The ABC’s of a Healthy Diabetes Diet

Meet with your doctor to develop a good diet and exercise program.

If you have diabetes, you know how difficult it can be to manage your condition especially when everyone else in your home can enjoy cookies and other foods that you cannot have. Depending upon the severity of your condition, your doctor may recommend that you avoid sugar altogether while others will allow for some slipups here and there as long as you adjust your insulin injections and remove another carbohydrate from your diet.


A healthy diabetes diet involves paying attention to the food you are eating. You need to watch the sugar levels, carbohydrates, and the calories. If you read your labels right, you can continue to enjoy dinner with your family and you will not need to make your own special plate. Carbohydrates have a large impact on your blood sugar so you need to monitor your carbohydrate intake carefully to avoid problems. Whenever possible, look for whole grain pasta and breads as the white breads and pastas are loaded with sugar. Watch your fat consumption and try to increase your protein and fiber intake.

When you work hard to control your diet, you will be able to obtain the ABCs of a healthy diabetes diet. What exactly are the ABCs of a healthy diabetes diet? They stand for the following:

• A1c – hemoglobin A1c test (an average of your blood sugar numbers over 3 months)
• B – blood pressure
• C – Cholesterol

As you work hard to manage your diabetes, you will be able to obtain a healthy ABC balance. Meet with your doctor to develop a good diet and exercise program that will allow you to manage your diabetes properly so you can go on living your life just like everyone else.

There are some things that don’t mix with diabetes, high sugar foods like soda, popsicles, and alcohol. If you do consume alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation as alcohol can throw your blood sugar out of control. The body sees alcohol as fat so it will treat it the same way. If you must have an alcoholic drink, test your blood sugar first to make sure it is controlled and then you should test it later to see if it is still under control. Adjust your diet accordingly and remove another carbohydrate from your diet. Before you drink alcohol, ask your doctor if it will do any damage. Some individuals with type 2 diabetes should not consume alcohol as they will need to adjust their insulin injections.

Watch your intake of fats, carbohydrates, and sugars. These are the culprits that cause your blood sugar levels to soar. You need to look for foods that are low on the glycemic index as they will have a lower impact on your blood sugar, allowing you to maintain control over your blood sugar. The good thing about selecting foods that are considered low-GI is that you will most likely lose weight because these foods contain less fat and with a healthy balance and the right exercise program, you will feel a lot better and your body will have an easier time with the blood sugar.

A goal you need to have is to make sure you have a colorful plate of food at each meal. Colorful food means you are eating a proper balance of vegetables and fruits. You also need to include snacks in between meals that can offer you the chance to keep your blood sugar under control. For more nutritional advice and diabetes diet tips visit the following website: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/contact/ask-our-physician-assistant/. Here you can ask a Board Certified Physician’s Assistant about diabetes and learn additional ways to control your diet so you can keep your blood sugar in check.

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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.