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Diet Guide & Principles

Simple Diabetic Diet – What should I Eat?

Nov 25, 2016

An increasing number of top medical doctors, nutritionists and scientists believe that through a simple diabetic diet, type-2 diabetes can become an entirely reversible dietary disorder. Jason Fung, M.D. says “Once you get the diagnosis, it’s a life sentence. But, it’s actually a great big lie. Type 2 diabetes is almost always reversible and this is almost ridiculously easy to prove.”

Since it is a dietary disorder, it figures that what you eat would play a huge role in this reversal. Yes, calories are important to the extent that if you burn up far less than what you consume, you will put on weight and worsen insulin resistance. But to imagine a slice of bread and an egg are the same just because they contain the same number of calories is one of those diabetes myths that has run out of favor with almost every medical expert. The slice of bread will certainly leave you far worse with your diabetes than the egg will because of how these two foods behave inside your body.

Based on this principle, while our healthy recipes do give indicative calories, we believe that that’s not the most important aspect to focus on. What’s most important are 3 key principles. Figure these out and you will be able to figure out your own diet and what works best for you, to help you reverse your Type 2 Diabetes.

Eat Foods Containing Protein, Fiber and Healthy Fat at EVERY Meal

  • Protein foods such as lean meats, wild salmon and free-range eggs, high fiber foods such as vegetables, legumes and seeds and healthy fats such as coconut oil (high in MCT’s) and ghee (clarified butter) promote balanced blood glucose levels.
  • Lean Proteins such as meats, eggs, legumes, fish, nuts and seeds provide building blocks for the most components in the body. Because they take time a long time to break down they keep us full longer so stop us reaching for quick sugary snacks.
  • Vegetables and High-Fiber Foods: Cram in as many vegetables as you can at every meal and snack on them too, include loads of colors and variety. Vegetables are packed with nutrients and fiber.
  • Fiber from vegetables, seeds, nuts and legumes plays a big part in keeping you full (without loads of calories), supports detoxification and helps balance blood glucose by slowing the rush of sugar into your blood stream.  Additionally, these foods provide the carbohydrates your body needs without the empty calories of processed grains and sugars.
  • Healthy Fats such as fish, avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds, eggs, coconut oil, butter and ghee increase satiety and balance blood glucose.

Stay Away From Sugar

Stay away from refined sugars

Stay away from refined sugars

A type 2 diabetes meal plan requires you to stay away from refined sugars. Sugar from foods and drinks such as confectionery, soda, flavored milk, fruit juices, biscuits and cakes enters the bloodstream rapidly and causes extreme elevations in blood glucose.  If you need a sweetener you can try stevia or a small amount of raw honey.

Avoid Processed Grains in Your Diet for Diabetes Type 2

Especially avoid gluten-containing grains and white wheat flour products such as bread, bagels, pretzels, cereals and crackers.  All grains break down into sugars and have the potential to severely spike blood glucose. The gluten in these foods causes the gut to become inflamed and can have an effect on hormones that regulate blood glucose.

By removing all grains initially, you are steering your diet toward the foods that won’t spike blood glucose – proteins, fats and high-fiber foods. Whole grains can be slowly added back in after a few weeks once your blood sugar is back under control.

You can find daily and weekly breakfast, lunch and dinner plans and diabetic meal recipes based on the principles outlined above, on our site.

How many times you eat in a day and whether you eat in peace and chew your food or just grab and swallow things on the run can make a huge impact on your diabetes too.

Finally, as a lifestyle disease, diabetes responds fantastically to the right lifestyle changes. Here are the changes that research has proven that support blood sugar control.

  • Exercise at least 5 times a week (HIIT training is quick and efficient, but there are many options to build exercise into your life),
  • Get a good night’s sleep (be asleep by 10pm and try for 7-9 hours a night)
  • Reduce stress
  • Many dietary supplements have research to show that they can help balance blood sugar – chromium, magnesium, vitamin D, fish oil and cinnamon can be particularly helpful.

Go ahead and create your holistic diabetic meal plan chart using the tool on our website and enjoy wholesome eating without compromising on taste and a little bit of indulgence.

Karena Tonkin, Health Coach
Karena is a clinical nutritionist, health coach, writer and presenter.  She runs a private practice dedicated to the integrative and holistic treatment of adults and children with chronic physical and mental conditions and is passionate about educating individuals in health and wellbeing. Karena feels that education through speaking and writing helps prevent chronic illness and directly influences the success of individuals, families and communities as a whole.
Karena Tonkin, Health Coach

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