This is a continuation of the previous blog 9 essential things to know if you have diabetes. I am going to be talking about the third thing to know.
Food that you love
If you are like me, there are certain foods that I really like a lot. What this means is that liking certain foods and being able to eat them is important. So with that being said I would like to talk the item that I have listed as Number 3 in the 9 essential things to know if you have diabetes. Drum roll please. It is important that you be able to fit the food that you love into your meal plan.
Meet with your Coach to learn
A person you will need on your team is a dietitian/diabetes educator who can coach you how to get the foods into your diet that you have enjoyed in the past.
You may have had some people tell you that once you have diabetes there are certain foods that you cannot eat. I will share with you that this is not true. All foods can fit! That is the exciting thing about finding a coach to help you with this.
Get a coach
If you have education before and know about carbohydrates that is great. If the dietitian did not ask you what foods you commonly eat and what foods you want to fit into your plan, perhaps it is time to make another visit to brush up on this information. If you are new to diabetes, ask those questions.
Your dietitian/diabetes educator, as your coach, will help you figure out how to eat the food that you love.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are our bodies preferred energy source. They provide the fuel for us to move and for our organs and brain. Consistent amounts of carbohydrates will help to keep glucose levels in target ranges. Also timing of meals and not skipping meals are also factors in maintaining glucose targets.
Carbohydrate type foods are starchy foods, fruits, milk, and the other category. Each type of carb food for the serving listed is 15 grams of carb per serving.
I had a client who came to see me and the first thing they say to me "I want to be able to eat chocolate but still have glucose in target ranges." This was an important aspect of her enjoyment of her foods.
Meeting with the dietitian/diabetes educator can help you plan a healthy diet. It also can be beneficial to learn how to fit the other category also.
Schedule your visit with your coach to learn how to fit the food you love into your plan.
Wishing you best health,
Juanita