The right diet is extremely important in treating diabetes. The wrong food choices and eating habits can easily aggravate your condition and turn it into a life-threatening disease. If you are willing to make adjustments to your diet for the sake of your health, consider the sample diabetic menus provided below and base your next meal plans on them.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when blood sugar or glucose levels inside your body become increasingly high. In type 1 diabetes, this is a result of your body's inability to produce the all-important pancreatic hormone insulin. In type 2 diabetes, your body is capable of producing insulin, but it's producing below what's needed or it's unable to fully utilize its insulin production.
When not treated properly, diabetes can cause damage to other parts of your body such as your nerves, kidneys, eyes, and even your heart. It is not uncommon for diabetics to have one or more of their limbs amputated because of their worsening condition.
If you have type 2 diabetes, diet is all the more important. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include but are not limited to frequent thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurry visions. There are however cases in which no symptoms are visible at all.
Recipe for the Right Diet for Diabetics
Contrary to popular opinion, a diabetic diet doesn't have to be boringly repetitive and tasteless. With a little creativity, you can turn your diet into something just as sumptuous as any other normal diet.
A typical diet for diabetics consist largely of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as well as a healthy mixture of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and good fats or unsaturated fats. Generally, your diet must be nutrient-rich but low in calories and cholesterol.
It's best to plan small several meals a day than three large ones. Your meals must be evenly spaced out and taken at regular times to make your body get used to its schedule.
If you are suffering from other problems like obesity, specific vitamin deficiencies, or hypertension, make sure you take all of it in consideration when planning your menu.
Learn how to count calories and carbohydrates properly. This is not a form of obsession, but rather a safe and practical method to ensure your diet's effectiveness. Knowing how to count them will allow you to take advantage of an "exchange system" - that is, replacing certain food items in your diet with other food choices to retain your interest in your diet.
Last but not the least, plan something simple and one you can easily stick to. And when you've made one, promise yourself that you'll stick to it. It's for your own good anyway!
Sample Diabetic Menus - Sample #1
Breakfast. You can start with one-half cup of blueberries, one cup of fat-free or at least low-fat milk and one small bran muffin. The muffin can be replaced with a different pastry, just as long as it has the same calorie count.
Lunch. Consider a healthy serving of spinach salads spiced up by two tablespoonful of your preferred salad dressing. Eat this together with two ounces of low-sodium or unsalted turkey breast dressed up with two teaspoonfuls of mustard, several slices of tomato and a small serving of lettuce leaves. Consume this with one orange and another cup of fat-free milk.
Snack. For snacks, just eat one small banana or a different fruit of equivalent nutrients. Another type of snack could be made up of twenty almonds, a cup of coffee or your preferred choice of herbal tea together with six ounces of low-fat yogurt made tastier with a touch of sucralose.
Dinner. To end the day beautifully, have a meal featuring one-fourth pound of grilled shrimp or one sautéed with just a dab of olive oil, one cup of steamed broccoli, one half cup of black beans, and ¾ cup of your favorite whole-wheat pasta.
Sample #2
Breakfast. Start the day right with two slices of whole-wheat toast given flavor by two tablespoonful of peanut butter together with one cup of coffee or tea and one small banana.
Lunch. Sandwich two teaspoonfuls of mustard and three ounces of lean roast beef between a pair of whole wheat bread. Finish up with one cup of steamed cauliflower and a cup of coffee or tea.
Snacks. For additional variety, consider indulging in one half cup of unsweetened applesauce together with two tablespoonfuls of chopped walnuts as well as a cup of herbal tea. For your next snack, eat two small fig cookies and a cup of fat-free milk.
Dinner. Go for two-thirds cup of brown rice (cooked), one cup of your preferred vegetables, and three ounces of chicken breast sautéed in olive oil.
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