Overcoming Diabetes Diet Mistakes It happens that you stepped off the diet thats helping you manage your diabetes. Now its time to get back on track. The sooner you do that, the better -- for your health and your peace of mind. These simple strategies can help you get right back on track with healthy eating. Best and Worst Meals for Diabetes 1. Stop the slide. So you had some chocolate cake or pizza. Move on. Everyone falls off. Persistence and getting back on track is crucial. The fix: Take a minute to think about what happened right before you ate whatever it was that you regret. Did you go too long without eating and were too hungry to say no? To avoid hunger pangs, plan out your meals and always carry smart snacks like almonds and carrots. That way, the next time youre at a bakery or pizzeria, you can make good choices for your meal plan. 2. Pare down your portions. It can be tricky to tell whether youre eating too much just by looking at your plate. Servings are notoriously big when youre eating out. The fix: Shrink the size of your plate. Instead of using a dinner plate, use a salad plate. Youll put less on it. If youre at home, you can use a measuring cup to portion out exactly the right amount. 3. Beware sugar-free baked goodies. When youre craving something sweet, sugar-free cookies or pie might sound like just the thing. Not so fast. You have to be very careful, because they usually have refined starches in them. The high carb content of these sugarless treats can have the same effect on your blood sugar as real sweets. The fix: Read labels carefully, counting the total carbs, not just the sugar. When you want something sweet, eat foods that wont spike your blood sugar -- like berries (theyre high in fiber, which helps prevent a blood sugar surge) or sugar-free gelatin. 4. Stop skipping meals. Youre going to a dinner party, so you skip breakfast and lunch to save up on calories. Bad idea. Your blood sugar will dip too low, and you could easily overeat at dinner. The fix: Your doctor, a diabetes educator, or a registered dietitian can let you know the best plan for day-to-day eating and for special occasions. Eat three meals, and possibly snacks, according to your meal plan to keep your blood sugar steady. 5. Eat in during the week. Eating out is fun, but you dont control portion sizes and ingredients when a chef cooks for you. Nearly everything you order at a restaurant has more fat and calories than you should eat. Its not to say you can never eat in a restaurant, but you need to plan ahead. The fix: Save restaurant meals for weekends and special occasions. When you do eat out, read the menu online ahead of time. Could you get broccoli instead of fries, or ask for your food to be cooked without salt, butter, and oil? You can also ask to take some of your food boxed up, so its off your plate. 6. Give yourself some margin. You need to watch what you eat, but you also need to be realistic. If you try to never have a cookie or bread, youre setting yourself up for failure. A lot of people will deprive, deprive, deprive, and theyre OK with it for a short period of time because of the results. The fix: Give your diet a little breathing room. For instance, if you love dessert, eat a small bowl of frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream after dinner. Make that your one treat for the day. It has to be moderation, not deprivation. If youre not sure how to set those limits, ask your doctor, diabetes educator, or registered dietitian.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 22:24:31 +0000