5 Diet Tips to Help Manage Diabetes Nerve Pain (Part2)
Tip 3. Go for Complex ‘Carbs’
Why? Carbohydrates digest more slowly and don't ‘spike’ your blood sugar the way sugars do. They also fill you up faster, so you're less likely to overeat, and they give you more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Most of what you eat should be healthy carbohydrates. Include whole-grains, fruits,
vegetables and low fat milk. Whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice, beans, lentils, potatoes, and corn are good choices.
How? Shop the perimeter of grocery stores, where you'll find the freshest foods. Avoid temptation in the middle aisles, where canned, boxed, and frozen goods are shelved.
Reach for the least-processed version of any food. Try to cut out prepared, pre-mixed foods, they're not ‘helpers’ when it comes to diabetes and nerve pain.
Have fun trying a new kind of starchy vegetable, like baked yams, oven-roasted carrots, or cooked lentils, instead of white rice or dinner rolls.
Tip 4. Forget ‘Supersizing’
Why? Most people are shocked to realize how small ‘official’ serving sizes are. A serving of carbs? Only 1 slice of whole-grain bread or 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal. A serving of dry cereal? Only 3/4 of a cup - that's smaller than your average cup of coffee. Meat, fish, or poultry? A mere 3 ounces is a serving - that's about the size of a cassette tape - once it's cooked. Go for that 16-ounce porterhouse and you've just eaten nearly 6 dinners-worth of protein.
The goal. Get in the habit of reading food labels to find out the real portion sizes for the foods you enjoy. And do the math. If you double up on a special treat one day, subtract that from your next day's diet planning.
How? Split entrees or dinner-size salads when you eat out, or have a small salad and appetizer instead of an entree.
Keep a good diabetes diet book on hand to find portion sizes for fresh foods like fruits and vegetables.
Buy a new set of measuring cups and spoons and keep them out on the counter, so you're more motivated to measure servings.
Tip 5. Eat Less Fat
Why? Nearly 9 out of 10 adults with type 2 diabetes are overweight, says the ADA. Losing weight can lower blood glucose, give you more energy, lighten the load on feet already sore from nerve pain, and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
The goal? Try to stick to 3 - 5 servings of fat a day (or as advised by your doctor). Remember that 1 serving of fat is only 1 teaspoon of olive oil or margarine.
How? These days, ‘low-fat’ is everywhere. But read food labels carefully. ‘Lite’ doesn't always mean ‘low-fat.’ Find out how many grams of fat are in each serving of the foods you enjoy.
No matter how rushed you feel, avoid grabbing fast foods on the go. A single fast-food meal could cost you a week's worth of fat servings.
Fill up on low-fat soups, salads with low-fat dressing, and raw veggies that satisfy your taste buds with a variety of flavors and textures.
And remember to relax and enjoy your meals. That way, you're less likely to overeat from stress, and more likely to savor the flavor of foods. Your nerves will be glad you did.
Source: webmd.com
Other links:
Diabetes Overview
Type 1 Diabetes (Part1)
Type 1 Diabetes (Part2)
Type 2 Diabetes
Causes of Type 2 Diabetes
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes in Children (part1)
Type 2 Diabetes in Children (Part2)
Prediabetes (Part1)
Prediabetes (Part2)
Pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes
How Is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed & managed?
Taking Insulin & Diet for Gestational Diabetes
Exercise & Pregnancy Weight Gain for Gestational Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes & My Baby
Diabetes Foot Care (Part1)
Diabetes Foot Care (Part2)
5 Diet Tips to Help Manage Diabetes Nerve Pain (Part1)
