There is no denying that diabetes, no matter the form, can be a scary thought. Imagine being diagnosed with something that literally could have killed you later in life. There are incredible amounts of changes and adjustments you must make when you become or are on the verge of becoming diabetic. I had a crash course in a diabetic diet as I am the house chef and we found out my girlfriend was pregnant, which was considered a high risk pregnancy due to the fact she has Type I diabetes. The way I started cooking was based on glucose tolerance. Here are some rules of thumb and tips that helped her and still keep her blood sugar in check!
When you are preparing a meal, portion size is almost as important as the food you put onto the plate. I used a regular kitchen scale, if a serving size of non-instant oatmeal is, for example, a half of a cup you need to ensure you stay a one half of a cup. I would invest in a scale and measuring spoons as well as measuring cups.
There are also certain types of foods you need to ensure receive the proper “plate weight”. When you place your plate down to put food on it, mentally cut your plate in half. On on of the halves of your plate, mentally cut that in half, imagine a ratio similar to 50 percent, and two 25 percent areas of your plate. What I do, is on one of the smaller portions I will add a starchy vegetable or a vegetable. And fruit combination. A starchy food could be rice, potatoes, cooked beans such as black beans or baked beans, and similar foods. On the remaining smaller portion you want your protein such as meat or fish. The larger portion of your plate (the full half) should be filled with non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, or any other green type of vegetable. Be creative and use multiple colors such as carrots or eggplant. I became a huge fan of peppers and herb seasoning. Another tip would be to drink a full glass of water before and during your meal as well as using a smaller plate. A full, plate makes you mentally feel satisfied when it is empty, a smaller plate does the same thing, however you are consuming less!
Another idea is to have grains, and a good amount of them. Flax seed is a wonderful item to mix into your dishes for a nutty flavor. Flax seed also contains good-for-you omega 3 fatty acid! Fat in a diabetic diet may sound like a bad idea, and a lot of fat would be. However, omega 3 benefits and the amount of fat in flax seed make this an acceptable trade. The main objective of dieting has always seemed to be the minimizing of simple carbohydrates and the diabetic diet is not an exception to that rule.
Another tip for lowering your blood sugar while on a diabetic diet is to is to implement cinnamon instead of sugar as a sweetener. Studies have shown cinnamon to be beneficial in regulating blood sugar much like gymnema. Gymnema is a plant grown around India and parts of Africa. The gymnema plant has been known for thousands of years to help with weight and blood sugar problems.
Diabetes is very scary, it is also life changing. Food deprivation is a sure-fire way to constantly battle your will power. Follow the diabetic diet tips above and you should have very few issues! As always, especially if you have recently been diagnosed, talk to your endocronologist and take their advice to heart. Many insurance plans will cover a nutritionalist visit if you are referred. Remember to remain positive, living with diabetes is a task hundreds of thousand of other people do successfully!
