EATING FOR A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

As most of you know I am a diabetic who was diagnosed approximately 13 years ago.  Since then I have done extensive research on diabetes, general health, and diet.  The following guidelines for diabetics are also good guidelines for everyone.  If you want to lose weight, be healthier, or control your blood sugar, you should implement these guidelines to your daily diet.

• Reduce the amount of sugary food and drinks that you consume.  Notice that includes drinks.  Many people get more sugar from what they drink than from what they eat!
• Watch your fat intake and cut it back.  This includes oils that include saturated and/or trans fats.  Olive oil and coconut oil are healthy oils and should be part of your diet.  Read the label on any oils you use and avoid the saturated and/or trans fats altogether.
• Increase the amounts of lean protein in your diet.  Chicken breast, fish, soy products, are all examples of lean protein.
• Here is a big one that is so easy.  Decrease your serving sizes!  Almost all of us are eating servings that are 2 to 3 times what they should be.  When eating out, ask for a to-go container with your meal. Most restaurant meals are at least twice what you should eat.  Immediately remove half the food from your plate and put it in the to-go container and out of sight.  Now you have another meal to take home for another day.
• Increase the amounts of fresh fruits (not canned fruits in sugary syrup), vegetables (fresh or frozen when possible), whole grains (get rid of all white rice, regular pasta, regular breads, etc from your pantry), beans (especially important for diabetics), and low-fat dairy (stop buying whole-milk and cheeses made from whole-milk).

These simple guidelines are basically from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  I have added some thoughts of my own.

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