If you think you have diabetes or if you have risk factors for developing this disease, then you need to change your diet. The American Diabetic Association no longer distributes pamphlets as they did in the 1990’s with detailed diet plans but you can still get a diabetic diet plan for free.

Did you know that the eating plan that weight lifters and fitness competitors use are very close to a diabetic diet? This is true and many people are not aware of the connection with regulated blood sugar and losing an extreme amount of body fat.

Your diet is not something that want to guess at because diet is the only medicine that is effective along with exercise to fight against diabetes. If you are suffering from diabetes, there is a stronger and more effective “medication” against this disease, and it is your diet.

We have found that doctors are not even aware of how to properly write diabetic diet plans. Controlling blood sugar is a definite art that that only professionals are aware of and they have designed diabetic diet plans and are allow those who have diabetes or those who have risk factors for developing this disease free access to their diet planning.

An effective diet plan that controls blood-sugar will help you lose extra fat tissue and control insulin levels which will have a direct result on blood sugar levels. In order to lose fat,you must control your blood sugar levels. Most of these plans cost aroud $200 or more.

The goals of a diabetic diet are to control your blood sugar and to normalize or to maintain your body weight. While your needs and results may vary based on your size, age and gender, the 1800 calorie diet with three moderately portioned meals and two or three snacks should accomplish this result.

First be aware of which foods provide the most nutrition. While an apple and a cookie may have the same number of calories, the apple will have more fiber, more vitamins, take longer for your body to digest and will be more filling. The cookie contains fat which your body is more likely to store rather than burn for energy. Protein found in meats, dairy products and beans is a good source of energy that your body will digest and burn more slowly compared to simple sugars. You want to be careful with most fruit juices because they contain concentrated sugar. You are better served by eating a piece of fruit and drinking a glass of water.

Next pay attention to portion size. Get a general idea about the size of a three ounce serving of meat. It may be smaller than what you are accustomed to eating. Also in the case of starches such as rice, pasta or potatoes make sure that you are measuring accurately as this can drastically affect the calorie content of your food. The inability to accurately measure portion size will sabotage your diet goals.

With an 1800 calorie diet it is also important to eat frequently to prevent ravenous hunger. Plan to eat a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon snack. Some people will enjoy an evening snack as well. This will not only prevent you from becoming too hungry, but it will stabilize your blood sugar. Eating the correct foods in the proper portions at the right time will help you succeed.

What you should know is that diabetes is not always hereditary. So even if your family does not have it, you can get it because it can be acquired. You will learn a lot by reading blood sugar facts. This is the reason why there are people who are very careful when it comes to the kind of food that they eat and the amount by which they consume it. Of course, they lose weight and maintain the physique of their body when they do so.

There is also a condition that is called pre-diabetes. Personally, I did not realize of the condition and I am so glad I was able to read up on a couple of blood sugar facts. Pre-diabetes is a condition where the levels of blood sugar are higher than usual but it is not high enough to cause alarm. Actually, pre-diabetes may even cause type 2 diabetes. Although not everybody with pre-diabetes will get it.

The reason why health organizations are emphasizing the need for all of us to be informed about basic blood sugar facts because we need it to be able to function well. Do you know that Southeast Asia has the highest number of people with pre-diabetes? The reason for this is not everybody knows that the condition exists. I am sure that if they are informed, they will be more conscious on what they eat. Actually, people who are more then 45 years old and are overweight are more likely to develop pre-diabetes. Although it can be avoided with just diet and exercise.