Taking charge of your diet means taking charge of your health, and it's the best tool you have to treat your diabetes. Maintaining a healthy body weight and managing your glucose levels can help you feel better every day and lower your future risk of developing serious health complications -- such as heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage and loss of vision -- which are associated with uncontrolled high blood sugar levels. Although sticking to any diet can be challenging, following your diabetes diet plan is critical for your health.
Step 1
Make sure your meal plan includes some of your favorite foods. You're more likely to deviate from your diet because you feel deprived of your favorite foods. Think about limiting -- rather than eliminating -- the foods you love. Your diabetic meal plan might not allow for desserts every night, but with a little bit of planning, you might be able to indulge in a small treat twice a week. Working with a dietitian to customize a meal plan that works for you and your lifestyle will have better results than trying to follow a "one size fits all" diabetic diet.
Step 2
Never show up to a social event hungry. Dinners out with friends, birthday parties and holiday events can be filled with tempting sugary foods that can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels. Have a healthy snack or small meal before you leave the house. Scope out where the food table is and stay on the other side of the room. Always have a glass of water in your hands -- you won't be able to hold a plate of food and feed yourself if you're holding a beverage. Learn to say "no, thank you."
Step 3
Choose foods that help you feel full. High-fiber foods slow down your digestion, which can help you feel full faster and stay satisfied longer. People often overeat because of hunger -- if you get too hungry, you might eat so quickly that your brain doesn't have time to register that you're full before you've overeaten. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach that you've had enough to eat. If you have diabetes, this hunger is often the first sign of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Eat every four hours to keep glucose levels stable.
Step 4
Write everything down. Being accountable -- either to yourself, to your doctor or to a friend or relative -- might help you stay on track. Keeping a food journal will help you stick to your diabetes diet. It's common for people to underestimate the amount of food they eat by 10 percent. You might think that you're following your diet plan until you see the list of foods you've eaten.
Tips and Warnings
- If you do break your diet, take a deep breath, let it go and move forward. If you make a poor choice at lunch, don't let it ruin your whole day -- get back on your regular meal plan as soon as possible. Clean out your kitchen -- if it's not in the house, you're less likely to eat it.
- If you're following your diabetic diet, but still having problems controlling your glucose level, you might need an adjustment in your overall eating plan or diabetes medication. Work with your doctor to find the proper balance of food, exercise and medication to treat your diabetes.
