Since being diagnosed with diabetes at the age of eleven, my own diet has changed dramatically. I maintain my current healthy weight with a great diet/meal plan. If you are planning to lose more than a stone, then I would see your doctor for more tips on how to do it safely.
I have had diabetes for seven years, but to tell you that my weight control is perfect would be completely wrong of me. However, I can advise you to follow my steps because I know what works and what doesn't. Before I really start, I must also say that I was raised by great parents who taught me to eat everything, that's me! If you don't like something, there are plenty of other diabetic recipes and ideas that you can eat and enjoy.
I am a college student and love to buy fresh and organic produce from where I live. I believe this is important because it can be the best for your body and contains more nutrients and vitamins than most supermarkets. I love picking up food at my fortnightly farmer's market in town, which sells amazing meat and dairy products and seasonally fresh fruit and vegetables. This is another important thing to keep in mind that eating fruits and vegetables in their season means they will taste better and be good for you too. I have a lot of influence from Western European cuisine (mainly France and Italy) as you can see, but I don't profess to be a chef and everything is easy and very convenient.
I have read countless diet books and diabetic recipe/diet books, and I have come to the conclusion that I think it really works. I combined all the good things from the diets (but not every diet) and sort of put together my own.
This is what I call my healthy diabetes diet! The "rules" I would lay down are as follows:
1. Cut back on snacking, and then change the type of snacks you eat.
Definitely my biggest downfall, even if I didn't know it. When I first started university, I had almost no routine, which meant that filling my day was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack, however healthy, was a common occurrence. This is one of the hardest things for some people, but creating a great routine is essential to great diabetes care. Types of snacks to eat are unsalted nuts, dried unsweetened fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), dark chocolate (richer and nicer, and usually you only want 2 squares).
2. Limit white flour and embrace whole grain carbohydrates.
This is the most important part of your diet and the thing that can show the biggest increase in weight loss. Some diets really focus on this point and are very successful. Whole grains (especially whole with seeds) are so good for you and have so much more flavor that making the switch is a lot easier than you think. Most people will be really surprised by the variety you get in the supermarket, again remember that the best bread for you is the freshest with the least preservatives or added ingredients. Also, brown or basmati rice is great with a lovely nutty texture. Whole wheat pasta is great, and I would totally recommend smaller new potatoes for your potatoes.
3. Stop drinking cocktails, start drinking wine.
Shakes are full of sugar, dyes and preservatives. As a student, I trained a lot to be able to go out and not drink cocktails, so my go-to drinks are Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel like I have to drink and make it through the night. Then I can top up my Diet Coke (which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks like I'm drinking Malibu, who knows. If you're at a restaurant, red wine is much better than anything else you can order (except water, of course!) and the antioxidants in red wine have been shown to be great for keeping your heart healthy. The recommended amount is one glass a day with an evening meal.
4. Start cooking more fruits and vegetables.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there are so many ways to cook vegetables, but I find that raw is the best, closely followed by steamed. Both of these methods retain all their natural goodness. I will follow up this post with another diabetes recipe post.
5. Drink more water.
I know you've heard it many times before, but the benefits of drinking more water are endless. A few tips to get more water into your day is to start by carrying water bottles everywhere you go, at home or at work. So keep one on your desk, table, glass in the kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc. Try drinking all these glasses, and you'll be well on your way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so, if you try to drink all the water at once you won't be so inclined to drink 8 glasses, trust me! Try it, it's amazing how great you'll feel.
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