| A healthy diet and regular exercise are | | | | pasta help you to control the amount of |
| essential for your overall health. Many | | | | carbohydrates you take in. |
| diseases, including diabetes, can be managed | | | | |
| successfully with a healthy diet. Since each | | | | - Fresh fruits and vegetables – eating |
| disease causes different symptoms and your | | | | fresh fruits and vegetables will help your |
| body needs different nutrients to manage the | | | | digestive system to perform correctly. It is |
| disease, each disease may require a different | | | | easier for your body to turn natural sugar |
| type of diet. If your body does not properly | | | | into energy. |
| absorb the sugars you are ingesting, you may | | | | |
| need to avoid foods that are starchy and | | | | - Fat – eating less fat is essential to |
| contain a lot of sugar. | | | | an overall healthy diet and this allows your |
| | | | body to be able to digest food better and |
| Before you begin a diet that is aimed at | | | | absorb the necessary nutrients. |
| managing a certain disease, it is important | | | | |
| to consult your physician and get a true | | | | - Sweets – consuming large amounts of |
| diagnosis. If your body is actually turning | | | | sweets can cause your body to retain excess |
| starches and sugars into energy properly, you | | | | sugar levels in the blood because the kidneys |
| could risk the chance of denying your body of | | | | cannot turn the sugars into energy fast |
| the necessary foods by decreasing the amount | | | | enough. |
| of starch and sugars in your diet. So, be | | | | |
| sure to check with your physician, who will | | | | - Carbohydrates – carbohydrates turn to |
| go over your symptoms and perform tests to | | | | sugar in your body and are necessary in order |
| determine the correct diagnosis. | | | | to have the energy needed for your body to |
| | | | function properly. The key to carbohydrates |
| Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, | | | | is learning when you should consume them and |
| your diabetes diet will play an important | | | | how many you should consume. |
| role in the management of the disease. Your | | | | |
| diabetes diet does not necessarily restrict | | | | - Alcohol – as with any healthy diet, |
| the food that you are allowed to consume. | | | | your consumption of alcohol should be |
| Rather the diabetes diet will usually consist | | | | limited. Alcohol has a high content of sugars |
| of consuming a variety of foods in the | | | | and, just as too much alcohol can impair your |
| correct portions that will allow your body to | | | | body’s motor skills and judgment |
| use the nutrients properly. The two most | | | | ability, too much alcohol can also impair |
| important aspects of a healthy diet are | | | | your body’s ability to turn sugars into |
| eating regular meals as closely as possible | | | | energy. |
| to the same time each day and eating the | | | | |
| right amounts of the healthiest foods. If you | | | | Living Healthy |
| are already eating a healthy diet, there may | | | | |
| not be many changes. But, if you are not | | | | As is the case with most any disease, living |
| eating a healthy diet or do not eat regular | | | | a healthy life-style is the key to |
| meals at around the same time each day, you | | | | successfully managing the disease. An overall |
| may have to make more changes. The key is to | | | | healthy diet not only increases your chance |
| become conscious of what your body’s | | | | of successfully managing your diabetes, but |
| needs are and plan accordingly. | | | | allows your body’s digestive system to |
| | | | perform correctly, allows your brain to |
| Hints for a Successful Diabetes Diet | | | | function properly, and allows you to lead a |
| | | | normal lifestyle. Being overweight can |
| The following hints will give you some idea | | | | increase the risk of diseases such as |
| of what changes you will need to make in your | | | | diabetes to cause other medical problems, so |
| diet to successfully manage diabetes: | | | | it is very important to maintain a healthy |
| | | | diet. If you are overweight when you are |
| - Eating often – rather than 1-2 large | | | | diagnosed with diabetes, your diabetes diet |
| meals per day, it is healthier to consume 3-4 | | | | may be somewhat different until you can reach |
| small meals. This allows you to eat in | | | | and maintain a healthy weight. Be sure to |
| healthy proportions without feeling hungry | | | | discuss your diabetes diet with your |
| throughout the day. | | | | physician and learn to manage your diabetes |
| | | | and give yourself the chance to live a |
| - Whole-grain foods – whole-grain foods | | | | healthier life. |
| such as wheat breads, wheat rice, and wheat | | | | |