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Dieting For Diabetics
by: Marcela De Vivo
Wondering what to do now that you’ve been diagnosed with
diabetes? Doctors usually drone on through a slew of lifestyle changes,
including giving up your favorite foods (no!) and incorporating more exercise
(the horror!). Instead of thinking of this as a massive overhaul, however,
start adding in little changes to help manage diabetes. Studies have shown that
people are more likely to stick to a new diet and exercise plan if it is
incorporated gradually, through small and simple changes to what you eat
everyday.
As someone who has a special needs member of the family, I
understand how restricted diets can be a pain. A picky eater is doubly
difficult to cook for when I have to consider all the dietary needs my son has
in regards to his condition. But after cooking for him for several years, I’ve
picked up a few tricks and have some of suggestions could really work well to
help you manage your diabetes and weight loss with a minimum of lifestyle
changes.
First off, the big “E” word. Exercise is key if you want to
manage and lose weight safely with diabetes. You don’t need to start heavy
weightlifting like the Terminator, or try insane high intensity interval
workouts in order to reap the benefits of exercise. Simply walking when you
“run” your errands actually accomplishes
much of your daily exercise requirement.
And the added bonus of all that walking? You can save a lot on
gas by doing all your trips to the grocery store or drugstore on foot. And you won’t
be able to buy nearly as much as you have to schlep it back on your back—a half
gallon of ice cream becomes much less tempting when you consider how heavy it
is after a mile and how melt-y it is once you get it back to the house a
half-hour later.
Dietary changes can be a little more challenging. Giving up
favorite carb- and sugar- laden comfort foods can seem nearly impossible,
especially if you’re under stress. However, becoming someone who pays attention
to macronutrients and how many versions of sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose,
HCFS, dextrose, corn syrup, refiner’s syrup, the list goes on and on) appear in
your food is a good place to start.
You may have to give up those tempting goodies for something a
little healthier, but you just might start fitting into jeans that haven’t seen
the light of day in the last decade.
However, it isn’t all deprivation. While watching sugar, carb
and sodium content of snacks and meals will become important, there are an
array of satisfying substitutes for old favorites, or ways to improve on the
original versions. Nuts come in wide variety of flavors now—you can get cocoa
covered almonds if you’re jonesing for a chocolate fix. Nut clusters are also
amazing—sugary, salty, crunchy, and absolutely fantastic.
While cucumber slices will never replace tortilla chips, dip
them in enough guacamole and anyone (ok, most people) can overlook their lack
of carb-y-ness. Mini-cheeses are adorable and great as a snack on the run.
I’ve also seen benefits in food pairing when it comes to a
“cheat” moment. If you are going to eat something that will cause your blood
sugar to soar (like some fruits and all desserts), make it a point to combine
it with some fat and protein to slow down the absorption of the sugar. Apple
slices with peanut butter is actually pretty delicious (and addicting—I do not
recommend eating straight from the jar unless you have better self control than
I do). Dried fruit brings the flavor to some unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt
for breakfast.
Try to focus on what you can eat. Substitutions are much easier
than they were in the past, what with the low-carb craze and the rise in
popularity of paleo-friendly diets out there. Spaghetti squash with turkey meat
sauce? Yes, please! Losing weight on a healthy, diabetic-friendly diet has
never been more delicious.
Marcela De Vivo is a
freelance writer in the Los Angeles area who has written on everything from
marketing, technology, and real estate, as well as a variety of health and
wellness topics. She’s learned so much from her son and loves
sharing that knowledge with others.
