Diabetes and Food

[Reblog]

Hi,

I recently tested positive for Diabetes. Diabetes has affected my family for many years. Unfortunately no one has ever taken it seriously and as a result my father passed away about 4 years ago. I don’t want to end up like him. I know that I need to change my lifestyle. Exercising and eating properly are my first changes. This is where your help is needed. I’m not a big cook. Cooking has never been a passion of mine. Frozen dinners and take-out have been my vices. I need some recipes that are easy to prepare but also factor in my diabetes. Is there any cookbooks or websites that you can suggest with this kind of information in them? Any help would be great!

[morrisma]

Welcome & good move looking online for help. Lots of it here.

Lots of recipes online and whole cookbooks devoted to diabetics. The real trick is knowing how many carbs you are consuming and limiting them if you can. Frozen dinners, while not always the most nutritious, are okay since they all have total carbohydrate numbers on them. Get used to checking them and being aware of foods low in carbs.

Exercise, portion control, carb counting and blood glucose testing will get you a long way toward keeping healthy.
Mike

[Cramster]

I'm guessing that TV dinners are OK as long as you watch the potatoes, corn, and brownies that usually take up the carb portion of it. Mostly though, you can experiment with testing and seeing how certain foods you like will affect your blood glucose levels. Always keep an eye out for tons of carbs in the breads, pastas, and of course sweets. There are great alternatives for many of the foods we love that aren't just imitations. Oh and welcome to the forums!

[princesslinda]

Hi Reblog, welcome! I can relate to your situation, as I lost my mother to diabetic complications when she was 54....its definitely a good motivator to do what we can to help ourselves live longer and healthier lives.

For me, I had to learn a totally new way of eating...I was a carb addict...I ate lots of potatoes, rice, bread, pasta...all things that aren't the smartest choices for diabetics.

Now, I eat more salads, green veggies, lean meats and s/f jello and pudding. You can buy ready to eat salads...or just bagged salads for your lunch. Add some cheese, almonds and your lunch meat of choice, throw on a boiled egg, top with vinaigarette, Italian or Ranch dressing...viola! Chef salad. Or eat tuna salad on a low-carb wrap...easy!

Bake a few chicken breasts in the evenings after work (marinate it in italian dressing..yummy!)...you'll get several meals from these...or grill a few burgers, steaks, fish...whatever...have it without the bun. I buy low-carb tortillas and have a huge fajita when the mood hits....instead of the 3-4 tortillias I ate before, I have only one tortilla, and eat the rest of the meat/onion/pepper mixture with a fork.

For breakfast, try your favorite omelette...you can even scramble eggs the night before and refrigerate...top with cheese and microwave until warm the next morning. Also, South Beach Bars and meals are an easy alterative.

A good rule of thumb is to check your blood sugar 2 hrs after your FIRST BITE of food and you'll see how different foods affect your blood sugar and be able to make smarter food choices.

Congrats on taking your first steps to a healthier way of life. Your dad would be proud!