Is There A Healthy Diabetes Diet?

If you have diabetes, finding a healthy and safe meal plan can be difficult.  Diabetes impacts your body’s ability to maintain your blood sugar level, which means eating certain types of food could leave you feeling weak and can put you at risk for dangerous health conditions.  However, there are many ways to avoid this outcome.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a “diabetes diet.”  Diabetes is too erratic and unpredictable a condition for it to be possible to adopt one stable eating pattern.  However, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing.  In fact, the foods that are recommended for diabetics to eat in order to control their blood sugar are actually healthy choices for non-diabetics as well.      

And since, as a diabetic, you are able to eat the same healthy foods as everyone else, you don’t have to feel isolated at meal times.  The whole family can enjoy the same great foods without worrying about blood sugar levels.  The one thing a diabetic must keep in mind is amount. 

Having too much or too little food can result in a blood sugar imbalance, so it is important to be vigilant about this at meal times.  Carbohydrates can especially raise glucose levels in the blood, meaning a diabetic’s carb intake (more so than fats or proteins) must be monitored carefully.

The three most important things for a diabetic to regularly keep track of is blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.  Blood sugar is important to check on a regular basis, but it is also important to keep track of blood sugar over a period of time.  The hemoglobin A1c test can measure the average blood sugar level of the past 3 months.  This test should be done as a means to check one’s overall health.

Diabetics are also cautioned about drinking alcohol in excess.  Alcohol can severely impact one’s blood sugar, so it is important to only consume it when blood sugar levels are very well controlled.  If you have diabetes, it is best to consult your doctor to see if drinking alcohol is acceptable.

Like with anyone, it is essential for diabetics to eat right every day in order to stay healthy.  However, for a diabetic, this is even more so the case.  Because one’s blood sugar level is so dependent on what one eats, neglecting proper nutrition can be extremely risky or fatal.  Always keep track of serving sizes and eat proper proportions of food.  Though it is okay to take breaks occasionally and indulge in more sugary foods, this should be done infrequently and only when taking proper precautions.

In order to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, diabetics must be sure to choose healthy foods, exercise regularly, and take the medications recommended by a health care professional.  Doing so can prevent the instance of serious health risks and limit the instance of blood sugar levels dropping too low or rising to high.  For more suggestions about what specific foods are best to keep blood glucose in check, consult a dietitian.

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