What To Eat (For New Diabetics)

There is so much to absorb. You do not have to rush into anything. Begin
by using your best weapon in this war, Your meter. You won't keel over
today, you have time to experiment, test, learn, test and figure out just how
your body and this disease are getting along.

The most important thing you can do to learn about yourself and diabetes
is test, test, and test!!! More than most anything, what you eat will affect
your diabetes and your blood glucose numbers. The most important
information you can begin to compile about yourself, is how your body
handles carbs.

This sounds like you would need a low carb food plan right? 'You don't!'
What you need to uncover is YOUR Personalized Carb Numbers, which
actually works better for most everyone because low to one person is
wildly high to another, but way too low for someone else.

Is it anything less than the Pyramid recommendations?
Here's how you can figure out your own Personalized Carb Number.

The single biggest question a diabetic has to answer is:
What do I eat? Unfortunately, the answer is pretty confusing. What
confounds us all is the fact that different diabetics can get great results
on wildly different food plans.

Some of us achieve great blood glucose control eating a high
complex carbohydrate diet. Others find that anything over 75 -
100g of carbs a day is too much. Still others are somewhere in
between.

At the beginning all of us felt frustrated. We wanted to be handed
"THE" way to eat, to ensure our continued health.

But we all had to learn that there is no one way. Each of us
had to find our own path, using the experience of those that
went before, but still having to discover for ourselves how OUR
bodies and this disease were co-existing.

Ask questions, but remember each of us had to discover on our
own what works best for us. You can use others experiences
as jumping off points, but eventually you'll work up a successful
plan that is yours alone. What you are looking to discover is
how different foods affect you.

As I am sure you've read, carbohydrates (sugars, wheat, rice...
the things our Grandmas called "starches") raise blood sugars
the most rapidly. Protein and fat do raise them, but not as high
and much more slowly. So if you're a Type 2, generally the
insulin your body still makes may take care of the rise.

       You might want to try some experiments.

First: Eat whatever you've been currently eating, but write it all down!

Test yourself at the

following times:

Upon waking (fasting)

1 hour after each meal

2 hours after each meal

At bedtime

*That means 8 x each day.

What you will discover by this is how long after a meal your highest
reading comes and how fast you return to "normal". Also, you may see
that a meal that included bread, fruit or other carbs gives you a higher
reading.

Then for the next few days, try to curb your carbs. Eliminate breads,
cereals, rice, beans, any wheat products, potato, corn, and fruit. Get all
your Carbs from veggies. Test at the same schedule above.

If you try this for a few days, you may find some pretty good readings. It's
worth a few days to discover. THEN you can slowly add back carbs until
you see them affecting your meter.

The thing about this disease, though we share much in common and we
need to follow certain guidelines. In the end, each of our bodies dictates
our treatment and our success.

The closer we get to non-diabetic numbers, the greater chance we have
of avoiding horrible complications.

The key here is AIM. I know that everyone is at a different point in their
disease and it is progressive. But, if we aim for the best numbers and do
our best, we give ourselves the best shot at heath we've got. That's all we
can do.

Here's my opinion on what numbers to aim for, they are non-diabetic
numbers.

   Fasting BG                       Under 100
    One hour after meals       Under 140
    Two hours after meals     Under 120

Or in the mmol system parts of the world:

  Fasting BG                          Under 6
    One hour after meals          Under 8
   Two hours after meals         Under 6.5

Recent studies have indicated that the most important numbers
are your "after meal" numbers. They may be the most
indicative of future complications, especially heart problems.

Listen to your doctor, but you are the leader of your diabetic
care team. While his/her advice is learned, it is not absolute.
You will end up knowing much more about your body and how
it's handling diabetes than your doctor will.

Your meter is your best weapon!
Just remember, we're not in a race or a competition with
anyone but ourselves.

Play around with your food plan. TEST, TEST and TEST
more. Learn what foods cause spikes, what foods cause
cravings. Use your body as a science experiment.

You'll read about a lot of different ways people use to control their
diabetes... Many are diametrically opposed. After awhile you'll learn that
there is no one size fits all.

Take some time to experiment and you'll soon discover the plan that works
for you!