Diabetes Diet-Reduced Numbers

A diabetes diet is of extreme importance when you have this “visitor” in your “home.” What we eat is of extreme importance, but also how much and how often we eat is important as well.

Below, we will look at some food groups and offer a list of safe options.

Protein: should be lean and low in saturated fat. Eat at least twice for the week.

  • Turkey
  • Fish (Salmon is good, contains omega 3, which is good for the heart)
  • Chicken Breast
  • Beans ( as many varieties you can find)
  • Nuts (also contain fats, but high in calories)

A diabetes diet, like most other diets, suggests that one eats approximately 3ozs. of protein per day. I use the palm of my hands to give me an idea. A chicken leg from a small chicken would be ok for someone practicing a diabetes diet.

Vegetables: Go for the non-starchy and eat until you are satisfied

  • Leafy greens (spinach, callaloo, Pak Choy and lettuce)
  • Asparagus
  • Pepper
  • Squash
  • Turnips
  • Pumpkin
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Cabbage
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber

This group is the most important for me as a part of my food plan. This is where I can eat and feel full, without worrying too much about calories and spiked diabetic readings.

This new way of eating recommends that we count calories when eating the starchy vegetables. These are lower on the list and some examples are cauliflower, carrots, and cabbage.

Ideally, we should aim for 3-5 servings of vegetables for the day. Let me give you an idea of “serving” in this plan. When cooked, 1/2 cup is a serving and when raw, 1 cup is a serving.

Eat only 1 cup cooked at a time with your 3 ozs. recommended protein and you may never have to count calories again. Hence, for the raw, 2 cups with your protein would have the same result, no need to count calories.

That’s cool! I totally agree with you and you are certainly understanding this new lifestyle. I know you had no idea the diet plan would be so easy a lifestyle to adapt.

Your Promise to me

As of today, promise me you will eat a wide and colorful variety of vegetables and you will moderate your intake of the starchy ones. Promise me that you will make the lifestyle change today! Get familiar with the produce section (vegetables and fruits) of the supermarket.

Thanks for making those promises. Your reward will be massive and it is by far the best thing you could do for yourself and the generations to come. Your choices will later influence what gets on the shelves in the supermarket and how the generations to come will make their choices that we so greatly influenced. What a domino effect!

Fruit: Eat fresh fruits

A wide variety of freshly picked fruits will make the “sweet tooth” happy and therefore you will crave less for sweets. This is also a good group for us as it is packed with fibers, which will make the “gut” happier.

Moderation is the key for persons with diabetes. Fruits are good, but we respond in different ways to varying foods. Yes, this lifestyle change permits you to have a wide and colorful variety of fruits, but do your readings and know your numbers and never “pig-out” on anything you eat. Remember, we should eat smaller portions and more regular meals when we are on this new way of eating.

Bitter Melon

Bitter Melon is singled out here for a reason. Many persons have had success with using this fruit to control or eradicate diabetes from their lives.

In Jamaica, bitter melon is referred to as cerasee. It is a vine that runs on a lot of fences and has a yellow fruit when it is ripe. Most Jamaicans use the leaves to make a tea that cleanses the blood and aid with “belly cramps.”

In other parts of the world, the fruit, especially when green is used to significantly lower blood glucose levels. This fruit will be examined in more details in a post to come.

Please, it is extremely effective, so please read the post, do your own research and test regularly when using bitter melon (cerasee fruit).

It is a fact, that when the bitter melon is included in your list of foods to eat, it reduces our glucose readings in a big way. Stay tuned!

Your Promise to me

As of today, promise me you will eat a fruit instead of a pack of something highly processed or some fast food. What is faster, easier to grab on the go than a fruit? Which food is more convenient than a fruit, which needs no cooking. For convenience, walk with the fruits which you simply wash and eat. How convenient? How fast? Yes, I can hear you loud and clear, “this can be done. It is easy to follow.” Great, thanks for sharing that with me and guess what? I totally agree with you on this point.

Fruit Salad Plate

Fats: Some are heart friendly

  • Avocados (called pear in Jamaica)
  • Almonds (lowers blood sugar)
  • Pecans
  • Walnuts
  • Sunflower and olive oils

Be careful as this group is loaded with calories and could cause weight gain. Note, weight gain, especially if you are already overweight will result in higher blood sugar readings.

Some fats are better for our hearts than others. These help to make our hearts healthy and happy. Remember, moderation in everything we do and eat. That is the rule for those of us on a diet to control diabetes. Animal fats should be eaten in moderation, especially if you have made the lifestyle changes as it relates to your eating habits.

Your Promise to me

As of today, promise me that you will eat less meat, chicken skin, cheese, butter, margarine and definitely stay away from “fast foods” and “processed foods.” Choose butter over margarine.

It’s not difficult. Block by block we are building a “new home,” a “healthier home,” one that will last for years and be able to withstand the “storms of life.” Take heart, be encouraged. I know you can make this tiny lifestyle change whilst you embrace this new way of eating.

Grains: Good source of fiber and vitamins

  • Wild Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Buckwheat
  • Bulgur
  • Millet
  • Teff
  • Amaranth
  • Whole grain Breads

Whole grains are of importance in the diabetes diet. They will result in a healthier heart, help you to lose weight and is more nutritious than highly refined grains.

But, I still have not mentioned what you are looking for, right? Here we go, whole grains will raise your raise your glucose reading less than the refined grains. Please note, refined grains are stripped of most of their nutrients during processing.

Most diabetic patients will agree with me that when you are hungry, it sometimes feel like you are starving even though you ate only 2 hours ago. The thing with eating the whole grains is that you will feel full for a longer time and also get more nutrients and less glucose spiked readings.

Can’t beat this one!

Go for it! What do you have to lose? Only your glucose reading will be less and you will gain more fiber.

Later I will do postings on some of the things mentioned on this page and share recipes with you. I will also give you more information on specific foods mentioned above. Stay tuned and keep following my site for a rich experience and profiting journey.

Your only investment will be your valuable time, and because your time is so valuable and precious, I will add value to your lives through the information I will continue to share with you.

Your Promise to me

As of today, promise me you will make the switch from refined grains and eat whole grains. I can’t say this too often:

It’s not difficult. Block by block we are building a “new home,” a “healthier home,” one that will last for years and be able to withstand the “storms of life.” Take heart, be encouraged. I know you can make this tiny lifestyle change whilst you embrace this “lifestyle change.”

My Gift to You

In the end, I would love to know that you are healthier and happier and full of energy.

My gift to you is to encourage you to use this lifestyle change so that you will live longer and without diabetes.

My gift to you is that you will be happy and ready to pursue your dreams as you become diabetic free or at least control your readings and have them close to the normal range so that you will not experience the ills of this horrifying lifestyle illness.

My gift to you is that you will be rid of high cholesterol as you eat the foods you are encouraged to eat and in general, the lifestyle changes I am sharing with you on this website.

My gift to you is that you will have a healthy heart and will be given the opportunity to live long enough to pursue your dream of happiness and wealth if you so desire.

My gift to you is that your blood pressure will be in the normal range and you will be stroke free as you eat the foods you are encouraged to eat and in general, the lifestyle changes I am sharing with you on this website.

My gift to you is that you will lose weight if you need to or at least be in a position to maintain your present weight. All this by simply eating the way I encourage you to eat as I hold your hand on the lifestyle changes we are both pursuing.

I have faith that you have joined me by accepting these gifts. Again, you have nothing to lose, except high glucose readings, unwanted weight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and depression.

Continue reading here: Is Ginger Good for Diabetics?

Was this article helpful?

0 0