Prevention is better than cure, and it is certainly the case with diabetes. Once a person develops diabetes, he or she often has to live with it for the rest of the life. However, living with diabetes does not mean that you are a sick person and your life should be any different from other persons. It simply means that you need to adopt some positive and healthy habits regarding your diet and lifestyle – habits that every person should adopt whether diabetic or not. Understanding the following 3 steps are some keys to having a normal and enjoyable while living with diabetes.
Carbohydrate is a key nutrient in our diet that provides most of the energy we use in our daily tasks. Thus, it is the carbohydrate that raises our blood sugar levels. It is very important to understand the different type of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can be classified as simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates raise our sugar levels rapidly while complex carbohydrates provide a steady stream of energy and do not raise sugar level quickly. As a diabetic patient, you need to take more complex carbohydrates and avoid simple carbohydrates. Refined foods often have simple carbohydrates while unrefined natural foods have complex carbohydrates.
If you like to have some sweets or desserts containing simple carbohydrates, or sugar, it is recommended to take them after meals and take them in small quantities.
Fat and Diabetes
Fat is an important part of our diet. It provides many essential vitamins and other nutrients. However, there is a clear distinction between good fats and bad fats. Ironically, many companies market their products claiming to contain good fats – that is often not true. Stay away from processed foods as they often contain bad fat. Stick to natural sources like olive oil, fish, nuts, and fruits for healthy and nutritious fat.
Eat regularly, instead of skipping meals sometimes and overeating at others. If you plan to have sweets or desserts, compensate these additional calories by cutting some portion of your other foods.