Eating Healthy for Diabetes
November 29, 2012
•Emily Murray
•Scottsdale
• 0 Comments
Eating Healthy for Diabetes
One of the worst things for any foodie to hear is that they are suffering from diabetes. While this doesn’t need to mean the end of eating all of you favorite dishes, it will require a bit of a transition from what you are used to. If a loved one was recently diagnosed or if you are having a dinner party and a guest is diabetic, here is a basic crash course of everything your will need to know. If you would like to learn more about this type of special needs cooking, you may want to think about taking classes in cooking for diabetics.
First things first, in case you are not familiar with it diabetes is the result of the body not producing sufficient insulin. Insulin is the hormone needed to convert sugar and starches into glucose and this lack of glucose means the lack of energy. Managing your diabetes is the best way to deal with the condition. In addition to medication and exercising, medical professionals suggest eating the right foods.
Here are a few tips for eating healthy with diabetes.
Get Your Fruits and Veggies for the Day
The focus should be on lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The recommended servings are at least five to seven times per day. Some nutritionists suggest that there is no limitation to how much fruits and vegetables diabetics should eat. Lean meats such as turkey, chicken, fish, and lean cuts of pork or beef are suggested. For dairy products, choose low fat items. Focus on less sweets and high calorie snacks. An important aspect of creating a healthy plate is exercising portion control.
Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
Wise planning is the second step. Plan your meals. Write a shopping list and use it; buy only what is on your list. This practice will help you to avoid buying unnecessary items. Since shopping healthy is usually more costly, wise planning will aid in keeping cost to a minimum. Finally, plan to shop when you are not hungry.
Be a Smart Shopper
Smart shopping is the third step. Buy only healthy food items like whole grain cereals, bread, and pasta. Avoid white foods as much as possible because they increase sugar. Fresh fruits and vegetables are preferred over frozen and canned. Avoid aisles that are heavily stocked with candies, sweet drinks, and other sweet and starchy snacks.
Eat Healthy – Live it and Love it
Healthy eating is the fourth step. Reduce sodium and sugar contents in canned foods as much as possible. This is an important lesson not only for diabetics but for everyone in general. It is also something that is typically reinforced throughout classes in cooking healthy meals. A good method is to drain vegetables and wash them in hot water. The same can be done with fruits, or buy them in juices instead of syrup. Before meals, have a healthy drink, eat a salad, or have some broth. The fuller you are when you sit down to eat, the less you will want to eat. Keep healthy snacks conveniently located. When eating out, order grilled meat instead of fried. For sides, order fruits and vegetables. Lastly, (as horrible as it is) skip the desserts.
Happy living will be the result of following the above-recommended steps. Too much of the wrong foods will be counter-productive. The body already has a problem converting sugar and starch to energy and the last thing you want to do is make it worse. Therefore, the more of these types of food you feed the body, the harder the body will have to work. This will also result in decreased energy level. Eating the right kinds of food will aid the insulin process by making sugar and starch conversion easier. If you are struggling to find new and creative ways to eat healthier, you might enjoy enrolling in cooking classes at a culinary school in Arizona.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale. Le Cordon Bleu College of
Culinary Arts in Scottsdale offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Scottsdale, Arizona.
To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Scottsdale for more information.
Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more atwww.chefs.edu/disclosures.
Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.