What are Good Diabetic Menu Plans?

Diabetic Menu Plans

Need a good diabetic menu plan?

For most diabetics eating right isn’t a choice – it’s more like it’s part of their lives. Without the proper diet and exercise the diabetic’s body will begin to suffer damage and the end result will be a rather short and miserable life – not a pretty picture!

Common Diabetes is a very serious non-communicable disease that is currently spreading over the United States and the entire world.

One Simple Rule for Your Diabetic Meal Plans

If you want to have a great diabetic menu plan, you only need to follow one golden rule – avoid anything that is colored white.

Breads and potatoes are examples of this main rule. These foods are stuffed with complex sugar and will drive your blood sugar level to the sky.  White sugar, and anything that has white flour in it are also items that you really need to stay away from.

That means the following should not appear on your diabetic menu:

  • Donuts
  • Buns
  • Cupcakes
  • Anything Sweetened with white sugar
  • Bagels

The bottom line is that a healthy diabetic menu isn’t that far off from the popular Atkin’s diet.  Carbs and sugar are the enemy, while protein, vegetables and limited portions of fruit are the answer.

Why Diabetic Menu Plans are SO Good!

If you haven’t tried eating and following the rules on this page, perhaps you should.  You might be doing yourself a massive favor.  Not only will you start to feel better, your skin will likely become more clear, you’ll sleep better, you’ll have more energy, you’ll be more relaxed, you’ll feel lighter.

There’s a whole bunch of benefits to eating like this even if you are a non diabetic.  So, don’t be afraid to mix things up in the kitchen and try eating like a diabetic.

Key Elements of Diabetic Menu Plans

Meat:
Lean protein is one of the first things to consider when putting together a diabetic meal.  So this means, that chicken, turkey, pork and fish are in, and beef is out.  That’s not to say that beef can’t be served on occasion, but generally speaking, sticking to the leaner meats will be the perfect way to start.

Veggies
Remember to add in some good veggies to your meals, but skip the temptation to add the potato – because it’s white!  Another important thing to keep in mind here is that your veggies can be sliced up and eaten as snacks throughout the day if you find yourself getting hungry.

Dairy
Milk and cheese are all good, but try to stick to the low-fat options as much as possible.   Yogurt is another great diabetic friendly food that can be added to any meal, and combined with some fresh berries makes for an excellent dessert or snack.

Dessert and Sweets:
There are a number of different ways that you can sweeten your food without using white sugar.  You need to be careful here not to trick yourself that while not using white sugar you may be using something that is equally refined and damaging to your body.

Fruit is a really good option because it’s sweet and also delicious and has not been processed or refined.  When you are choosing fruit, berries are some of the best because they are naturally very high in antioxidants.

Once you have weened yourself off of sugar and salt addiction and your sense of taste has started to come back you’ll be amazed at how flavorful and sweet some fruits really are!  I remember from my experiments with diabetic meal plans that cherries were so super sweet and full of taste that I almost couldn’t eat them.  Once you have transitioned to a more natural way of eating, it’s almost like you’ll have a chance to rediscover how food tastes again for the first time – truly amazing!

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Symptoms of High Glucose

Symptoms of High Glucose
Symptoms of High Glucose

When it comes down to it with every passing day the number of people who need to be concerned with the symptoms of high glucose is increasing each and every day. Many people are familiar with the risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer, but not so many people are aware of the fact that the numbers of people actually suffering long term health effects from these diseases is actually on a slight decline. On the other hand, the numbers of new cases of diabetes is increasing every day, and so symptoms of high glucose are more of a concern than ever before.

Symptoms of high glucose can be many and varied, but all are a direct result of the fact that those who have high glucose have some dysfunction that either prohibits the pancreas from producing insulin or stops the cells of the body from responding to insulin as they should. Glucose, which the body produces from the carbohydrates that we take in as food, is important because it is the fuel that powers every cell of the body. In order for the glucose to power the cells it must pass through the cell wall, and this can only happen in the presence of insulin, which makes the cell wall allow the glucose to pass through. When the insulin is not produced or the cells don’t react to it properly the glucose levels in the bloodstream climb.

Symptoms of high glucose include a feeling of intense fatigue and lethargy, general malaise, weakness, rapid heart rate and respirations, and in severe cases coma and death. Usually the symptoms to watch for are, increases thirst, increased hunger, and increased urination. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, especially if they have a family history of diabetes, it is probably a good idea to set an appointment with a physician for a fasting blood glucose test to determine if the symptoms indicate high glucose and the onset of diabetes. The key to managing diabetes is to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible, and the only way to do that is to be familiar with the symptoms of high glucose.

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Peripheral Neuropathy

 

peripheral neurophy
peripheral neurophy

Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that means nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system. This damage may occur due to some sort of trauma to the nerves or as a result of any of several disease processes. Peripheral neuropathy may occur in any one of several varieties, but the most common type, and the type most people think of when the name is mentioned is symmetric polyneuropathy which generally effects the feet and legs and is commonly seen in diabetic patients. The reason this type of peripheral neuropathy is so common is that while heart disease and hypertension rates are currently on the decline, the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes each year continues to climb steadily each year.

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What are the acceptable blood glucose levels?

acceptable blood glucose levels
acceptable blood glucose levels

Do you know what the acceptable blood glucose levels really are? Many people who suffer from diabetes wonder what a normal life would be without the constant checking and monitoring of their acceptable blood glucose level. When you or a loved one is told that you have diabetes, it is from the result that your body isn’t producing enough insulin or that your cells are not responding in a normal fashion with the rest of your body which means that a unacceptable blood glucose level would not be okay for your body and can even become toxic and result in death.

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An Acceptable Blood Glucose Level

Acceptable Blood Glucose LevelMany people who suffer from diabetes wonder what life would be like with a constantly acceptable blood glucose level. Diabetes Mellitus usually referred to simply as diabetes can be any one of a group of metabolic diseases in which the affected person has a measured blood glucose which is outside the range for an acceptable blood glucose level. This is as a result of either the body does not produce enough insulin, or the cells do not respond to in a normal fashion to the insulin which is produced. Glucose, which is used for energy by every cell of the body, can also become quite toxic if levels build up in the blood.

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