Wednesday, February 14, 2007

A Healthy Eating Diet Plan For Diabetics

Diabetes is a disease that affects the blood's sugar levels
creating a higher amount than the body can manage with its own,
natural insulin. Therefore, most often times, it must be
maintained with medication. But in addition to prescription
medication, exercise and eating habits play a huge role in
maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. A specific, healthy
eating diet plan must be incorporated to a diabetic lifestyle -
no ifs, ands or buts about it.

For the majority of people with diabetes, a healthy eating diet
plan includes several, smaller meals throughout the day on a
more condensed, periodic basis in order to help in successfully
maintaining sugar and glucose levels. And because a diabetic is
eating more often, it's imperative that those meals consist of
good food choices. Let's take a look at some tips for healthy
eating habits in this realm.

. Choose foods with lower fat contents including the use of
non-stick sprays when cooking instead of oil as often as
possible.

. Stay away from fruit juices and other beverages that contain
high fructose levels including naturally sweetened drinks.

. Decrease salt intake and salty foods like pickles, packaged
soups and processed meats.

. Read the food labels on prepared products before ingesting
because even something seemingly harmless can pose a risk.

There is actually a food pyramid designed specifically for
people with diabetes. And guess what it's called? The Diabetes
Food Pyramid! It's an exceptional guideline for what and how
much to eat that anyone with this disease should be aware of
and utilizing every day. It's broken down into the same basic
categories as the regular food pyramid, but the recommend
serving sizes are different as are the specific, coordinating
foods. Following is an overview of the Diabetes Food Pyramid
with required serving amounts:

Grain, Beans and Starchy Vegetables - 6 or more servings per
day

Choose whole-grain and whole-wheat breads and flours over the
white variety for baking and eating. Beans are a great source
of fiber as well as low in sugar. Pretzels and low-fat crackers
are perfect choices for snacking and if they're the lower-salt
varieties, even better.

Fruit - 2 to 4 servings daily

Citrus fruits are the best for diabetics. Eat whole fruits in
their natural state over the canned assortments because aside
from having less sugar, they also contain more fiber. If
choosing the canned, frozen or juice variety, always pick those
that do not contain added sweeteners or syrups.

Vegetables - 3 to 5 servings a day

Dark green and deep yellow vegetables are the best way to go.
Eat freshly prepared vegetables whenever possible. If choosing
the prepared variety, pick those are made without the addition
of sauces and/or salt.

Milk and Dairy - 2 to 3 serving every day

Drink low or non-fat milk. Choose only low-fat yogurt made with
artificial sweeteners.

Meat, Poultry, Fish - 2 to 3 servings daily

Always choose leaner cuts of red meat and trim all fat before
preparing. Consume more pork, fish and chicken - remove the
skin before cooking. Bake, broil, grill or roast instead of
frying.

Fat - limit fat intake, specifically trans and saturated.

By always taking prescribed medications, sticking to a fitness
routine and healthy eating diet plan, successful management of
diabetes will be almost guaranteed. Always consult a physician
before starting any new lifestyle routine.


About The Author: Get all the latest information about Healthy
Diets, from the only true source at
http://www.1healthydietinformation.com. Be sure to check out
our Healthy Eating Diet Plan pages.

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