According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes are more likely to have serious complications from COVID-19. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with type II diabetes, it’s vital to adjust your habits to meet your new dietary requirements. The first area to tackle is healthier eating on a diabetic diet.
The main concern with a diabetic diet is to maintain regular blood glucose levels, while concurrently maintaining a healthy weight. Fortunately, both can be properly monitored and developed easily by a few simple changes to your current habits.
Getting tested by a Nutrition Response Testing® practitioner and monitored by a nutrition coach can help you implement healthier eating and improve your overall health.
Follow these suggestions to help you make the adjustments and guide you in the right direction:
- Pay attention to the pan. The point of using oil or butter when cooking is to lubricate your pan rather than enhancing the taste of your dish. Therefore, consider opting for a non-stick spray rather than fatty butter, or even substitute butter (such as I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter) to lubricate your pan.
- Non-stick cooking spray has very few calories. Plus, you can actually control the amount of calories added to your dish. The calories are controlled by the number of seconds you hold down the nozzle. If you hold the nozzle for the minimum recommended time, you can get as little as just one calorie!
2. Eat frequently. To maintain a normal level of blood glucose, it’s important to eat several smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large meals. If possible, eat a small meal every three hours.
- The secret to successfully implementing this tip is to always keep something on hand. Keep the snacks nutritious but with the right nutrients. Avoid items with a high sugar content.
- The best solution is to get tested by a Nutrition Response Testing® practitioner who can advise you on the exact nutrients your body needs. You’ll be able to better maintain your weight if your meals are based on real food that contains these nutrients.
- Plan your meals ahead of time. Pack yourself a healthy lunch for work before bed each night and then simply grab and go. Work with your nutrition coach to prepare a list of nutritious lunch options that meet your needs.
3. Be mindful. Being diagnosed with type II diabetes needn’t signify the end of your culinary adventures. Portion and quality control are essential aspects of adapting your diet. You can still have tasty foods; however, you’ll just need to keep a watchful eye on exactly what and how much food you consume.
- Step away from the table before you’re “Thanksgiving full.” You know you’ve had enough when you feel satisfied and are no longer hungry. If you find yourself in a nearly comatose state, it’s a sign to eat less next time.
- Not only is it important to eat within your capacity at every meal, it’s also important to be mindful of the quality of food you’re eating. Eat fresh, organic vegetables and high-quality protein. Stay away from the starches and sweets.
If you have diabetes, you have less wiggle room in your diet than someone without diabetes. An unhealthy diet can lead to severe health complications. Now is not the time to take this lightly – make every effort to find out exactly what nutrients your body needs, so you can start on a healthier eating plan for your diabetic diet.
Maintaining healthy eating habits to help manage diabetes isn’t difficult, but it does require your complete adherence. Little steps go a long way toward keeping your diet healthy. Small adjustments, such as planning your meals ahead of time, eating small but frequent meals, eliminating fatty foods, and eating more fresh, whole foods makes the difference that can lead you to better health.
