Healthy Eating

So you're probably wondering, what am I going to eat now? Am I going to have to go on a "diabetes" diet? The answer is, No! These days you can pretty much eat what you were eating before you got diabetes. BUT, and this is an important BUT, you have to plan before you eat.

The thing to remember about having diabetes is that you have to eat healthy, just like people without diabetes. This doesn't mean you can't eat your favorite foods anymore. You can still eat pizza, hamburgers or ice cream (of course, not all at the same time!). It just means you have to be more careful about how often you eat them and how much you eat each time.

The Big 3

Your body uses three kinds of nutrients:

• Carbohydrates (grains, vegetables, fruits)
• Proteins (meat, fish and beans)
• Fats (oils)

Each one has a different job.

Carbohydrates, AKA carbs

Eating carbohydrates is like putting gas in your car – it'll give you energy fast. That's because carbohydrates or "carbs" are turned quickly into glucose – your body's main source for fuel. Remember, glucose feeds all the cells in your body.

Examples of carbs include fruits, starchy vegetables, breads, pastas, rice, sugar, syrup and honey. Basically, carbs are foods that your stomach can break down pretty easily and turn into glucose. That's why carbs are important to your diabetes management.

Proteins

Proteins come mostly from meats and fish. There are some nuts and beans that are high in protein and foods like milk, cheese and yogurt have some protein in them too. These foods also usually have some carbs in them too but they are more complex and take a while to digest.

Proteins help repair and build muscle in your body.

Fats

Though we should watch how much fat we need, a small amount of fat is necessary to stay healthy. Fats help your body absorb vitamins and also help to make you feel full. Too much fat in your diet can make you gain weight because fats have double the amount of calories than carbs or protein.

Some fats are better for you than others. Olive oil, canola oil and fat from avocados are some examples of fats that are better for you than fats from butter and meats.