Signs of Diabetes

If you want to keep sugar at a manageable level you have to drastically decrease the amount of certain foods that your body has to process. Lowering your intake of alcohol, sweets and fats will help with this. One method to accomplish this is replacement. Instead of drinking that cold beer at the end of a hard day, replace it with ice cold orange or apple juice. When you are replacing a certain food with a fruit substitute however, ask your physician for an advice. Many fruits have very high sugar content and are not good for diabetics. Fruits like apples, bananas mangos, oranges, raisins and grapes are all good. Most doctors will recommend between 2-4 servings of fruit a day. A good policy is to eat two regular servings of fruit each day and use one or two more to replace other foods.

Your doctor will tell you to avoid all fatty foods. Butter, oil, mayonnaise and cheeses all will contribute to high blood sugar levels. It is much better to choose foods that have been grilled, baked, steamed or roasted instead of fried. Instead of using regular cooking oil it is much better to use peanut oil or olive oil. Sauces like teriyaki or barbecue sauce contain high amounts of sugar and should also be avoided. If you need something sweet it is much better to eat an orange or grapefruit. Seasonings that do not have a high salt content are acceptable to use also.

The most important thing to consider in planning a diabetic diet is to choose foods that have little or no saturated fats or cholesterol. Fresh fruit, vegetables, skinless chicken or other poultry are sure winners. The best plan is to keep your daily calorie intake of proteins from low-fat dairy products, fish or lean meats to about 10-20% of your total daily intake. The remainder of you daily intake should consist of carbohydrates such as whole grains, fresh fruit, and beans. Vegetables are great for lowering blood sugar and you should plan on at least two to three servings of vegetables a day. Not all vegetables are good though. Many, like corn, potatoes and carrots are actually too high in carbohydrates so it is better to use them lightly. Eating several servings of fruit and vegetables and avoiding things like whole milk, red meat and eggs will significantly lower your blood sugar levels.

Maintaining the correct level of nutrition is very important to keep your glucose levels in their place and prevent some of the complications that diabetes can cause like blindness, heart and blood vessel problems or even the loss of limbs from poor circulation. It is fine to treat yourself once in a while but it is important that you always keep your diabetes in mind before choosing any diet plan. Adopt the policy of everything in moderation and your blood sugar levels will react accordingly. It can be confusing so here are eight tips to keep your metabolism stable.

• Non- starchy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, green beans and spinach should be used 2-3 times a day.
• It is much healthier to use whole grain foods over processed grain products. Using brown, instead of white rice, whole wheat spaghetti and other grains like this are much more stabilizing.
• When you are choosing fruits and vegetables it is best to select a variety of colors.
• Remove the skins from chicken and turkey or any other poultry.
• Use only lean meats. Hamburgers should be made with lean meat and any pork product that the name ends in loin, or beef that is sirloin is best.
• Use only non-fat dairy products. Non-fat cheeses and yogurt, skim milk or even 1% milk are good choices.
• Avoid sodas with high sugar. It is much better to drink water, diet soda, or fruit juice. If you are using fruit juice, buy real juice instead of fruit punch which is very high in sugar.
• Finally, avoid cooking oils that have solid fats, saturated fats and “trans” fats. Keeping your weight at the ideal place is very important and fats are very high in calories.

The progress of your diabetes is entirely up to you. Talk to your doctor and get a diet plan that is designed to fit both your medical needs and your budget.