If you have diabetes, you may be finding that, well, it's a lot of work! And if you've been diagnosed with prediabetes, you're going to want to know what the consequences of the full-blown illness are. You'll have to monitor your blood sugar levels, time your meals, maybe take insulin, definitely exercise, and generally be aware of everything that you're doing (and about to do!) at any given time of day. That can add up to a lot of time spent doing things that the average person doesn't need to do. And with diabetes on the rise, you won't be alone for much longer when it comes to needing a plan to get everything done. Here are some important food points to focus on:
1. Cut out the refined. No, I don't mean the refined people – you guys can still be friends. But stay away from those refined carbohydrates (aka 'sugars') that are everywhere, like in white breads, pastas, cereals, rice and even white potatoes. Instead, focus on whole-grains in your breads, etc., and eat starchy foods like potatoes in moderation. The more refined the carbohydrate, the quicker it's broken down, and thus the higher your blood glucose (once again, aka 'sugar') levels will rise, since your cells can use insulin receptors only so well. And with diabetes, that's serious! Whole-grains will also help to make sure that you get enough fiber, and consequently help to reduce your risk of heart disease, which is closely linked to diabetes.
2. Shrink it and spread it. No, this isn't your tummy I'm talking about here! (Although, you do want to try and rid yourself of any abdominal fat that you might have accumulated – it will help lower your risk of heart disease - see the reference to fiber, above). I'm talking about your meals: smaller meals that are consumed throughout the day at more frequent intervals will help keep your blood sugar levels in check. Try to take in the same amount of food that you'd normally eat, say in three meals, and then split it in half and eat six smaller meals instead.
3. Get fat. Good fat, that is! Avoid saturated fats, not because of potential heart issues (that's right, overwhelming evidence shows that sat-fats are not directly linked to ticker trouble), but because these fats are high in calories. Limit your intake of fatty beef, hot dogs, sausage, bacon... you see where I'm going with this. But don't fret – you can still eat that stuff, just do it in moderation! Most of the time, swap these foods for others like avocados and nuts, which have the good fats. And eat fish or take fish oil supplements, as these are your best sources for omega fatty acids.
4. Watch the sugar. That's a no-brainer when it comes to diabetes, but be aware of the fact that there's a lot of sugar in alcohol (click here to read more), and pretty much anything that you drink that isn't water, even when it says it's 'made with real juice'. Read the nutrition labels and look at caloric content as well as the amount of sugar in what you're consuming. And when you crave something sweet, go for things like fruit, nuts, yogurt, ricotta cheese, and other things that don't have sugar added to them. If you really need that piece of cake, try just half a slice, and eat it slowly, savouring every bite. That little trick makes your mind feel like it's getting the whole thing!
If you follow this advice about eating well, and get some exercise (click here for some tips on exercising with diabetes), you should be able to lead a relatively normal life. So do the little extra that it takes to manage or prevent this potentially deadly illness, and you'll still live a long, healthy and happy life.
By Richard Lobbenberg, Acupuncturist and TCM Practitioner
