Diabetes Does Not Mean STOP To Everything

Diabetes is a chronic disease which is spreading at an alarming pace. Today, more than 180 million people live with diabetes and the disease kills more people than AIDS and breast cancer put together.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, don’t lose hope, and consider yourself one of the lucky ones who have detected the disease before it caused critical health complications. It is true that your life from now on will not be the same or as easy as it was. You have to be careful about what to eat, take your insulin shots if you are a type 1 diabetic and always keep your blood sugar under control.

You’ve been told that you have to avoid so many foods, that you are wondering if you are allowed to eat anything at all. Nutrition experts understand that you are in a difficult situation, that is why they have specifically put together a list of types of food you can still eat and keep your diabetes under control, while also enjoying a tasty and nurturing meal. Here are their recommendations:

-You can eat white foods, as not all white food is sugary, starchy and lacking nutrition (e.g. example apples, potatoes, cauliflower, milk, cottage cheese)
– You are allowed to eat 5 servings of fruits/vegetables each day. Just be careful at the portion size!
– Snack is not a must! You should snack only if this helps you eat less and healthier.
– You do not have to give up all sweets. Just read the labels carefully and watch out for the size of the portion and the quantity of calories and sugar.
– Sugar-free food is not necessarily good for you, as it might contain fats, calories or carbohydrates. Read the labels carefully and you’ll be OK.
– Although there are some foods which do not harm you, this does not mean you have to eat them in excess.
– If your blood sugar is low, don’t dig in sweets, cookies and pies. Always keep with you sugar cubes, hard candies or glucose tablets.
– Fatty food does matter. Even if carbohydrates are the culprits behind high blood sugar levels, fat is much worse. It provides many calories, hinders weight control, increases the risk for heart disease and affects your body’s response to insulin.

Having diabetes is about keeping everything under control, measuring, being careful, staying alert, reading labels and asking questions about ingredients. It might not be easy for you and the ones around you, but you have to learn to live with it and, most of all,  have a healthy diet. You can do it!

Ana Savin