Healthy Eating Habits

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Introduction
When you have diabetes (diabetes mellitus), it is very important to have healthy eating habits because your blood sugar (glucose) levels are greatly affected by what you eat and drink. Eating healthy foods in the appropriate amounts, at about the same times every day, can help you:
Control your blood glucose.
Control your risk of heart disease.
Improve your blood pressure.
Reach or maintain a healthy weight.
Every person with diabetes is different, and each person has different needs for a meal plan. Your health care provider may recommend that you work with a diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian) to make a meal plan that is best for you. Your meal plan may vary depending on factors such as:
The calories you need.
The medicines …show more content…

Some foods have fewer nutrients per serving than other foods, even though they might have the same number of calories or carbohydrates.
Cooking
Use low-heat cooking methods, such as baking, instead of high-heat cooking methods like deep frying.
How do carbohydrates affect me?
Carbohydrates affect your blood glucose level more than any other type of food. Eating carbohydrates naturally increases the amount of glucose in your blood. Carbohydrate counting is a method for keeping track of how many carbohydrates you eat. Counting carbohydrates is important to keep your blood glucose at a healthy level, especially if you use insulin or take certain oral diabetes medicines.
It is important to know how many carbohydrates you can safely have in each meal. This is different for every person. Your dietitian can help you calculate how many carbohydrates you should have at each meal and snack.
How does alcohol affect me?
Alcohol can cause sudden decreases in blood glucose (hypoglycemia), especially if you use insulin or take certain oral diabetes medicines. Hypoglycemia can be a life-threatening condition. Symptoms of hypoglycemia (sleepiness, dizziness, and confusion) are similar to symptoms of having too much

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