Create a Diabetic Food Grocery List
Let's Create a Diabetic Food Grocery List!!! When you have diabetes, one of the single most important things you can do to help keep your diabetes under control is learn how to make proper food choices. While talking with a nutritionists is very beneficial, there are some basic tips you can follow that will help. One such tip is to make a diabetic food grocery list before you go grocery shopping. It’s important that you understand the difference between sugar and carbohydrates. The body opts to use carbohydrates first for energy. Sugar is a carbohydrate, but not all carbohydrates are sugar. There are three types of carbohydrates:
• Complex – these are carbohydrates are complex in structure and they take longer for the body to breakdown. Starches in potatoes and peas are examples of complex carbs. • Simple - these carbohydrates are simple in structure and are very easily broken down by the body. This is where your table sugar and sugar in fruits fall. • Fiber - these are very complex carbs that are not broken down by the body. Fiber is important for two reasons, it helps with weight loss and it slows the body absorption of sugar. Fiber is also in two forms, soluble, which means it is dissolved in water and insoluble which means it can not be dissolved in water.
Free Diabetic Diet Ideas!!!!
When it comes to carbohydrates,diabetics need to pay attention to the amount of and type of carbohydrates they are consuming. You don’t have to eliminate them. But on your grocery list you want more diabetic foods that complex carbohydrates and fiber, then simple carbohydrates. This isn’t to say that you can’t eat fruit, on the contrary you can and should be eating fruit everyday. Controlling portions is the key. You don’t want to eat several portions all at once because it will cause your blood sugar to spike. Spread them out through the day. So on your diabetic food grocery list make sure that you have plenty of fruits and vegetables. By plenty I don’t mean 2 dozen oranges and 3 pounds of carrots. You also need a variety. So try to get different types of fruits, oranges, apples, bananas, mango, strawberries, melons and vegetables like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, carrots, squash. The bulk of your grocery list should consist of fruits and veggies. Then you need to make sure that you are getting protein. The first recommendation here is
fish,
and preferably oily fish. This is because oily fish have high levels of Omega-3s which are essential fats that are beneficial to optimal health. Example of oily fish include salmon, mackerel, herring and trout. You should be eating two servings of fish a week.
Sugars,fats and alcohol. When it comes to sugars try artificial sweeteners instead of regular sugar. Fats like butter and oil need to be watched carefully. You can use them but you need to make sure on your grocery list you have leaner fats like olive oil and pure vegetable oil, try to get spreads that are made from these as well. Alcohol, if you enjoy an occasional beer or a glass of wine you don’t have to give that up, but you will have to stick to the recommended amounts. Finally we should discuss the infamous “diabetic foods.” You have seen these in the stores, they are labeled diabetic foods so that you will think that you can get those and eating them is safe. In reality, they offer no health benefit and they will not help you control your diabetes. These foods are typically high in fat and calories. So stick with the recommendations above when you are making your diabetic food grocery list and you will be amazed at how easy will be to control your diabetes.
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