5 Strategies For Managing Your Diabetes Diet

 

My own diet has changed significantly since I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of eleven. I follow a fantastic diet and eating strategy to keep my weight at a healthy level. I would recommend seeing your doctor for extra advice on how to lose weight safely if you do intend to lose more than a stone.

I've had diabetes for seven years now, yet it would be completely incorrect of me to claim that my weight management is flawless. But, since I am aware of what works and what doesn't, I may suggest that you follow my lead. 

Before I actually start, I should add mention that I was raised by wonderful parents who instilled in me the habit of eating everything. There are many alternative diabetes recipes and ideas that you will enjoy and consume if there is something you don't like.

As a university student, I enjoy sourcing local, organic, and fresh foods. This, in my opinion, is crucial because it has the potential to be the healthiest for your body and contains more vitamins and nutrients than the majority of supermarket produce. 

I like to get my food from the twice-weekly farmers market in town, which features incredible meat and dairy products as well as in-season fresh veggies. It's also crucial to keep in mind that eating fruit and vegetables in season makes them taste better and is healthier for you.

You'll notice that I draw a lot of inspiration from Western European cuisine, particularly that of France and Italy, but I don't claim to be a chef, therefore everything is quite simple to prepare.

I've read a ton of cookbooks, diet books, and cookbooks for diabetics, and I've come to a solution that I believe actually works. I combined all the beneficial aspects of the diets—but not all of them—and created something resembling my own. I refer to this as my healthy diet for juvenile diabetes!

I would set forth the following "rules":

1. Reduce snacking, then switch up the kinds of snacks you consume.

My biggest mistake, even if I didn't fully realize it at the time. When I first started at university, I had little to no structure, which made it difficult for me to fill my days. I frequently found myself popping into the kitchen for a snack, regardless of how healthy it seemed. 

For some people, this is one of the most difficult things to do, yet successful diabetes care depends on having a healthy routine in place. Unsalted nuts, dried fruit without sugar, fresh fruit, fresh veggies (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), and dark chocolate are the types of snacks to consume (richer and nicer and you only want 2 squares usually).

2. Consume more whole-grain carbohydrates and less white flour.

This is the most important component of your diet and the one that can result in the greatest weight loss. In fact, certain diets are quite effective and only concentrate on this issue. Since wholemeal is so healthy for you and has so much more flavor than you might believe, transitioning is much simpler than you might expect. 

Most people are really astonished by the variety of breads available at their local store, but it's important to remember that the best bread for you is the one that is the freshest and contains the fewest preservatives or other substances.

Moreover, basmati or brown rice is excellent and has a beautiful nutty texture. I would recommend smaller new potatoes for your potatoes and whole wheat pasta.

3. Switch to wine instead of cocktails.

There is a lot of sugar, coloring, and preservative in cocktails. As a student, I've had plenty of practice going out without drinking cocktails, so when I feel the need to indulge, my go-to drinks are Malibu and Diet Coke, which I can make last all night.

It appears as though I'm sipping Malibu when I top off with Diet Coke, which has nearly no sugar. Red wine is superior to anything else you can order at a restaurant when you're out and about (with the exception of water, of course!) because it has been demonstrated that red wine's antioxidants are excellent for maintaining a healthy heart. One glass per day with your evening meal is the suggested serving size.

4. Increase your fruit and vegetable cooking.

Getting all the vitamins and minerals you require can be done by eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Vegetables can be cooked in a plethora of ways, but I've found that the best manner is still raw, closely followed by steaming. Both of these methods also maintain all of their inherent goodness. I'll write another post about diabetes recipes after this one.

5. Up your water intake.

The advantages of drinking more water are infinite, even though you have probably heard this statement repeated frequently. Put water bottles in every location you frequent, whether at home or at work, as one way to add extra water to your day. Therefore keep a glass in the kitchen, the bedroom, the living room, etc., as well as one in your desk and one on your desk. If you try to consume all of these glasses, you will be well on your way to consuming 8 glasses every day.

If you try to drink all that water at once, you won't be as inclined to drink 8 glasses again, I promise. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so. Try it; you'll be amazed at how good you feel.