1. What to eat?
There are some types of food that you should always include in your diet. Fiber is an important component of your diet as it will help in slowing down of digestion and help to the body absorb the nutrients. Increasing fiber in a diabetic diet plan is very important in a diabetic diet plan because it steadies the stream of glucose being released into the blood stream. Not only that, fiber also absorbs bile acids. If the bile acids are not cleared, they will eventually be converted into blood cholesterol.
Water is another important element in your new diabetic diet plan. Drinking lots of water, even more than the usual prescribed amount of eight glasses, is a good idea to keep dehydration at bay. Dehydration will increase blood sugar levels so avoiding dehydration is very important.
Aside from these two basic and yet important food, it is important for you to learn what types of food you cannot take too much and which types of food are safe. For example, fruits always are safe to eat but don’t forget that they to contain sugar and in large amounts they can increase your blood sugar levels. When in doubt, always consult your doctor.
2. What not to eat?
One ingredient that everyone, not only diabetic patient, should avoid having too much is salt. A diabetic diet plan should have reduced amounts of salt as diabetics face developing hypertension. Reducing sodium intake can help with preventing hypertension. Caffeine is not good for a diabetic patient as research has led to the idea that caffeine reduces insulin sensitivity. Avoid if possible, otherwise to reduce the amount of coffee and soft drinks that contain caffeine to better manage the disease. This is even more so for those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
3. How much to eat and when to eat?
Timing and portion size also play an important part in implementing a diabetic diet plan. Stick to a plan of having several small meals spread throughout the day. This is better than having three main meals that are big in size with no snack in. It is also important to keep the time of your meals regular. This is to ensure that your blood sugar levels do not fluctuate too much when you a big breakfast one day and a small one the next.
Another important note is that you should also never skip meals or snacks. Do not risk letting your blood sugar levels dip. Being watchful of when and how much you eat may seem to be troublesome and a pain, however, the benefits are way worth every effort. You must talk to your doctor for a more detailed understanding of what makes a good diabetic diet plan.
Aside from all the above points, you should always go for scheduled regular check ups. The checkups will help you maintain a constant diet as well as set a proper and correct pattern to follow.
Although diabetes is not curable today but with the advances that technology and medical science are making, we do have ways that we can keep it under control successfully by having a diabetic diet plan in place and regular exercise. Hence with some effort, all those who have diabetes can still have the chance to live a full almost normal and happy life if they choose to.
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