When you eat these foods, you should choose 100% whole grains.Whole grains are minimally processed and have higher amounts of essential vitamins and minerals.You can measure the portion sizes of these foods.White bread, white rice, plain pasta and other foods made with white flour or added sugars are not good for you.They can spike your blood sugar more than whole grains.
Step 10: Limit the amount of processed foods and foods with added sugars.
A group of foods that you should limit and eat frequently are those that are highly processed and contain a lot of sugars.There are sugars added to certain foods.They increase the calories in the food.These foods can spike your blood sugar and provide no nutrition.Stick to a small serving if you want to have a sweet treat.For example, a cookie, honey or maple syrup, or a small donut.Ice cream, candy, cookies, cakes and pies are not allowed.
Step 11: There are low glycemic index foods.
The glycemic index can be used to measure different foods.You can use this to help you choose the right foods.The glycemic index can be used for diabetes.You can see how certain foods affect your blood sugar levels.High glycemic foods can cause your blood sugar to go up a lot.Oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, and whole wheat bread are some of the low glycemic index foods.White bread, white rice, popcorn, rice cakes and candy are examples of high glycemic foods.The index is not fool proof.When choosing foods to include in your diet, always use your best judgement.
Step 12: Your blood sugar needs to be monitored regularly.
It's important to monitor your blood sugar.This will help you decide what to eat.Tracking your numbers and testing your blood sugar is important.Your physician or other healthcare professionals will be able to help manage your condition if you have this information ready.You can find out how your diet affects your blood sugar by testing it.
Step 13: It's a good idea to include a lot of physical activity.
A healthy lifestyle includes physical activity.If you have diabetes, it can help manage your blood sugar.Aerobic exercise helps to: lower blood sugar, improve metabolism, and decrease your risk of heart disease.Aim to include about 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week.A low blood sugar can be caused by some exercises that are high in intensity.Track your blood sugar numbers and have a snack or drink with you when you're low.
Step 14: Be in touch with your doctor.
It's important to keep in touch with your physician when you have a chronic condition.Your doctor will be in charge of managing your diabetes.He or she will educate you on diet and give you additional advice.Your physician should always be aware of any new or worsening side effects of your diabetes medication.They can treat your diabetes effectively if you keep them updated on your diet, exercise and blood sugar numbers.