If you are living with diabetes, you know how difficult managing the condition can be. Julian Whitaker, M.D., offers 7 strategies for living with diabetes:
1. Adhere to your diet – Make sure you don’t forget to play by the rules. And that means the do’s and the don’ts.
- Do’s: Eat plenty of vegetables, lean protein, healthy fast, and a modest amount of fruit
- Don’ts: Processed foods, red meat, carbohydrates (pasta, cereal), sugar or artificial flavors
2. Exhibit control – Watch your portions. Some rules to live by: Keep portions to 3-4 ounces of protein (chicken, fish or meat); 4-6 egg whites; 1 ounce cheese; 1 cup raw veggies; one medium-sized piece of fruit (tennis ball).
3. Watch your GI – Avoid foods with a high glycemic index, which is a fancy term for the amount of sugar present in foods, such as refined carbs and sugars. Make sure your diet includes foods with a lower GI, including veggies and lean proteins.
4.Swap foods – Substitutes can be your savior. Switch out regular old sugar for natural sugar substitutes like Xylitol or Stevia.
5. Add some vinegar to your diet – Yes, it’s disgusting. But adding 2 tablespoons of apple cider to water (and including a no-calorie sweetener to make it taste better) can improve your insulin response.
6. Get a boost of magnesium – Diabetics tend to urinate frequently, which depletes your body of nutrients like magnesium. Try eating foods to replenish about 500-1,000 milligrams of magnesium per day. Some good foods include fish, nuts, green veggies and beans.
7.Interval training – A strategy wherein you alternate between periods of low-intensity exercise and shorter spurts of high-intensity exercise.
For more diabetes type 2 info, visit Lifescript.com.
The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not, nor is it ever intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice or professional recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician(s) or other qualified healthcare provider(s).