Living with diabetes doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of delicious food. Although diabetes requires you to keep a close eye on your sugar intake, you can still have your cake (sugar-free of course), and eat it too. Learn how to balance your meals and make healthy food choices that both you and your body will like! It all starts with a little research. Begin by talking to your doctor about the major no-no’s when it comes to food. Once you have a better idea of what you can have, start searching for recipes and dig in! We’ve got a few ideas up our sleeve for what it takes to eat healthy when living with diabetes.
1. It’s all in the power foods!
If you’re wondering what type of foods are best for a diabetic diet, start choosing options like grains, fruits, and vegetables. We’ve found a list of delicious power foods that will not only help you meet your healthy eating goals, but will also lower your risk of heart disease, which is often associated with diabetes.
A few foods found on the list above include apples, avocados, beans, broccoli, fish, nuts, yogurt, and tea. Anything that’s considered a whole food is free game! These are all perfect examples of foods that will keep your diabetes (and heart!) in check.
2. Watch your portions.
Let’s state a fact: our portions have become too oversized and are sometimes almost triple the amount we should actually be consuming. This extra food leads to an increased calorie intake and, in turn, doubles weight, which can lead to multiple health issues, especially for those with diabetes. It’s time to downsize on unhealthy foods and start upping the serving size of vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy foods.
Slimming down your portions will not only improve your weight, but it’ll also improve your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
3. Make the right choices.
Like the previous point, this one applies to everyone, not just those living with diabetes. Not only should we manage portion sizes, we should also make sure those portions are made up of the right kinds of foods! Consuming more foods that are natural will fuel our bodies, while eating fast and processed foods slow us down.
Start eating more foods such as healthy fats from nuts, flax seeds, and avocados, high-quality protein like eggs and beans, and high-fiber cereals and breads. As you keep that in mind, start eating less packaged and fast foods, processed and red meat, white bread, sugary cereals, and any fat-free products that replace the fats with added sugar.
4. Meal Prep.
A great way to keep yourself accountable with eating healthy is to plan your meals in advance. Oftentimes, we begin eating unhealthy when we don’t have time to prepare and cook healthier options. Quit reaching for the cheeseburger and start setting aside time during the week to search for some tasty and healthy recipes!
There are plenty of recipe sites that include hundreds of diabetic-friendly meals! To name a few, Pinterest, Yummly, AllRecipes, and Diabetes.org are easy to use and offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert options that will satisfy every palette!
5. Stay active!
One of the biggest problems those with diabetes face is lack of insulin, and one of the most powerful remedies is exercise! Staying active combined with healthy eating habits makes for an easier and more enjoyable lifestyle. Start off by walking for at least 30 minutes per day. Remember, small goals end up making a BIG difference!
Don’t let diabetes slow you down. You can still do the things you love and enjoy a full and active life. Remember to eat more whole foods, watch your portions, and keep your body moving and active. At Muskegon Surgical Associates, we’re here to help you live your best life. To learn more about our services, visit the MSA website or contact us at 231-739-9461.