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Since being diagnosed with diabetes at the age of eleven, my own diet has changed dramatically. I maintain my current healthy weight with a great diet/meal plan. If you are planning to lose more than a stone then I would see your doctor for more tips on how to do it safely.
I've had diabetes for seven years now, but to tell you that my weight management is perfect would be completely wrong of me. However, I can advise you to follow my steps because I know what works and what doesn't. Before I really start, I must also say that I was raised by great parents who taught me to eat everything, so I do! If you don't like something, there are plenty of other diabetic recipes and ideas that you will eat and enjoy.
I am a college student and I like to buy fresh and organic produce from where I live. I believe this is important because it can be the best for your body and contains more nutrients and vitamins than most supermarkets. I love picking up food from my fortnightly farmers market in town which sells amazing meat and dairy and seasonally fresh fruit and veg. This is another important thing to remember that eating fruits and vegetables in their season means they will taste better and be good for you too. I have a lot of influence from Western European cuisine (mainly France and Italy) as you can tell, but I don't profess to be a cook and everything is easy and very convenient.
I have read countless diet books and diabetic recipe/diet books and I have come to the conclusion that I think it really works. I combined all the good things from diets (but not every diet) and kind of put together my own. This is what I call my healthy diabetes diet!
The "rules" I would lay down are as follows:
1. Cut back on snacking and then change the type of snacks you eat.
Definitely my biggest downfall, even if it wasn't visible to me. When I first started university I had little to no routine which meant that filling my day was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack, no matter how healthy, was a common occurrence. This is one of the hardest things for some people, but creating a great routine is essential to great diabetes care. The types of snacks to eat are unsalted nuts, dried unsweetened fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), dark chocolate (richer and nicer and usually you only want 2 squares).
2. Limit white flour and embrace whole grain carbohydrates.
This is the most important part of your diet and the thing that can show the biggest increase in weight loss. Some diets actually focus on this point and are very successful. Whole grains (especially stony whole grains) are so good for you and have so much more flavor that making the switch is a lot easier than you think. Most people are really surprised at the range you can get in the supermarket, again remember that the best bread for you is the freshest with the least preservatives or added ingredients. Also brown or basmati rice is great with a lovely nutty texture. Whole wheat pasta is great and I would totally recommend smaller new potatoes for your potatoes.
3. Stop drinking cocktails, start drinking wine.
Shakes are full of sugar, dyes and preservatives. As a student, I had a lot of practice going out and not drinking cocktails, so my go-to drinks are Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel like I have to drink and I can last the night. Then I can top up with Diet Coke (which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks like I'm drinking Malibu, who knows. If you're at a restaurant, red wine is much better than anything else you can order (except water, of course!) and the antioxidants in red wine have been shown to be great for keeping your heart healthy. The recommended amount is one glass a day with an evening meal.
4. Start cooking more fruits and vegetables.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there are so many different ways to cook vegetables, but I find that raw is the best followed closely by steamed. Both of these methods retain all their natural goodness at the same time. I will follow up this post with another diabetes recipe post.
5. Drink more water.
I know you've heard it said many times before, but the benefits of drinking more water are endless. A few tips to get more water into your day is to start by placing water bottles everywhere you go in your home or at work. So keep one on your desk, desk, glass in the kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc. Try drinking all of these glasses and you'll be well on your way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so, if you try to drink all the water at once you won't be so inclined to drink 8 glasses again, trust me! Try it, it's amazing how great you'll feel.
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