Lower your blood sugar levels, follow a healthy eating plan, lose weight… you have lost count of the number of times you have heard these statements. The truth is, making these lifestyle changes can drastically improve your health. Although a healthy eating plan is not a quick fix, over time it will make you a healthier person with lower blood sugar levels.

What should you eat to help you lose weight and have lower blood sugar levels? The correct answer is a balanced diet… a mix of foods which contain:

• carbohydrates
• proteins
• fats
• all the vitamins, minerals and food elements you require to stay healthy

The following are recommended amounts of food to be eaten in each of the five major categories of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid:

• Grains: 6 ounces (170g) each day, including 3 ounces (85g) of whole grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta. An ounce is about one slice of bread or half a cup of cooked rice or pasta
• Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups each day of dark green and brightly colored vegetables
• Fruits: 2 cups per day of fresh fruit… not juices
• Milk: 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt or other dairy products daily
• Meat and beans: 5 1/2 ounces (142g) each day of fish, beans, nuts, seeds and low-fat or lean meat and poultry that is not fried.

A balanced eating plan needs to contain:

1. Carbohydrates: these are used for quick energy. All plant foods other than green leafy vegetables are carbohydrate foods. These include both starches which are found in grains, starchy vegetables and legumes, and simple sugars such as fructose, glucose and sucrose which are found in fruits.

When you measure your blood sugar levels, you are actually measuring the sugar concentration in your blood.

2. Proteins: the main source of protein in the Western diet are animal products. Some plant foods such as the soybean product tofu, are a complete protein and can help to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when substituted for animal products. Protein converts slowly into sugar, reaching it’s high point between 2 and 2 1/2 hours after eating your meal.

3. Fats and oil in your diet are mainly made up of triglycerides irrespective of whether it is of plant or animal origin. Fats are the most concentrated of calories, which is why most diets advise people to reduce the amount of fats they eat.

Eating right, learning which foods contain calories in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fats and planning your meals to create a balanced eating style, is a great step forward to help you to lose weight and gain control of your blood sugar levels.

• Signs and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
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• Symptoms and Treatments of Diabetes Type 1
• Diabetes Mellitus - Causes and Treatment Options
• Diabetes Meal Plan - Using a Diabetes Meal Plan to Control Diabetes
• How to Find a Cheap Diabetic Supply
• What Does Vitamin B12 Do to Help With Type 2 Diabetes?
• Blood Glucose Monitors

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