If you are diabetic, losing weight can help you lower your blood sugar and reduce the amount of medication you must take to manage the disease. Diabetics do not respond well to refined carbohydrates, so the key is to base your diet on whole grains, fruits and vegetables. If you need a little help with eating healthy, you can turn to diets for diabetics to lose weight.
Exchange Diet
In an exchange diet, each food group–carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and proteins–is called an “exchange.” You are allowed a certain number of exchanges per food group per meal. You plan your meal based on your exchanges. For example, if you have allotted three carbohydrates and one protein exchange for breakfast, you might be able to eat an egg on an English muffin.
Create Your Plate
The Create Your Plate diet is proposed by the American Diabetes Association and is a way for you to watch how much you eat. To follow this diet, you simply need to divide your plate into three sections–the first section takes up half of the plate and you divide the other half into two sections. On the large section of the plate, you can fill it up with healthy vegetables, like a salad or steamed broccoli. In one of the smaller sections, you can add protein and, in the other one, you can place a carbohydrate.
Carb Counting
Carbohydrates are the foods that will most affect your blood sugar, so by limiting the amount of carbohydrates you eat, you’ll be able to lose weight. The American Diabetes Association states that you don’t have to follow a strict low-carb diet, such as Atkins, which limits carbs to fewer than 20 grams (g) per day, but you should keep the carbs that you eat at each meal between 45g to 60g.
Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index Diet is based on the fact that some carbohydrates are more likely to increase your blood sugar than others. Each food has a glycemic index, or GI. Foods with a high GI will raise your blood sugar more; you should avoid eating those foods. Instead, stay with foods that have a low or medium GI. Examples include whole wheat bread, brown rice and bran cereal.
Diabetic Food Pyramid
By following the Diabetic Food Pyramid, you can learn to eat healthier and begin to lose weight. Whole grains are at the bottom of the pyramid. This means that whole grains should form the majority of your diet. The next level is fruits and vegetables, which you should also eat freely. The next level contains meats or proteins and dairy products, which you should eat a few times a day. At the top of the pyramid is fats and sweets, which you should eat sparingly.
Photo Credit
- salade de fruits image by Serge di Marco from Fotolia.com
