LIVING WELL WITH DIABETES

Okay, so you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and even though the warning signs were probably there, you are still in shock. You may even be in denial. But your response is normal. No one ever thinks it will actually happen to them. But I promise you, things will calm down inside your busy mind and you will learn how to manage this disease. And, the one good thing about diabetes is that it is manageable.

In the next few months you will become an expert! You will learn what foods you can and cannot eat, how to take your blood glucose readings, keep a food journal and hopefully, and most importantly, start exercising regularly, if you have not been doing so already.

DIET AND EXERCISE ARE THE KEYS to controlling diabetes. Adopting a healthy high fiber and low sugar diet plan will help you to maintain your blood sugar and therefore control your diabetes. Every doctor provides a diabetic patient with a diabetic menu sample to which he expects his patient to faithfully adhere. The only consolation to a diabetic patient is that with an increase in the number of diabetic patients, there is a wider variety of diabetic food items available that are tasty, healthy and low in sugar and fats. This is where that very important food journal comes in. If you had healthy blood glucose readings yesterday but today not so good, you can compare the foods you ate yesterday to what you consumed today and make the needed adjustments. Of course, sometimes with diabetes things can get more complicated as factors such as stress, illnesses like the flu and exercise all factor into blood sugar levels. But, I promise you, it will all fall into place.

I know it sounds crazy but now is the time to have diabetes. There is so much information out there. Our ancestors did not have the internet and there was no American Diabetes Foundation back then. Which brings me back to the food exchange lists that they provide. This exchange list will be your diabetes bible so to speak from now on.

WHAT IS IT? The Diabetic Exchange List Meal Plans are based on a system designed by the American Diabetic, and Diabetes Associations. The Exchange Lists define the principles of good nutrition that can be applied not only to those who need special diets, but as an overall guide to good nutrition for everyone. You will learn that foods are divided into the six food groups that make up The Food Pyramid. Carbohydrates, Proteins, Vegetables, Fruits and Fats. The Diabetic Exchange List helps diabetics understand how each food group has different components which can be exchanged to provide the needed calories and nutrients for daily meal planning.

Foods are very different from one another, therefore, each food is measured or weighed so that the amount of nutrients is the same with each food item choice. Once you know the components in the foods you are eating you can begin to experiment with different diabetic recipes.

HERE ARE A FEW MORE TIPS: Once you and your diabetic nutritionist (once diagnosed your primary physician will set you up with a nutritionist) have decided on the number of calories that your body needs each day, make sure that each meal contains the same portion sizes.

Make meals in advance and freeze. Also, and very important, you will be snacking throughout the day so package up small snacks such as nuts, low fat yogurt, or apple slices (the best apples are Golden Delicious as they contain the lowest amount of sugar). Also, try to avoid red apples altogether as they have the highest sugar content of all.

On my next blog I'll discuss some further food tips, why Milk is way cool and how attitude can affect your diabetes.

Until then HERE'S TO YOUR BEST LIFE EVER!!