Every person is unique and that applies no less to diabetics. Each diabetic is different; our bodies exhibit the effects of diabetes in different ways. And the way we can control our diabetes is different from one person to the next.
Something that works for me (I’m a diabetic Type 2) may not work for you; and what works for you may not be suitable for another diabetic.
So although we get advice and help by talking to each other how can we be sure of what we can adopt for our personal ideal diabetic menu?
Here's how I established my eating regime. I did this for 4 weeks; you may need more or less time dependent upon how quickly you establish a good eating pattern for yourself.
If you decide to follow this please check with your diabetic dietician in case there are other aspects of your health you need to take into account - such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure - I'm lucky because I don't have either of these conditions.
PREPARATION:
You will need:
A blood glucose meter to check your blood sugar levels.
A way to chart your blood sugar readings. I suggest you use the website www.plasmaglucose.com to plot and check your results. You can see an example of a plasma glucose chart on my website at www.your-diabetes.com/carbohydrates-high-blood-sugars-diabetes.html
A copy of my free guide 'How to take control of your diabetes' containing your Control Chronicle, a carbohydrate count chart and recipes suitable for diabetics, which you can download from my website.
Advice from your diabetic team about your target blood-sugar levels and any medication you should be taking.
Start - or continue - regular, daily exercise
TIMING:
You need to take regular blood sugar checks whilst you are checking and developing your healthy eating style.
I took blood-glucose readings:
* First thing in the morning before breakfast
* 2 hours after breakfast
* Immediately before lunch
* 1 - 2 hours after lunch
* Immediately before my evening meal
* 2 hours after eating
* Just before going to bed
* And whenever / if I felt as if my levels were going low
I don't eat snacks between meals but I know for some diabetics it is a necessary part of their control - if that's the case for you you may need additional readings to monitor your levels.
STEP 1:
Print page 5 of my Free guide and write down your diabetic control goals.
STEP 2:
Print enough copies of page 6 (Control Chronicle) from the guide for your first week of checking.
STEP 3:
Take sugar level readings as per the suggested timings above and check the carbohydrate levels for the food you eat for each meal. Note your results on the Control Chronicle for that day.
STEP 4:
Enter your blood sugar readings on your chart. You are aiming to keep within a safe range - this is shown as a grey band on the chart if you are using the Plasma Glucose website.
STEP 5:
If you get spikes in your blood-sugar readings (either high or low) check what you ate and what exercise you did so you know what affects you and how.
STEP 6:
Adjust your meal content to stabilise your blood sugar levels.
STEP 7:
Take note of the carbohydrate content of what you are eating to establish the safe level for you.
STEP 8:
Discuss the results of what you've monitored and discovered with your diabetic team. Make any adjustments they recommend for any other health issues you may have.
NOTE: You may decide to add natural glucose control supplements as part of your control regime PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR DIABETIC TEAM BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES. I now use an Indian herb which supports glucose metabolism; gymnema sylvestra to help keep my blood sugar levels down - I take a 400mg tablet before each main meal.
BUT THIS MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT THING FOR YOU TO DO
I hope this explanation of how I established my healthy eating style helps you to achieve the control you are looking for.
When I wrote out my control goals I was aiming for HbA1C levels between 5 and 7 (which is a good level for diabetics).
Over the last 2 years my 6-monthly checks have shown between 5.8 and 6.1, which my diabetic team regard as 'Excellent control' so now I'm down to a 12-monthly check.
I hope you achieve as good a result with your diabetes control.
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Contributor's Note
I do not have qualified medical knowledge. This Intel is based purely on my personal experience as a Diabetic. You should always check with your Diabetic Care Team before making any changes to your diet, medication or exercise regime.
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