Increasing Your Enjoyment of Foods
Eating is a celebration of life for everyone — including people with diabetes. Some people with diabetes shy away from certain foods because they do not know how they will affect their blood glucose levels. Take heart, as there is a way to enjoy healthy portions of your favorite foods. Checking your blood glucose level at regular times throughout the day gives you valuable information to help you fit a wider variety of foods into your meal plan.
To understand how foods affect you personally, check your blood glucose levels regularly — at least as often as your doctor says. Checking often will show you how specific foods affect your levels. If a food causes your blood glucose to rise too high or too quickly, you may want to:
- Choose a smaller serving size.
- Combine foods optimally. Some foods tend to raise blood glucose levels more quickly than others. For example, orange juice (and other juices) raises blood glucose levels relatively quickly, while nuts do not. Combining a 4-ounce portion of orange juice with a tablespoon of two almonds or peanuts will help slow the rise of blood glucose.
- Change the timing of that meal so that your diabetes medications work better to control levels.
Writing your blood glucose levels and the food you eat in a diabetes logbook will help you keep track of how food affects your blood glucose levels. Once you learn how to best manage your food so that blood glucose levels are under control, eating will become more enjoyable. Start today to learn about how foods affect your blood glucose levels by monitoring your levels on a regular schedule. Your taste buds will thank you!