A diet (beside medication and physical activity) is key to the treatment of diabetes. To cut things short, a diabetic diet is the art of maintaining proportions and giving up bad eating habits.
The following are the key tips for a healthy diabetic diet:
- Have regular meals (3–5 not very big meals daily, for type 1 diabetes 6–7 meals daily).
- Follow a predefined daily calorie intake.
- Balance your diet, pay attention not only to its energy value, glycemic indexes and carbohydrate exchange lists, but also to the content of fibre, proteins, vitamins, polysaturated fatty acids and other nutrients and minerals.
- Drink at least 1.5 litres of water per day.
- Reduce simple carbohydrates, including sugars.
- Use proper cooking techniques (cooking in water, steaming, baking, stewing, simmering without frying, barbecuing on trays only).
Frying and overcooking are not recommended.
These rules, paired with increased physical activity, are a chance for a healthier and better life.