Diabetes Diet Plans: Nourish The Sweet Evil Away
With the breathless pace and skewed nutritional habits of today's world, the incidence of Diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate. This condition, which can be fatal if not treated in time, occurs when your body is starved of the energy it requires as it is incapable of using the insulin that it produces to break down the sugar in your blood. However, there is a brighter side to this threatening cloud. By simply adhering to the Golden Rules of regular exercise, timely medication and keeping a close watch on your glucose levels, this disease can easily be restricted to its most rudimentary stages, thus enabling you to lead a long and healthy life. Your meal patterns are also a vital part of your treatment, because in order to ensure that your medication is as effective as possible, it is important that you pay heed to not only what you eat, but also when you eat.
Your meals are structured around what is called the Diabetic Food Pyramid. This is slightly different from the regular Food Guide Pyramid because it divides your food into groups on the basis of their carbohydrate and protein content, instead of categorizing them into the regular food slots. Also, as the focus is more on balancing the carbohydrate content in each meal, portion sizes vary in keeping with the carbohydrate content of each type of food. Hence, what may seem like an innocuous cup of fruit juice may very well tip the sugar scales unfavorably, if you don't counter your increased intake of carbohydrates by cutting down on the amount of potatoes or even bread you consume at the very same meal.
Carbohydrates form the primary constituent of all your meals. It is advisable that you stick to the range of 6 to 10 servings a day, each of which is constituted of a slice of bread, half an English muffin, a third of a cup of rice or its equivalent amount of pasta. You can also swap the former for half a cup of potatoes, peas or cooked beans, as these are also included in this food group on account of the high amounts of carbohydrates they contain.
Vegetables whether cooked or raw, also form an integral part of your diet. High in vitamins, minerals and fiber while also being remarkably low in calories, you can aim for as many as 3 to 5 servings a day. Each of these consists of half a cup of cooked vegetables or one cup of raw greens. However, you need to steer away from the creamy and deep-fried varieties, if you don't want the additional fat to overwhelm the nutritional benefit.
Fruits are quite alike vegetables in terms of their nutritional content but are also laden with more carbohydrates. And this is what you need to pay attention to when pouring yourself that extra cup of juice or snacking on an extra banana. Limit your serving size to half a cup of canned fruit, one whole small fruit or two tablespoons of dried fruit and aim for 2 to 4 such servings a day. You can also benefit from the calcium and vitamins that milk and milk products have to offer, if you pay attention to concentrating on the low fat or fat free alternatives. You must also remember that cheese is not included in this section, but rather in the category of meat because of the high fat content it has. When it comes to the Meats category, stick to the leanest options you can find and do not exceed four to six ounces a day.
Contrary to popular notion, sugar is not the guiding force behind an individual's Diabetes, nor does it in any way imply that a Diabetic is restricted from sweets in all their varieties on account of his Diabetes. You can consume the occasional cookie or ice-cream, but remember to keep your portions tiny and limited to special occasions and immediately balance the extra sugar you're consuming by cutting down on your carbohydrates for that specific meal. You can even experiment by using reduced calorie or low calorie sweeteners in your desserts to satiate your sweet tooth, while also keeping maintaining the glucose targets you've set for yourself.
The success of your dietary regime is solely dependant on how interesting and flexible you make it. Stringent diets, no matter how well balanced, are bound to lead you astray simply because you will tire of all the restrictions laid down for you. Make sure you plan your diet with your nutritionist in keeping with your likes and dislikes and leave plenty of room for innovation. Also, don't be lured towards the low-carb options without consulting your physician as the high saturated fat levels in many of these alternatives are breeding grounds for cholesterol and high blood pressure. Armed with the perfect meal plan, which also allows you the occasional indulgence, there's almost nothing your Diabetes will compel you to strike out of your list of 'goodies'. In fact, you'll soon find that good nutrition has never tasted better than your own diabetes meal plan!