If you have diabetes, your body has trouble regulating your blood sugar, so you need to be careful with your diet. Abbott Nutrition manufactures Glucerna products for those with diabetes, and you can use them as part of the Glucerna diet plan to control your diabetes. Talk to your doctor about the best eating plan and other approaches you can take to stay healthy.
The Glucerna diet plan attempts to stabilize your blood sugar, because uncontrolled blood sugar, such as frequent or sustained spikes or fluctuations, can lead to complications such as kidney disease or blindness. Obesity increases your risk for uncontrolled diabetes, and another goal of the plan is to manage your weight. Plans are available, for free, at a daily intake level of 1,500 or 1,900 calories, and they include a mixture of Glucerna products and regular foods. Glucerna warns that its plans are only for patients with diabetes.
Blood Sugar Control
Small, frequent meals may reduce fluctuations in your blood sugar, and both calorie levels of the Glucerna diet plan include three meals and two snacks per day. A healthy diet for diabetes carefully controls your carbohydrate intake because carbohydrates can lead to rapid increases in blood sugar levels. The Glucerna diet supplies 12 to 16 carbohydrate choices, or starch exchanges, per day. Protein and fiber help stabilize your blood sugar, and the program includes these nutrients at each meal.
Glucerna Products
Glucerna cereals include flakes with raisins, almonds or strawberries. Flavors of bars, snack bars and mini-snack bars include blueberry, chocolate caramel, cinnamon bun and chocolate peanut, and shakes and smaller snack shakes include chocolate and vanilla. Glucerna products are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber and protein. They are low in added sugars, which can spike your blood sugar levels, and they are free from cholesterol-raising trans fats.
Sample Day
A day on the Glucerna diet might start with a multigrain English muffin, peanut butter and one-half of a banana for breakfast, and lunch would include whole-wheat crackers, tuna salad with light mayonnaise and relish, salad greens, light dressing and a Glucerna shake. For dinner, have turkey breast, sweet potato with margarine and cinnamon, green beans, a dinner roll and sugar-free pudding. Your snacks would be fat-free, low-sugar yogurt, an apple with cheese and a Glucerna mini-snack bar with graham crackers.
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