If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes you then wonder what diabetic food that you will need to eat and what diabetic diet meal plan you will be required to follow and it can all seem overwhelming and you may not know what to do first. As your doctor likely already told you, your eating habits and overall lifestyle is what needs to be changed. A diabetes diet needs to be immediately implanted into your lifestyle. The longer you wait the more harm you are doing to your health. Diabetic food does not have to be tasteless or boring to eat. There are plenty of recipes out there today that teach you how to eat a healthy diet and maintain your blood sugar levels.

Information about diabetic food:

In this article we’re going to discuss diabetic food and how it fits into the food pyramid also incorporate the glycemic index as tools to help you stay on track and enjoy the foods you love to eat as well. Diabetic food when it comes to meal planning can be beneficial for your entire family. By eating healthy and knowing what you’re going to eat each night you can be aiding in stress management as well as preventing heart disease and high blood pressure at the same time. This is a lot of incentive to get away from those trans fats and learn how to eat properly.

As an adult, your health should be your number one concern. If food and diet are all you need to control this disease you are in pretty good shape. Let’s start by discussing portion sizes. In regards to controlling your blood sugar it is important to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Typically you would be eating small meals every 3-4hours. This can help keep your blood sugar levels consistent where large meals only once or twice a day can cause big discrepancies in your results.

Tips to help you learn the basics of eating diabetic food:

1.    Try to limit the amount of sugar in your diet. Foods like candy, cola drinks, high in sugar juices, desserts, etc. By adding more sugar to your body you are only going to increase the glucose levels. Artificial sweeteners such as Splenda are good alternatives.
2.    Because a healthy weight can contribute to even glucose levels, avoiding high in fats foods is essential. You want to avoid weight gain and therefore fatty foods and any meal that’s are fried for example.
3.    By adding fitness and physical activity to your life you are also utilizing a method to control your blood sugar; your heart will appreciate this too!
4.    Drinking water is essential. Diabetics are often very thirsty and choosing high in sugar beverages can damage your glucose levels. Water is always the best choice.

Diabetic food will be a part of life that you will enjoy like any other food. When you are diagnosed with diabetes this does not mean you aren’t going to be allowed to eat the things you love. It is important to note that there are some foods that will need to be avoided completely as they can effect your blood sugar levels but saying this there are some that can still be enjoyed in moderation. It’s important to speak with your doctor because every individual’s diabetes is slightly different in severity. Some people may only need to increase their water intake to maintain their glucose levels where others have to make a larger lifestyle change. With this being said every diabetic diet is slightly different.

You may have heard that diabetics are no longer allowed to eat carbs, this is a myth. Just as with any diet, you never want to eliminate any one food but instead create an equal balance which will then create a balanced glucose level. Carbohydrates such as whole grains are good for a diabetic food diet because they are full of fibre and digest slowly. Complex carbohydrates take much longer to digest than simple carbohydrates and because of this they are preferred for a diabetic diet. This is not to say you have to avoid a simple carb or two, but limit them because they can have a negative effect on your sugar levels.

Simple things like eating brown rice instead of white rice and choosing whole grain breads over white breads can make a big difference and create very little change in your diet. Remember that simple carbohydrates are in beverages as well such as sodas and this is why it is important to try and consume as much water as possible to avoid over doing it on the carbs.

Get started on the right foot and consider a diabetic cookbook to get you started. You will quickly see how to replace traditional ingredients with diabetic food friendly ingredients is a way to keep you within your normal blood glucose range.