meal planning for diabetics

Diabetic Meal Planning:

Diabetes is a growing challenge for our modern society. It has doubled in the past 25 years & now, 3% of the population is seemed to have either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. Apparently for every person diagnosed with Diabetes, there is another one undiagnosed.

One of the challenges with Diabetes is the individuality of dealing with it in your daily life. Treatment will always include your diet & exercise plus your health professional will medicate where necessary. Your life will be so much easier if you know what foods suit you best & when to eat them as this can vary from person to person.

The one positive aspect is YOU HAVE CONTROL of what you eat thereby making a huge difference to your overall health.

If you think you may have Diabetes, let’s start here:

Symptoms

Some of the main symptoms include:

• thirst & a dry mouth
• passing large amounts of urine more frequently
• tiredness
• blurred vision
• recurrent skin infections
• weight loss

You may have some or all of these symptoms. If you have not been tested for diabetes & you have 2 or more of these symptoms, it is really worth your while to have a check up with your health professional.

Types of Diabetes

It is important to speak to your health professional in regards to what Diabetes is & how it affects you personally but put simply, there are 2 main types.

Type 1:

Known as insulin dependant diabetes & develops when the body produces little or no insulin. Type 1 is treated by a combination of insulin injections & a healthy balanced eating plan.

Type 2:

Known as non-insulin dependant diabetes where 85% of cases accounts for Type 2 diabetes.

Reducing the Risks

The aim of treating Diabetes is to control the blood glucose levels & reduce the risk of long term complications such as eye & kidney problems, coronary heart disease & nerve damage.

You have an opportunity to maintain some control in this challenge – sitting back & allowing medication to do the work is not the answer. It is important to take responsibility of your health through meal planning, exercise & relaxation. There is not a specific diabetes diet, but there is a lifestyle change to give you more health, more wellbeing, more energy & more reason to keep getting better.

Healthy Diabetics live wholesome lives & you can too!

Steps to take:

• If you are overweight you need to get to your optimum weight & stay there. See your health professional for ways of losing weight effectively – do it slowly but surely – every kilo makes a difference.
• Be physically active every day. Choose things you enjoy doing – tennis, bush or beach walking, golf, cycling, gardening. Whatever you do, do it with pleasure, do it with vigour & do it every day.
• If you smoke, try & find a way to stop. Speak to people who have already given up & learn how it worked for them. There is a host of support & whilst quitting is very difficult, smoking is so much easier when you can allow yourself to want to stop. Alan Carr has a great book that may help. (available in store)
• Drink alcohol in moderation – be responsible with this or your health care professional can help with how much is ok.
• Relax – find time for you.

Food

There is some confusion over what the best foods for Diabetics are – we possibly go a little against the grain however in our experience, we feel these foods work as a stable basis for your meal planning.

Carbohydrates & Low GI have been the basis in the past for a diabetics eating plan however, simple & often raw foods are a really great rule of thumb. For example:

Breakfast:

free range/organic eggs on wholegrain toast with a scraping of butter

good quality muesli with stewed or chopped up fresh fruit & a sprinkling of LSA

wholegrain toast with avocado, tomato, leftover cooked beans or veges

fresh carrot, apple, beetroot & celery juice – you can in fact, add whatever fruit & veg you wish to this mix – most importantly, enjoy it!

Morning tea:

unsalted roasted nuts plus a piece of fresh fruit

Lunch:

salad with a few slices of cheese or seeds for protein – seeds may include toasted sesame, pepitas, pine nuts

Afternoon Tea:

a sweet snack here could contain dark chocolate goji berries, a small tub of a good quality yoghurt & a warm drink of herbal tea.

Dinner:

salads with or without lean meat

steamed veges with a small drizzle of creamy sauce

fish – serve with salads or veges

beans, legumes, casseroles, stews & curries based on a little lean meat plus veges

Desserts:

baked pears, apples with a squeeze of lemon juice, cinnamon & cloves –these can be served hot or cold. Make custard from coconut cream.

Low fat is great for those who need to lose weight otherwise stay with full cream & decrease the amount of animal fats you eat. ½ a glass of full cream milk is better for your health than 2 cups of low fat milk.

If you need to chat to someone in regards to the right foods for you, come in store & see our Vitamins staff for some direction – they are there to help you.