Diabetic Diet Guidelines

The basic goal of diabetic diet guidelines is to promote healthy eating habits among diabetics to help to lessen their dependence on drugs and medical procedures as well as to improve their overall health.

Diabetes, if not treated correctly can damage major organs in the body. A bad diet will hasten the damage done. On the other hand, following responsible diabetic diet guidelines has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and many other diseases.

Many Paths Towards Following Diabetic Diet Guidelines

There is no one right diet that fits all. Everyone is different. But one path towards a good diabetic diet is the 1200 calorie diabetic diet. This diet is based on portion control. Knowing that portion control is a large part of the overall adult diabetic problem in the country, this plan focuses on counting calories - specifically, limiting your food intake to no more than 1200 total calories per day.

The secondary focus of the diet is to maintain your blood glucose levels. To keep it from peaking too high, or cratering too low. A healthy way to approach this is to reduce, as much as possible, the refined sugars from your diet. Limit your sugar intake to what you get from whole grain breads and fresh fruits and vegetables. Reduce, as much as possible your reliance on fast foods. If you look at the ingredients in a large percentage of the fast foods, you'll notice that many contain high fructose corn syrup which has been associated with many health problems - including type two diabetes.

High fructose corn syrup is a processed sugar, which is bad in itself. But some dieticians further believe that unlike other forms of sugar, which can be processed by cells throughout the body, fructose must be metabolized specifically by the liver. This means that fructose, when compared to all other types of sugars, puts an inordinate strain on the liver. This can easily lead to premature liver damage.

Carrots are a large part of the 1200 calorie diabetic diet.  Their mild sweetness helps to satisfy your sweet cravings and carrots help in regulating your insulin level.  Eat a handful of them for your lunch and snack on them the remainder of the day.

The diet also recommends that you eat many smaller meals as opposed to a few big ones. This helps to avoid overeating. But it's also good for your blood sugar. You'll find that your metabolism is experiencing fewer peaks and valleys as you stat on this diet plan.

And finally, keep your meal balanced. What does this mean? Basically it means to make sure your meal contains a protein, a carb, a fruit and/ or vegetable, and a "good fat".

The 1200 calorie diabetic diet is only one way to ensure that your diet fits within the diabetic diet guidelines. If this is not to your liking, talking with an experienced diabetic dietitian can help you to customize a diet of your own.

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