Diabetic Seniors

Low fat, low carb, fruits and vegetables only, the grapefruit diet, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers—everywhere you turn there is another diet. If you have diabetes and your doctor has suggested that you shed some pounds, then selecting the diet plan that works best for you can be a bit intimidating. One common approach is the 1800 calorie diabetic diet, based on the food pyramid. The food pyramid’s base suggest 6+ daily servings of grains, beans, and starchy vegetables, followed by 3-5 servings of vegetables, followed by 2-4 servings of fruit, 2-3 (each) servings of dairy and meats and small quantities of fats, sweets and alcohol. By using the food pyramid as a guide, the 1800 calorie diabetes diet is an attainable feat.

To get an understanding of how the 1800 calorie diabetic diet works, here are a few guidelines.

• Proteins such as beans, seafood, chicken or beef have approximately 200 calories per serving
• Starches like whole grain breads, pastas and potatoes contain about 80 calories
• Fruits have around 60 calories a serving
• Vegetables whether raw, steamed, or grilled or a half a cup of juice has approximately 25 calories per half cup serving or 1 cup raw.

As you begin your quest for healthy eating and weight loss, a properly balanced 1800 calorie diabetes diet will soon have you on the road to success.  As part of following an 1800 calorie diabetic diet, be sure that you drink at least 8 cups of water per day (some diet specialist have even suggested that you drink and extra cup for every 10 pounds that you would like to lose) and get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day. Walking, especially outside, is an exercise virtually anyone can do and is a great way to burn calories as you enjoy the fresh air. Additional tips when using an 1800 calorie diabetes diet are:

• Select food you enjoy
• Consider your daily schedule and activities
• Be flexible

Exercise is a great way to help your blood glucose numbers stay (or soon reach) a healthy level and help avoid additional problems such as heart disease, hypertension and cancer.

As you begin an 1800 calorie diabetic diet, it is especially important to read the labels of all the foods you eat. Ironically, just because a product is low in calories, does not necessarily mean that it will not be higher in starches, sugars, fats or proteins, so pay attention to these numbers as well since they  can be high enough to raise your blood glucose numbers significantly.

Sample 1800 Calorie Diabetes Diet:

Breakfast-1 cup skim milk, 1 cup bran cereal, 1 medium fresh peach

Lunch- 2 ounces turkey, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 teaspoons mayonnaise,1 ounce potato chips, I large apple

Dinner- 3 ounces grilled chicken, 2/3 cup baked beans, ½ cup corn, 2 inch cube of corn bread, and 1 small frosted cupcake

Snack-3 graham crackers squares and 1 cup skim milk

So, now that you have the basics, it is all on your plate to be creative as you learn to follow the 1800 calorie diabetic diet.

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