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.

How can I lower my blood sugar?

There are many different things that can help you lower your blood sugar, but many different people always tend to ask how can I lower my blood sugar? How can I lower my blood sugar is often asked because so many people first find out that they have diabetes because they are really truly in the dark when it comes to diabetes and how to manage them. Lowering your blood sugar naturally is actually not that difficult, but you should consult a doctor if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or if you’re taking medication that might affect your blood sugar significantly.
Eating small meals throughout the day keeps your blood sugar stable, while fasting for hours and then eating a large meal will send your blood sugar into a high spike. Low-sugary foods such as oatmeal, citrus fruits, beans and nuts can lower or at least help control blood sugar, depending on when you consume them. On the other hand, try to avoid high-sugary foods such as white bread, potatoes and fast foods which are quickly metabolized and raise blood sugar significantly. How can I lower my blood sugar is always on a diabetic’s mind, because it is the main and key essential in a diabetic’s life.
Deep breathing and meditation techniques can help you calm down and fight stress. So does exercise, which also helps lower blood sugar by consuming it for energy during your workouts. If you don’t have a lot of time throughout the day, small 10 minute workouts can go a long way and help you a lot in the long run by being able to take care of yourself and your diabetes. So the next time you hear, “how can I lower my blood sugar?” you can help them out and give them the right advice!

What is a diabetic menu planner?

What is a diabetic menu planner? For diabetics maintaining a safe blood sugar is a absolute nessesictiy. This can be done in a multitude of ways. Eating right is one of them. This can also be done well if the doctor looks over your meal plan. Diabetes is a very serious condition that is taking the world by storm. Today’s foods are absolutely stuffed with sugar. This and the fact that the defective diabetes gene is being passing on is fueling it.

Diabetes is a very serious condition in where the body’s organ most commonly called the pancreas fails to produce the needed amounts of a vital hormone called insulin. Insulin is a vital chemical that the body must have to survive. It is need to help fuel the body. Insulin binds with the sugar, also known as glucose, in the blood into a fuel the cells can use.

Without enough of it the blood sugar levels begin to rise. The high blood sugar levels are known as diabetes. Without enough insulin the body doesn’t get enough fuel. It also suffers damage. The excess sugar levels can cause damage to nerve, heat kidney, and eye cells. This causes problems down the road of the diabetic’s life. So what is a diabetic menu planner?

A diabetic menu planner is a very helpful tool of the diabetic in controlling blood sugar levels. A diabetic menu planner allows you to mark down what your meals for the next amount of time are. Then it allows you to show your doctor. Your doctor can then help choose what food you should avoid. He can also give you tips on how to better prepare your food to fit your lifestyle. Using this tool is a great help so talk to your doctor about an diabetic menu planner

What is Normal Glucose Level?

Understanding what is normal glucose level will give you a target to aim for when you are checking your blood sugar levels.

Depending on if you live in Canada or the United States, the Diabetes Associations in each country reports the blood sugar numbers slightly different because of the differences in imperial and metric measurement systems.

American and Canadian Diabetes Associations
Normal Glucose Levels Chart

Association	Fasting Glucose	2 Hours After Eating	A1C**
American Diabetes Association (mg/dl)	< 100	< 140	< 6%
Canadian Diabetes Association (mmol/L)	< 6.1	< 7.8	< 6%

**A1C is the major component that makes up your blood sugar and the A1C measurement is an average of your blood sugar levels over the past 120 days. Please also note that the numbers for pregnant women and children age 12 and under are different than those listed in the char.

A normal blood sugar level is anywhere between 80 mg/dl to 140mg/dl. The sugar amounts that diabetics have are often way above the normal 140 mg/dl. At this point damage is permanently suffered, so it is very important that steps are taken to regulate these levels through diet, exercise and medication.

Working with a Health Professional

The guides listed above on this page are just guides. In order to obtain a more precise Normal Gluclose Level range, you will need to work with a health care professional. There are several factors that can influence your normal range including:

Age
Medical Condition
Other Factors

By working with a professional you will get a better picture of what your normal glucose level will be, and then from there you can start to design your life around staying within that range.

While it may sound bad, what you’re more likely to find is that your improved lifestyle that focuses on keeping your blood sugar at bay will actually have a lot of hidden benefits. There’s no time like the present to take control of your life, and even thought you could look at getting diabetes as a negative situation, if you look on the bright side, this is a good wake up call to start living a more healthy, active life.

An Explanation of the Different
Glucose Level Measurements

It’s important to understand what each of these different blood sugar measurements actually means and why they are important:

Fasting Glucose
2 Hours After Eating
A1C

The reason why this is important, especially if you are a new diabetic, is that during your fasting glucose test you may not show signs of diabetes.

The problem arises however when you measure your blood 2 hours after eating you may clearly see that you are out of the recommended range.

Fasting Glucose

The fasting glucose measurement is taken after you haven’t eaten or drank anything for 8 hours. This gives you a base measurement of how your body is handling the blood sugar when it is ‘at rest.’

Normal Range:

< 100 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
< 6.1 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association

2 Hours After Eating

This test is important because it helps you to see how certain meals are affecting your blood sugar, so that you can deal with the situation accordingly. The two hour marker is also important because after 2 hours, the blood sugar of non-diabetics will have returned to its normal state.

Normal Range:

< 140 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
< 7.8 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association

A1C

This test shows if your treatment is working over time, which is important to see how you are progressing and if any adjustments need to be made.

Normal Range: < 6%