10 Diet Tips For Diabetics

Glucose control is at the heart of these 10 diet tips for diabetics. As indicated by a physician, the diabetic patient must supplement with insulin as required and frequently monitor blood glucose levels throughout the day. While it is entirely possible to control the disease with medication, do not forget to supplement the medical treatment with these ten diet tips for diabetics.

1. View carbohydrates as currency; each day starts with a fixed allotment. It is up to the diabetic to decide how to “spend” the carbs throughout the day during meals. Remember: You cannot spend more than you have! Do not exceed the daily allotted number of carbs.
2. Modify daily carb allotments based on possible weight loss goals, physical activity and concurrent health problems, such as high blood pressure or heart problems.
3. Strive for carbohydrate consistency within meals. Avoid large variances that result in blood glucose spikes and drops throughout the day.
4. Practice sensible portion control to ensure that a snack does not become another meal.
5. Balance the diet to contain protein, carbohydrates and fats. Lopsided fad diets that go heavy on one nutrient source but omit another can adversely affect patients with diabetes.
6. Stay well hydrated by drinking water, milk and other liquids.
7. Mix solid and liquid foods if suffering from diabetic enteropathy. This stomach condition makes it difficult to digest solid foods, and while overall the ten diet tips for diabetics still apply, it is vital to take the condition into consideration when planning the daily food intake. The experts at the University of Virginia suggest that earlier in the day the body is more likely to accept solid foods, while later on a switch to liquid meals is a good choice.
8. Create a workable diet that takes personal lifestyle choices into consideration. There is no one-size-fits-all diabetes diet that every patient must follow. Enlist the help of a registered dietician to help you work with the foods that you enjoy, especially if they fall a little outside the mainstream, such as the use of primarily ethnic ingredients.
9. Discuss the feasibility of a vegetarian or vegan diet with a physician. Do not assume that plant protein is similar in quality to meat protein.
10. Keep and eye on fiber. If the diet is high in fiber, it is necessary to supplement with calcium. While this may not be a problem for the healthy diabetic who follows a balanced diet—as outlined by these ten diet tips for diabetics—it is a possibility for the patient with high cholesterol who attempts to naturally bring down the numbers with fiber-rich food choices.

Please note that these ten diet tips for diabetics do not take the place of a consultation with a physician. Sure, a list of ten diet tips for diabetics is easy to follow and quick to check off, but remember that only a doctor can actually determine the severity of the disease, its progression, how to adequately control it and also how to support the treatment with suitable food choices.