Diabetic Friendly

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no “diabetes diet,” per se — and that’s good news!   Having my grandmother and step father both being diabetic, I have learned to design healthier recipes.  Now don’t think I gave up on all those delicious dishes, because you can have them too in moderation.  I recently took the diabetes nutrition class here at St. Anthony’s hospital where I work.  I learned so much, that I even changed my own diet and ways of eating.  In response, I lost 8 lbs in just 2 months.

So especially throughout the Holiday Season, you do not have to miss out on all the great cooking and goodies.  Mainly you need to follow a few easy steps, and you too can have a healthy Healthy Holiday Season.

The foods recommended for a diabetes diet to control blood glucose (or blood sugar) are good for those with diabetes — and everyone else. This means that you and your family can eat the same healthy foods at mealtime. However, for people with diabetes, the total amounts of carbohydrates consumed each day must be monitored carefully. Of the different components of nutrition — carbohydrates, fats, and proteins — carbohydrates have the greatest influence on blood sugar levels. Most people with diabetes also have to monitor total fat consumption and protein intake, too.

To keep your blood sugar levels in check, you need to make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, and take the medicines your health care provider prescribes. A dietitian can provide in-depth nutrition education to help you develop a personalized meal plan that fits your lifestyle and activity level, and meets your medical needs.

So as I mentioned above, a few members of my family, including my grandmother and step father are both diabetic, I decided to provide recipes that they along with everyone else could benefit from.  As you read above, there is no diabetes diet, but below are some of the recipes that can aid in keeping blood sugar in control.  Please let me know how you like these recipes.  Some are mine, and some are from around the internet that I have dug up.  Also, feel free to send me your recipes as well at this link.

Choosing Healthy Foods
The thought of a diet can feel overwhelming when you’re learning to manage your type 2 diabetes. However, diet is not only about eating less of the foods that you love or about losing weight—it’s also about making some simple lifestyle changes that you can enjoy and stay with. You may be surprised to find that you can eat right while still eating many of the foods that you like. When you have type 2 diabetes, eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts can help you manage your blood sugar levels.

Using smart-food principles
There always seems to be a story in the media about a food that’s just been found to be good or bad for you. Some basic principles have weathered the fad diets and stood the test of time. Here are some healthful food choices that you and your family can depend on:

• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. To get good variety, choose from the rainbow of colors available. Eat low-starch or nonstarchy vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, or green beans, with meals.
• Choose whole-grain foods over processed-grain products. Try brown rice with your stir-fry or whole-wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce.
• Include dried beans, like kidney or pinto beans, and lentils in your meals.
• Include fish in your meals 2 to 3 times a week.
• Choose lean meats. For example, cuts of beef and pork that end in “loin,” such as pork loin and sirloin, are good choices. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
• Choose nonfat dairy, such as skim milk, nonfat yogurt, and nonfat cheese.
• Choose water and calorie-free diet drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea, and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
• Cook with liquid oils instead of solid fats, which can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that all fats are high in calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
• Cut back on high-calorie snacks and desserts, such as chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream.
• If you eat too much, you can gain weight, even if what you’re eating is healthful, so watch your portion sizes.

Click HERE to jump to the full list of Low Carb recipes that you can go through.