A proper diet can be the difference not just between life and death for some people, but the difference between enjoying your life and being miserable.
Did you know that one out of every three people in the US alone suffers from diabetes? Some of these people don’t even know they have the illness. Others know they have it and have managed to eat their way to a healthier life.
If you live with diabetes and feel like it is keeping you from living your life, we have good news for you. A healthy diet can actually reduce your need to take insulin.
Beware of Carbohydrates
Before filling your plate, consider what you are putting on it. This goes beyond the basic grains, fruits and vegetables, diary, fats, and meat that we were all taught in grade school. Instead of seeing a grain, understand what is in it. Grains are the first place that most diabetics go overboard because they are loaded with carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are the starches, fiber, and sugars in foods. They are often found in pasta, bread, rice, sweeteners, and some fruits and vegetables. Just because food has carbohydrates in it does not make it a bad choice; however, the key is to choose the best carbohydrates for your body.
In general, if it comes in a box you will want to try to avoid it. While eating a little bit of pasta, bread, and rice is good for you, doing so every day is not. If you are going to pick one of these starchy carbohydrates up from the store, make sure to read the label.
Total carbohydrates includes all three of the basics (starch, fiber, sugar), and according to the American Diabetes Association this is the number that you should pay the most attention to.
Healthy alternatives to starchy carbohydrates are the fiber-rich ones. These are generally found in fruits and vegetables such as:
- cabbage
- spinach
- celery
- onions
- peppers (keep it colorful)
- cauliflower
- egg-plant
Each of these have carbohydrates that are more fiber rich than starchy, and the natural nutrients in these raw vegetables is an added bonus. They burn faster and healthier than starches.
Avoid sweeteners and anything made with sweeteners. While this is not entirely possible, the more you can limit the intake of sugar, the easier it is for your body to restore the insulin production to normal.
Free the Grains
While many people are hesitant to take on this task, there are more people every day who have reversed their diabetes in as little as six months by going grain free. By freeing themselves of grains, and giving their bodies an increase of healthy, lean cuts of meat and Omega-3 fats, the success of diabetic reversal has been astounding.
Cutting grains from a diet can be hard work, so if you are addicted to pasta or bread, start by cutting yourself back gradually until you are ready to eliminate it completely. The last thing a diabetic needs is to send their body into shock by removing something it is craving cold-turkey.
Monitor the Progress
Different people have varying degrees of Type II diabetes, which means everyone will have varying degrees of progress as well. This is why it is important to get a blood glucose monitor, such as the continuous glucose monitoring devices made by Dexcom, which will allow you to track your progress throughout the day.
The monitor will keep track of the ups and downs each hour of the day and show you the results any time you want. Don’t risk a spike or crash in insulin levels when starting a new diet. Invest in a good blood glucose monitor so that you can see how the diet is affecting you personally; then you can make adjustments to the diet as you need to keep your insulin levels steady.
The key to any good diet is good nutrition health and facts, as well as regular exercise. Keep active. Eat right. You will be eating your way to a stable life in no time.
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