As someone who has had type 2 diabetes for 15 years, I have had my ups and downs with this disease.
But through those ups and downs I have learned some valuable lessons with respect to diabetes as a whole and diabetes management in particular.
I have tried a myriad of medicines.
Metaformin, glimepiride, Byetta just to name a few and they have been effective with varying effects.
But over time I have come to realize that there is no replacement for a good diet and exercise plan.
There are many articles about good diabetes foods.
What is a good carb? What is a bad carb? But this article concentrates on the HOW as oppose to the WHAT.
I have found this to be equally, if not more important.
Too much of a good carb could kill, if you know what I mean.
Here are some diabetes diet tips that proved successful for me with respect to the HOW when it comes to diabetes diet planning.
- Eat Big at Breakfast: Eat your largest meal in the morning, with your largest amount of carbs eaten during this meal.
Now when I say big I do not mean Paul Bunyan big, but larger than the other meals you will eat during the day.
I typically eat my largest serving of carbohydrates in the morning also.
This is for two reasons.
First, I work out in the morning and I need carbs for my workout, although I don't eat the carbs until after my workout (more about that later).
Second, eating the bulk of your carbs in the morning gives you the entire day to burn them, which is important for a person with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes.
- Eat Many Mini Meals: There are not too many people who don't advise this for any diet plan.
For a diabetic it is critical, because it allows your body to process what you eat gradually as oppose to a big meal, which your body has to go into overdrive to process.
Big meals are not the best friend of a diabetic.
- Eat Light at Night: I would advise stopping at around 6pm.
This is usually what gets many diabetics (particularly people who have type 2 diabetes), because as the day goes along we may miss a meal or two because we are busy and then we try to make up for it later in the day.
This is a big mistake for two reasons.
First, eating big meals doesn't make our bodies happy.
It is analogous to bringing a whole bunch of work to a person who is not equipped to handle it.
It will do nothing but stress your body out.
Second, eating late at night also is a problem because it is in effect a double whammy, because we are eating a huge meal during the time our body is ramping down.
To use the analogy I used earlier, we are bringing a huge amount of work for our bodies right before closing time.
Remember how you felt when someone did this to you at work.
Now imagine how your body feels.
And I can virtually guarantee your fasting glucose level will be elevated.
- Find a Way To Workout: And you don't have to do anything special.
Just do something!! I have learned that the little things you do can make a big difference over time.
You would be amazed how walking a little everyday can have huge long term benefits to your health.
Now what does exercise have to do with diet planning? I am glad you asked that question.
How and when you exercise will play a HUGE part on when and what you eat.
And if there is a magic bullet, this is it.
Nothing impacts my blood glucose level more than exercising.
Now here is something interesting.
When I workout in the mornings, I typically do not take in any carbs before I workout and I take my glucose level before I workout.
It is typically around 85 to 90.
After I workout, my glucose level goes up!!! But this is a good thing, because what is happening is that my body is drawing on my fat stores to get energy (glucose).
As a type 2 diabetic, I have to believe this is helping my body process my glucose more efficiently.
- Properly Prepare your Food in Advance: The truth is diabetes is all about management.
And good diabetes diet planning is of little help if we don't do some advance preparing.
If I had one piece of advice to give my fellow diabetics, especially those of use with type 2 diabetes, it would be do as much pre-planning and preparing as possible.
Prepare your food in advance.
Create a weekly menu of foods that you want to eat and schedule exercise opportunities throughout your day.
There are many other things that can be done, but for me these are some of the crucial tips that tipped the balance for me going from a person with a lot of health complications to being in great shape and health.