Are Diabetic Food Choices Limited?

Diabetic Food Choices

Have you ever thought that being a diabetic means that yout don’t get to eat good food?

Of course, that’s just self-pity talking, because the truth about diabetic food choices is that we can eat pretty much the same as anyone else – we just need to keep everything in check and make sure that we are exercising and using moderation when it comes to food.

Good food for diabetes comes in a wide variety such as cookies, crackers, snacks, fudge and many other foods as well.

Foods to Help Control Diabetes

Eating high fiber foods is highly recommended to manage diabetes. Good sources of soluble fiber such as oats, soy beans, peas, wheat and other whole grains have the added benefit of lowering LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels.

Some foods that are high in fiber can also do double duty as a good source of protein. Legumes like beans, peas and sprouts can be both a great source of fiber and protein. You can also snack on nuts such as peanuts, sunflower kernels, almonds and pistachios for good sources of healthy protein. Try to stick to the unsalted versions of these nuts however, so that you don’t ingest the extra sodium.

Where Does Diary Fit into the Diabetic Meal Options?

Low-fat or skim milk and cheese are also healthy ways to obtain protein and calcium. Non-starchy vegetables like celery, lettuce and spinach should make up 80 percent your daily servings of produce. Eating fruits and vegetables that vary in color daily will also provide different vitamin and mineral benefits.

All of these are food choices for diabetics because they are low in both carbohydrates and sugar. We all know that we need to manage our intake of these two key items, but the often overlooked side effect, is that by doing this we’re also promoting a very healthy lifestyle that will leave us feeling and looking great as we drop weight.

The Diabetic food choices that you have are many, and food is always going to be one of the most important factors in your diabetes management, but at the end of the day you need to remind yourself that you are in control of your life and you get to make the decisions and live with the consequences of those decisions (both good and bad) so enjoy it! Life is great.

Good food for diabetes

Diabetics often times think that being a diabetic means that they don’t get to eat good food but that is far from the truth because good food for diabetes can be the same as anyone can eat, me or you. Good food for diabetes comes in a wide variety such as cookies, crackers, snacks, fudge and many other foods as well.

Eating high fiber foods is highly recommended to control diabetes. Good sources of soluble fiber such as oats, soy beans, peas, wheat and other whole grains have the added benefit of lowering LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels.

Some foods that are high in fiber can also do double duty as a good source of protein. Legumes like beans, peas and sprouts can be both a great source of fiber and protein. You can also snack on nuts such as peanuts, sunflower kernels, almonds and pistachios for good sources of healthy protein. Try to stick to the unsalted versions of these nuts however, so that you don’t ingest the extra sodium. Low-fat or skim milk and cheese are also healthy ways to obtain protein and calcium.

Non-starchy vegetables like celery, lettuce and spinach should make up 80 percent your daily servings of produce. Eating fruits and vegetables that vary in color daily will also provide different vitamin and mineral benefits.

All of these are good foods for diabetes because they are low in carbohydrates and high sugar which is a main staple item when it comes to being diabetic and safely managing your diabetes. Good food for diabetes is always a key element when it comes to being diabetic because with too much carbohydrates and too much sugar you can start having other medical problems that if left untreated can cause more serious and even deadly medical problems.

American Diabetes Assoc. Diet

The American Diabetes Assoc. diet consists of a variety of foods that are not only good for you, but also taste good and the diet isn’t only healthy just for diabetics but can be healthy for anyone. The American Diabetes Assoc. diet recommends a daily intake of four food groups which consist of vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and low fat dairy products. It is worth noting that the American Diabetes Assoc. diet is without sweets and other forms of simple sugars as these food items can cause dangerous spikes and sudden low in blood sugar.

The whole grains vegetables and low fat dairy products can supply the type of complex carbohydrates that are needed to keep the blood sugar reasonably stable.

There are two types of carbohydrates simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars like glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose and are mainly found in processed foods and fruits. Complex carbohydrates are usually found in starchy foods like nuts, potatoes, rice, and beans.

Complex carbohydrates are generally more desirable as part of a healthy diet as they digest slowly and provide long lasting and steady sources of energy father than the quick spike and fall of glucose levels which comes from simple carbohydrates. When considering any diet, even the American Diabetes Assoc. diet, it is important to make sure that both types of carbs are included in the count.

Though the American Diabetes Association is a great place to get information on diet and many other things that are of utmost importance to the diabetic patient only the diabetic’s personal doctor will be completely familiar with their overall health.

Therefore the diabetic’s personal physician should be the first person turned to in order to obtain information on whether the American Diabetes Assoc. diet may be right for a particular diabetic.