The ABCs of Diabetes Diet Control
How much sugar is in that dish? What would be a tasty vegetable exchange with dinner? And, what about fat and sodium? My blood glucose level is too high, how can I lower? I am already exercising and watching what I eat! One of the most challenging issues for a diabetic is the daily willpower it takes for diabetes diet control. Since diabetes is not merely a 72 hour virus, but rather, a lifestyle altering disease, diabetic diet control is the standard, not the exception.
So, what is the answer to diabetes diet control? With the numerous diets, cookbooks, magazines, and websites, there are as many opinions as there are resources. You can choose from low fat, low salt, low/no carb, sugar free and others, but what menu gives you both creative freedoms in your cooking as well as diabetic diet control?
In order to select your perfect diet, talk to your dietician about the ABC’s of diabetes diet control: Assortment, Balance, and Consumed amounts.
Diabetic Diet Control & Assortment:
A healthy diabetic diet should include a wide assortment of fruits, vegetables, and proteins. It is easy to feel limited, if your vegetable repertoire only includes 6-8 vegetables, 3-4 fruits, and only beef and chicken. Be open to new foods and food combination. Trying to cut back on starch? Consider using spaghetti squash in place of fettuccini or other long pasta, or using steamed, then mashed cauliflower with garlic in place of potatoes. Want to reduce the acidity in a tomato dish, but don’t want to use the traditional “pinch” of sugar? Use a few teaspoons of skim milk instead. Need a unique dessert that is low in sugar? Make a fresh citrusy fruit salsa with blood oranges, pink grapefruit, pineapple or tangerines, chopped almonds and coconut (or whatever fruit combination appeals to you). Diabetic diet control doesn’t mean you can’t explore new foods, only that you should be in control of what you eat.
Diabetes Diet Control & Balance
One of the most important, and possibly the most challenging issues in diabetic diet control is balance. Not just in using an assortment of foods, but in how well your daily menu meets the daily requirements of the food pyramid guide. If you are trying to lose weight, then be sure to balance your meals in a way that does not conflict with your specific eating plan. Consider eating 6 small meals rather that 3 meals and 1-2 snacks, that way you won’t feel hungry as easily.
Diabetic Diet Control & Consumed Amounts
Just because a food is good for you, doesn’t mean that you should eat to excess. If you use a salad plate for your meals (as opposed to a standard dinner plate) you aren’t as likely to feel deprived because your plate looks empty. Diabetes diet control is easier to maintain, if you avoid purchasing pre-packaged, processed foods that are high in salts, fat and sugar. If you want additional help in diabetic diet control, consider purchasing a small kitchen scale to weigh out exact portions of foods like meats and grains.
From the day you were diagnosed with diabetes your life had new goals and you were faced with new challenges. However, by using your ABC’s, diabetic diet control is not merely an “impossible dream.”
