Diet to Control Diabetes

If you have diabetes, one of the hardest things to do is to find a consistent way to enjoy yourself while eating. Controlling your condition with nutrition and having food that tastes good is hard but not impossible. The Mediterranean diet has been recently touted as a healthy and tasty way to control your diabetes. Here are some ways to incorporate this plan into your daily routine.

What to Eat

The first step in trying out the Mediterranean diet is to get your hands on some of the food you'll be eating. The diet is filled with nutrient rich fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. All of these items have a low-glycemic index and as a result will not cause a spike in your blood sugar. You can also use some potatoes, breads and cereals, though you may want to use them sparingly since they will contribute to a temporarily high blood sugar. You will be eating lots of healthy fats (monounsaturated fats) from sources like oily fish and olive oil. These fats have been known to have many health benefits including a rise in good levels of cholesterol (HDL). You may also have one to two glasses of wine a day. The wine is rich in flavonoid phenolics, which are antioxidants that can also improve your cholesterol and prevent the clotting of blood. You may also have moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products.

What to Avoid

Now that you have a lot of the necessary food for the Mediterranean diet, it's time to get rid of food that is not included. Red meat is very seldom consumed on the Mediterranean diet and you should try to keep as little of it around as possible. Saturated fat that is found in red meat and whole-milk based dairy products is practically forbidden with the Mediterranean diet, so it's a good idea to remove it from your house entirely. If you are a big egg user, step it back to less than four per week to help you cut down on cholesterol. Sugary and salty snacks can be removed from the pantry as well. They are not helpful in the quest to control diabetes and they are not consumed in the Mediterranean diet. Once you have removed these foods, you will be in great position to control your diabetes with this new eating plan.

Example Recipe

Here is a great recipe to get you started. You will need 1 pound of Great Northern Beans, 6 cups of cold water, 1 tablespoons of freshly chopped sage, 1 large minced garlic clove, and cup of extra virgin olive oil. Soak the beans overnight and drain them in the morning. Add the 6 cups of water, cup of oil, the garlic and the sage and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover it, and partially simmer it for around 45 minutes. Season the mixture will salt, pepper, and more oil to taste and enjoy. This recipe combines the healthy properties of beans, olive oil, and fresh herbs to give you a great lunch or light dinner for your Mediterranean diet plan.