Healthy eating, along with medicine and regular physical activity, can help lower your blood sugar. Eating healthy can help you lose weight and lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. It’s also key to reducing your risk of health problems from diabetes.
It’s hard to do everything right every day. Just try to do some things right each day. Take small steps toward creating a healthy meal plan that you can enjoy.
Tips for healthier eating habits
- Trade a high-fat food for a low-fat choice each week.
- Make your meal look bigger. Serve it on a salad or dessert plate.
- Package half of your restaurant meal “to go” before you start eating.
- Curb your hunger by drinking a glass of water 10 minutes before each meal.
- Still hungry right after a meal? Wait 20 minutes. It takes that long for your brain to know your stomach is full.
- People tend to eat more in front of the TV. Turn off the set.
A dietitian can help you come up with an eating plan that fits your likes and dislikes. If you like the foods you eat, you’re more likely to stick with the plan. Also, learn how to read food labels, so you’ll know how many grams of carbohydrates you eat. In time, you’ll know how certain foods affect your blood sugar.
Eating healthy and being active can help you manage your weight. If your doctor says you need to lose weight, do it slowly. Work together to come up with a meal plan that will help you lose about one pound a week.
Even losing a little weight may lower your blood sugar level and make you feel better.
Go slowly
Changing the way you eat can be hard. So make changes slowly. Start by adding high-fiber foods including fruits and vegetables. These fiber-rich foods may help stop spikes in blood sugar. Eat less meat and fewer sweets.
One way to do this is to eat smaller helpings of food. Suggested serving sizes are smaller than you may think:
- One serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.
- One serving of bread is one slice.
- One serving of pasta is about the size of an ice cream scoop.
One serving of a carbohydrate food has about 15 grams of carbohydrates (carbs). If you eat the right serving sizes, you can easily count carbohydrates. Your dietitian can teach you tricks for measuring the right portions and counting carbs.
Remember: Don’t beat yourself up if you indulge once in a while. Make up for it at the next meal. Over time, you’ll replace any bad habits with good ones.
Also of Interest
These recipes will help you cook tasty, healthy meals.
Jim explains how he’s become more aware of what he eats.
