When you find out you have diabetes, one of the first things you think about is what you are able to eat. You may know a little bit about what you should not eat, but you must still continue to eat as everyone does. What do you need to do? This article will help you understand more about what your diet should be like as a diabetic.
Now, realize there is not one single “diabetes diet.” While many books have been written about eating as a diabetic, there is not one definitive diet you should stick to. Realize that, and understand that it means that you have some degree of freedom in what you eat and how you consume food during the day. That means it really is up to you to start eating in a way that works best for your body.
What you must do first is to really make sure you understand how the body and sugar are related. As a diabetic, you are having a problem getting insulin into your bloodstream when you eat sugar. Insulin is the hormone that gives the sugar access to your cells, somewhat like a key. Without enough of it, the sugar, or glucose, is staying in your blood, and that means your cells are starving. Therefore, your doctor has likely prescribed insulin to supplement the amount your body makes, so that the sugar in your blood goes into the cells where it belongs. And understand this: sugar doesn’t mean just table sugar. It means food that breaks down as sugar at the chemical level. That includes foods like breads and pastas, as well as fruit and alcohol. That also includes the obvious foods like cakes and pies.
What can be done to help you control your blood sugar levels? Proteins and foods containing fiber help to stabilize your blood sugar levels so that you don’t experience a spike and an eventual crash. A good idea is to design meals that combine a protein with a carbohydrate, so that your blood sugar levels stay constant. You can also schedule smaller meals instead of eating three big ones. When you do that, you make sure you don’t binge eat, which sends your blood sugar levels soaring.
If you are a diabetic, you may also want to monitor your caloric intake so you can lose weight. Losing weight means that you need to circulate less blood to your body, which can mean that your body can better handle the insulin that it produces and sends into your bloodstream. That would result in more of your cells getting the sugar they need and a decrease in the need for you to take artificial insulin. Some obese people have even cured themselves of diabetes just by dropping enough weight.
While being diabetic means lifestyle changes for you, you still have to eat. Now that you know more about how your diet can be affected by diabetes, and have gotten tips about how to eat with this disease, you can work on creating a diet that works for you.