Eating Healthy with Diabetes

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Eating a variety of foods from each of the major food groups is the best way to maintain a healthy eating plan. These types of food include: grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat, poultry, fish and oils. It's important to know how to choose the best foods to help you control your blood glucose and live successfully with diabetes.

• Make sure you choose at least half of your grains from whole grains (complex carbohydrates)
• It is best to choose dark green colored vegetables and orange colored vegetables.
• Fruits can be canned, frozen, fresh, or even dried.
• When choosing dairy products, its best to choose low fat or fat free milk and cheese products.
• Choosing leaner meat cuts and poultry allows for healthier, more satisfying meals.
• Include more fish in your diet and choose your oils carefully. By doing this, you are including healthy omega 3 and the good fatty acids your body needs to actually remove the bad fats from your system. This is very important when so many Americans are struggling to get their cholesterol down, and fight heart disease and obesity.
• Be sure to limit the amount of sweets and snack foods you eat throughout the day. Sweets and sugar can still be a part of your eating plan. Eating sweets and sugar aren’t a cause for your diabetes, as so many thought correlated before.

When you eat is nearly as important as what you eat, especially if you are on insulin as it has peak times when it works the most effectively. Meals and snacks should be planned around those optimal times because you will get the most energy from the food when insulin levels are at their highest. That is the best way to ensure that your carbohydrates are used in the best way.

Don't Forget! Vitamins & Minerals...
What about vitamins and minerals? Vitamins and minerals are the substances your body needs to keep working well. They're mostly in carbohydrates and protein-heavy foods. The best way for you to get all the different vitamins you need every day is to eat different kinds of foods, especially different kinds of fruits and vegetables, or talk to your doctor about vitamin and mineral supplements.

Grocery Shopping
Grocery shopping can get a little confusing when trying to stick to a healthy meal plan. It can be a little deceiving, especially when every package has some lofty health claim on it: low-fat, fat-free, reduced fat, low-salt, high-fiber, heart-healthy, lite, natural. 

For example, sugar-free does not necessarily mean carbohydrate-free. Frequently the "sugar-free" version of any particular food has more carbs than the regular version. This is because the manufacturer adds sugar alcohols for sweetening the sugar-free food.

Another example, "reduced fat" means that there is less fat in this product than in the full-fat product, however, there is still a lot of fat in the "reduced" product. Plus, even more sugar is often added to make up for the taste lost when fat is taken away. In some cases, low-fat products have just as many-or even more carbohydrates than their full-fat counterparts. To get the real scoop, you will have to learn your way around the "Nutrition Facts" label.

• Pay attention to the serving size. Ask yourself if it is the same amount you usually eat. More often than not, the serving size on a package is much smaller than you expect. All of the calories, fat, carbohydrates and other information on the label are for that single serving size only.
• Next, look at the "total carbohydrate" line. It tells you how many carbohydrate grams are in the serving size listed at the top. The amount of carbohydrates eaten is the main influence on blood glucose levels, and it's the key information you'll need to pay attention to if you're counting your carbs.
• Then take a look at the calories and the number of calories from fat. Normally, you want to shoot for 30% or less of total fat in your diet. A quick way to estimate percent of fat in the food is to divide the total number of calories by 3. If that number is more than the "calories from fat" number, the product gets less than 33% of its calories from fat. If it's less, the product is more than 33% fat.
• Also, check out the types of fat contained in the food. Saturated fat is the unhealthiest type and you should minimize consumption of that type of fat at all costs.

Some Tips on Eating Out
Believe it or not, it is possible to eat out. You can stick to your meal plan and still eat healthy at most restaurants. Here just are a few tips to get started.

Believe it or not, it is possible to eat out. You can stick to your meal plan and still eat healthy at most restaurants. Here just are a few tips to get started.

• If you are so inclined, look for a main vegetable dish, like vegetable lasagna or a grilled vegetable sandwich.
• Go light on the breadbasket.
• Forgo the fries and try a salad or steamed vegetables as a side dish.
• Stay away from the fat-filled condiments like tartar sauce, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Instead, go for lower-fat versions, if available.
• Gravy and other sauces can be served on the side.
• If you want something sweet for dessert, scan the sides or kids' menu for something like applesauce or a fruit salad. Low-fat frozen yogurt makes a great dessert as well (just avoid the chocolate sauce and whipped cream).
• Look for the "nutritional facts" brochures in fast food restaurants. Many have these now, and they'll usually tell you the carb counts for every item on the menu. If you don't see one out, ask
• Get the facts. Need additional help? Try the American Diabetes Association's Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating.

Exercise Too?
Exercise is almost as important as maintaining a healthy meal plan. Here are some steps that will help you get ready for a routine that's safe and doable.

The most important step: Talk to your doctor about which activities are safe for you. Your doctor's advice will depend on the condition of your heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, feet, and nervous system. He/she may first recommend that you have an exercise stress test to see how your heart reacts to exercise. If the tests show signs of disease, ask what physical activities will help you without making your conditions worse.

• After discussing this with your doctor, choose which activities you feel comfortable with. Make sure they are realistic for you and you can actually do.
• Start slowly. Your activity should be a little challenging, but not overly taxing. Write down exactly what you'll do, where and when you'll do it, how often, and for how long.
• Allow yourself to get into a basic routine. It’s important to be able to be flexible. Don't get disheartened. For example, I'll park a little further away from the store. Don't be too hard on yourself if you can't.
• It's more important for you to reach you and your doctor's long-term goal than to follow the plan from day to day.
• Plan to reward yourself for your efforts. For example, treat yourself to a movie when you meet your goal for the week.
• Learn your blood glucose response to exercise. Everyone's blood glucose response to exercise is different. Checking your blood glucose before and after exercise can show you the benefit of each activity.
• If your blood glucose is above 300 before you exercise, exercise can make it go even higher, so be cautious about doing something active.
• Learn how to avoid low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). Keep in mind that low blood glucose can occur during or long after physical activity. Low blood glucose is most likely to occur if you:

*Exercise strenuously
*Exercise for too long
*Take insulin / diabetes pill
*Skip any meals

• If low blood glucose is interfering with your exercise routine, eating a snack before you exercise or adjusting your medication may help.
• While you exercise, check your blood glucose. Stop exercising if you start to notice symptoms such as hunger, nervousness, shakiness, or sweating. If your blood glucose is 70 or below, take 2 to 5 glucose tablets, ½ cup (4 ounces) of fruit juice, or ½ cup of a regular soft drink to raise your blood glucose. After 15 minutes, check your blood glucose again. If it's still below 70, have another serving. Repeat these steps until your blood glucose is at least 70.
• Plan ahead to have water and snacks handy during exercise.
• Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercising. If you are at risk for low blood glucose, always carry a source of carbohydrate to so you'll be ready to treat low blood glucose.
• Wear a medical identification bracelet, necklace, or a medical ID tag to present your vital information in case of emergency.
• Keep track of your progress. You may find it inspiring to write down what physical activities you've done over the week. For example, some people enjoy using a step counter, also called a pedometer, to see how far they've walked.