Seeking Information on How to Eat Healthy

Trust me, I do not mean to be condescending whatsoever with this suggestion, but one of the best sources would be the book Diabetes for Dummies. I have the weight training, fitness, and nutrition for dummies books and love them. While I have not read the diabetes one, I can only imagine it is written similarly which would make it a fantastic resource. The books are packed full of a lot of valuable information but presented in a sensible sequence and easy to understand.

Other easy, basic tips:

-Eat small meals every 2-3 hours to keep blood sugar nice and consistent in the body (avoiding highs and lows).

-Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, stocking up mostly on food found in it's most natural form (fruits, veggies, lean/low-fat meats, low-fat dairy products, etc.).

-Processed foods are junk and not helpful in helping control your blood sugar. They are usually high in refined sugars - these will enter the bloodstream quickly and violently, giving you a sugar high. Some of the sugar is managed by insulin but the rest of the sugar either remains in the bloodstream (making you feel sluggish) or gets sent to storage and converted to fat. Additionally, refined sugars and processed foods typically do not make you feel full and keep you satisfied which is why you may want to eat more food sooner to usual.

-Carbs should NEVER be off-limits, but focus on complex carbohydrates, particularly those high in dietary fiber. Your body does need sugar, but the sugar in complex carbs is released gradually and more slowly than refined/simple sugars and your body can better manage them. Also, complex carbs make you feel fuller for longer and you avoid the eat/crash/eat/crash cycle.

-Try to include exercise daily even if it is just starting with a 10 minute walk around the block. Slowly work up to a 30 minute block of time.

Good luck to you!

Hi,

American Diabetes Association put out a book called "The New Soul Food Cookbook for People w/Diabetes by Fabiola Demps Gaines and Roniece Weaver. The American Diabetes Assn. phone number to order books is 1-800-232-6733 or log on to http://store.diabetes.org.

Also, you should do some research on alternative health methods to cure your diabetes

There is another option to help diabetes. It's called PGX. It's a water soluble fiber pill that absorbs glucose from the food you eat. I recommend 'Googling' PGX to get more info. There is also a companion book called 'Never be Hungry Again" which outlines the low GI (Glucose Index) diet. At Multiform Fitness in Hoffman Estates, several of our members use PGX with great results. I don't know where you live, but regular exercise with weight training is one of the best things you can do for diabetes. Check us out online at www.MultiformFitness.com.

My husband had a heart attack about four years ago (I know you have diabetes, stay with me). His cardiologist recommended Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease. This book (and other books by Dr. Ornish) has recipies and lifestyle changes to reverse heart disease. The program is also supposed to be exceptional for diabetes and keeping blood sugar under control. When my husband was on the program, he lost about 50 pounds, his cholesterol and triglicerides dropped dramatically.

Good luck!

Hi J.,
I would suggest you look into the body ecology diet. www.bodyecology.com. I would also buy the book; The Body Ecology Diet (recovering your health and rebuilding your immunity). It was designed for people who have an over growth of yeast in their bodies and if you've just been diagnosed with diabetes, you definaely have it. I would urge you to go to the site and take the candidiasis quiz and see for yourself. I put my family on the diet two months ago- me for cronic headaches and muscle cramps, my boyfriend for shingles and alopecia and our son for asthma and allergies. We're all on the road to recovery and you can be too! I also suggest you become a member of the bedrock community messageboard (its free). There is alot of support, encouragement and yummy receipes to be had! Best of luck!
blessings,
J.

There is a free source for you at Walgreens. Go to the pharmacy counter and ask for the Diabetes Magazine. It's free and has a lot of good info and recipies for you. Some of those recipies are enjoyed by those of us without diabetes.. Good Luck

Run, run, RUN to a Barnes and Noble or Borders and get to either the cookbook section or the health/medical section. You will find TONS of resources.

When I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes during my pregnancy, I bought a cookbook that was for Diabetic Cooking for 1 or 2. It has great, simple recipes that are easy to read and make without a bunch of funky ingredients. They taste good too! There is also a primer on diabetes and how to eat, meal plan etc.

You may also want to ask your doctor about a referral to a nutritionist. This is not a time to just ignore calorie counting, carb counting, and take wacky supplements not approved by your doctor. You're absolutely taking a step in the right direction when you address the cooking/eating situation.

My husband and I have been participating in a program called Body For Life that is amazing. I wouldn't call it a diet, it's a way of life that gets you healthy and toned, and it's been surprisingly easy for us to do with great results. It follows the basic concepts of healthy eating and living that a diabetic would follow. You can read more at www.bodyforlife.com

I would recommend reading the book (it has easy recipes and menus too) "The Schwarzbein Principle" by Diana Schwarzbein, MD.
It's not a good idea to follow the old food guide pyramid as it calls for 6-11 servings of breads and grains which would make you worse, whole grain or not.

The basis of the info in the book is to eat balanced meals of protein/real carbs/good fats. She explains what those are and why and how much. She also stresses the importance of not just diet, but lifestyle factors,stress, meds, hormones and exercise. All of these factors affect insulin levels.
She also believes it is not genetics per se, but familial habits that cause type II diabetes. This means you are not doomed just because your family has it as well!

Wishing you the best of health,
N.

Have you gone to the American Diabetic Association website? I know they have lots of info on eating right and recipes. Also meeting with a dietician would be a great start to learning more about eating healthy. I am sure they would have more suggestions for you. Ask your MD office for a referral to a dietician.

Dear J.:
I hope that you will be able to get this diabetes thing under good control. One thing about nutrition that I would suggest is taking supplements from a company for which I have been a distributor for the last 3.5 years. I don't sell the products any more but do take them faithfully every day and feel tremendously better than did before. No one would say these things will correct medical problems, but somehow balancing out your body which these products seem to do helps a lot. The company is Reliv International. You can check them out at
reliv.com
It is a multi level marketing company which is the one thing I didn't like, but if you can get past all the hipe, you might find the products will really help you a lot. You are welcome to contact me off list at
____@____.com
I would be glad to put you in contact with someone who can give you more current information.
I also think the American Diabetic Association might have some meal information, but I know it's hard when all they tell you is to have certain amounts of carbs, protein, etc. And forget the calorie count! I just get all confused by all that.
Best to you and do take good care of yourself. In my work I have seen many diabetics over the years.
S.