Being diagnosed with diabetes is something that can drastically change your life. Unfortunately, many people do not take that information seriously, and they do not make lifestyle changes. Follow the suggestion in the following article to get your diabetes under control.
What are Diabetes Meal Plans?
To assist you in determining which foods to choose for meals and snacks, a diabetes meal plan acts as a guide.
You can shape your eating around your own life schedule as well as around the foods you like to eat. A good quality eating regime will focus on improving your blood glucose level, as well as your blood pressure and cholesterol. Ultimately you will also want a plan that aims to help to either to lose weight, or to maintain a healthy weight. A meal plan makes all of these goals significantly easier and hassle free.
How to Create a Diabetes Meal Plan
Creating this sort of plan may seem like hard or difficult work, but it is not. Your doctor and nutritionist can advise you on your food choices as well as portion size recommendations. It is very much a case of trial and error in the starting stages.
With that said though, it does not mean you trial a junk food diet! Obviously that is not a good idea. Instead, it means trying various portion sizes, food items, food ratios and eating routines.
How To Keep Diabetes Under Control
Keep a journal of all of your blood sugar levels. Make sure to include all of the foods you eat as well. This is a good idea because you can pinpoint the foods that cause spikes in your glucose levels. Once you know what to avoid, you should be able to keep your sugar levels at a steady level.
Never skip meals, because it will cause your blood glucose levels to spike. It is very important for people with diabetes to keep their blood sugar levels at a steady level. Skipping meals makes you feel hungrier, which means you are more likely to overeat when you have your next meal. This will cause your blood sugar levels to increase much more than it should.
When it is time for a snack, make sure that you do not eat it directly out of the bag it came in. Your intention may be to eat just one portion, but you will most likely eat more than the recommended serving size. Portion control is very important for diabetics, since eating too much can increase sugar levels. When you buy large bags of snacks, make sure to measure out each portion you intend to eat.
Stay active, even if it means going for a walk around the block a few times. Many people with diabetes have circulatory issues, and that is sometimes caused by a lack of physical activity. Do your best to find activities you enjoy, so it will feel more like fun, and less like a chore.